Questions for Nursing Students

WDWpixieRN, RN · Dec 26, 2006

For the student who knows a family member that has this condition or went through that Don't allow him/her to ellaborate more than 8 min.s on a subject. It doesnt bother me but I find that its highly irratating to others.

When it's the same TWO students who do this repeatedly, either tell them to talk to you after class, or keep them to 30 seconds...most of us don't care or also have similar situations we don't feel that the other 35 students are probably interested in....especially when there's a ton of textbook info we need to learn....ugh!!

jb2u, ASN, RN · Dec 26, 2006

1. what have your clinical instructors done to enhance your learning during clinicals? especially clinicals that didn't offer much in the way of practicing skills ( such as low chance for iv's, dressings, etc).

do not have the students so immersed in care plans that they can not actually learn from them. i believe that they are good learning tools, but only if one has time to study them. i believe that in every clinical situation there is a learning experience waiting. even without iv's, dressings, etc. there are always those psychosocial issues and disease progression questions. i like it when professors seek out learning opportunities for us. maybe there is someone going to a procedure (picc placement, mri, etc.).

2. what techniques have your teachers used to help lecture be less boring, but still provide you with the needed information?

please pass out copies of the lecture or power point. i do not take notes, and i hate it when every two minutes someone says, "can you repeat that...can you spell that...hold on...etc" just because they are trying to write down every word that comes out of your mouth. i am in my final semester now and the one thing that i know is...telling students "do not write down every word that i say" does not help. so pass out copies of the power point or lecture guide so they will write less and interrupt less.

3. what would you like us (meaning nursing instructors) to know that would help you excel in your learning?

we only need professors to be fair, organized, and know their stuff.

4. this is just something i have wondered, but never asked any of my students... as you can see from my info, i'm pretty young compared to most nursing instructors and i look younger than what i really am. someimes i see it as a positive, other times as a hindrance. what would be some of your first impressions of a nursing instructor who was young? meaning, what things roll across your mind when you walk into that first class or your first clinical and the person who says she is your instructor looks like she barely graduated high school, much less college? i feel very confident in my knowledge level and ability, but i do get some odd looks in the beginning and have always wondered, "what they are thinking?"

when in the army, a former sergeant once told me that "when you carry yourself like a man...age is just a number." well, the same goes for you. when you carry yourself like a professor...age is just a number!

i am impressed with your knowledge and experience not how long you have been on earth. age only tells us how long a person has been out of the womb. it does not tell us if the person is sick or well, good or bad, happy or sad, intelligent or not. it does not tell us where that person has been or where he or she is going. i can not tell you the age of the students that judge you based on your age, or the appearance of, but i can tell you that they have some things to learn about age.

sincerely,

jay (life's student)

scribblerpnp · Dec 26, 2006

I too love class discussions and interaction, but sometimes it is SO HARD. There is so much material and often the classes I teach have 100 students in there, also, the classrooms are so small, that the students are placed into three different rooms in the building and I am broadcasted via TV or some other kind of "magic" which I really don't understand. Makes it hard to connect and to get group discussion! SIGH. I wish our program had money for a new building with BIG classrooms.

mamajapko · Dec 26, 2006

I just graduated this fall and the best instructor I had left time for a quick review after her lecture. She had everyone write 2 questions about the subject she had just lectured on: it could be one for further details or something that wasn't covered. She picked up all the questions and had us get into groups of 4 and gave us each one of the cards. We then had to research the questions if we didn't know the answer. After about 10 min we read the questions and had to give the answers. The whole class benefited from this system.

PLEASE, PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE, use as many illustrations as possible in your Powerpt presentations. I have found many excellent pictures on medline plus encyclopedia and the internet.

During clinicals, please be patient and let the student prepare the meds without rushing, inform students what nursing interventions take priority over others and give gentle reminders when students forget to do something.

Thanks for asking! :yeah:

Deliasgone · Jan 3, 2007

1. What have your clinical instructors done to enhance your learning during clinicals? Especially clinicals that didn't offer much in the way of practicing skills ( such as low chance for IV's, dressings, etc).

