Being President stinks, yo.

Nursing Students General Students

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Guys,

I really need to get this off of my chest.

I was elected class president last year. We are 4 months from graduation and we have 61/110 students left in our class. Our program is highly competitive; we are the top program in Ohio for passing the NCLEX out of ADN/BSN programs.

Since being elected, I've been a strong student advocate. Boy, it's gotten me into some hot water-- but I've still spoken up for students who need help.

My son has recently been diagnosed with a pretty serious health issue. He was a preemie at 850 grams-- he's now 6. He has cerebral palsy among some other health issues. We're at Children's at least once a week, which is over an hour away. We were not expecting this issue to arise at all.

I am so tired.

We just had our first test of the quarter. The average rate was 44/60-- failing. Our class is in an uproar. My phone has been ringing off of the hook since the grades were posted on Friday. They want me to go in to talk to the instructors and the DON about the unfair test. The test was HARD-- really hard, but some managed to pass it with high scores. I've found that our nursing program is a self-taught course; the lectures are just bonuses.

Here's my dilemma.

I am so flipping tired. I am tired of fighting. I'm tired of tutoring. I'm being paid to tutor MY classmates. It's like the blind leading the blind. I have no idea what's going to be on the test; I just tutor what I've studied. I come home and I'm absolutely exhausted. I've always lived with the motto to teach what you learn and to give when you get.

I don't want to go to the DON and instructors about this test. I studied and passed it. It's not my problem-- but it is as the student advocate. The instructor took a lot of time in explaining it to us-- more time than she has ever spent on a subject. I thought she did a very nice job.

I can't drop out of the presidency now. We've raised over $3500. for our pinning ceremony. I just don't know how to say no. It's my fault; I've done this for so long that people expect it now. If I back out of tutoring and advocacy, my peers are going to be deeply disappointed in me.

I'm barely keeping my head above water at this point. Thank you for listening.

Always,

Dani

Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.

danibanani,

I have seen your website and have some idea of how much effort and time you put into helping others. However, you have to learn how and when to say no. It seems like you are just worn to a crisp right now, you need some time and space, and your family needs you.

The people who don't understand are probably the same people who will suck you dry if you let them without a word of thanks. Others will understand. Ultimately, you owe it to yourself and your family to put your and their needs first.

I am sorry that so many people are struggling with this test, but you are not responsible for their grades and it seems like they are leaning on you too heavily and counting on you to compensate for their own shortcomings. Letting them fight their own battle on this one will be a useful skill for them when they get into the profession!

I feel so bad for you because I know what a good person you are, but time to let them sort this one out for themselves I think. If you can pass with everything that is going on in your life right now, then there is no excuse for the people who didn't (and you shouldn't be making their excuses for them).

Specializes in ER.

Delegate a committee to go talk to the instructor. You have enough to do.

Why not go to the DON and instructors stating that you have rec'd lots of phone calls regarding the recent test? Tell them that students are confused and upset and that while you had no problems with the test, as class president you need to find 'answers' for your classmates and speak for them.

IMO, if I was one of those that failed, I wouldn't go to the class president. I'd go to the instructor. I like to find solutions myself and not burden others with finding it for me.

I am so flipping tired. I am tired of fighting. I'm tired of tutoring. I'm being paid to tutor MY classmates. It's like the blind leading the blind. I have no idea what's going to be on the test; I just tutor what I've studied. I come home and I'm absolutely exhausted. I've always lived with the motto to teach what you learn and to give when you get.

I can't drop out of the presidency now. We've raised over $3500. for our pinning ceremony. I just don't know how to say no. It's my fault; I've done this for so long that people expect it now. If I back out of tutoring and advocacy, my peers are going to be deeply disappointed in me.

I'm barely keeping my head above water at this point. Thank you for listening.

Always,

Dani

You need to think about you (and your family of course). If you're barely keeping your head above water it does you no good to continue like this. What about passing your NCLEX? What about your graduation? You're not being selfish. You've done your part. I've always been for the sink or swim theory. If your classmates sink without your help, sorry, but they're adults.

BTW, when do you sleep?

Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

You are NOT the only one to speak to instructors...they are all adults, if they have a problem, then go to instructor.....There is only one you and 44 of them! They can fight their own battle for once....and you have to put your energy where it is needed!

