'Dumbing Down of Healthcare'

RN_Amy, RN · Apr 22, 2004

Hello all,
Is it just me or does there seem to be a 'dumbing down' of healthcare that seems to be taking place in nursing and allied health schools across the country? I am taking my pre-reqs at a local community college before I start my BSN in May and I am shocked as to how many people in my Anatomy class are failing! The scary part is they are all pre-nursing! This concerns me because when I grow older, I would like to know that I am recieving the best healthcare possible from people who can handle the mental rigors of modern medicine!
Perhaps I sound snooty, but it seems like more and more of these schools churn out nursing graduates who should have never considered the field in the first place!
Thoughts or comments?
Rhiannon

From reading your profile, I see that you already have a BS in Biology. This probably makes things a whole lot easier for you; not just in terms of content of any particular subject but in terms of effective independent study techniques, use of resources, etc.

University and school are different and it sometimes takes a while to understand HOW to study efficiently and effectively and get good grades.

Just my opinion (through experience)......... :rolleyes:

Amy

orrnlori, RN · Apr 22, 2004

I've taught in a school of nursing twice. The second time I went back there were "remedial" classes in almost every subject. I'm sitting there in my office wondering why the high schools aren't doing their job. Why should a university have to offer remedial courses? Sad; very sad.

I think the reason is that not all high school students are college material while they are in high school so they take the lesser classes. Then when they are out for a couple years and mature, they decide they want to go to college. In order to get up to steam they need to freshen up, re-learn, or learn for the first time some topics in order to go on. More and more, students are non-traditional in age. I never went to college until I was 39 years old. How on earth could I be expected to do College Algebra and Statistics without some help? Should I have been required to go back to high school? On the other end of that point, I could write rings around any college-prepped kid because I'd written several manuals and thousands of letters and other correspondence while in my career in banking. Remedial classes earn the college the same amount of money as do regular classes. Colleges understand that in order to graduate more students they need to offer these classes. Without them, many adults could not further their education. I have no problem with it.

Renee' Y-Y · Apr 22, 2004

I have worked with plenty of idiot nurses...they all passed their boards...it's merely a technicality you must go through to practice...but certainly doesn't mean you know your stuff or that you will be a good nurse...it means you were able to pass the test at that time...period.

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · Apr 22, 2004

What do they call the guy who graduated last in his medical school class? "Doctor"

Liked this. :)

Thanks!

rhiannonwolf · Apr 22, 2004

From reading your profile, I see that you already have a BS in Biology. This probably makes things a whole lot easier for you; not just in terms of content of any particular subject but in terms of effective independent study techniques, use of resources, etc.
University and school are different and it sometimes takes a while to understand HOW to study efficiently and effectively and get good grades.
Just my opinion (through experience).........
Amy

I will agree that it takes time to develop good study habits, especially in college, but for most anatomy classes that are offered at colleges, they always have a biology 101 pre-req. This course alone would hopefully teach students more effective ways of studying before they get to anatomy. I have a degree in biology, but it depends on what you study.

I have never had an anatomy course of any kind and my main focus was on Ecology and Wildlife Biology, something completely different than nursing. It may have taught me how to study more effectively; but I entered this anatomy class knowing just about the same amount as everyone else did.

Rhiannon

BabyRN2Be · Apr 22, 2004

Just because there pre-nursing students who cannot handle the material does not mean that nursing is "dumbing down". Nursing, is a very attractive career and so it isn't surprising to me that many people would want to attempt to become nurses, even if they really belong somewhere else. Unfortunately, few people realize what is involved in becoming a nurse, so there are alot of people in(at least the pre-req) nursing courses who think nursing is an easy way to make $$$$$$. But let not your heart be troubled, those people who can't cut it will never pass their boards.
Cheers

I couldn't agree more with this statement. Wow, I see it all the time. People go through the want ads and see all the jobs for nurses and say "Hey, I could do that, I mean, how hard could it be? I watch all the soaps, and hey, I could hook up with a really cute doctor!" They also see the job security and that's the career for them. They haven't really investigated the field and taken the time to see exactly what a nurse does. As GracefulRN said, those who can't cut it won't pass the boards. Don't worry about it.

manna, BSN, RN · Apr 22, 2004

Oh, just a note - at the schools here, general bio is NOT a pre-req for anatomy.

