The Inconsistencies Are Driving Me Insane !!!

[Sheri257]

Tell me if this has happened to you in nursing school ...

Just as an example: you're studying nursing interventions ... and you know they're going to ask test questions like ... what do you do first or what's the priority?

The teacher tells you one thing. Then another teacher (unfortunately we have more than one) tells you to do something else. The text book tells you to do another thing. Or the text book tells you to do one thing first then, a couple of pages down, the text book totally contradicts itself.

And, to make matters worse, the teachers give you handouts or lecture outlines that say the priority intervention is something else !!! Then, you're in clinical and the RN's tell you they do it completely different way in the real world.

Then along comes the test, which they often lift from some other source material that wasn't presented or assigned in class. And, if you get it wrong ... they say you're not critically thinking enough.

While that may be true in some cases, it's often not the case. I'm sorry but this problem goes way beyond critical thinking. You can't critically think if the basics of what they're teaching you is totally contradictory.

I've often researched at least three or more different sources on the exact same problem where you often get three completely different answers. It's like they can't agree on anything and they try excuse it with this critical thinking nonsense.

It's enough to drive you absolutely insane !!!!!!

:angryfire

[jschut, BSN, RN]

I'm sorry I have no answers for you, but yea, my school is EXACTLY the same!

[LeesieBug]

YES!

It bothered me more first semester when I was still COMPLETELY clueless. Now I feel like I have at least a LITTLE knowledge to build upon, so I go with which ever of the presented "right" ways makes most sense to me, based on what I know. If I get it wrong on the test, oh well, I know I am right! .

I think that is just the nature of nursing, as it is not an exact science... we have to learn to use our judgement...which we have none when we start out :chuckle ... making it extremely frustrating to learn, at the beginning. I remember wanting to SCREAM..."WHICH IS IT?????" Problem is that is hard to find instructors that will admit, "Hey, it can be both!"

That's where all these darn critical thinking exercises come in, I take it.

[Sheri257]

YES!

It bothered me more first semester when I was still COMPLETELY clueless. Now I feel like I have at least a LITTLE knowledge to build upon, so I go with which ever of the presented "right" ways makes most sense to me, based on what I know. If I get it wrong on the test, oh well, I know I am right! .

I think that is just the nature of nursing, as it is not an exact science... we have to learn to use our judgement...which we have none when we start out :chuckle ... making it extremely frustrating to learn, at the beginning. I remember wanting to SCREAM..."WHICH IS IT?????" Problem is that is hard to find instructors that will admit, "Hey, it can be both!"

That's where all these darn critical thinking exercises come in, I take it.

You know what I do on tests now? I often ignore the material and, even what they have said, and focus on what does this particular teacher want. When it's a different teacher giving the test, the focus changes because the answer to the exact same question will change with each teacher.

I've actually done much better on tests this way. I know it's absurd, but that's what works for me. It actually has very little to do with critical thinking and more to do with trying to read the teacher's mind, so to speak.

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

You know what I do on tests now? I often ignore the material and, even what they have said, and focus on what does this particular teacher want. When it's a different teacher giving the test, the focus changes because the answer to the exact same question will change with each teacher.

You just espoused the 2 rules of college.

#1: Instructor is always right.

#2: If you want to pass, see rule #1.

Don't worry about the real world yet, that's alot of OJT. Worry about getting there first. Don't worry about some book the instructors don't care enough to mention or use as a resource. Forget what an instructor not relevant to that exam told you.

Answer the question the way the HEAD instructor for THAT section would want you to answer.

And understand that it's a game. In alot of ways, those instructors aren't intending to confuse you: they all have different 'theories' on how nursing should be and they answer/teach from THEIR base of knowledge. And alot of that stuff IS contradictory.

The 2 rules of college got me through. I repeated them like a mantra.

When you get out into the real world, you will be able to find what works for you and run with it. For now, play the game. And understand that all your peers are playing the same game, so there is no unfair disadvantage: they HAVE to pass at least SOME of their students.

Keep the faith.

Timothy.

[PediRN2B2006]

Oh, I soooo understand what you are saying. In my BSN program, they go in detail about a disease/ condition so well that we feel we can diagnose better than most physicians. Then, they have a few little blurbs about nursing care at the end. And the priority, well that is like some big secret that is up to us to figure out. Then, you look at different sources and get conflicting info. Basically, you have to figure out what the instructor who wrote the question thinks is the priority. I am all for critical thinking. But come on, does that include being a mind reader?

[Sheri257]

Oops. Double post.

[Sheri257]

And understand that it's a game. In alot of ways, those instructors aren't intending to confuse you: they all have different 'theories' on how nursing should be and they answer/teach from THEIR base of knowledge. And alot of that stuff IS contradictory.

This is so true. It is a game, nothing more. You sometimes even have to ignore what a particular instructor said themselves, even when they are the one giving the test.

For instance, one of our instructors doesn't know the material very well, so she lifts test questions from other sources and I have to ignore a lot of what she says because I know she'll forget what she told us anyway. There's been more than one instance of her telling us one thing, and the answer being another.

If she intentionally trying to confuse us? Probably not. But, since she doesn't know the material, she easily forgets what she says.

I'm not having any trouble passing, but I still get frustrated because you have to study the material, just to make a somewhat educated prediction on what the "right" answer is ... and the inconsistencies make studying all the more difficult.

[stressgal, RN]

When prioritizing questions follow this simple rule:

Airway

Breathing

Circulation

Then move on to Maslow

Physiological needs

Safety and security

and so on.

This will assist you in answering many questions correctly. And it will give you rational to discuss an incorrect answer with your instructor.

Yes, there are times when it doesn't hold true. It is just dependent on the situation. But it should help.

Good luck and hang in there.

[Sheri257]

When prioritizing questions follow this simple rule:

Airway

Breathing

Circulation

Then move on to Maslow

Physiological needs

Safety and security

and so on.

This will assist you in answering many questions correctly. And it will give you rational to discuss an incorrect answer with your instructor.

Yes, there are times when it doesn't hold true. It is just dependent on the situation. But it should help.

Good luck and hang in there.

It would be great if they followed the ABC's and Maslow, but they often don't. They teach it but, some of them seem to forget about it soon afterward. I've challenged test questions on this basis but, I'm been successful only about a third of the time. Most of the time, the instructors don't want to be bothered with it.

Besides, the school makes you go through this cumbersome process of filling out challenge forms for questions that involves a lot of time and paperwork. And you can't challenge final exam questions at all. So now I just try to give them what they want and, a lot of times, ignore what should be correct.

[kishah]

Yep! Same thing at our school. It is so frustrating! For each exam you have to think about which instructor wrote the exam and what would she answer. Not what the Fundamentals book says is the priority. We have six different instructors and six different ways of doing things. Hopefully, Ill be used to this by next semester.

Kisha

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

I guess it is true w/ most nursing schools then. Both the LPN and RN programs I graduated from were just like that. I always dreaded getting an instructor for theory that I never had before. Everyone always did bad on the first test, until we learned what that particular instructor wanted.