I can say that I've had pretty boring clinical experiences so far. So far the only thing I've gotten to do is give SQ injections and bed baths. I really feel like I've missed out compared to my classmates who had different clinical instructors. That being said, give your students interesting patients or if one student seems to be stuck in a bed-bath rut, see if they can help or look on with any interesting procedures with their classmates.

2. What techniques have your teachers used to help lecture be less boring, but still provide you with the needed information?

Please, please try to limit powerpoint. Too many instructors rely on powerpoint and it gets droll. The classes that really stood out for me were the ones where we did a quick review of the reading we were assigned and then broke off in groups to do ase studies. Real-life examples are excellent, too. It is always easier for me to recall material if I can visualize it.

3. What would you like us (meaning nursing instructors) to know that would help you excel in your learning?

Be there for us academically as well as personally. There have been so many students (myself included) who have had so many issues this past semester and it was nice to know that our instuctors cared enough to ask what was going on in our lives and to offer in the very least a kind smile

Don't make us feel silly if we ask silly questions.

Don't act superior. I know that you are an instructor and that deserves respect but one thing that has really, really bothered me has been instructors (gen ed as well as nsg) that have mad me feel like they are superior to me because they are an instructor and I am a lowly ADN student. One Bio teacher got so bad that I very nearly went to his dept head. In the end I just had a meeting with him and proceeded to explain to him that not only was his attitude unflattering (he began the first day going on and on about his master's degree and how he commands respect because of said degree, etc.) but it also made his students afraid to approach him for the help they so desperately needed. I was shaking the whole time because he was an intimidating fellow, but in the end he must have paid some attention to me because he was a little warmer to his class after that talk.

4. This is just something I have wondered, but never asked any of my students... As you can see from my info, I'm pretty young compared to most nursing instructors and I look younger than what I really am. Someimes I see it as a positive, other times as a hindrance. What would be some of your FIRST impressions of a nursing instructor who was young? Meaning, what things roll across your mind when you walk into that first class or your first clinical and the person who says she is your instructor looks like she barely graduated high school, much less college? I feel very confident in my knowledge level and ability, but I do get some odd looks in the beginning and have always wondered, "What they are thinking?"

I really don't care if you look young. If you are a competent nurse and instructor I don't see how it should matter. I think that it will really just depend on how you present yourself to your class. If you come across as being "better-than-thou" (see above answer) then you will meet resistance from your students. I know that I have a hard time with that attitude, especially from somebody younger than me. However, if you come across as being caring and knowledgeable you will have the utmost respect from your class.

AmyORlpn · Jan 4, 2007

1. what have your clinical instructors done to enhance your learning during clinicals? especially clinicals that didn't offer much in the way of practicing skills ( such as low chance for iv's, dressings, etc).

i'm currently enrolled in an lpn program, in my second term. i won't start clinicals for another couple of weeks. i'll be back with suggestions then...lol

2. what techniques have your teachers used to help lecture be less boring, but still provide you with the needed information?

i love power point. my instructor always does group discussion, which is great. she will give us case studies and then we will discuss and come up with a care plan.

3. what would you like us (meaning nursing instructors) to know that would help you excel in your learning?

i would like for my instructor a little bit more about me as a person.....ie, family life, work experiences, work load........any many more......a more personal level.

4. this is just something i have wondered, but never asked any of my students... as you can see from my info, i'm pretty young compared to most nursing instructors and i look younger than what i really am. someimes i see it as a positive, other times as a hindrance. what would be some of your first impressions of a nursing instructor who was young? meaning, what things roll across your mind when you walk into that first class or your first clinical and the person who says she is your instructor looks like she barely graduated high school, much less college? i feel very confident in my knowledge level and ability, but i do get some odd looks in the beginning and have always wondered, "what they are thinking?"

in my experience, i've worked around (a couple) of young nurses, which were very smart, they knew their stuff, but they were not too people smart (meaning they didn't like to communicate, and if they do they were rude.)

i would just say if you relate to your students on a very positive level (and laugh). you will be fine.

i have a gal who is older than i (i'm 26) who really thinks she knows everything because of her age but i have gotten better grades than her.

girl strut your stuff and do your best (at any age)!!!!!!!

lpn student in oregon