Help! My patho teacher is HORRIBLE!!!

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I am in a 12 month accelerated program that just started in may. I am taking patho right now and the class is an absolute joke. My instructer reads DIRECTLY off of her slides that come world for word from the book. The book is very in depth and a very hard read. She does not elaborate on anything or tell us specific things that will be useful in practice. And the worst thing of all is that we have open book quizes and tests which makes it really difficult to get motivated to study. If anyone can give me some areas to focus my studying or any advice that would be great. I feel like I am missing out on very important information and completely wasting my money on this incompetant instructor.

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What kind of teacher is that? hmm she could be a blessing for those who dont want to learn or a horror for people like you and me :) open book sounds good tho. lol. Anyways, I am currently in a 12 month AO program myself and taking patho. My advise is that, concentrate on the objectives listed in your syllabus and study accordingly. Because everything you learn in patho will face you throughout our learning and nursing career.

Good Luck and we will do just fine :)

I am in a 12 month accelerated program that just started in may. I am taking patho right now and the class is an absolute joke. My instructer reads DIRECTLY off of her slides that come world for word from the book. The book is very in depth and a very hard read. She does not elaborate on anything or tell us specific things that will be useful in practice. And the worst thing of all is that we have open book quizes and tests which makes it really difficult to get motivated to study. If anyone can give me some areas to focus my studying or any advice that would be great. I feel like I am missing out on very important information and completely wasting my money on this incompetant instructor.
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Specializes in Peds, PICU, Home health, Dialysis.

My patho/pharm teacher basically reads directly from her notes as well, and will elaborate here and there (nothing much though). However, she tests directly from her notes and doesn't try throwing questions at us from our massive textbooks.

She made a good point at the beginning of the semester. She told us, "I am a nursing instructor.. not a science instructor...I have no idea how many of our cellular mechanisms work as a nurse practitioner and I don't expect my students to know either..." She makes a good point. She only exams on that information pertinent to nurses and the rest is what she calls, "good to know".

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I'd say try to study the pathophysiology, etiology, signs and symptoms, and treatment for the different diseases.

Shanyone

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

hold your horses here! having open book quizzes and tests is not a valid reason for not studying! people don't study because they don't want to or they are procrastinating. with open book tests you have to read and know the book so that you know exactly where to go in the text to find an answer if you can't remember what the answer is. open book tests aren't an automatic pass not to read the textbook! they're a kindness extended to you by your instructor.

getting a grade in a class is based on what the instructor is going to test you over and doesn't necessarily equate to what is going to be useful in nursing practice later on. if your studying is based on what you think is going to be useful to you later instead of what is important to getting a passing grade now then you haven't mastered how to be a student in the educational system.

you can't blame this all on your instructor. she has office hours. visit her. ask her what is most important to know for the tests. ask what other books you could use to help explain some of the concepts. most instructors aren't sneaky and mean. most will drop hints right in your face--except for about 10% of the material that will make the difference in getting an "a" in the class. the trick is to listen to what you are being told. your goal is to get a passing grade because that is what the educational system requires. if you can't do that, there are plenty of others who can play by the rules and will be happy to step up for a place in the nursing program.

here's some information on how to study because it's up to you, not the instructor:

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hold your horses here! having open book quizzes and tests is not a valid reason for not studying! people don't study because they don't want to or they are procrastinating. with open book tests you have to read and know the book so that you know exactly where to go in the text to find an answer if you can't remember what the answer is. open book tests aren't an automatic pass not to read the textbook! they're a kindness extended to you by your instructor.

getting a grade in a class is based on what the instructor is going to test you over and doesn't necessarily equate to what is going to be useful in nursing practice later on. if your studying is based on what you think is going to be useful to you later instead of what is important to getting a passing grade now then you haven't mastered how to be a student in the educational system.

you can't blame this all on your instructor. she has office hours. visit her. ask her what is most important to know for the tests. ask what other books you could use to help explain some of the concepts. most instructors aren't sneaky and mean. most will drop hints right in your face--except for about 10% of the material that will make the difference in getting an "a" in the class. the trick is to listen to what you are being told. your goal is to get a passing grade because that is what the educational system requires. if you can't do that, there are plenty of others who can play by the rules and will be happy to step up for a place in the nursing program.

