ABSN students with a bad work ethic

Published

I guess it must be a function of the economy, but a very large percentage of my ABSN classmates are coming fresh off another degree or have graduated from college within the last year or so (from colleges that offer BSN programs). I'm not sure why one would choose to finish a BA/BS just to go back to school right afterwards, but I'm sure people make these decisions for a reason.

Part of the appeal of an ABSN program was that it was marketed towards people who were transitioning from another career and wanted to move towards nursing in as little time as possible. It assumes you have a certain set of life skills and experiences. I've been in the workforce for about 10 years and left because I didn't want a desk job. The people I worked with, while I didn't necessarily like all of them (but I certainly respected them), were smart, driven and very hard working and took a lot of pride in what they did.

Well, for a lot of these new grads, they have never held a job and it really shows in their work ethic. And by "a job", I don't mean any sort of employment - they've babysat, worked retail, flipped burgers. But they've never had a job where time management was required. Where messing up would mean you had to take personal responsibility and fix the situation. Where there was a clear chain of command and you defer to those more senior. Where you have to communicate with clients and coworkers and negotiate sticky situations in a tactful manner. Where you sometimes bite your tongue and just get the work done. Where failure to meet expectations had real consequences. I don't have a job now so nursing school is my job, and I take it with the same seriousness I took my paying jobs.

And when you have to work with these people, it's frustrating because it really shows. Emails aren't answered because "I don't check it much at all, LOL." They skip meetings for group projects and don't bother to tell anyone they're not coming, then get huffy that we're not more understanding and offer lame excuses. At clinicals they hog the chairs in the nursing stations and huff when the instructor tells them those are for people who are working ("This is hard work, I have a test on Friday - pout!"). When clear instructions are given about expectations and they fail, they blame everyone else--the test, the professor, mars in retrograde. You didn't check your emails and missed a meeting - that's our fault. We should have hunted you down and made sure your highness was kept informed on events and brought you a fresh copy of the syllabus with due dates highlighted. Oh, and nice cold diet coke as well. My bad. Everyone has a hard day here and there, but some people sure do seem to have more of them.

I normally would take a "dig your own grave" approach, but my school is very group work focused and their poor work ethics affect me. I am exhausted trying to work with these people (group work is a common frustration, I know). I understand that nursing is collaborative but I am just losing my patience and at the end of my rope--I cannot imagine a workplace that would tolerate no shows and not turning in work on time consistently or turning in low quality work. In every group there is always "one bad apple", but there are so many in this program and they have a 'no person left behind' approach this year (because of certain factors they are sensitive about drop out rates), so these people are being given even more rope to hang themselves and the rest of us in the process (here's where I mention one of them pulled a bad move that may result at our class not being able to get jobs at a certain hospital). I love my patients and I love what I'm learning, but the other part is giving me some doubts.

I'm starting to understand why nurses eat their young. I'm only 1/3 of the way to being a nurse and I want to do the same sometimes...get it together!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

That is interesting because I am not experiencing that in my ABSN program. We have several that finished their first degree the Friday before nursing school started last May. I have had several group projects and presentations with some of them and they all pulled their own weight. At clinicals no one sat at the nurses' station unless they were looking at the chart and everyone helped out each other if they needed it. In a couple weeks we (my cohort) have 2 classes with the traditional students (with clinicals) and I am sure I will experience some of the same things but with the traditional students.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I don't think you can just pin that on ABSN students. There are lazy people who feel like that should be handed everything on a silver platter everywhere you go. Nothing is ever their fault or their responsibility. They say the test questions aren't fair or they didn't have enough time to do it. They want things their way and now. I guarantee you there are hard working people in your class. They just don't happen to be in your group. While that is unfortunate for you, all you can do is make the best of the situation. Do you work, respond to emails, be on time. The nurses where you are doing clinicals will notice. They will also notice those who sit and don't do anything.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

If you're disappointed with the lack of work ethic displayed by your ABSN classmates, you might very well be horrified by some of the future coworkers you'll encounter once you become a working nurse.

I've been a nurse for seven years and met nurses of all stripes, including wonderful nurses with impeccable work ethics. I've also met a fair share of nurses who do not give a flying crap about their patients, are chronically tardy or absent (and continue to get away with it), and/or sit at the nurses station staring mindlessly into smartphones for several hours during night shift while call lights are ringing.

