Group work stinks

I'm with you...and I haven't even begun nursing school yet! However, I have experienced the same in my pre-req courses.

What has worked for me when there's apathy in the group, is to take charge of outlining the project, and then because I've at least put that much labor in (by that time no one else has shown any interest in doing so), I go ahead and choose the part of the project I want to do. I ask them if they want to go ahead with this outline, and if they indicate yes, I pass around a sheet and have them sign up for what they want to be responsible for, and we as a group set up deadlines to have the work done. Then I email the instructor with our project outline along with who's responsible for doing/writing what. That way when it comes down to presentation day or submission time, the instructor can figure out pretty easily who's dropped the ball. BTW, they can usually figure that out anyway. If you're known as a student who takes initiative and puts forth effort, the instructors know, and if you're a slacker they know that too.

I've only used this method as a last resort and always try first to engage the others in planning the project together as a group. By the time I've suggested the project outline I've put together, the others in the group have been very willing to accept and run with it. I haven't had any one fight me in the planning stages, but it still doesn't stop people from letting the group down.