Rules for Nursing School

Nursing Students General Students

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Following on from the other "Rules" Threads:

1. Turn off your mobile phone, if it absolutely must be on, let the lecturer know and keep it on the lowest possible volume or on silent (it is a rule at my school if your phone goes off you owe the lecturer chocolate or alcohol depending on the lecturers preference)

2. If you are a new student don't act like you know more than the students who have been there for longer (unless of course you do)

3. If the course has an online group and you can read previous questions, do not ask the same question again and again, the lecturer and other people will get sick of answering the same question 5 or 6 or even 7 times (you will be notified if the answer is different)

4. If you tell someone something it's bound to get around to other people so be careful what you tell people (Rumours spread extremely fast)

5. Be polite to your lecturers and respect them for who they are (They are the ones marking your assignments, and I'm afraid they know a lot more than you do presently)

6. If you have a story you are willing to share related to the current topic by all means share it but if it's not related forget it

7. Don't constantly complain about the number of hours you have to attend campus or how long it takes to do your assignments or how much study you need to do or how many readings you have, everyone is in the same boat and if you keep doing that you are likely to get offside with other students.

Rumours are BIG in nursing school. There are some individuals that act like they belong to a GANG and if they don't like you or they just feel like picking on you you become the bait.

I am currrently going through a very disturbing situation with some classmates and my advice would be to try and be as positive as possible, have a close friend and focus on your education.

Some people are in nursing school for the WRONG reasons. They want to pick on people and maybe they think they are in high school. They will look at your clothes and shoes and start laughing in front of your face.

I am in utter SHOCK but some people can be WICKED!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank GOD I only have 5 more weeks to GO. I will not see these people again and to me they don't EXIST.

I don't have time for nonsense and don't like people that sit and GOSSIP about others.

Anyway I am the perfect scapegoat! I am taking time to PRAY and just focus on what's important. Sometimes things come to you and you just have to deal with them. There is no need running and eventually the truth will come out! There are some people that can tell LIES and act like they didn't do anything.

KEEP the faith!

Specializes in LTC, home health, critical care, pulmonary nursing.
We go get our patients the night before and research meds,labs, the disease they have,ect...

Lucky!

Please do not sit at the front of the class and nod at everything the instructor says in agreement. Not only is it distracting to everyone behind you, you look like a kiss-ass/know-it-all in the process.

Please do not sit at the front of the class and nod at everything the instructor says in agreement. Not only is it distracting to everyone behind you, you look like a kiss-ass/know-it-all in the process.

I don't think this is meant as a know it all thing. It is a type of learning as well as a communication style. It helps to keep the person focused on the lecture.

You should be focusing on what the instructor is saying than the individual who sits infront and is nodding their head. I'm one of those individuals who likes to sit infront, (but I do not do the nodding thing, for some, as the previous poster stated, is a way to stay focused). However, back to the reason why I sit up front. There are individuals in my class who choose to sit in the back and talk, crack jokes and make unflaterring comments about the teacher or other students...I find this type of behaviour distracting...to arrive at the conclusion of a kiss---/know it all is high school mentality. If a teacher ask a question and I know it I'm going to respond...if I understand I will nod my head, if an individual is having problems in comprehending what is being taught, then they need to speak up, why? because we need to be competent and efficient in our profession and there are serious consequences if we make mistakes, let's try at least to get the errors corrected now , rather than later.....

As for chinaka, you are doing the right thing by ignoring these individuals. Some individuals have not outgrown bullying and that's exactly what they are doing, bullying, harassment etc. Even though as a society we see what the consequences are of bullying, we still find individuals who get a kick out of it or their self-esteem booster. Here's the reality, if these individuals were contented with their lives, they would not resort to social isolation to feel better about themselves. I know it is hard but laugh, cause as you clearly stated in 5 weeks you shall not see them again. There will always be people who have no concept of their own identity or are too afraid to go against the crowd in stating when something is wrong...what you need to do is focus on those who like you for you, those are your true friends. Good luck and I wish you well in your studies.....

Please do not sit at the front of the class and nod at everything the instructor says in agreement. Not only is it distracting to everyone behind you, you look like a kiss-ass/know-it-all in the process.

Oh, no... I think I do that! I don't want to come off as a know-it-all! I find myself nodding when I understand something. I have noticed that there are only a few people that are actually watching the professor when he or she is lecturing (looking around the room, down at notes, etc...) so I think sometimes they look to us (the nodders) to see if the point was taken.

Please do not sit at the front of the class and nod at everything the instructor says in agreement. Not only is it distracting to everyone behind you, you look like a kiss-ass/know-it-all in the process.

Don't knocck the nodders! (The story tellers -- "I have a Schizophrenic aunt with MS and she's allergic to penicillin..." -- go ahead and knock.) Nodding is totally appropriate in any class. Pretending you don't care so you can look cool to classmates and not like a kiss-ass is not appropriate.

They are actually teaching inner city kids to look at their instructor and nod in some charter schools. It keeps them focused and improves their grades.

