possible rant: the real reason for the nursing shortage

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Specializes in Oncology, Cardiac.

This kinda goes hand in hand with flowery's last thread. The real reason there is a nursing shortage is nursing school. it's hell and no one wants to go through it. I don't know about other schools, but for the one i'm going to- the teachers and administrators make you feel like s#$^ every chance they get. there is so much pressure to be perfect all the time.

For example- today i failed a performance exam on parenteral injections. yes, i realize what i did wrong. I realize that i could've killed a patient had it happened in real life. I feel like s*** for making such a stupid mistake. I'm sorry!!!! I always choke under pressure when someone is watching me. but my instructor- she comes up to me - SMILING - and says: "i think i'm going to fail you."

OMG

I hate bashing people behind their backs- but she's ugly and has a freaking beard (i'm not kidding) and she smiles at the thought of failing students. the two other instructors were ok and passing people (don't get me wrong- they weren't lax, they just don't make you so nervous) but she's the only person failing people. Don't you think someone somewhere would notice that and say "hey, what's going on here?"

Another thing is my school- administrative wise- is so disorganized!!! They keep changing people for student advisors (i've had 4 different advisors in the past 1 1/2 years) and don't even try to sign up for classes because they don't know what they're doing. I've heard students from other schools come to the school of nursing and they all say that it's crap when it comes to administration. you don't find out where you'll be for clinicals until the night before.

If lots of nursing schools are like this then no wonder nurses aren't well respected and no one wants to be one!!! I understand we have to be put up to these difficult standards because we are dealing with people's lives, but making people hate their lives and themselves isn't going to solve the problem!!!

this week is going to be the week from hell for this month (there is one or two every month). Spring Break is not going to be enough to recover, especially if my parents make me travel to see family......

P.S.- sorry for long post and ranting- i'm just uber-stressed!!! does anyone have any suggestions on blowing off teachers without getting into trouble? lol!;)

yep

nursing school is hell. thank god i survived it. if i had to do it again i would rather take a job @ burger king lol

I totally understand. In nursing school right now. It's like disney world, no reality. It's almost as if these women(all the instructors at my school are) have some pent up anger that they want to let out. It makes me wonder why they are teaching and not nursing.

Specializes in LDRP.

Yup. It sucks. (I kinda like the pain tho'. Call me crazy.)

Specializes in High Risk In Patient OB/GYN.

She's ugly and has a freaking beard? I know you're upset, but come on. That has nothing to do with ANYTHING, and is just a mean thing to say in general. It really makes me not take you seriously. Being ugly is something that people can't help, and not all females feel the need to alter their appearences by shaving/waxing. That includes many people here, on this message board.

If lots of nursing schools are like this then no wonder nurses aren't well respected and no one wants to be one!!!
I feel respected in my job. And regarding the 2nd half of that statement, I'm guessing you haven't been researching much into the nursing shortage, or on this message board. Many nursing schools have wait lists, and deny entrance very often due to a glut of students, and not enough *instructors*. It's not that no one wants to be a nurse that causes this shortage-it's that schools cannot accomodate those that do, and a lot of RNs are leaving hospital nursing due to burn out, career changes, etc.

Sorry you hate your school so much. Hey-if students are in such short supply, why not just transfer schools, if this one is as bad as it sounds. Serious question.

doesn't anyone have anything good to say about nursing school? I am starting in April and I am so excited. I would hate that they are just sitting there like wolves waiting to fail us? What would be the point in trying? The school I will be attending requires a 78% passing rate...am I wrong? Won't I only be judged pass or fail by that ? Or are they really just looking for reasons to fail everyone. I hope some will join in and say that nursing school really isn't HELL.

she's ugly and has a freaking beard (i'm not kidding) and she smiles at the thought of failing students. :lol2:

call me juvenile, but sweetheart, you are funny! also you are twenty years old, and you're entitled to see things this way. when i picture a whiskery gal leering in my face smiling saying she thinks she'll fail me, and imagine psycho music in the background...that's hilarious! add a voice-over of you thinking, "i'm paying money for this???" and i'm not biased, i'm old enough to be your mom, and have to put that cream gunk on that dissolves facial hair.