Also, as a student advocate, you are there for those students that have a fair and legimate complaint....not for an entire class who didn't study well!

PS don't be like my president....failed a class last semester, and now will NOT graduate with us this may....TG my good friend was VP, cause I feel much safer with her in charge.....

Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.

Is this how the president has always been at your school? Are one of your duties to be the tutor and everytime someone doesn't like someting or get their way you have to take care of it? Every president that I've known's responsibility has been to start/be a part of the planing committee for graduation, and going to the Dean or student committe for major problems not one bad test. Now maybe if the second test has the same results I would think about going to the instructor/Dean.

It's not your reponsibility to make sure that everyone passes the tests. People did do well on the test granted it wasn't the majority but the info was somewhere. The test are going to be hard like you said in 4 months your graduating, that means in 6 months you and your classmates could be on the floor with your own patients and your instructors aren't going to be their to help you if you need it.

If it was me I would tell them that if they would like to go to the instructor or the Dean you're behind them. Also suggest that maybe they should form some sort of study group where someone makes notes on one disease/concept and someone else on another, etc.

Take a break from it. Be with your family. I hope your childs flare up is over soon.

Here is what I would do, since you are so close to graduation:

1. Stop tutoring..that is a job. You are not obligated to tutor anyone.

2. When someone comes up to you again, and say, "It wasn't a fair test!", tell them that they need to give you SPECIFICS...for college professors, that is usually either something that wasn't in the book at all, wasn't in the notes at all, or other topic that appeared out of nowhere...other than that, the material is fair game.

3. Do you have the same students complaining over and over again? Are some of them working too many hours a week?

Once you weed out those kinds of questions, you'll be going to the faculty far less.

Your classmates are laying way more on you than is expected of a class president! I just graduated in December (class president) and my responsibilities were to manage class meetings, appoint committees for our projects, ask for the occasional dollar for flowers or a card if needed (teasurer collected) and to make sure every voice was heard so that our pinning was planned fairly. If students didn't do well on a test, our instructors would tell the class, 'if you didn't come to see me about your grade, you must not have cared very much.'

For this particular situation I would ask for a minute during break and tell the whole class, "If you had a problem with the last test, I really feel it would be in your best interest to discuss it with the instructor so that you know in the future what is expected on her tests." Because you know just as well as I do, there are those students who just don't study like they should and when they don't do well on the test will complain how unfair it was (absolutely not any fault of their own).

You really shouldn't take on so much, it's hard enough to make your own grades and tend to a family. Give yourself a break, grow thicker skin, let them fight their own battles and become adults. You're right, being class president does suck!

Sippy

You are NOT the only one to speak to instructors...they are all adults, if they have a problem, then go to instructor.....There is only one you and 44 of them! They can fight their own battle for once....and you have to put your energy where it is needed!

Also, as a student advocate, you are there for those students that have a fair and legimate complaint....not for an entire class who didn't study well!

PS don't be like my president....failed a class last semester, and now will NOT graduate with us this may....TG my good friend was VP, cause I feel much safer with her in charge.....

I agree 100%. You really need to say "NO". Exams are not a part of what you do as president- you are a student. Also, you are a student BEFORE you are president. They need to fight their own battles. Say no once to wake some of them up. Good luck to you

"I've found that our nursing program is a self-taught course; the lectures are just bonuses."

Interesting that you say this...I wonder how many others feel this way???

I thought we would be getting much more hands on instruction in our program, but that has not been the case at all.

Everyone regularly attends the theory classes, I have never missed one myself. However, I often don't find the information given during these classes to be essential. We are expected to learn everything from other resources, and often not even given the exact subjects of what we need to know, beyond something extremely broad.

I would say our lab portion was the weakest part of the program. An ill equipped lab and no real structure to the course at all. We weren't ever sure what we were supposed to learn or know. We taught ourselves almost all our skills. 'Blind leading the blind' seems about right. Many of us were so green when we started that we weren't even sure what questions to ask!! We seemed to skip all the basic stuff, some class members still can't take a BP properly after 4 terms in the program!!

How many others out there feel like they are in a self-taught program??

That is terrible, yet Ive seen it while at clinicals. New nurses get hired and cant even hold the stethoscope properly to listen to heart sounds.

I work with a girl who is a nursing student in her senior year and she applied to the job (as a CNA) JUST to get practice with basic skills because the clinicals are so weak.

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