Nursing School Blues (Part-time Student/Full-time Job)

Nurses General Nursing

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I attend Brenau University in Gainesville, GA and I am in the part time BSN program. I enjoyed the program when I first entered in January 2010. However, now it seems like "we (my classmates and I)" are not receiving the quality of education that we should be receiving. The first concern that I have is that we are moving through our courses without any guidance. Meaning that we were scheduled for orientation and it was cancelled due to the weather, but never rescheduled. I am competent and I can understand the assignments that are given. However, when 90% of the class are career switchers, it makes it hard to get a full understanding of everything that we need to know. The second concern is that one of the professors that is assigned to teacher the major courses, do not response to emails, post study guides/assignments late, and she make learning new material, such as dosage calculations impossible to learn because she makes up her own questions, which means that she is not teaching from the book, so that you can review similar problems to prepare for the exam. This teacher has given us a study guide, but when we took the test it was totally different and the majority of the class score below 75%. She had to give a 20 point curve to boost the grades up. We completed an evaluation on this professor last semester, however, nothing was done, so she is continuing to teach classes which lack quality. My last concern is that this program (Evening Weekend College) was meant to cater to working adults. It is true that you can complete your clinical on the weekend and your two classes during the week, however, there is no respect for a student's time. Due to the professor not scheduling CPR and First Aid appropriately, it inconvenienced some student. As a result, several people, including myself had to request off from work so that we could me the requirements. To anyone reading this post, understand that I am not complaining about being in Nursing school because this is something that I have a passion for and something that I have wanted to do all my life. I just want to ensure that we are getting our money's worth and that the quality of our education is good because this is a private school, which is very expensive when you are paying to receive a second degree.

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Specializes in PACU.

wow! Do we go to the same school?!?! Mines is very similar.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.

welcome to nursing school! none of that sounds out of the ordinary to me. we sometimes get study guides, and most of the material on the exam was not in the guide. however, the syllabus states that any material from reading, lectures, or assignments is fair game for exams. you may want to double-check your syllabus. sometimes my clinical instructors don't answer emails. and as for the dosage calculations, you need to know how to do it, regardless of the problem she makes up, so i think that's fair. the formulas are the same regardless of the numbers that are plugged in. part time or full time program, nursing schools expect you to make them your priority. and really, it does come down to what's your priority? i am also in a part time program, and i am no longer working so that i can graduate with the grade i know i deserve.

if you are concerned that your school is not giving you the education you deserve, check their accreditation standing as well as their NCLEX pass rates. if those look poor, then you may not be receiving what you are paying for. unfortunately, that seems to be common with private schools.

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I've never heard of curving the grade in nursing school. My school, College of Mount St Vincent's in Riverdale, NY, didn't curve grades. We had to get 85% or better on drug calculations tests. We had to get a 75% or better to pass all the other tests. You better check their accreditation and their NCLEX pass rates. Something is not right with this school.

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I've never heard of curving the grade in nursing school. My school, College of Mount St Vincent's in Riverdale, NY, didn't curve grades. We had to get 85% or better on drug calculations tests. We had to get a 75% or better to pass all the other tests. You better check their accreditation and their NCLEX pass rates. Something is not right with this school.

Hi glencovediva,

We are required to pass the calculations test with a 90% and pass all other test with a 75%. The test that I was referring to when she gave a curve was in our health promotions class. They are accredited, but I think that more attention is given to to day program and by the time they (Professors) get to us in the evening they are exhausted.

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welcome to nursing school! none of that sounds out of the ordinary to me. we sometimes get study guides, and most of the material on the exam was not in the guide. however, the syllabus states that any material from reading, lectures, or assignments is fair game for exams. you may want to double-check your syllabus. sometimes my clinical instructors don't answer emails. and as for the dosage calculations, you need to know how to do it, regardless of the problem she makes up, so i think that's fair. the formulas are the same regardless of the numbers that are plugged in. part time or full time program, nursing schools expect you to make them your priority. and really, it does come down to what's your priority? i am also in a part time program, and i am no longer working so that i can graduate with the grade i know i deserve.

if you are concerned that your school is not giving you the education you deserve, check their accreditation standing as well as their NCLEX pass rates. if those look poor, then you may not be receiving what you are paying for. unfortunately, that seems to be common with private schools.

Hi fromthesea

I agree with you about the materials, reading, lectures, and the assignments, which would not be a problem, if the teacher would provide us with the material from the book that she chose for the semester. She is teacher material from a senior level (because she states that she teach senior and we have to know it). I agree, however, we have at least another year before we enter the senior level classes and we have not taken other courses like the senior to be able to learn the material so that we can demonstrate our skill levels. I agree with you and I think that I am not receiving the quality of education that I should, which is why I am going to get with some of the other nursing students to get their opinion on it as well.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Nursing school is horrible just suck it up and push through it. Whether or not you are getting your money's worth is a moot point at this stage in the game, imo. Good luck.

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Nursing school is horrible just suck it up and push through it. Whether or not you are getting your money's worth is a moot point at this stage in the game, imo. Good luck.

That's exactly what I am doing pushing through it. I guess I am taking this very seriously because I have completed a Masters program in Social Work. Although, I am attending this school it is very important that I get my money's worth because I am not receiving financial aid I am paying 3500 per semester (which does not include uniforms, nursing fees, or books), so as with anything that someone is paying for you would like to ensure that the instructors are not wasting your time. Thanks for the good luck I will keep you all updated on my progress.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

Yes, all sounds normal to me for nursing school.

You need to try and work through it. Some of us when we were students complained re lecturers not returning emails, etc and nothing ever happened. If it's the beginning of the teaching year as well, the HOD or Head of the Uni will not want to go to the trouble & expense of finding a new lecturer either.

Try to talk to the lecturers individually and see if that helps. You could also see your student representative to complain to, or complain en masse (ie: all students) confronting the HOD/Head of the Uni/Head of School & see if that achieve anything.

Otherwise just try to get through it. You will never find a perfect university or college anywhere, there will always be problems I'm afraid.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.
That's exactly what I am doing pushing through it. I guess I am taking this very seriously because I have completed a Masters program in Social Work. Although, I am attending this school it is very important that I get my money's worth because I am not receiving financial aid I am paying 3500 per semester (which does not include uniforms, nursing fees, or books), so as with anything that someone is paying for you would like to ensure that the instructors are not wasting your time. Thanks for the good luck I will keep you all updated on my progress.

If nothing changes, write a HUGE letter of complain to head of the uni, quit after this year or next semester, then change over uni's when you can. Let them know re your displeasure first though.

the only reason I didn't change over to another uni when I was studying was because my uni was the only one who did external nursing studies, so I was stuck there :(

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