I'm all for nodding. Nod away!!!!

Specializes in LDRP.
Please do not sit at the front of the class and nod at everything the instructor says in agreement. Not only is it distracting to everyone behind you, you look like a kiss-ass/know-it-all in the process.

I nod all the time. Guess I am a kiss-ass. Oh well. :uhoh3: I've got some good grades, tho'!

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
If annoying people understood that they were annoying, they probably would choose not to do be so.

Here's a hypothetical:

Two years from now you're out of school and working as an honest-to-god RN. Your unit is understaffed (the norm), it's three AM (because all the bad stuff happens at three AM), and your patient is making a mad dash for the Pearly Gates. Your cell phone rings and its hubby with a situation he can't handle. Every patient on the unit is sick, and no staff can be spared.

Decision time.

My point is, this job will require sacrifices. Most of them we make ourselves, but some are made by those close to us. If you can't learn to make those in the classroom, you'll find it that much harder in practice.

Nursing school is about care plans, exams, clinicals, and tough (often draconian) rules. It's also about becoming part of a profession that sometimes takes more than it gives. If you, and your family, can't handle that, then the time to decide that is now, not 3 AM.

Alright, first I do not blame the individual that truly has a once in a lifetime emergency who carries a cell phone. I can understand where they come from.

I can sympathise with those that take care of family members with special needs.

But.

I went to school during the time when there were NO cell phones. And you know what, I kept all who needed to know apprised of how to get a hold of me. Yes, they had to go through my instructor or a nurse manager to do so, but the essential messages got through.

By the same token, those that had repeated problems or less essential issues, got their messages. But they also had an instructor/director that when there were repeated long term issues, sat them down and gave them the "come to reality" talk.

This included the, "if you have such a traumatic home life/difficulties at home, you need to choose your profession and specialty carefully" talk.

Because whether SAH likes it or not, this quoted situation posted happens at least daily to this Onco girl.

IT IS NOT UNLIKELY. IT IS NOT IMPROBABLE. IT IS FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OFTEN ON A DAILY OR EVEN HOURLY BASIS.

And, unfortunately, if you do have a spouse that cannot handle issues at the home, unfair and as traumatic as they are, you need to work in a situation in which you can drop everything to help on a regular basis. And the vast amount of nursing positions out there DO NOT HAVE THIS LUXURY.

You are on on an oncology floor in an inner city hospital. You have 3 nurses and two techs for 34 patients (actual situation, actual teaching hospital - ranked reasonably well in US News and World Report). Some of these patients were getting blood, chemo, several were paras/quads, most on lots of IV narcs, at least one recent halo brace, and some in DTs.

One night, our nurse w/traumatic family issues gets her regular phone call and does her, "I absolutely have to leave, NOW" that occurs at least 1 shift out of every 9-12 that she comes to work. Leaving TWO nurses and two techs for the 34. This night before she leaves, my fresh postop perfs, there are no ICU beds available and gets scoped on the floor, with no sedation, the wound cauterized. Resident insists problem solved, I insist no it isn't, patient continues to bleed and drop pressure.

There are no nurse available to come in, nor could I call them. It has to do with a shortage of nurses willing to work the floors. And these issues make it worse.

There aren't a bunch of nurses standing around, waiting with baited breath, to pick and run to the hospital, at 0300 in the morning for a few hours work, because there are regular family emergencies. Sorry, but not a lot of nurses are signing up for that kind of work. Nor do DONs have a few nurses each shift just waiting in the wings. And managers do not have the luxury of always staffing extra when so-and-so works, because s/he often gets caught up in "home issues" and has to leave.

After about the third or fourth time, someone HAS TO return a phone call or HAS to leave abruptly, there is going to a problem. Especially when a patient is harmed as a result.

Yes, one's family is a priority. But so is EVERY PATIENT in your care.

Choose your specialty wisely. You may not make as much money, but your patients will be safer.

Specializes in Junior Year of BSN.
Alright, first I do not blame the individual that truly has a once in a lifetime emergency who carries a cell phone. I can understand where they come from.

I can sympathise with those that take care of family members with special needs.

But.

I went to school during the time when there were NO cell phones. And you know what, I kept all who needed to know apprised of how to get a hold of me. Yes, they had to go through my instructor or a nurse manager to do so, but the essential messages got through.

By the same token, those that had repeated problems or less essential issues, got their messages. But they also had an instructor/director that when there were repeated long term issues, sat them down and gave them the "come to reality" talk.

This included the, "if you have such a traumatic home life/difficulties at home, you need to choose your profession and specialty carefully" talk.

Because whether SAH likes it or not, this quoted situation posted happens at least daily to this Onco girl.

IT IS NOT UNLIKELY. IT IS NOT IMPROBABLE. IT IS FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OFTEN ON A DAILY OR EVEN HOURLY BASIS.

And, unfortunately, if you do have a spouse that cannot handle issues at the home, unfair and as traumatic as they are, you need to work in a situation in which you can drop everything to help on a regular basis. And the vast amount of nursing positions out there DO NOT HAVE THIS LUXURY.