here's some information on how to study because it's up to you, not the instructor:

what are you talking about? :uhoh3: i did not say that i was not studying and i am not blaming anything on my instructer. i am saying that i do not know where to focus my studying because my instructor does not emphasize anything and does not care if we learn anything. most of my fellow classmates do not study becuase you do not need to study to pass the tests. the class average is a 99% on every test/quiz. i don't need to know anything to pass the tests since we are given 45 minutes to take a 15 question quiz.

do not tell me that i do not understand how to be a student in our educational system. i would like to know what i need to learn when someones life is in my hands not what i need to know to pass a test. my goal is to be a competant nurse not get simply to get an a.

i would think that you would be appaled that new nureses are graduting and know nothing about a subject. what "rules" are you talking about? have i broken some rule by asking what is relavent to nursing practice? i think you need to put your glasses on and read my post again.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ER, Peds ER-CPEN.
what are you talking about? :uhoh3: i did not say that i was not studying and i am not blaming anything on my instructer. i am saying that i do not know where to focus my studying because my instructor does not emphasize anything and does not care if we learn anything. most of my fellow classmates do not study becuase you do not need to study to pass the tests. the class average is a 99% on every test/quiz. i don't need to know anything to pass the tests since we are given 45 minutes to take a 15 question quiz.

do you read the material thoroughly? most patho readings take at least 3 go arounds for me before it starts clicking, and who cares about the rest of the class? it's you and only you that sits boards, so their being able to look stuff up in the book will only hurt them.

do not tell me that i do not understand how to be a student in our educational system. i would like to know what i need to learn when someones life is in my hands not what i need to know to pass a test. my goal is to be a competant nurse not get simply to get an a.

how many clinical rotations have you had so far? and also, what you need to know when a life is in your hands, odds are that was covered on an exam somewhere at some point in time.

i would think that you would be appaled that new nureses are graduting and know nothing about a subject. what "rules" are you talking about? have i broken some rule by asking what is relavent to nursing practice? i think you need to put your glasses on and read my post again.

when you generalize yourself into the category of your classmates who are just there to pass the test, you don't come off as a stellar student. hate to tell you, but you are not the only, first or last person to have an instructor like this, i myself had one but we didn't have the option of open book exams, nor were we given a review for our final exam which came after 3 weeks of clinicals with no lecture, we were on our own, many of my class cried and whined, the director of the program was appalled at the class average (83%) did i care tho? nope! i worked my butt off for my 86% and was happy to pass, had the lecture exams been open book the entire class would have had much higher averages going into this final and they probably wouldn't have put much effort into it, and yes new graduate nurses that know nothing- going to suffer through nclex, those that work hard through school and learn through difficult instructors pass nclex no sweat, so once again, don't waste so much time worrying about the ones that aren't studying, and the ones that don't know this or that, because the only one that chould concern you is you

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

i honestly don't understand why you're complaining about this instructor. you think she's horrible because she doesn't elaborate on anything that will be useful in practice. it's all going to be useful in practice. then, you say she does not does care if you learn anything. how you can know what she is thinking in her mind puzzles me. but, she must talk about something in class. then, you also say that you do not need to study to pass the tests (which gave me the impression that you don't study for these tests), that the class average is a 99% on every test/quiz (that's bad in your book?) and that you, personally, don't need to know anything to pass the tests (again, giving me the impression that you don't feel the need to study). i'm finding it hard to understand why this is a horrible instructor since all you have to do is pass the class so you can move on through the program. i know a lot of people who would be falling all over themselves to get an instructor like that! an instructor can't make you learn anything. it is up to each individual to do the learning. an instructor is only a facilitator. you make this instructor sound like she and her class are a piece of cake, so i'm wondering what you are doing with this implied free time all you students have since not much study seems to be required for this class. all you have to do is pick up the textbook and do some in-depth reading on your own. the big diseases that people are admitted to the hospital for are related to the heart, lungs and gi tract. knock yourself out reading about them.

it is your goal is to be a competent nurse--that's what you have said. that's a personal goal you want to pursue. i highly doubt that the goal of this specific course is to make all the students competent nurses. that's more like a goal of the overall nursing program. you didn't mention if this lady was a nursing instructor as well. in many colleges, students in other healthcare majors beside nursing also take the same class in pathophysiology. should it also be the pathophysiology instructor's goal to also make them competent radiation technologists, dental hygienists, mortuary technicians or health information technologists? just how are they supposed to accomplish that? particularly, when pathophysiology is but one small element of the knowledge needed to be competent in any healthcare career.

i think you are just upset that your goals aren't being met through this class. you want to know what you need to learn when someone's life is in your hands and this is not the class where you will be learning that. saving someone's life involves more than knowing the pathophysiology of their condition. it involves putting together a number of pieces of clinical knowledge as well. you won't be learning any of that until you start progressing through your clinical nursing classes. soon enough, i imagine, you will also be complaining about the absurdity of critical thinking and care planning which is how you are going to learn what to do when someone's life is in your hands.

