Ambiguities and Ambivelence in the LAST semester!

[ChadleyNC]

This is mostly a rant so forgive me.

I'm in my last semester of a 5 semester ADN program. I have 11 weeks to go. I've done any and everything that has been asked of me. I have paid my tuition on time every semester out of pocket. I feel a little bit discouraged now about things as we approach the last of our days in classes though after last night's lecture with one of my instructors. The issue is Hepatic Encephalopathy (hepatic coma). Our textbook explains the condition and defines its etiology as "relatively unknown". It states that Ammonia levels are thought to be responsible for it. I understand this from a pathophysiological standpoint. But the text also states that a patient may have symptoms with a normal amonia level, and that some patients with high level ammonia have no symptoms of this condition. The instructor maintains that Ammonia causes this condition, hands down. I pointed out this discrepancy to her and asked which information we should use on the test for related questions. She said to me that whichever one I felt comfortable with was what I should go with and that if it differed from her answer and I got it wrong, and challenged the question with the text as backup, that she "MIGHT CONSIDER" giving me credit for it. She has also covered about 20 items in lecture that are nowhere in our text, yet re-affirmed that our testing comes from the book and we will need to use that to prepare for it.

In my 5th semester in the program, conflict between the lecture material and the book is not new, nor are instructors who teach you specifically how to fail their tests. The next unit we have is to be taught by the meanest and cruelest in the bunch.

Does anyone else have these issues with their instructors of ambiguities in the material that are not ironed out? We only have 50 questions per test with which to maintain our average, and if things progress as they normally do, when it gets here 1/4 of them will be on hepatic encephalopathy and another 1/2 will be on the material that isn't in the book.

if any of you has a suggestion for how to approach or deal with this, PLEASE let me know.

Thanks

ChadleyNC

[Jelli_Belli]

I missed a question on my last test by following what the teacher told us in lecture.

The question was about the appropriate amount of time to listen to bowel sounds before declaring them absent. In the book it stated to listen for 3-5 min. In lecture our instructor told us that 2-3 min. was plenty and that 5 was excessive. So the test rolls around and one of the questions was "How long to you listen to bowel sounds before they are considered absent?" One of the options was 3 min. and another was 5 min. I chose 3 because a) both 2-3 and 3-5 both contain the number 3 and b) she TOLD us the answer was 2-3 NOT 5.

No suprise, though, she marked that one wrong and the majority of the class missed it. When we contested it she stated, "If the book says 5 then that is what they want for the NCLEX. It doesn't matter what I say in lecture."

AHHHHHHH! So then why do I get up at 5 in the morning to drive all the way to the college to listen to you talk if it doesn't matter what you say! I can just stay home in my warm house and read the book. Needless to say I'm going to study for the exams from my class notes anymore.

I feel your pain!