Why are nursing instructors mean?

nurse4theplanet, RN · Oct 19, 2005

I am not in nursing school yet, but am hearing horror stories from other students about the instructors. I've heard it from many students and they say that some (I realize NOT ALL), will pick apart certain students, fail them in a clinical without explanation, etc. They have even gone to the dean of students, and nothing is done. I don't quite understand this mentality of teaching, and I am terrified to start my clinicals......
Any insight on this?

Its part of their job description...:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

I loved all of my instructors, even the mean ones. The harder they are on you, the better nurse you will be. Only the weak minded will be psyched out enough to quit just because they perceive the instructor is mean. You must be on top of your game. Nursing school is not a walk in the park. It takes dedication, sweat, tears and every bit of your motivation. IF you want it bad enough, you will do just fine!!!!:)

MS._Jen_RN, ASN, RN · Oct 20, 2005

I found that the instructors who got labled as mean were simply the ones that insisted that you follow the rules. I'm sure that there are those few who are truly not nice people, but I didn't experience that at all. I think that most of the students complaining about "mean" instructors are those that who were irresponsible and expected to be the exception to the rules. Those included those that wanted to hand something in late for a lame reason or didn't have their stuff ready or didn't know their stuff. Be on top of things, do what you should when you should and know your stuff. This is a profession and you must act like a professional. Remember that and you should have no problem.

SarahtheRN · Oct 20, 2005

i too was warned to fear the teachers....however, once we made it throught the 1st semester they lightend up. i mean they were still tough but not mean. :rolleyes:

Editorial Team / Admin · Oct 20, 2005

Its part of their job description...:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Yep, when I was hired, the first question was, "Are you mean?":p

SFCardiacRN · Oct 20, 2005

There were mean teachers in my school also. Interestingly, my classmates and I could not agree on which ones were mean and which were nice.

Lexnursingstudent · Apr 22, 2009

Some nursing professor are better than others. When this new Visa gets signed by the president to bring in outsource nurses from other countries to fill the shortage, not only will nurses here (US graduates) will have to take a lower paying job-because of the competition, ..but..nursing professors will lose their jobs.

Case in point. There are some that legitimately fail nursing. There are some students who are picked on. There are students who bribe the professors---oh yea!!!!

There are some student's parents who pay the president of the college/university--bribe.

There are some students who hang with the instructors in their offices and the instructors actually hint to them as to what questions will be on the exams.

There are some students who CHEAT!!!! on exams, in one form or another.

EX: Knowing someone that works as a custodian and when cleaning the offices of the professors, get copies of the exam and give it to students. Even the custodian is making under the table money.

There are some instructors who just do not like certain students, and this is really a shame, perhaps these are the area in nursing school to look out for things like discrimination-at best-otherwise it is hard to prove.

Just go to class, participate when asked to, keep your mouth shut, act appreciative, document every move the instructor does, and says, record everything, for later defense, or studying, or exam quesitons.

hey, get this we just had an instructor tell us oh, well if I give you different figures compared to the book, then use the book figures.

now, which is it lady, for god sake, we are spending 10 grand a semester here. come on, and the text is ancient, where is the real updated stuff---makes a person wonder,, if some of the nursing professors really have any business teaching.

any way,

just go to class, keep y our mouth shut, study, smile, do not study with a study group if you make A's and B's. do you fair share of the work in a group project, always look clean, dressed neat when doing a presentation on stage.

do not, i repeat do not, talk about your personal life to the instructors, i don't care if they do ask you, and you feel that you have to give information, if so, then tell a lawyer, your personal life may not have anything to do with you being a college or university student, you are not a nurse yet!!!!!!!!!!!!! get what i mean, and frankly it is none of their business, they ran a criminal background check on you, that is all they are entitled too---period,

just keep your mouth shut in the classroom setting, the person sitting next to you may be failing, and you do not want the instructors to associate you with the failures.

Lexnursingstudent · Apr 22, 2009

i also know some nursing instructors who are on antidepressants.

that is a biggie to keep in mind. there are a lot of people all around us who are on psychotropic drug----oh yea honey!

Why do you think that college instructors will not let you do the eye assessment part on them. HUH????????????

See, and if they don't quit failing so many students, they will be out of a job. Because the government, along with the nurse VISA, will outsource their job to some educational internet site to read the materials and take online exams.

I am surprised that the university hasn't figured this one out yet.

There does not need to be an instructor live lecturing to nursing students about growth and development, a student can read the information, do papers, and take online exams, that would save the university a lot of money. A lot of university are going this route, it is just a matter of time.

the engaging part of clinical and labs are necessary though to get the training to be a nurse, but the lecturing part, just think of the thousands of dollars the university could save.

island40 · Apr 22, 2009

You might want to go to the section where instructors tell their side of the story. I have had students behave outrageously in clinic and the classroom. There are students who "befriend" the instructor thinking this will help them pass; and ones who are nasty to the instructor because they think they are going to fail and this is a way to blame the instructor. Goodluck!

mustlovepoodles, RN · Apr 22, 2009

I never had an instructor who was actually mean to me. Most of them were kind and gentle, but firm with me. I had one who challenged me every chance she got. But it was good for me because I really got motivated to study--I was determined she was not going to ask me a question that I didn't have an answer to.

I think the one that took the cake, though, was my part-time OB instructor. She had a BSN and was working on her MSN and had never worked in a hospital. In fact, at the time I had already worked 6 months in L&D. She wasn't an good educator, very insecure, and her lack of experience really made it hard for me to have respect for her.

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN · Apr 22, 2009

I had wonderful nursing instructors. Every single one of them.

dream a dream · Apr 27, 2009

what every student must understand is that there are always numerous reasons they recieve extra attention from an instructor. the student may not be paying attention during class, coming in un-prepared for class or clinicals, not doing the homework or something like being late and/or absences. this tells an instructor that the student just doesn't care; so how are they going to care for their patients.

the instuctor's job is to teach the new nurse but also impress upon the nurse-to-be the importance of professionalism. the other students don't always know the whole story and naturally the one that is having trouble is not about to say that they have done anything wrong.

i know there is a lot of mis-understanding when this happens to a student (but i would like to believe that all instructors tell the student with a problem up front that there is a problem that needs to be worked on).

no instructor likes to fail or loose a student and i know in most colleges there is a chance to repeat the course with a different instructor to see if improvement can be achieved. what all instructors want is to graduate nurses that will take care of the patient in a caring and professional fashion with a basis knowledge base to grow and develop into a well-rounded nurse that could care for any patient.

do not start the program scared; just know that you are going to do your best and perform in a professional fashion from the first day to the last day. nurses must know a lot and the classes are very intense... get a list of assignments and start reading early. look up [color=#400000]bloom's taxonomy and study it now. it will help you on all the tests to include the nclex.

diane227, LPN, RN · Apr 29, 2009

Feelings of inadequacy, power syndrome. Enjoy making everyones life as hard as theirs.