Published Oct 19, 2016
gypsierose
81 Posts
I posted awhile back that the first few weeks of nursing school seemed really easy. Here we are in week six and while the workload has picked up, the subject matter is still pretty basic. More worrisome is that the instructors seem disengaged with the class and very disorganized. They are relying on an online textbook and quizzing format that is riddled with errors and frankly doesn't seem like a great way to learn. They've told us not to worry about reading the textbook because the test questions come from the same software. I'm not sure I'm learning enough. In addition, lab time is wasted and my instructors don't seem to have a lot of experience. Previously this school had great NCLEX pass rates, but recently they had a huge change in teaching staff.
The question in my mind is- cut my losses and leave for another program (my grades are good but it would mean waiting another year and moving UGH), or endure and see how it goes? Trust them that I'm learning what I need to (how could I tell that?).
HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD
9,051 Posts
Trust your gut. Is this a commercial (for-profit, investor owned) school? In my experience, they don't invest a lot into faculty development .. just hire warm bodies with minimal qualifications & this results in a continuous churn / high turnover and much lower instructor competence levels.
There is a severe (and growing) shortage of nursing faculty in just about all areas of the country. Even well-established schools are struggling to replace retirees &/or accommodate increased student enrollments. I would say that your observations seem to indicate some very significant red flags. Nursing education is challenging & online textbooks are becoming more popular, but it certainly should not be a do-it-yourself process.
Its not for profit. Its a local ADN program at a community college. Thanks for the reply. My gut says "wait and see" but also "run now".