There are nurses who are good, bad, lazy and everything in between. To keep from going crazy, you must mind your own business and use the bad nurses as an example of who you do not want to become. Good luck to you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

I think a large part of this was a vent (which is fine, that's the beauty of the Internet and this site, it's okay to come on here and vent)... But to answer your original question, I finished my,bachelor's degree in 3 years in order to be able to apply to an ABSN. I fortunately got into a traditional program (ABSN was not my first choice because of the extreme rigor). However, around here, ABSN programs are a little bit less competitive. At one university, the average GPA of people admitted into the traditional BSN is about a 3.8, it's nearly,impossible to get in because its so competitive... However, the average GPA of those admitted to the MEPN (which used to be an ABSN and is still an accelerated program) is 3.4. I felt I had a much better chance getting into the ABSN so I was pursuing that. I'm not sure about other areas, but this could explain why so many fresh grads are in your ABSN. As far and bad work ethic, I'm not,sure what to tell you about that. They probably "skated" by in their first degree and think they can do the same in nursing school. It'll catch up to them eventually. Just keep doing what you're doing and keep your head up!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma, Orthopedics.

.....and how would this be any different than if someone went to a traditional nursing program? Why are ABSN programs only for people with "certain life skills and experiences" but regular bsn programs are not? I was out of college for only 2 years before I started my absn program, and there are tons of fresh graduates in my program as well who are also very hard working. Laziness is everywhere you go....not just because you feel someone didn't spend enough time in the "real world" before they started an ABSN program :sarcastic:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If your assigned group isn't working out for you, speak to your faculty advisor. If this sort of thing is rampant in your program, faculty may want to consider fewer group projects...then the whining will be, "Why won't you let me read your notes? I had crrraaaaaayyyammmmppps and missed that class!" But that's not your problem. What goes around, comes around.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow, I'm so glad I don't have to do any group work in my program. I would definitely talk to an instructor or dean about the situation. Other people don't have the right to bring down your grades, or to prevent you from learning.

I also wonder about the young people in my ABSN program. I had a professional career for 5 years before switching to nursing, and I thought I'd find my program to have mature learners. Surprise, NOPE! Lots of kiddos at age 23-25, still living with mom and dad and freaking out because they're about to max out student loans once they hit 180 credit hours (I did, thank God for the Bank of Grandma or else it'd be no nursing school for me). I also wonder why they didn't get a BSN the first time around? I think people just grow up more slowly these days. There's a lot of psych majors who realized too late a BA in psych means nothing. Now they want to be psych nurses or psych NPs.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I've talked to a lot of older adults who are back in school. This "team building" stuff is the current educational fad in many degrees now. The older students say that generally the division of work winds up unfair, with the more studious and mature students carrying some loafers. The nursing school I attended didn't do any substantial team projects until the last couple of terms. By that time, they'd flunked out 2/3 of the class, so I guess there were no loafers remaining. lol

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My apologies to those of you who haven't been in the workforce - that was an unfair generalization, and I'm sure your work ethic is about ONE MILLION percent better :) I'm so sure of it I'd put money on that fact. And it turns out some of these people are old enough to know better, so my assumption was off base.

So I got rolled under the bus! Tried to give the slackers the benefit of the doubt, went and spoke to them personally and they said they'd buck up. Tried to take it to the teacher who somehow pinned the blame on me (I'm no the leader) for not being able to force them to pitch in. I asked her to speak quietly in private, and she decided to convene the group, lecture me and the people who did the work and let the slackers some how blame it on us as well. These three who showed up at the 11th hour, told us our project sucked, pitched in nothing (grntea nailed it, they were too "sick" to come to meetings and we are horrible people for not understanding, boo hoo) and then lament our crummy grade while somehow pinning the blame on us because we did everything ourselves and didn't cover their asses and do their work for them.

In the process of trying to do what I thought was the good, decent thing by giving them the benefit of the doubt (and trying not to ruffle feathers) I now get a crappy grade, make two enemies (who I have to see every.single.day) and now the professor is forcing us to spend MORE time together to clarify who did what and argue it out more. Talk about a no win situation--I tell, they hate me, we get a bad grade, they hate me.

They got the grade they deserved. I get another week of headaches.

So my take away lesson from this: there are some wonderful nurses out there, but there will also be some bad ones and when the ship is going down know which ones will save you and which ones will wrap the anchor chain around your neck.

If any professors are reading this: enough of the group work, I am begging you. It doesn't teach us anything except who our class is a good person and who is a leech that will suck off the good people until graduation. It's a lesson we can figure out on our own.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Some programs require that group projects include a page that tells which student was responsible for which task or section of the project and they are graded separately. Some programs include the students' input into the grade of each individual -- with each student commenting on the contribution of each other student -- and that gets included in the grade.

You might be able to subtly insert something like that into your future group projects. "Let's divide this work up into sections and each take responsibility for one section." or some such thing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Talk about a no win situation--I tell, they hate me, we get a bad grade, they hate me.

The lazy classmates in the group probably hate you even more now that they are fully aware you reported them for slacking off.

I'm not calling anyone a tattletale or snitch or anything of that nature, but people generally dislike the sole person that is perceived to be 'telling on them.' This rule applies at school, the workplace, and basically most situations in life.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion