Broward College Central Campus January 2011

alisonelizabeth · Jan 18, 2011

So... after clinical today Prof K came to me and we went into the office and sat down and Prof S was there too; they said that they could see just how much I wanted to succeed and pass and that I was responsible and asking lots of questions and doing everything they ask me to, so they recommend I make an appointment to see the counselor that came into our theory class, and have already talked to her about me so she is expecting an e-mail. The paper they had me sign reads that they strongly suggest I make an appointment with her for test taking strategies and that it would benefit student success, something like that.

I was so shocked to hear all of that. Just blindsided. I mean, we all took a practice quiz for no grade last week, and it was five questions, and I don't think anyone did well at all on it. It was a HUGE wake up call. Anyway, so I don't know how to feel about this- should I take this as a good thing, or a bad thing? They said not to look at it as punishment at all, or as bad thing, that it's a good thing, and that they don't do this for everyone; that students come to them wanting to see the counselor after they fail a test....does that mean they think I'm going to fail the exam Friday, then? Geez! Way to put some confidence in me. I was the only student called out that I know of. :/

Anyone that's been through NPI ever heard of this?? I'm kind of unsettled, as you might imagine.

passion4people · Jan 19, 2011

This is for all nursing students at Central campus. I would suggest reading your text. Especially pay close attention to what you read in the boxes. Listen to the professor. If the Professor emphasizes something highlight it. Invest in a RN review book (Saunders, Delmar, Mosby,etc.). Either one would be fine. Do at least 10-15 test

questions every night. This will build your critical thinking skills and test taking skills. You have to know your theory and content of the chapters you are testing on. You will not be able to wing any of these exams. You are going to either know it or you don't. Usually you can eliminate two wrong answers . Study, study, study. Make note cards. The skills will come. The more you practice the better you become. I have been there. I have a good friend who graduated in Dec 2010 and she got thru by applying all these. You can too. Good luck and Best wishes.:):):)

Nanna:) · Jan 21, 2011

OMG Have anyone checked the grades?

Firedab · Jan 21, 2011

Yep, average was 38 in our class...

alisonelizabeth · Jan 21, 2011

I got a 40/50 on the exam. I'm relieved to see how I did and now have a 'base' of sorts to go off of, but most unsettling is that I expected this exam to be much harder than it seemed, and much more critical thinking based, whereas it in fact was, partially memorization and partially critical thinking. I don't KNOW if the next exams will become more intense or critical thinking based, but I did have an appointment with the counselor for nursing, and she specifically told me the first exam is the easiest, at least in terms of content. And remember, now that we're in nursing, we have a new grading scale- so a 90 isn't an 'A' anymore. For instance, a 40 out of 50 is an 80, so where normally I would have gotten a 'B' on the exam, I actually received a 'C'. A 'B' requires at least 73%.

Yes, the teacher e-mailed all of the students to let us know the average was a 37-38. My husband and another classmate I know, however, both got B's.

How did those that also took this exam do?

By the way, I came home and immediately examined where the test questions were based, and they seemed to come from the outcomes (modules)--only the concepts, of course, there aren't keys to what will be specific questions on the outcomes. Also, the PowerPoints were helpful, as I found a few answers in there. The book, while of course the biggest, most comprehensive source for the test, contains a HUGE, HUGE amount of extraneous information, that although one cannot know what WON'T be on the exam, would be very prohibitive to time management if one were to read word-for-word. My suggestion is, when studying, to first look at the outcomes that correspond to a chapter or chapters, and in the book, read sections applying to them. Understand completely these sections. Study PowerPoints-especially see if they relate to the outcomes. I can recall specifically at least one question on the exam that seemed to have come from nowhere- I couldn't recall reading it in the textbook or hearing about it in class; yet, when I looked at the PowerPoints, the answer to the question was in there. Also, there was definitely a LOT of information emphasized in class not present on the exam. Another thing I noticed was that when reading or studying, it might be helpful to really know the DIFFERENCES /COMPARISONS between things (i.e., positions, different means to take temperatures).

Hope everyone did well! Now we need to really get studying math, because our exam is NOT that far away. We can't let Process and Clinical consume us and forget about Math (especially!) or Pharm. Also, we need to spend as much time in the lab as possible-- I know I haven't been!! I wish the professors would spend more time demonstrating skills in front of us. Does anyone else feel this way? It's very frustrating when they spend time on videos that show us techniques that vary from what we will be tested on and even wrong methods, and then demonstrate a skill one time, and only one time. I know, at least, that my group practiced the skills last week, but it would have been helpful to see our personal clinical instructor demonstrate them once more. It's very hard to see and hear everything when you're in a room full of 150 students.

Anyway, enough of a rant!

