Are your teachers this way??

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Specializes in Mental Health, OB, Geriatric clinicals.

I am in my third semester of nursing school. I was wondering what other people's teachers are like.

Our teachers at our school are so frustrating. We spend only 30 minutes learning how to start an IV but they require us to spend 7+ hours on a computer program that teaches us nothing, just reviews questions.

Our nursing faculty sends us at least 6 or 7 emails a day making changes to emails they previously sent us. Its like they don't know what they're doing.

They have us do all sorts of silly group projects and discussion boards. I've been going to school for 2 years and I feel like I don't know a thing about nursing.

Not to mention the fact that they all seem to be in menopause!

Is your school like mine? Or am I just overreacting?

It seems to me that the focus should be more on caring for people and the tecniques of procedures rather than just hearing about how we should do things. I've never even done a catheter!

I've seen it done on video of course and read about in books but ACTUAL experience? Zilch. When will I get to actually help people????

I guess I'm just frustrated and tired. Thanks for letting me vent.:banghead:

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At least you get taught how to do IV on your course. In New Zealand we don't get to touch IV until we graduate . You are not alone though I am in my 4th semester and still feel like I know nothing!!! Getting a job in the hospital as a nurse aid can help build confidence though, thats what I am doing. I dunno if you have those in America tho

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oh and taking catherters out? No biggey putting them in just technique. Its all luck of the drawer where your placement is and what kind of nurses you get at your placement. You just need to be assertive as say "hey can I do this" I had never done an IM until I asked to do it.

My school sounds very much the same and I am on the otherside of the world to you! Teachers and the university can be so frustrating at times. ASSERTIVE ASSERTIVE ASSERTIVE I live by that word now.

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Specializes in Mental Health, OB, Geriatric clinicals.

well at least I'm not alone! My friends ask me questions that begin with "you're in nursing school, you should know this....." and I dont! I'm like UM I have NO real experience yet!

Thats crazy that you don't get to do IV's.

I'd like to get a job as a NA but I dont think they could work with my school schedule..

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yeah its tough to work while studying. I just do it when I can as I have a casual job. You will know stuff by the time you finish though I am sure you know stuff now just give yourself more credit :).

Yeah don't get me started on my Universtiy!!! On my next clinical I don't care what the protocol is if my preceptor is willing to supervise me with IVs I am going for it. I think in New Zealand we are to scared to do things very politically correct. Nurse can't do much here but we can do more than in the UK or Australia I have been told. I was told the other day even when you are registered in the UK and Australia you cant give IV morphine! Way to trust the nurses hey? I want to come to america eventually but gotta get a few years under my belt here

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The reason they are so focused on you reviewing questions is because the purpose of school is to pass the NCLEX. From what I hear, most of what we learn is not real world applicable anyways, especially the way that we handle charting/policy/etc.

I know that nursing school is supposed to be about learning to take care of patients, but what determines if schools get to keep teaching is not if you can care for a patient at the end, but if you can pass that NCLEX.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

there are all kinds of weblinks on the sticky threads to help you. you can find weblinks to really good videos on how to insert both male and female foley catheters here:

while your instructors are doing their thing, you can be doing yours!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU.

Well, I know that my experience is not even the same as my classmates' experiences. I have a friend who carpools with me to clinical and she's assigned to an instructor on the floor below me. She's been getting 3 patients, learning delegation, giving meds every week. I'm restricted to 1 patient, I've only given meds once, I have to do total patient care (because I only have 1 patient), and I'm sure all the nurses and CNAs think I'm retarded because of the limitations my clinical instructor places on all of the students. I did more last quarter with another instructor in my FIRST round of clinicals. :rolleyes:

I realize that in the ICU or CCU or whatever, the nurse has to give the baths, but you only learn so much giving a bath, and that's all you get from it. Being limited to 1 patient a week also limits me to the amount of skills I can perform, the exposure to differing patient behaviors/personalities, and presentation of dz processes. I know what it is too. She's terrified of one of us screwing up and we're on her license. It's not my license, and I don't have one, so I can't say how I would react. But I don't think I would do anything I wasn't comfortable with--still, I wouldn't half-you-know-what anything I ever did because I was uncomfortable either. :smokin:

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Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.

You can learn alot about your patient by helping with a bed bath. It is a great time to assess them. You can get a great skin assessment then. Don't worry about the skills, they will come with time. I still have not given an IM injection. I've told all the other RNs on the floor that I want the experience, and still no IM yet. :eek: Are you allowed to ask other nurses at the facility to show you how to do stuff or to take you into a room for a " cool " dressing change? ( when your pt care is done )

I agree with the other poster about being assertive. This is your chance to learn, speak up.:up: Don't let opportunity pass you by. Good luck!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU.

Yeah, but we do two assessments anyway on every patient we get. We have to because we do a care plan on them. 1 patient, 1 bath, 2 assessments, no meds, no skills, NINE hours. I am so bored by the end of my clinical, I can barely keep my eyes open. I do go around to other students and ask if they need help every clinical day...because it doesn't take me that long. I just know for certain that she wants us to give our baths MORE THAN ANYTHING because on a freak day she forgot I was outside in the hallway with a tray of my patient's meds for over an hour waiting on her to leave another patient's room (I had no key and could not leave the meds in the hall because that would be negligent--she was assisting another student GIVING A BATH). The nurse assigned to the patient ended up giving the meds (late) and she came to check my dosages and was visibly angy that I had not completed the patient's BATH.

I'm not displacing my annoyance on you, but it seems to me that I'm not entitled to be angry with the little education and experience I get at my school AEB every response to every post I make. I feel like I will be completely incompetent by the time I get my license (IF I can get it, considering the fact that I have to pass the NCLEX to get it). I'm paying more in two years than I will make in those same two years. It's not too much to want to gain SOME experience, or SOME education. The most I've been taught is how to perform a head-to-toe assessment, and how to give a bath. IN A YEAR! It's not irrational to be annoyed by that. If that's all it takes to be a good nurse (to be able to take an assessment and give a bath) ADNs should not take 2 years to acquire. :wink2:

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Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.

I'm not displacing my annoyance on you, but it seems to me that I'm not entitled to be angry with the little education and experience I get at my school AEB every response to every post I make. I feel like I will be completely incompetent by the time I get my license (IF I can get it, considering the fact that I have to pass the NCLEX to get it). I'm paying more in two years than I will make in those same two years. It's not too much to want to gain SOME experience, or SOME education. The most I've been taught is how to perform a head-to-toe assessment, and how to give a bath. IN A YEAR! It's not irrational to be annoyed by that. If that's all it takes to be a good nurse (to be able to take an assessment and give a bath) ADNs should not take 2 years to acquire. :wink2:

No offense taken. Of course you have a right to be upset. I would be too. But, see if talking to your instructor about possibly assisting one of the unit/staff RNs with a dressing change or something is ok once your bath is done. What semester are you in? :heartbeat

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Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.

I see that you are in your third semester. Sorry about the above question. Yep, I would be annoyed too. My third semester we did not do any of the " CNA " type work.( we were not supposed to per instructor, we were supposed to learn to delegate those tasks ) Before anyone says it, this was for school.

Wow not passing meds either? Maybe if in post-conference all the clinical students could band together and ask the rational for why the focus on tasky type limitations?

I don't know why I had it in my head you were in first or second semester. My appologies. No offense was intended. I stand by what I said about being assertive and proactive in obtaining resolution with your instructor though. If she/he won't budge, go above her/him.:p

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