What should I do - Abusive Instructor

AnnPerkins · Mar 24, 2017

So far you've spoken very vaguely about "standards" and "betrayal," but you have yet to give specific examples of how this instructor is making your life so difficult.

If you do go to the dean, you may want to come up with something a little more concrete.

AnnPerkins · Mar 24, 2017

Ok, I just took a quick glance at your other posts and you have had "issues" with several professors.

Judging by that and the irrational way you responded to Rocknurse, I'm thinking it's a you problem.

neuron · Mar 24, 2017

Rocknurse,

Why didn't you read my second (?) post to you? I don't believe in a threatening environment. You are telling me to just tolerate it. Gosh, maybe I won't become a nurse. You showed a lack of compassion, that is your choice, and this shows you may be that way with your patients. That is all I was saying. I came for advice, and your responded in a non-chalant manner. The devil is in the details. I didn't 'attack' anyone, I questioned what I saw.

I saw a red flag, and I just responded. I am not attacking, just questioning.

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Mar 24, 2017

Rocknurse,
Why didn't you read my second (?) post to you? I don't believe in a threatening environment. You are telling me to just tolerate it. Gosh, maybe I won't become a nurse. You showed a lack of compassion, that is your choice, and this shows you may be that way with your patients. That is all I was saying. I came for advice, and your responded in a non-chalant manner. The devil is in the details. I didn't 'attack' anyone, I questioned what I saw.
I saw a red flag, and I just responded. I am not attacking, just questioning.

Compassion for what exactly? Your post was extremely vague. You mention "the devil in the details" but don't provide any actual details. There are a lot of posts on here complaining about professors and it's usually because someone is being made to work or try a little harder and is taking offense because they've been taught to think they're special. What makes your post any different? Without much to go on, one has to assume it's the same old thing. If it's compassion you want, try sharing something that would instill that compassion, rather than just an abject rant.

Wiggly Litchi · Mar 24, 2017

Hi, I need some advice. I have an instructor who is repeatedly abusive. She has over 30 years of experience and constantly harasses students. If it is not done her way, then she will fail them. I don't think this is fair when students only have had maybe 5 days to learn. I don't think we should run to the dean for everything, but I don't believe students should be in a hostile environment. I can't handle the stress anymore. I know instructors have experience, I do too (a little, maybe not 20 years), but I know things aren't done in the real world as they are done in nursing school. I know to do things by the book in nursing school, however, I know it's not fair. Whatever.
This instructor is betraying (sorry, for lack of a better word), 'she knows but does't tell'. I don't believe new and innocent students should be exposed to that. Students with good intentions and maybe with awkward techniques, be exposed to that evil. I want to go to the dean (or whoever) for harassment. She has favorites so I don't think students have a fair shot. Maybe take other legal measures. I am putting effort in to this. Should I just withdraw? What are the consequences of all this?

I say this as kindly as possible, but suck it up and do it her way.

It's often said that there's two ways of doing things - the NCLEX way, and the real world way; in order to be able to take safe shortcuts, you've got to know the proper way of doing things, even if it feels alien or convoluted. A technique that works isn't always safe - try to find the reasoning behind the way she wants things done the way she does. Protocols are in place for a reason~

Not everyone has clinical experience before going into nursing school, so I believe it's fair that everyone is taught, and graded, on the same method.

Pick your battles well.... I don't believe this is one that should be fought.

Purple_roses · Mar 24, 2017

Okay. Deep breaths fibroblast.

First of all, nursing school is a very frustrating place to be. It's just a different kind of schooling, and it's hard to explain it exactly, but you now exactly what I mean because you're there. My military boyfriend has, half jesting, compared it to the military. Why is the military the way it is? Because at the end of the day, those men and women have to trust their leader and be able to follow orders in a way that preserves their unit's lives. Now nursing is NOT the military (I have a lot of respect for our service men and women and would not compare choosing to become a nurse to choosing to put life on the line for country), but I can see some similarities in that the stakes are high. As student nurses and future nurses, our actions have a direct affect on lives; you could kill someone--literally kill someone. Nursing is strict, it's sterile, it's professional, and at the end of the day--you listen to your instructors because your patients are real people who could really decline if you miss something or do something wrong.

You know how in junior high and high school you always heard your teachers say that you take the higher level math, not necessarily because you'll need geometry for your career, but because it teaches you logical skills? The same thing applies to nursing school. You are learning discipline because you absolutely must be disciplined as a nurse. You have to learn how to be disciplined. Rules seem stupid. It seems stupid that your instructor has a "her way or the highway" mentality. But if you can't figure out how to work with these types of personalities, you won't be able to work with your nursing managers and coworkers and you certainly won't be able to deal with difficult patients.

My question to you would be this: do you respond to your nursing instructors the same way you've responded to members on this forum? As soon as someone disagreed with you, you flew off the handle. I understand you're frustrated. I understand that you feel the need to vent and be heard. But your initial, instinctual reaction was to let a raging emotional response escape before you had time to collect your thoughts. It's ok to feel angry or mad here--but think about it. Think about what you're going to say and articulate it well and professionally, because this will gain respect from others. This is an online messaging board--you have the opportunity to type out a response, reread it, and edit it before you click "post comment." Just food for thought.

Now, onto your specific situation. Your details are vague, so it's difficult to give you advice on what to do. It's hard to tell from your posts whether you really got a bad instructor or if you're having a difficult time adjusting to nursing school. Both are very real problems that we would love to help you through. More details on exactly what happened between you and your instructor can help us help you a bit more.

I wish you the best. Please don't take anything I said above as trying to attack you or be nasty. I'm being honest. And I know what it feels like to be frustrated in nursing school, so I'm here for advice, as is everyone else.

uncloudyday · Mar 24, 2017

I am a recent graduate of nursing school. During my time there were mostly difficult instructors but they were difficult in that they had the mentality that nursing school should continue to be extremely challenging because that is the way it was for them and the way it always will be. Is it made more difficult than it has to be? Yes. It is hard and there will be blood, sweat, and tears but what matters is that you learned the knowledge that is required to be a nurse and you did all your work and passed nursing school. Me and my friends were basically self taught. We did every single page of reading of whatever concept we were learning and we knew that we were not going to learn much in lecture. My clinical instructors are probably who I learned the most from. Me and my friends made it and passed the NCLEX, not everyone did. I don't regret nursing school for one second.

With all that being said, we had a clinical instructor who yelled at and threatened a student at clinical in front of hospital staff and students/instructors from other schools. This instructor was reported and let go. This is an example of something that should be reported. Now an example of what should not be reported: the class behind me created a petition to take to the dean because many of them were failing exams. In speaking with some of these students the instructor that they had previously lectured straight from the test and now that they didn't have someone doing that for them, they were failing. What they didn't realize is that that previous instructor was doing them a disservice because they weren't retaining that information and no one can do that for you for NCLEX.

Like others have said, your story is vague so it is hard to give you advice.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2017

Sorry, it's nurses like you that I don't want to deal with. That attitude is precisely what I don't find attractive. To me that is what nursing has become. A profession that nurses 'lack compassion to other's'. I fear that your 'patients' have an personal issue or medical trauma, you may not respond in professional way. Poor patients! Nurses have become heartless, just as you have responded. Please refrain from responding to my posts if you can't make a better assessment.

Well that devolved fast. Based on rocknurse's posting history though, I'm pretty sure your fears for his pts are unfounded.

You could be right, and she could be the biggest megalomaniac in the history of nursing. You didn't give examples of her alleged abuse, so I can't tell. However your response to someone who took time to give you advice -- assuming that he's unprofessional and unfeeling, and that you don't want to deal with him -- makes me doubt your credibility. That just seems like a very excessive reaction. You also use some very strong words in the OP like "evil" and "constant harassment" which strikes me as hyperbolic. (Unless the Emporer Nero is your nursing instructor.)

But anyway, can you provide some examples of her abusive behaviors? That might make it easier to give you sound advice. I can't promise you will like the advice, but it will be more relevant to the reality.

Spine_CRNA, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2017

Go to the dean.

Your instructor has a boss, too who can make her listen. Also, get other people to go to the dean, too. There's power in numbers. Who knows? Maybe you're not the first one to complain about this instructor.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Mar 25, 2017

Go to the dean.
Your instructor has a boss, too who can make her listen. Also, get other people to go to the dean, too. There's power in numbers. Who knows? Maybe you're not the first one to complain about this instructor.

Based on what though? What details that the OP provided leads you to believe that the OP should go to the dean & the dean would listen? From what the OP had posted if the OP would go to the dean, all that would do is paint a target on his/her back.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Mar 25, 2017

fibroblast,

No one has been rude or a bully to you. You asked for opinions from experienced nurses on the internet. You cannot control the responses from other people.

You also never provided examples of the behavior of your instructor(s). If your instructor(s) really are misbehaving you should've provided us with proof. But since we have asked several times, you made more than one post & have yet to provide even 1 example I am starting to believe that the instructor(s) had done nothing wrong.

You jumped down the throat of the first person who responded & called them a bad nurse all because you didn't like their response. You don't know them on a personal level, you couldn't even pick them out of a line up. So to talk down to someone like that when they have been in the field longer than you, especially when you aren't even out of school yet is ignorant. I'm starting to see the problem isn't the instructor but you.

Spine_CRNA, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2017

Based on what though? What details that the OP provided leads you to believe that the OP should go to the dean & the dean would listen? From what the OP had posted if the OP would go to the dean, all that would do is paint a target on his/her back.

Is that really how you think academia works? Say something, no one listens, now I'm the enemy for speaking up?

My answer was based on life experience not just of me, but of many others. Many nursing schools have bad instructors and it's effectively handled via the chain of command