Nurses/recent graduates/nursing students...I need your help!

I would first have a sit down with the teacher to see if you can resolve this issue and to ask her if there is anything you can do differently to get a better grade in her class. If the meeeting with her does not go well, I would make an appointment with the Dean of nursing. I have had many friends do this and get their situation resolved by talking with the dean. Best wishes to you!

I don't have any helpful advice (sorry). Just wanted to say I know exactly how you feel. I had a teacher treat me so unfairly, and give me so much anxiety, that I finally just dropped out one semester short of my BSN. Hope you can hang in there, good luck!

I don't know what it is but Nursing School is almost like the Army. I had one teacher who couldn't fail me on hands on Nursing but made my life difficult on Care Plans. She told me that I wouldn't make it as a RN and I should become an LPN. Needless to say I spent all my time on the Care Plans that I didn't study like I should have so I had tor repeat that semester. At our Graduation I gave hugs to all my teachers and then I told her looks like I will be a RN. She told me Good luck with boards you will need it. I sent her a post card when I passed.

I agree with many things the other posters said. I am a recent grad (BSN, May 2012) and RN and nursing school is sooooo tough. People who aren't in it definitely don't understand the mindset and all of the STRESS. I definitely experienced various difficulties during school and had an instructor even ask me why I was doing this, as if I wasn't cut out to be a nurse. It's so hard not to take it to heart but I guess it makes you mentally strong. Anyway, as far as your situation, I would try to have a one-on-one conversation with the instructor privately and try to see what his/her issues with you are and if there is something you can work on, or go to your academic advisor and discuss the issue. How long has this been going on for, and why do you think that he/she is going to give you an unsatisfactory as a grade?

Good luck, please let us know how things go. And don't give up, school is really difficult but you can get through it. Take it day by day.

I am a RN,BSN and have been in the hospital for 5 years. Nursing school is tough (I have 2 other bachelor degrees so I have comparisons) My recommendations would be:
1. Tell yourself, "I DESERVE THIS DEGREE!
2. Create a game plan on when and where you are going to discuss your feelings
with the instructor. Perhaps write a letter to the instructor and read it when you
meet with them so you don't forget what you want to say.
3. Use the non-confrontational communication you learned in school to properly
express yourself without targeting/placing blame on the instrutor
4. If further intervention go to your advisor
5. If this step is needed go to dean
Make sure to utilize the chain of command. Execute this like you would on the job. It will be great experience and if you need to proceed past step 4 you can state that you have discussed this with the instrutor in a non intimidating and non confrontational manner.
Lastly, this person puts their pants on the in morning the same way you do. Whenever you feel a negative thought enter your mind because of this instructor, reply to yourself with something like, "yeah they really get under my skin but they will not define me and they will not break me. Use the good ol' mirror and tell yourself you can do it, take a deep breath and set your plan into action.
You can do it!

First of all, I need to thank everyone for your comments. This has been one of the most stressful times of my life for sure. What I ended up deciding is to withdraw from the class on my own. This way, the teacher cannot stick me with a failing grade I know I don't deserve. I certainly had the option of completing all the coursework for the class and fighting the teacher's recommendation, but there was no guarantee I would win. In fact, based on the past, I heard over and over that students don't win when they fight (whether that's fair or not is another story entirely). Students that fight and lose still get the fail or incomplete/unsatisfactory and that's after doing all the work for the entire semester.

From here, I basically have an entire year added on to my graduation date, and I lose much of my financial aid. I am very angry and probably will be for a long time, but I'm also trying to not let my anger victimize me like I feel like teacher has. I have to figure out how to pay for the little bit of school I'll get to participate in next semester, and I have to get my health on track. I'm not obese at this point, but definitely in the overweight range. This is something I can try to control better, so this is a new focus of mine.

I think you probably made the best decision here, even though the consequences are crappy for now. I just started a BSN program and I'm stressed out-haven't even made it to the hard part yet! Getting out of that class is going to do wonders for your mindset and stress level. You already know you can do the work, so when you are in a different class you'll do great. There are lots of options for financial aid as well. Good luck to you and I hope you can take a breather this holiday season!

