Curricular Concerns

[waterdrifter]

I need some insight into whether or not I should address a curricular concern with the nursing staff and how I should go about doing so.

I am the class representative this year for our nursing cohort and it is my responsibility to represent the class regarding curricular issues. I have had a handful of students come to me expressing their concerns with the level of instruction we've received in our theory class. We have had nine modules this quarter and have only been lectured on four of them. Additionally, there is no material from which to reference to further our learning as future nurses. We understand that nursing school requires a level of self-teaching and most of us have been accepting of that and have been doing well enough. However, we find it difficult that there is sometimes very little direction on the content.

With finals in a week and a half, I realize it is a little late to have something done about this. But, as the representative, it is my responsibility to address my cohort's immediate concerns. I have compiled an anonymous list of concerns from students in our cohort to present to the associate dean and intend on having a meeting with her on Monday. I would follow chain of command and discuss it with the professor but because this list may bear some weight, I do not want to paint myself black prior to finals.

Does anybody have advice on how to professionally do this? Should I present these to the professor first? Or should I let a sleeping dog lie and ignore the concerns of my cohort? Thanks for your input.

[FutureNurseInfo]

I wish you gave an example of a problem you are facing. What is wrong with your professor's instruction? You mentioned that everyone is doing well, so why bother? Wait till exams and then decide. No professor is perfect: sometimes you will have the best out there that truly engage and teach, and sometimes you will have the ones who bore you and teach you nothing. It is just life. You have to roll with it. You are also right, you are responsible for your own learning. Not to disappoint you even more, teachers/professors are becoming more of a facilitators: they only give you the means to learn. The rest is on you.

[Scottishtape]

I don't know. I see where you're coming from, however I just completed a program with ZERO lectures. None. So, I don't think that only getting lecture on half the modules is that big of a deal.

They would give us a reading list at the beginning of the semester, and a calendar of our exams. We had to learn the material on our own, and then go in and pass with at least a 77%. Each module had between 12-20 chapters.

It was tough, but I think that's why I was so prepared once NCLEX came.

I would spend my energy and time learning the material for your exams, instead of being a champion for your class. I doubt it will make any real impact on you in the end if you spent all your time chasing this down.

Good luck.