Infuriating Responses To Questions

Atheos · Sep 5, 2008

Are any of you frustrated when your instructor answers your question with a question?

I find one learns better when the prof's force you to find the answer yourself instead of just telling you.

:twocents:

justme1972 · Sep 5, 2008

Yup....I usually take it as a sign that they don't answer because they don't know...99% of the time this is the case.

Very rarely it's because I have sometimes proven, that there is a such thing, as a stupid question :)

uscstu4lfe · Sep 5, 2008

simply put, this is their way of saying "i don't know" but they refuse to actually say those words.

ADPIE10 · Sep 5, 2008

I find one learns better when the prof's force you to find the answer yourself instead of just telling you.

It's extremely awkward when a professor does this in class and then challenges the student's answer. If the student knew the answer and the professor is soliciting questions, then aren't they sending mixed messages?

I interpret it as compensating for poor self-esteem that manifests itself as seeking opportunities to demonstrate superior knowlege to that of the student.

Atheos · Sep 5, 2008

It's extremely awkward when a professor does this in class and then challenges the student's answer. If the student knew the answer and the professor is soliciting questions, then aren't they sending mixed messages?
I interpret it as compensating for poor self-esteem that manifests itself as seeking opportunities to demonstrate superior knowlege to that of the student.

No, what I meant was, I have some professors that if you ask...

Why does the such and such neurotransmitter do this when x, y and z. The professor will say something like, well what do you think is going on in C that is causing F.

They won't just sit there, they kind of guide you to the answer and make you strain your brain each step of the way. Of course, if you aren't getting it, they give a hint or something.

I have several that do this and they know their stuff. I actually work with one, who was in ICU for years and my chem professor is a genius...

The best way to tell if professors 'know' their stuff is how they teach or lecture. If it's straight from notes or text they may or may not. If it's all from memory than it's a good bet they know there stuff.

msfb · Sep 5, 2008

I like "use your critical thinking skills." I take that as I am too lazy to tell you.

ADPIE10 · Sep 5, 2008

I like "use your critical thinking skills." I take that as I am too lazy to tell you.

:yeah: Awesome perception!

bekindtokittens · Sep 6, 2008

I find it irritating. You can bet if I ask the instructor a question, I've already looked for the answer in my textbooks...I've googled it...I've probably searched allnurses for it...

So no, I don't know the answer, help a student out!

chaxanmom · Sep 6, 2008

I think it's great. It's called Socratic method and it's a very effective way of teaching. How any of you read Plato's "Republic"? The entire book is a conversation of this type.

ADPIE10 · Sep 6, 2008

I think it's great. It's called Socratic method and it's a very effective way of teaching. How any of you read Plato's "Republic"? The entire book is a conversation of this type.

I think it would be great if the NCLEX exam was a series of questions that we could answer with questions. I think that it would be a great way of allowing the test administrators to guess what we might know. :banghead:

I'll be sure to include this method of teaching in the implementation portion of the nursing process. When a patient asks what they should avoid eating prior to taking their medication, I will simply say "what do you think you should avoid eating?" When they reply with "I don't know because you haven't told me!" I will ask if they ever read Plato's Republic.

Just kidding :chuckle:saint:

nservice · Sep 6, 2008

I'm confused. Are you guys saying you don't want to use critical thinking skills to try and come to an answer? Critical thinking is so very important as a nurse and a hard skill to master. I deal with orientees almost daily and use this same approach on them. For instance:

Patient has a Dx of CHF. Orientee tells me that the patient is doing good but his blood pressure was low (80's/40's) so he held the am B/P medication. B/P up to 90's/50's by noon. I start asking more questions. Urine output has been low all day and the family was complaining because they think The patient was sedated...He's been sleeping all day. I asked how the skin was and orientee says, "intact". I said is the skin dry/warm? How is the turgor? What does the urine look like? How do the lungs sound? Is the patient still taking a diuretic? Yes and the diuretic was not held this morning. Although this orientee did many of the right tasks, he was not critically thinking. It took lots of questions / guidance for him to realize that this patient had been over diuresed and was in the beginning stages of hypovolemic shock.

Nursing students must learn to critically think...their patient's lives will depend on it. If anyone has any ideas on how to teach critically thinking without asking questions, I'd love to know those techniques. (And I'm not being sarcastic...I'd really love to know).