Nanna:) · Jan 21, 2011

I feel the same way Alison. I wished they could demonstrate the skills to us instead of only showing videos. I got a 38 and feel so bad because I studied so hard, like everybody else I think.

alisonelizabeth · Jan 22, 2011

I feel the same way Alison. I wished they could demonstrate the skills to us instead of only showing videos. I got a 38 and feel so bad because I studied so hard, like everybody else I think.

By the way, when I was going through our schedules and the upcoming things we'll have to do, I noticed that our next theory exam is Feb 7, and the Feb 8 is our Return Demo for clinical (if you have it Tuesday, which I do). So that week prior and the Saturday for the weekend we'll all want to be studying hard for theory, but also needing to get in lots of lab time to practice for the demo. Ahhhhhh! Wonder how to manage that one.. And the next thing we have currently coming up is, if you're in the Monday math class, our math exam on the 31st...the day before (if you have Tuesday clinical) Vital signs check off on Feb 1. :hdvwl:

Our pharm teacher (if you have the woman) was so accomodating as to move our first exam, because it was scheduled on Feb 7, so it's now Feb 14.

Ohhhh boy. This should be interesting.

chitownbound · Jan 22, 2011

I feel the same way Alison. I wished they could demonstrate the skills to us instead of only showing videos. I got a 38 and feel so bad because I studied so hard, like everybody else I think.

Have you spent any practice time in the lab? All the instructors do is walk around and assist in demonstrating and practicing skills. And that's in addition to the live demos we get the second time when we break into small groups with our clinical instructor. Also, we have unlimited access to video demonstrations on Blackboard we can watch a thousand times if we want.

So far, I've found the skills portion to be the most comprehensive, well-taught aspect of the program.

alisonelizabeth · Jan 23, 2011

Have you spent any practice time in the lab? All the instructors do is walk around and assist in demonstrating and practicing skills. And that's in addition to the live demos we get the second time when we break into small groups with our clinical instructor. Also, we have unlimited access to video demonstrations on Blackboard we can watch a thousand times if we want.
So far, I've found the skills portion to be the most comprehensive, well-taught aspect of the program.

The times I've gone into the lab, the instructors seemed to be taking more of a 'babysitter' type role, watching over the group. I don't see much assisting going on, and while I do realize that's up to the individuals who need to ask for assistance, a group of students did ask for a demonstration because they were confused, and they didn't get a very good one, in my opinion. I do realize we have 'unlimited access' to Blackboard videos, however, they may be performing skills differently than our instructors would like us to, and also, BC is very much about 'different students learn different ways'--I'm VERY much a visual learner. I need the visual demonstration from the instructors, and feel that students should be seeing this more than one time from the back of the room or whatever location they are seeing it from (wherever they must sit because of their group). Also, it gets confusing as to what exactly you'll be graded on- different instructors seem to have different ways of doing things and different criteria.

So far I'm thinking math is the most comprehensively and well tought subject. Our teacher is wonderful and lets us know exactly what to do, what we need to know. Theory is really not necessarily so bad, it's just a LOT of material. And Pharm, well, it's like any other course we've taken, as it's memorization and 16 weeks. Nothing new there.

alisonelizabeth · Jan 25, 2011

How's everyone feeling about our upcoming math exam? And Vital Sign check offs? And Return Demo?

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm most confident in theory class. Lol. I guess it makes sense. I don't actually have the opportunity to injure a patient in theory! (Or....make a bed. Looking at it from a broad view, it's kind of hilarious to be so scared and anxious about things like *making a bed!* *positioning a patient!* etc. You know in a few months we'll look back and laugh at ourselves for being so silly, unless I'm the only one who is so unsure of my skills.)

Anyway, can't decide what I'm looking forward to least- return demo or the math exam. Hmm..

dizzyray822 · Jan 26, 2011

Thanks dizzyray! I hate cheaters. Reviewing this info I can't see how they do it...there is so much of it. LOL Is Pharm also right out of the book?

So sorry for not seeing this before. If you have prof K it's straight from his PowerPoint. If you have prof L then you need the book I think. I had prof K and didn't even open thd book. I don't know if that's a good thing or not though because now when you have drugs on other nursing exams (ie. For me now in Cardio) you feel like you don't know anything about them and have to really do extra to learn them. So...my advice is learn the meds good now because they come back later.

dizzyray822 · Jan 26, 2011

How's everyone feeling about our upcoming math exam? And Vital Sign check offs? And Return Demo?
I never thought I'd say this, but I'm most confident in theory class. Lol. I guess it makes sense. I don't actually have the opportunity to injure a patient in theory! (Or....make a bed. Looking at it from a broad view, it's kind of hilarious to be so scared and anxious about things like *making a bed!* *positioning a patient!* etc. You know in a few months we'll look back and laugh at ourselves for being so silly, unless I'm the only one who is so unsure of my skills.)
Anyway, can't decide what I'm looking forward to least- return demo or the math exam. Hmm..

:) You will be looking back laughing.