Do you like your program?

mysterious_one, ASN, RN · Nov 7, 2007

I'm in an ADN program, 2nd yr. We feel like we have done a lot of self teaching. It seems lectures are about going through the book with the instructor and finding cues and tidbits to get the their take on what is important and what the right answer is on a test. I was shocked the first year but after reading on this board it doesn't seem that unusual. 2nd year is a little different but not by much.
I don't mind the self study; I just wish there was more time to do it so I could feel I actually learn/retain things. I also wish clinical provided opportunities to practice and discuss and tie things together. It doesn't much.
Going into it I thought I was going to school to learn to be a nurse. Now I think I'm mainly learning how to survive in a nursing environment - how to manage overwhelm, find info and make sense of it, how not to get eaten/maimed/killed for sport and left for vultures and how to take the test.
I don't know if any school can adequately prepare one to provide good nursing care fresh out of school. I think the best that can be expected is that you'll know enough to not hurt patients and to not be hurt by other staff.
I hope to God I get a decent job and preceptor after school. I want to be an excellent nurse but I'm not sure I'm even prepared to be adequate at this point. I get down about it and it's hard to stay motivated lately but I'll keep on and get as much out of it as I can. In the end, it's really up to me what I get or don't get and I'm resigned to the fact that I'm not going to get what I need or want from school alone.

This is exactly how I feel:o

BillboSN · Nov 7, 2007

Natgrrl...You program sounds exactly like mine. I am in an Accelerated BSN program and we have the same professor for a lot of classes (med-surg, fundamentals). She is absolutely horrible. She doesn't teach anything important and just stands up there and asks us questions. If you want to learn anything you just have to learn it on your own out of the book. I'm used to it know though and I just know that I have to spend a lot of time reading and teaching myself....

LeavingTeaching4RN · Nov 7, 2007

Yes, it is true that nursing instructors eat their young. I really don't know how to say this but I wonder if it would be different if it weren't run by women. I know, I know, please don't flame me to death. :angryfire
I studied different disiplines before nursing school (dark ages) and I never encountered the type of confrontive attitudes form the instructors.

I think it's more than a gender issue. As a teacher, I work mainly with women. I've never experienced things quite as bad as I have heard that nurses encounter.

Jamie2887 · Nov 7, 2007

I absolutely LOVE my program! its a 2 yr ADN, and I started August 20th. We have a building that opened last fall, that is state of the art, and about theres around 10 freshman instructors, ALL who act like they want to be there, and are eager to teach, they make learning fun. My clinical instructor is awesome also, and LOVES her job, shes been nursing for 40+ years, and has taught us alot. Our teachers to go from powerpoints and the textbook, but they had things, and personal stories of course, and you couldnt just not come if you wanted, your only allowed to miss 4 times per class.

NightOwl0624 · Nov 7, 2007

I'm still on the fence about my program, but I LOVE my instructors!

I'm in first semester of a 2 yr program. My fundamentals class is team-taught by two wonderful women. They are very different, but know their stuff and are very nurturing. They have been doing it for years and really have it down! There lectures are informative and inspiring.

I also had my very first clinical last night, and my instructor there was wonderful too. She is brand new, and was told that at this school we do NOT eat our young. We were all so nervous to be on site for the first time, and she went out of her way to make everyone as comfortable as possible.

There are things I don't like about the program, it seems disorganized at times and I don't like the forced community service, but so far, I am extremely impressed with the instructors. (And my pre-req classes were top-notch as well).

laurainri · Nov 8, 2007

I agree with a lot of your posts here. There is a survival of the fittest idea and if you are the runt of the litter you will be pecked upon till you drop out. If you can stand up to that....then they start mentally tearing you down so that you have no self-confidence at all in yourself. But wait there is more.... after they have ripped all that self confidence out of you ....slowly thay start to build it back up. They want you to learn, succeed and be a great nurse and be able to survive not only nursing school but being on your own and having a new type of confidence as a nurse. Give it time... please this is just from personal expierence and from what I have seen being done to others. does it make you feel like you have had years of boot camp.... yup! will it be worth it ... yup !! 5 more weeks to go baby !!!!!!!!

NurseJeanB · Nov 8, 2007

So far I am liking it. I have had two midterms and gotten A's, but I have really killed myself to get them. I have had a lot of people whine about getting B's. Nursing students are all so competitive and they are not used to getting B's. I can understand that. I am just as competitive. I just never experienced the amount of angst that I am hearing over a B. The class averages on both tests were B's so most of the class got that and C is passing. So it seems that most everyone is doing well enough to move on. The only complaint I have so far is that we got placed in clinical "cohorts" based on a random number assigned to us. I happened to get assigned a really high number and so I got last pick. Basically the "cohort" that no one else wanted. We also just signed up for what days we get clinicals and guess what, it was also based on this randomly assigned number. So where some people will get to fit school into 3 days. I will be going 4 days, but I guess I shouldn't complain. There are people in other programs that probably go everyday. I just hate that so much of my future is decided by this random number assigned to me. They said they randomly assigned it to be fair but it doesn't feel fair when we are always at the bottom. I have papers to write and another midterm next week, but the whole clinical thing got me feeling so blue I haven't done any studying. In fact I just went out and bought myself something. (that is my way of coping ) I will kick myself in gear, but sometimes it does seem like one thing after another. I finish with one midterm and already have to get ready for the next. Meanwhile I have math assignments and adolescent interview papers to write in APA format and we have an eldercare health fair that will take place two days after the midterm. Oh and yesterday I turned the big 40 and I ended up working on the health fair project. Ahhhh . So wish me luck. I am going to go back to trying to write my paper.

Jilaweez, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 8, 2007

I am happy in my program too. It seems about 50/50 on here. It has been really tough and a lot of work but all the instructors are fantastic and knowledgeable. I feel like I've been pushed to my limit and then been given just enough of a break to keep it together. I think they have planned out the program very systematically to allow for that.

I didn't do this......but I guess it just reinforces the idea of visiting the school and talking to staff and other students before you make your decision about where to apply. Although, you might not get much of the picture from just one visit and choices are very limited so it may not be much of an option for some people to do so. I am glad I got lucky and I hope those of you who are having a difficult time find a way to make it through and come out on the other end better for it.