I had a professor in college like that, although it wasn't nursing. I think she was actually struggling with a mental disorder (Depression or bipolar maybe) but that was no excuse for her behavior.

Now, I wasn't a perfect student (this class was not in my major and was not a top priority for me), but I did the work as directed and even extra, I participated in class (but sometimes held opinions counter to those of the professor and did not change my opinions), but I certainly did not deserve what mess she was doing to me. (I was one of only 2 students in the class who did not require the class for my major. I did need it for an additional certification that I wanted, but did not need.)

Fortunately, I had good records and the guts to book a meeting with the university ombudsman.

Specially, I had copies of the emails where I had asked if I could submit a file in xyz file type, she had approved of the file type, and then later given me a zero because she couldn't open said file, and then not let me summit in a different file type after this revelation because the deadline had passed. I had email records of when the file was submitted, vs when she let me know she couldn't open it, and of all the times she had changed the directions for the class assignments (often at the last minute) and when she had changed the deadlines. I also had a very rude voicemail that she'd left on my cell phone late one evening (After I'd called her to try to bring my laptop to her office to show her the file since she couldn't open it on her computer and didn't believe I'd really done the work.). It was a really rude voicemail and had reduced me to tears when I heard it. This was a huge assignment and would drop my A to a D if it was not counted. However, I needed a C or higher in the class for the certification that I wanted.

The meeting between me, the ombudsman and the professor was not pleasant. The professor was ruthless. Anything she could possibly twist against me, she did.

I finally let my own anger loose when she had said something about "having to learn work with people one doesn't like" as if I was being the childish one who couldn't work well with others.

At that point, I actually looked her right in the eyes and told her that "I have no problem working with people I don't like. I've done that lots of times. What I can't do easily is work with some I don't respect. I hate to admit this, but I lost all respect for you some time ago." (I regretted the words the minute I said them, but it worked to my advantage anyway.)

At that point the ombudsman's eyes just about popped out of his head and he got really curious. He cut her off and started asking me questions for a change. (My BF at the time hooted with applause at this point in the story when I retold it to him that evening.)

I went on to describe the times with her computer would "beep incessantly" just like "R2D2" during lectures due to the many IMs from her husband and daughter about family matters. (We could read these on her screen because it was attached to the smartboard), how often she was late or missed class without notice, or how often she arrived in a state of undress (bra and panties showing, hair like a tornado hit, and lipstick like she put in on while asleep). Etc. I told about how she never learned any student's names and how we were forced to use name crayon colored name plates so that she could pretend to call us by our names like a real teacher. This was in addition to the things I had solid records of, like the emails and the voice mail.

Additionally, I know that she had many unfavorable evaluations from previous students and rumor had it that she was in hot water with the university for having so many low ratings for multiple semesters/years already.

My gut tells me, in hindsight, that something big and bad was going on in her personal life and that her professorship (and thus students like me) were the unwitting innocent victims of her personal troubles.

What matters to me is this, when I did let loose on her in that ombudsman's office, the ombudsman didn't seem at all surprised by what I said. And, in the end, she was forced to accept my "late" assignment. I got a B in the class, even though I probably deserved an A, but I didn't complain about it. I was just relieved it was over.

So, don't be afraid to use your university's ombudsman, but be prepared to get grilled when you do use him/her. If you've been good about keeping your ducks in a row, the ombudsman will recognize that. And, if the ombudsman has heard issues about this professor before, then that can work to your advantage as well (the ombudsman probably won't volunteer information about those previous complaints, but if they know of those complaints, it will probably help you).

I had one more class with that professor the next semester (she was the only professor for the course). She pretty much ignored me, and I ignored her other than to ask her--every single day--for an assurance about an upcoming deadline assignment, and I got a A because she couldn't find fault with a darn thing I did. And, for the record, she was always 5 minutes early and well dressed that next semester. The kindergarten style name tags also disappeared, and her IM was always off during class.

Afterwards, I've ran into a number of students who explained that this particular professor was the reason they left that major. I've always thought it a real shame that one person could ruin the hopes of so many young women (most of the class was female) who wanted an education for a career that would help others.