Group project rant

Nursing Students General Students

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It really annoys me when you have a total of 4 people involved in a group project, two are actually doing the work, one doesn't even bother to show up for class (or shows up over an hour late when he does) or contact us (i've contacted him several times with no replies, except for "i'm workin' on it" and never elaborates just what "it" is even after asking), the other sits around during class and whines "i don't know what we're ("we're???") doing" yet hasn't even begun to research their their part of it, but has plenty of time to text-message her b/f while we're supposed to be discussing this project (yes, i pointed out how inconsiderate the cell phone thing was). It is not up to the others in her group to hold her hand and to point her in the direction. I'm all for helping someone, but she needs to stop using the desk for a footstool, and use it to write ideas on. Not to mention stop using the school computer for AIM, and use it for project research, which is why the prof. sent us in the comp room to start with. How many professors do you know that will take an hour of class time, to dedicate to internet researching. Most would say "do it at home."

This presentation, along with a 2000 word essay to accompany it is due next Tuesday (8 days from now).

The prof. said that if we had any problems to let him know (just emailed him for the 3rd time over this). And i'm really hoping that mine and the other guy's grade are not affected by those that aren't taking this seriously. I know the other guy got tired of sounding like a broken record, trying to figure out what the other two are doing, etc. And i'm sick and tired of both of us killing ourselves for this project, and other people not giving a crap if they help or not.

Cannot wait till this class is over. I'm all for teamwork, if the whole team participates, but since that's not the case, i'd rather not have group projects.

Of course you would take care of the patient. But to follow through with your line of thinking, would you then repeatedly do your job and the CNA's for every shift that you work together? Would you not at some point say "enough" and report the CNA's behavior? If a team is composed to take the best care of the patient, and one team member "skips off", and this happens repeatedly, isn't it your responcibility to ensure that the patient receives the two able-bodied medical staff they deserve to care for them?

The point I am making is that as nurses we have to work as a group all the time. There are always going to be those who either don't work up to standard or who goof off and don't do what they are supposed to. One of the things school should be opening a person's eyes to is to look for ways to resolve these issues. No, you don't let a worker you supervise get away with sticking their job on you all the time. However, read some of the new nurses who post the problems they are having with CNAs expecting them to help them all the time. These poor things haven't learned how to deal with employees they supervise. As licensed nurses we have to learn what to do about someone who won't participate in the team or pull their weight. Can anyone doubt that this happens daily in hospitals, nursing homes and clinics? Sometimes we have the authority to take care of the problem and sometimes we don't. Sometimes we're the leader and sometimes we're the follower. Each is a role we must learn. In life we have to learn to deal with that. A team member who "skips off" repeatedly is no different from someone in a group project who never shows up for meetings to get the project finished. The buck stops somewhere. Someday it is going to be one of the people who was willing to work on the group project who is going to be a leader where the buck stops at her, and how is she going to deal with it? It just seems that to sit back and let a project go to the dogs because two people are not pulling their weight is a defeatist attitude. First of all, in a passive way, the student is also refusing to do the assignment, so is missing out on the factual information they were suppose to learn. It's also incredible childish. It's like saying, "I'm not playing because she won't play with me, so there!" Second, the student is not thinking and is failing to see how this problem has a cross-over application to nursing. There is a great deal of learning that goes on across many levels when a person is in college. It is not cut and dry. If people don't take advantage of those learning opportunities presented to them they are wasting their tuition and are being incredible hard-headed, stubborn and failing to change.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

It just seems that to sit back and let a project go to the dogs because two people are not pulling their weight is a defeatist attitude.

The project isn't going to the dogs. Two people are obviously doing their part, the parts the prof. assigned to them, and that'll be all that'll be presented at this rate. So it's not "like saying, "I'm not playing because she won't play with me, so there!"" Two people are playing just fine, those same two people have made plenty of effort to play with the others as well, but it's a little hard to play as a group when two people won't even walk over to the sandbox, let alone bring a bucket and a shovel with them.

We both made the effort, i knnow i have, emailing everyone at least once a day about what i'm working on, etc. Same response: "I'm workin' on it." Ask what "it" is, i got "something." Gee that helped. Ask a million questions, and that's the answers received from the start.

And for the 10 minutes we were allowed in class to meet about this project, the girl continued to text message her b/f, when asked about what she was doing for this project, she said "Oh, i really don't know yet." When told that we have a week left, she said "Yeah i'll think of something, g*****n!" and went back to typing on her phone. I suppose we were suppose to say "Now, don't be upset here, let me find something for you to do and give you plenty of weblinks to it." Kinda defeats the purpose of calling it teamwork.

I'm all for helping, but people have to want help first ,otherwise it's doing it all. This is a big project, a presentation gathered from over 50 resources, along with a 2,000 word essay (one essay per person), along with reference citation. Each person has enough on their plate w/o having to hound someone about theirs. And quite honestly, i think that we're been pretty good about making contact, considering.

So i'd say the effort's been made, it's been explained in the simplest terms, there's not much else that can be done.

Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

In the real world there is recourse if I don't do my part - I would be couseled, written up, reported to the board for some things or fired.

Group projects are worthwhile when there are appropriate consequences for not participating. They arent worthwhile when the whole group gets the same grade regardless of whether or not they participated.

