Module 3
Why Students Often Do Not Report Concerns:
Students in immersive learning environments occupy a position of high evaluation and low power. In fact, students often become hyperaware of the hierarchical structures at play between learning and patient care teams (McClinton & Fainstad).
Bullying becomes especially difficult to address when power imbalances exist, because the individual experiencing the behavior may feel unable to defend themselves or challenge the situation
(Einarsen, Hoel, Zapf, & Cooper, 2020).
Common reasons students hesitate to report concerns include:
fear of negative evaluations
concern about damaging relationships with sites belief that struggling is “part of training”
uncertainty about what qualifies as a “real problem”
worry about appearing unprofessional or difficult
belief that faculty may not intervene
As a result, students often adapt their behavior instead of raising concerns directly.
Faculty may only see the behavioral signals, not the underlying issue.
Recognizing early warning signs is the first step. The next module focuses on how faculty can respond when a student raises a concern or when these signals begin to appear.