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W.O.W = Work on Working :) :)

What are you talking about? :uhoh3: I did not say that I was not studying and I am not blaming anything on my instructer. I am saying that I do not know where to focus my studying because my instructor does not emphasize ANYTHING and does not care if we learn anything. Most of my fellow classmates do not study becuase you do not need to study to pass the tests. The class average is a 99% on every test/quiz. I don't need to know anything to pass the tests since we are given 45 minutes to take a 15 question quiz.

Do not tell me that I do not understand how to be a student in our educational system. I would like to know what I need to learn when someones life is in my hands not what I need to know to pass a test. MY goal is to be a competant nurse not get simply to get an A.

I would think that you would be appaled that new nureses are graduting and know nothing about a subject. What "rules" are you talking about? Have I broken some rule by asking what is relavent to nursing practice? I think you need to put your glasses on and read my post again.

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w.o.w = work on working

i honestly don't understand why you're complaining about this instructor. you think she's horrible because she doesn't elaborate on anything that will be useful in practice. it's all going to be useful in practice. then, you say she does not does care if you learn anything. how you can know what she is thinking in her mind puzzles me. but, she must talk about something in class. then, you also say that you do not need to study to pass the tests (which gave me the impression that you don't study for these tests), that the class average is a 99% on every test/quiz (that's bad in your book?) and that you, personally, don't need to know anything to pass the tests (again, giving me the impression that you don't feel the need to study). i'm finding it hard to understand why this is a horrible instructor since all you have to do is pass the class so you can move on through the program. i know a lot of people who would be falling all over themselves to get an instructor like that! an instructor can't make you learn anything. it is up to each individual to do the learning. an instructor is only a facilitator. you make this instructor sound like she and her class are a piece of cake, so i'm wondering what you are doing with this implied free time all you students have since not much study seems to be required for this class. all you have to do is pick up the textbook and do some in-depth reading on your own. the big diseases that people are admitted to the hospital for are related to the heart, lungs and gi tract. knock yourself out reading about them.

it is your goal is to be a competent nurse--that's what you have said. that's a personal goal you want to pursue. i highly doubt that the goal of this specific course is to make all the students competent nurses. that's more like a goal of the overall nursing program. you didn't mention if this lady was a nursing instructor as well. in many colleges, students in other healthcare majors beside nursing also take the same class in pathophysiology. should it also be the pathophysiology instructor's goal to also make them competent radiation technologists, dental hygienists, mortuary technicians or health information technologists? just how are they supposed to accomplish that? particularly, when pathophysiology is but one small element of the knowledge needed to be competent in any healthcare career.

i think you are just upset that your goals aren't being met through this class. you want to know what you need to learn when someone's life is in your hands and this is not the class where you will be learning that. saving someone's life involves more than knowing the pathophysiology of their condition. it involves putting together a number of pieces of clinical knowledge as well. you won't be learning any of that until you start progressing through your clinical nursing classes. soon enough, i imagine, you will also be complaining about the absurdity of critical thinking and care planning which is how you are going to learn what to do when someone's life is in your hands.

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You know, if I were you, I would just read the assigned chapters and just highlight what I believe is important. Because it seems to me, like you have an online class in class per se. Since you have to do so much on your own you know.

So just read your assigned chapters and get another patho book, like pathophysiology made incredibly easy or something and focus on the contents it that book also.

My patho class is an online class right and we are given the objectives and a PP slide lecture and that is it, we have to ask questions and STUDY on our own pretty much.

So you should do as I said and then ask your teacher if you do not understand something. You sure will get your money out of your class that way.

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If your class is passing her tests with 99% average, I agree with you : she's a terrible teacher.

Nursing school is supposed to be hard.

However, I do have a study skills book that says open book tests are actually the hardest kind of test to take, although I don't see how.

Surely her final won't be open book. Then, if the class hadn't learned anything, where will they be?

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