Not sure about this nursing thing...

[James9777]

So here I am halfway through my LPN program and I'm more unsure than ever if this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I despise clinical days, mostly because we are constantly doing CNA work or the nurses act like they hate having us follow them around, or when they ask a question we don't know the answers - because our lectures suck! My teacher gives us all the test questions with answers before the tests, and often lets us use them when actually taking the test, or she lets us having open note tests. Now this sounds nice right? Well It's not that great because I'm learning nothing that way. She spends all of our class time talking about her personal life, which some students don't mind but I really don't feel like I'm learning anything. Student's have talked to her about it and she refuses to change, even after the program director was contacted - she then got mad accusing students of trying to get her fired. It's one thing to read the textbook but if I'm not hearing things explained I don't understand how to apply any of it. I really feel clueless, and don't even know a lot of the basics. I think at least half of my class feels the same way, while the other half is just reading and picking up on it all naturally. I was so sure this is what I wanted to do but I'm really starting to question that. I'm on spring break now and I'm dreading when Monday gets here and I have to go back to school! Does anyone else feel this way or is it just me?

[loriangel14, RN]

There is no such thing as "CNA"work. Personal care is also a nursing responsibility and is one of the foundation skills of being a good nurse.

[James9777]

I'm not trying to say I'm above doing it, but I'm giving bed baths, and changing diapers all day instead of learning things that I don't know yet. I spent all last semester in clinicals doing that. I've never messed with an NG tube, done anything with a catheter, administered meds (other than one day I got to hand a lady a cup with her pills). I mean I don't even know what normal breath sounds should sound like and I barely know what to look for in a basic exam. It just seems like I'm learning nothing throughout this program. I really didn't mean for it to sound like I mind doing the bathing and cleaning up people, because I do like helping the patients anyway I can, I just wish I could do some other stuff as well.

[SubSippi]

Bring in a stethoscope and listen to the patients you have when you're in clinicals. Practice listening to each other so you know what normal sounds like. If your teachers aren't telling you how to do a head to toe assessment, watch a video on YouTube and do it on your own. Bathing patients is a great time to assess skin, musculoskeletal, and nervous systems.

Sorry you aren't getting what you need from your teachers.