How in the freaking world are you a nurse???

elb252 · Aug 18, 2011

Perhaps making NCLEX a 1, or not more than 2, time pass affair? Raising the entry GPA to a 3.4 or 3.8? I think that is a more credibly realistic measure of potential and performance than paying 3 times as much for a degree with the same scope of practice.
Changing the degree requirements does nothing more than reward the already overblown academic sector. Changing the academic standards requires higher performance from the student- and the instructors.
Or, to make it simple- keep them out because they're dumb, not because they're poor(like me!).

I see the point that you're trying to make. While it may sound like a good idea, it's actually quite biased.

As a nurse with Asperger's disorder and ADHD, I never would have fulfilled your standards. When I graduated high school, my GPA was a 3.1 due to being sick so often throughout my years. I struggled in nursing school to learn and comprehend the material, but I worked my bum off and ended up doing very well in my clinicals. I was never at the "top of my class" and I got picked on by arrogant classmates b/c I had to ask a lot of questions and didn't always get things the first time around, but I always got through it. Even though it takes me longer to learn, once I really know and understood something, it stays locked into place. Period. I graduated nursing school with a 3.5 GPA.

It took me three times to pass the NCLEX, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. My testing skills are HORRIBLE. I honestly feel that the NCLEX does not reflect on the prospective nurse's knowledge of skills, but instead the nurse's testing ability. I practiced thousands and thousands of questions, read volumes of review/practice books, etc....basically, worked HARD to get the license that I deserved. In my opinion, instead of answering written questions (because in retrospect, I knew nurses with very good testing abilities but couldn't do anything in clinicals), it would be more beneficial to test clinical competence based on hands-on performance skills. Of course, that would probably be too expensive for most states...

By the way, I've been a nurse for almost six months in a LTC, and have received many positive reviews from both staff and families. My job gets crazy, but I can handle it. The blood, sweat, and tears in school and studying for a silly exam were worth EVERYTHING, not how many times (or how long) it took me to succeed.

I do respect your opinion, and I apologize if I come off as overly criticizing. I'm just suggesting that GPAs and written tests alone cannot always measure the intelligence and critical analysis of an individual, and I think it's ridiculous that so many schools and licensing processes utilize these tools.

Kieshia · Aug 19, 2011

While some of these nurses MAY have a medical/psych problem, I believe that it has more to do with the,"warm body", philosophy", that nursing schools have come to believe in. There seems to be very little quality control in admitting individuals into nursing school. You know, the more the merrier!
It is too easy to get into nursing school. The program it too short, which encourages not the best and brightest to go into nursing. "IN TWO YEARS YOU CAN HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE AND A TERRIFIC CAREER IN THE NURSING FIELD!".
As far as I am concerned, the main reason the PTs, OTs, increased their entry into practice, was to keep out the truly unmotivate/unqualified, from entering the profession. And keep their numbers down and their need up. Instead as in nursing, flooding the profession with newbies, which is very definately driving down wages, benefits, power ,etc. And making jobs scarce. Everything that has been expressed on this listserve.
An increased entry into practice would cut down on ALOT of applications to nursing schools, and truly only admit the best and brightest. I am NOT saying that anyone who does not have a BSN is stupid, or unworthy of becoming a nurse. What I AM saying is that nursing is attractive as a career because you CAN have a decent paying career in two years. And YES, it does take longer to get through the program if you take longer to take pre requisites finished. But the public sees a two year Associates Degree as entry into practice, as opposed to a Masters and Doctorate for OT and PT. It attracts the wrong kind of people.
It IS in our best interests to petition the ANA to increase the entry into practice as a matter of survival. It IS in our best interests, to improve the image of nursing. Right now, the public may say in a poll, how much they love and respect us, but the truth be told, they think that we are a bunch of overpaid, whiny, women, to do nothing but hand our ice water, pass a few pills, and complain about our lousy work .
JMHO and my NY $0.02.
Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Somewhere in the PACNW

OMG We had to take an exam and get certain scores and answer verbal critical thinking questions with the head of the program and submit an essay about why we wanted to be apart of the job. Its so sad to think that a dimwit can get in and not know the basic math

joanna73, BSN, RN · Aug 19, 2011

I would agree with limiting the number of exam attempts. I have read various posts on here such as, "after the 8th time I passed the NCLEX." Excuse me???