You know, this reminds me. I live in a very small town. So our small town gossipy newspaper puts photos of all the high school seniors in the paper and a little blurb about them, their awards, their parents and their career ambitions.

Several of these kids goals? Attend "insert name of community college here" and graduate with a 2 year degree in nurse anesthesia. Oi! :rolleyes:

SmilingBluEyes · Apr 22, 2004

Well I don't know about "dumbing down" in healthcare, particularly nursing. If they did not pass A and P and the whole other list of sciences, algebra, psychologic sciences, etc., well they never gained entry into nursing school. Where I went to school if you did not have all your prerequisite courses DONE, you did not get in ( I got an A. S. just waiting to get into nursing school). At least that is how it worked where I went to school.

Then once people were actually selected to GO to nursing school, they were further weeded out ---fast---- in the first and second semesters of school, as well. We had numerous applicants, (over 150 I heard) with only 30 accepted, in our small rural college. We started with 34 (4 holdovers from a prior class). We actually graduated only 16. The 16 of us who finished felt like survivors of 2 solid years of basic training (I am talking in the nursing program, not college itself).

Dumbing down? :uhoh21:

dont' think so.....................................

please see my post below, after some thought on this subject....

SmilingBluEyes · Apr 22, 2004

Further, I agree with Steph. The schools are passing along and graduating poorly-prepared high schoolers every day. This is evident. But along those lines, I know people with MASTER's DEGREES who can't write a coherent communication to staff. I wonder, they not only made it through nursing school but a master's program. So why the poor ability to communicate by either writing or spoken word? It's appalling to me.

I wonder about our whole education system, frankly. I really do. I think we are all being "dumbed down" to some degree along the way. Maybe the OP IS onto something---- after some thought, I do wonder.

dianacs · Apr 22, 2004

The words 'dumbing down' may be the wrong choice for this thread. And I don't want to step on anyone's toes, but perhaps I will when I tell you this story. Where I live there is a commercial for a technical college with a nursing program. The girl that enrolled in the school is giving her testimony on TV about how she was sitting at her regular job one day looking through the employment ads when she came across this college's advertisement. I will quote her when she says, 'I was tired of doing the same old thing, and then I saw nursing, and I thought, hmm, I'll give it a try.' Obviously she enrolled in the school's program but what she said at the end of the commercial really scared me. She said 'Anyone can do this job, anyone!' To me, I do not agree with this statement at all! Not just anyone can become a nurse! It is one of the most mentally challenging career fields out there!
It just scares me when schools like that advertise that anyone off the street can become a healthcare worker.
My .02
Rhiannon

I've seen that commercial too! It also rubs me the wrong way.

mstewart · Apr 22, 2004

I attend a Tech College and I am currently enrolled in 1st semester classes of their LPN program. I was shocked at how poorly people did in my A&P class. I think it comes down to dedication and preparation. You must really take the time to study, and I think you must also have knowledge of general biology. The instructors a the college point blank told us it was a class they use to "weed out" people. Plain and simple-I think that if people would have dedicated the time to studying they would have been fine. I certainly don't think that just "anyone" can do well in these classes, either. I wonder how they though they would make it through nursing school.

dianacs · Apr 22, 2004

There is a saying in veterinary schools: A students become the researchers, B students become the teachers, and C students become veterinarians! A 'C' is not a bad grade at all. My best friend's father teaches anatomy at the veterinary school here in Missouri and he says that the 'A' students are smart, but they lack the communication skills necessary in order to become a good vet. I think this same principle can be applied to nursing school as well.

I don't understand why people say this. Anecdotes and hearsay aside, what do grades have to do with "communication skills"?