What is the DEAL with all the group projects?

Rosa2Little · Dec 26, 2006

Not as many as you would think are coming into nursing from other careers where interpersonal and organizational skills were already learned. These are skills that are a focus of leadership and management programs and not everyone is coming from those venues. Likewise, many basic nursing programs don't have the time to cover those concepts in depth along with the basic nursing they are teaching.

Perhaps I am being too optimistic as to the skill set of today's student nurses (but I hope not). I will say that for the future of the nursing profession, these skills should be obtained either through previous experience, or because the student rolled up their sleeves and delved into their work. I think on that point we can ALL agree!

Plagueis · Dec 27, 2006

A nurse in the real world cannot simply elect to not take any patient assignment during their entire shift, stay on the clock, and collect a paycheck while the rest of the staff takes care of all of the patients.
A student in a group, however, may elect to do nothing or next to it, and still pull an "A" by leaching off the other group members with little or no consequences.

:yeahthat:

I'm with those who hate group projects. Every time I've been assigned a group project, there has always (always!) been someone (sometimes more) who doesn't pull her or his weight, but gets the same grades as those of us who did because they are not graded by their individual efforts, but by the final outcome of the project. How is this fair? How does this experience teach us to work well in groups?

#1rnstudent · Dec 28, 2006

In my program, group work is in every course in every semester. It sucks because most people like to get paired with me so that they can slack. I had one student who was not a good student and I knew this, so I even offered to work on things with her (we were allowed to work alone or together) and boy that was stupid of me. I thought we could learn from each other and I could help her get a higher grade than normal, boost her esteem etc. She seldom met with me, never had anything we had agreed to get done on time (or ever) and it was awful. I am used to dragging others through the program with the group work projects. I don't like it, but after having done some grading of my own I can understand why the schools like to give out group projects (however unfair and crappy they may be): more work for the students but less marking for the instructor or TA. IMHO students have to work harder with group projects but the instructors don't have as many projects to grade. Thankfully I am almost done with the schooling part of nursing...

rags · Dec 28, 2006

" With all due respect, the difference between nursing school projects and real world projects, is that in the real world if a team member is not pulling their weight and they do not produce, they will be the first to be let go."

This isn't always the case in Nursing. There are many things you guys are going to find that frustrates you and seems to be 'unfair' when you begin your 'real world' careers as a registered nurse. Why not make it good practice now to adjust and deal rather than complain and feel jupped? Remember guys, it's not about you (the nurse) it is about the patient. ALWAYS! You will most likely be pulling more than your own weight at times and covering someone else's lacking for the sake of the patient. Not saying let it become too much for you or to allow it to take over your care, but it is going to happen. Learning NOW how to deal with slackers in those 'group project' settings will benefit you in your careers.

Just my opinion

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Dec 28, 2006

If someone were slacking and it affected the pt., they will get reported if i have anything to do with it.

It makes no sense for one person to do twice as much work on a group project, and two people get the credit as if both people worked on it. I'm all for team/group work, if the whole group/team participates, but i'll be dipped if i work my butt off for anything and allow someone else to take any credit for it if they didn't lift a finger to help. If we're all in this together, then we all should participate.

CityKat, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2007

*UUUuuUGH*

I just got my syllabus for my FINAL nursing class, professionalism. There are NO exams and our grade is based solely on a "group" project! I heard it's a pretty large group project. I have no idea what to expect, as it says in the syllabus that the instructions for the project would be handed out and gone over the first day of class. Sounds scary to me:idea:

I reeeallly HATE group projects more than I hate taking exams under pressure:angryfire