You are on on an oncology floor in an inner city hospital. You have 3 nurses and two techs for 34 patients (actual situation, actual teaching hospital - ranked reasonably well in US News and World Report). Some of these patients were getting blood, chemo, several were paras/quads, most on lots of IV narcs, at least one recent halo brace, and some in DTs.

One night, our nurse w/traumatic family issues gets her regular phone call and does her, "I absolutely have to leave, NOW" that occurs at least 1 shift out of every 9-12 that she comes to work. Leaving TWO nurses and two techs for the 34. This night before she leaves, my fresh postop perfs, there are no ICU beds available and gets scoped on the floor, with no sedation, the wound cauterized. Resident insists problem solved, I insist no it isn't, patient continues to bleed and drop pressure.

There are no nurse available to come in, nor could I call them. It has to do with a shortage of nurses willing to work the floors. And these issues make it worse.

There aren't a bunch of nurses standing around, waiting with baited breath, to pick and run to the hospital, at 0300 in the morning for a few hours work, because there are regular family emergencies. Sorry, but not a lot of nurses are signing up for that kind of work. Nor do DONs have a few nurses each shift just waiting in the wings. And managers do not have the luxury of always staffing extra when so-and-so works, because s/he often gets caught up in "home issues" and has to leave.

After about the third or fourth time, someone HAS TO return a phone call or HAS to leave abruptly, there is going to a problem. Especially when a patient is harmed as a result.

Yes, one's family is a priority. But so is EVERY PATIENT in your care.

Choose your specialty wisely. You may not make as much money, but your patients will be safer.

Wow that sounds awful. I think someone who has a situation like this should work in HMO or in Pharmaceuticals. That way a patient will not be hurt and the team morale will not go lower than it actually may be. There are jobs that nurses can go to that are more like 9-5 jobs. I feel for people that have family situations but they are also responsible to their jobs and their patients and if they can't do that for no fault of their own there are other nursing jobs out there. Not everyone needs to work in the hospital setting.

I wasn't trying to offend anyone with my comment on the nodding thing. Everyone nods occasionally... even me. And I certainly dont try to look "cool" by acting uninterested, thats rediculous. I was more referring to the constant nodders. The ones who nod when your instructor tells you to put away all your notes and get your pencil out for a test. Thats a bit excessive really.

Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
Alright, first I do not blame the individual that truly has a once in a lifetime emergency who carries a cell phone. I can understand where they come from.

I can sympathise with those that take care of family members with special needs.

But.

I went to school during the time when there were NO cell phones. And you know what, I kept all who needed to know apprised of how to get a hold of me. Yes, they had to go through my instructor or a nurse manager to do so, but the essential messages got through.

By the same token, those that had repeated problems or less essential issues, got their messages. But they also had an instructor/director that when there were repeated long term issues, sat them down and gave them the "come to reality" talk.

This included the, "if you have such a traumatic home life/difficulties at home, you need to choose your profession and specialty carefully" talk.

Because whether SAH likes it or not, this quoted situation posted happens at least daily to this Onco girl.

IT IS NOT UNLIKELY. IT IS NOT IMPROBABLE. IT IS FACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OFTEN ON A DAILY OR EVEN HOURLY BASIS.

And, unfortunately, if you do have a spouse that cannot handle issues at the home, unfair and as traumatic as they are, you need to work in a situation in which you can drop everything to help on a regular basis. And the vast amount of nursing positions out there DO NOT HAVE THIS LUXURY.

Yes, one's family is a priority. But so is EVERY PATIENT in your care.

Choose your specialty wisely. You may not make as much money, but your patients will be safer.

First off...cells phones now do exist. So people carry them and there's no need to bother a bunch of people to a message to you.

The above situation that the previous poster created...it's pretty far fetched. I'm not a child who just got out of high school. I've been in the field. I've worked. I know the realities of life. So I don't need to be lectured on it. That story is far fetched in my life. Maybe you work with some real idiots...I don't know but that is a far fetched story.

There is no job out there that really allows you to drop everything. The reality of it is that things don't come up often but when they do I need to be able to address them. To assume that just because you work with people who are not responsible means that the rest of us aren't responsible is just insane. There is no reason that I would need to reconsider my career.

Stop assuming that just because I said my family is a priority that I would walk away from a situation that needs attention. Stop assuming that people are not responsible. You may work with people who are not responsible but those are just the people you work with.

And again...that "situation" is not reality. It is far fetched. You are working with somebody who more then likely is just that kind of person. She doesn't have those situations she creates them. So to assume that because you have a person that creates reasons to leave means that those with children at home or relatives with special needs at home will run off too is a vast assumption and generalization.

I'm glad you are so committed to your career. I have every intention of being committed to mine as well. My family will always be my top priority. I am a mother first as every mother should always be.

Interesting tid bit...I have NEVER missed a day of class or clinicals and my children have been sick. I do have my priorities straight.

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