While the learning experience of a group project is valuable - some of the best learning occurs for those who don't particpate when they are booted from the group or recieve the grade they deserve based on their lack of participation. Letting them ride coat tail teaches them that they can get away with it.

Don't just teach the participating members a hard lesson - all group members need to learn. Punishing half the group for what the slackers didn't do just teaches those who DID do their part that they need to be lone wolves and carry all the load themselves - just as destructive to teamwork in the long run.

Punishing half the group for what the slackers didn't do just teaches those who DID do their part that they need to be lone wolves and carry all the load themselves - just as destructive to teamwork in the long run.

Absolutely. Martyrdom shouldn't be part of the job description.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

My part went smoothly, even after the class laptop (which was being used to display pictures on the projector screen) decide to restart itself (just went black and rebooted). Which was fine, since i'd brought my own as a backup. But it went great, and it was a nice feeling to know that all that hard work finally had an end to it.

The second part went fine as well, you could see how much effort and hardwork went into his part of this project, and i had no doubt he would. I thanked him afterwards for doing such with a thank you card. (I'll call him "Matt")

The other girl in this group brought nothing to class. No paper, no pen, no books, no articles of reference, and nothing for the project. When it was her turn, she didn't get up or say anything, just shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head side-to-side.

The other guy in the group hasn't showing up yet, even though class began at noon (not regular class time, BUT this change has been posted since AUGUST for this day, and for the past month, everyone's received a reminding email once a week. Plus, last week, the professor said "Don't forget, there is class at noon on November 7th" and another email reminder on Monday). Anyway, perhaps this guy had a reason for not being able to make it at this time. Since we have regular class tomorrow, we'll find out.

After this was over, the professor asked every person in this group in private "Ok, your part assigned was ________. What was your contribution to this group project" and i stated what i did for the presentation itself, communication, and information. "Matt" stated his as well.

When the girl was asked what she did, she said "well, i never knew what we were doing." The professor asked "was there any communication between you and the others in your group?" She said "no" which was such a lie. :angryfire :angryfire :angryfire

The professor looked at us and asked "Did you communicate with "Jill" about this project?" I said "I have saved outgoing emails, more than 10 at least, to her address. Just in case the email wouldn't work, I posted messages on the class message board with the same very specific content on a thread. Now i know she had access to this message board, because she's responded to other subjects on it. No replies at all."

"Matt" said "I feel that we've really been very consistent on our ends on communication, yet got nothing in return,literally. You can't make adults do what they don't want to do, and i think it was really unfair that either of us had to constantly email, and then no response from any of them. And i also have email proof that i tried"

Right about now, we were taking turns receiving the evil stare. The professor asked her "Do you have any research, weblinks, anything that has to do with your part of the project?" "No" "You knew this was due today though?" "Yeah" "Ok..."

The professor told us "if you have nothing for or on this project, you have nothing for a grade. You cannot expect to call this a group project if only one, half, or 3/4 of the group contributed. There is no reason why someone should get a same grade based on what others have done if the did nothing, if it's clear that all effort was made to include everyone."

We both receved a 94. She received a zero.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Let me make it clear that it was not a matter of setting out to ruin someone's chance at a grade. The ooportunity was there to get it, but, just like everyone else in class, it didn't get handed to them. You had to step up and work, not wait for others to come and get you.

We communitcated to the professor that we had problems in communicating with two of our group member well in advance, and also told this to the people we had this issue with (can't call it communication, communication isn't a one-way street). We didn't lie, we answered the questions, and the professor decided.

And she seemed surprised (the look on her face) that she didn't receive a grade as a result of no work.

I'm glad that we stood up for ourselves, but do not interpret that to mean that we're happy she got the zero.

Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

I applaud your professor for being fair.

Those who do the work deserve the great grade, those who do nothing deserve nothing - which is exactly what your team mate got. It doesn't sound like you were out to get her, it sounds like you gave an honest appraisal of the situation.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Well that was just it, we didn't say "she's irresponsible, unreliable, stupid" things like that. Everything we said was fact.

Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

Then you should have no reason to feel badly because she made a zero.

She had the same opportunity to participate that you did!

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Exactly, which is why i don't feel bad.

I do understand your frustrations... but I look at it like this.... and perhaps its my old age setting in ..LOL

If my project were a patient... what would I do? Would I do the work the others were suppossed to do in order to help the patient to give them continuity of care?

Sounds silly and unrealistic.. but in the work place... and as an LPN, I am sure you have run across it several times, there are nurses who are not worth their salt, and there are others who are. Would you let a patient down because HIS/HER nurse sucks and isn't doing anything?

Hope that helps... I understand why you don't want the others to have a free ride... but I would do the work.. and it would be made known.. who was responsible.. and who didn't do Jack "#$%^"

HUGS

Rae

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Would you let a patient down because HIS/HER nurse sucks and isn't doing anything?

As i said in a previous post, apples and oranges.

He only wanted us to do what was assigned to each of us (after i emailed and asked him about what to do about this), which is why i wasn't doing someone else's part. Nor was someone else going to get credit for what they didn't do.

If we're going to make a fruit salad out of this, to me, doing her work and mine, and both of us receiving the credit for it would be like me giving personal care, meds, etc. to a pt.and her charting with no mention of me doiing any of it, that she herself did all of that. Wouldn't that be falsification?

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