Complaints You've Heard During Nursing School

Nursing Students General Students

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I know some of these things are things that all students complain about, so they're not stupid. They just need to realize that it's not only our school that makes you do these things. Most are the standards for every program. But some of these are just dumb, I'm guessing because they just didn't know how intense a nursing program is, especially since our school has pretty easy admission compared to others (3.0 gpa and 75 overall on HESI A2)

1. The Community Nursing class/clinical is a waste of time.

2. The clinicals aren't in anything I want to specialize in.

3. Too many classes each semester. (It's a full time program where all your core credits have to be completed beforehand so there are 4 nursing classes a semester, 3 in the last semester)

4. You have to take med math tests every semester and pass with a 90.

5. Having to write research papers.

6. Leadership Management and End of life care class aren't easy A's.

7. Having to take exit hesi's every semester. (I think the minimum score you can get on it is 800 and if you fail you take a remedia class).

8. Making careplans.

9. You need 100 hours of community service before graduation.

10. The lecture exams are too hard. (I wouldn't say this is dumb but some students say this and then laugh about how their books are still in the wrappers they bought them in.)

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Specializes in TCU.

I really don't hear any of those things in my program/class in NS. We have to take a med math test q semester and pass with 100%!

Maybe the complainer's aren't ready to be nurses; I have found that all of the activities/requirements have been pertinent and important to nursing. In fact I think there are a few things they could add to the curriculum that I feel this program lacks IMO.

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I really don't hear any of those things in my program/class in NS. We have to take a med math test q semester and pass with 100%!

Maybe the complainer's aren't ready to be nurses; I have found that all of the activities/requirements have been pertinent and important to nursing. In fact I think there are a few things they could add to the curriculum that I feel this program lacks IMO.

I'm assuming they aren't, I mean maybe the intensity took them by surprise but I've been on this forum for a year reading about other programs so none of these things take me by surprise. I'm just wondering if they will complain after they become nurses or if they'll realize that all that stuff they complained about during nursing school was actually relevant. I really think the main issue is that they didn't do their research on what you do in nursing school so these things seem excessive to them.

And I agree I even think that some of the things needs to be changed. Maybe I'm just an overachiever. I think some of the clinicals should be lengthened to about 8-12 hours a week (currently they are six). I guess being prepared makes a difference on how you interpret things.

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Specializes in General adult inpatient psychiatry.

I can't attest to the others, but IMHO community health and leadership were the least useful classes I had in NS. I took them during my last semester and would have gladly welcomed another m/s class instead! When I started studying for NCLEX, I felt like I was starting over again from square 1 with meds and patho.

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I can't attest to the others, but IMHO community health and leadership were the least useful classes I had in NS. I took them during my last semester and would have gladly welcomed another m/s class instead! When I started studying for NCLEX, I felt like I was starting over again from square 1 with meds and patho.

Our community health is in the last semester along with our last med/surg class. The leadership class is during the third semester along with the first med/surg class, peds and end of life care nursing. What exactly do you do during community?

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Specializes in TCU.
I'm assuming they aren't, I mean maybe the intensity took them by surprise but I've been on this forum for a year reading about other programs so none of these things take me by surprise. I'm just wondering if they will complain after they become nurses or if they'll realize that all that stuff they complained about during nursing school was actually relevant. I really think the main issue is that they didn't do their research on what you do in nursing school so these things seem excessive to them.

And I agree I even think that some of the things needs to be changed. Maybe I'm just an overachiever. I think some of the clinicals should be lengthened to about 8-12 hours a week (currently they are six). I guess being prepared makes a difference on how you interpret things.

I agree! I think it helped me to have a ton of experience as a CNA, and I think that over the years of watching nurses do their job helped tremendously in preparing me for what was to come in NS. :)

Also, I wish they would give us more time in clinicals, I learned the most there.

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Dumbest thing I ever heard a classmate say:

"You mean I am going to have to go see my patient the day before clinicals, that means I will have to drive to the hospital TWICE."

What an idiot, this is a chance for students to come in well prepared for the following day's clinical experience. When in nursing school, get your big boy/girl britches on and deal with it.

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Specializes in Hospice & Palliative Care, Oncology, M/S.
Dumbest thing I ever heard a classmate say:

"You mean I am going to have to go see my patient the day before clinicals, that means I will have to drive to the hospital TWICE."

What an idiot, this is a chance for students to come in well prepared for the following day's clinical experience. When in nursing school, get your big boy/girl britches on and deal with it.

I'm guessing they're going to be very pleasant when they actually have to go into work every day!

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We can't pick our own clinical sites!! How tyrannical!

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Oh wow....I lost count LONG ago. Is it just me, or does it seem that nursing students are a bunch of whiners? People need to grow up and understand that there are going to be hoops to jump through that make no sense. I know there are hoops I've had to jump through that in my own mind has had me thinking "what the HECK is THIS supposed to teach me?". But I shut up and just jumped through them. It's gotten me through the program without any bumps and it's kept any targets off my back. I just don't understand all the whining.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
Leadership Management and End of life care class aren't easy A's.

and the problem with this is...???

I was thankful for classes which forced me to work hard and think critically. I am glad I didn't have an easy program and that I had to bust my ass. I was much better prepared for the transition into the 'real world' of nursing.

Diane, RN

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and the problem with this is...???

I was thankful for classes which forced me to work hard and think critically. I am glad I didn't have an easy program and that I had to bust my ass. I was much better prepared for the transition into the 'real world' of nursing.

Diane, RN

I guess some of the students felt that the non-clinical/lab courses would be simple. They were shocked to find out that you had to write research papers.

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