the scene was wacked, how could you not notice.

sorry you had a bad time!

still laughing.....

your friend in waxing,

tofutti

p/s you'd be cranky too if you had a full on beard!

lol lol lol lol lol

If someone was smiling at the thought of me failing, I would probably think of some horrid things to say, too! In fact, she could be a freakin' super model and she'd probably start to look "ugly" to me. Good luck to you. I hope you make her very UNhappy by passing!

Specializes in Newborn ICU, Trauma ICU, Burn ICU, Peds.

I'm sorry you are so stressed, but buck up and deal with it! Nursing school is tough, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE. It's supposed to prepare you to deal with life and death situations, if you fail a procedure in the lab what do you want, a hug and some cocoa?

"but my instructor- she comes up to me - SMILING - and says: 'i think i'm going to fail you.' OMG" Would you have preferred that she snarl as she said it? In some instances yes, you could have killed someone by that failure. I would hope she wasn't smiling at the fact that she failed you. What purpose would that serve to her? If she takes satisfaction in failing folks, she'd be out of a job for lack of students pretty quickly.

Granted, I think some instructors/preceptors/educators are pretty nasty, but sadly that's the way things are. You have to jump through hoops to get to the end. I think some instructors think of it as weeding out those who shouldn't be nurses. Do they go too far? Yes, I think sometimes they do, but I understand the underlying purpose. There are ways of being tough but still being fair and I wish more taught that way instead of being nasty, but it is what it is. There is a nursing shortage partly because nursing schools pay crap and they can't find instructors.

The OP says "I always choke under pressure when someone is watching me." I'm sorry, this is going to sound bad, but get used to it. There will ALWAYS be someone watching you, your patient, your preceptor, the family, etc... Learning how to deal with that pressure is what nursing school is all about. I'd rather learn how not to melt down in a lab than deal with it at a patient's bedside.

You'll be fine, take a deep breath and square your shoulders and set your mind to being successful, and you'll be okay.

Specializes in LTC, med-surg, critial care.
doesn't anyone have anything good to say about nursing school? I am starting in April and I am so excited. I would hate that they are just sitting there like wolves waiting to fail us?

Not all of them. My fundamentals instructor (LVN program) was evil but after that it was smooth sailing. I don't particularly like my critical care instructor (RN program) but I'll live. You'll be fine.

What would be the point in trying?
You try because you want it that bad.

The school I will be attending requires a 78% passing rate...am I wrong? Won't I only be judged pass or fail by that ? Or are they really just looking for reasons to fail everyone.
Pass or fail is usually the clinical portion of school. The 78% is for theory. But it depends on the school. It's really not as daunting as it seems to get above a 78%.

I hope some will join in and say that nursing school really isn't HELL.
The good outweighs the bad. I honestly enjoyed my LVN program and I'm liking my RN program (not as much as LVN though). I like to learn and I make the most of what I'm doing. I'm not some giant ball of stress 24 hours of the day. I get a little anxious before a test or when a paper is due but for the most part it's enjoyable.
Specializes in Newborn ICU, Trauma ICU, Burn ICU, Peds.
Pass or fail is usually the clinical portion of school. The 78% is for theory. But it depends on the school. It's really not as daunting as it seems to get above a 78%.

I forgot I intended to address the 78% issue, thank you for doing it 'not now.'

Some programs only require 70% for theory, others require 75%, but the absolute best are the ones that require 78%. Why? Because you must pass your NCLEX with a 78%. So if you've made it through nursing school always achieving a 78%, you're pretty certain you'll be able to pass your boards.

My school also required you get a C (not a C-), but at least a C on any other coursework required for the nursing program-same reasons.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Hang in there.

Nursing school is the easy part...........wake up call.

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