Us Canadian nurses are allowed 3 attempts. After the 3rd attempt, you're done. Time to go back to school again.

Kieshia · Aug 19, 2011

I'm glad people like you are why I got into this in the first place people who learn what they need to and retain it.

xtxrn, ASN, RN · Aug 19, 2011

Right now, the public may say in a poll, how much they love and respect us, but the truth be told, they think that we are a bunch of overpaid, whiny, women, to do nothing but hand our ice water, pass a few pills, and complain about our lousy work .
JMHO and my NY $0.02.
Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Somewhere in the PACNW

:eek: :eek: Never heard anybody (even mad patients) refer to nurses in this way. I've dealt with entitled jerks who treat everyone like that, but not specifically nurses.... They may get tired of waiting for something, not like the food, hate the cable line-up, think the people from lab decide their own hours to come stick them, think that PT is cruel, find OT exercises idiotic, etc.... not knowing what the reasons are (which comes back to patient education from any department).... but I never heard anybody think nurses were overpaid....whiny.....only capable of delivery services... complaining... or think we felt our work was lousy.....

Any nurse fitting that description doesn't deserve to fill out an application for employment, let alone actually get a job. If someone feels that way- FINE- but the patients should never hear anything that would substantiate that feeling about nurses.

Note-- I didn't say anybody shouldn't feel whatever they want-- don't read into this.... just that patients have no business dealing with a nurses' personal issues w/his or her job. :)

Wow.

allnurses Guide · Aug 19, 2011

. . . It is too easy to get into nursing school. The program it too short, which encourages not the best and brightest to go into nursing. "IN TWO YEARS YOU CAN HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE AND A TERRIFIC CAREER IN THE NURSING FIELD!".
As far as I am concerned, the main reason the PTs, OTs, increased their entry into practice, was to keep out the truly unmotivate/unqualified, from entering the profession. And keep their numbers down and their need up. Instead as in nursing, flooding the profession with newbies, which is very definately driving down wages, benefits, power ,etc. And making jobs scarce. Everything that has been expressed on this listserve.
An increased entry into practice would cut down on ALOT of applications to nursing schools, and truly only admit the best and brightest. I am NOT saying that anyone who does not have a BSN is stupid, or unworthy of becoming a nurse. What I AM saying is that nursing is attractive as a career because you CAN have a decent paying career in two years. And YES, it does take longer to get through the program if you take longer to take pre requisites finished. But the public sees a two year Associates Degree as entry into practice, as opposed to a Masters and Doctorate for OT and PT. It attracts the wrong kind of people.
It IS in our best interests to petition the ANA to increase the entry into practice as a matter of survival.

I don't think the ANA has the power or authority to do that. I'd say as a matter of fact it is the ANA that has relentlessly spearheaded the campaign to make a BSN the minimum entry-level degree before you can take the NCLEX and get licensed. It's up to the individual state legislatures to change those laws. One state passed "BSN in 10" but later on they repealed it.

All these ads I see for "☞get your BSN online in only 16 months with ☀☀no classroom time☀☀ !!" etc are a lot more worrisome to me than someone who has an associates from a traditional brick, mortar and clinical group model but nobody seems to think there is a problem there so I'll shut up now. I know I do better and enjoy school in a classroom environment and online courses seem dry and torturous to the point I want to scream or take a nap. But maybe that's just me and some are better than others.

There are many reasons someone would choose the associate's route. I disagree that it attracts the wrong kind of people. Over half of our working nurses have an associate's degree. I think it is the current economy that will have the greatest effectiveness in raising the percentage of BSNs because with so many applicants right now. When I started they were desperate for nurses. Now they are "churning them out" on an assembly line.

Daisy_08, BSN, RN · Aug 29, 2011

I know this post went off on it's own, which is fine. But I wanted to add that this woman is crazy, but not the kind that would hold up in court. But quite frankly I don't give a fly'n fig! I quit! hasta la vista, baby! I have a great job now that I love. I will not miss that place.

Thank you and goodnight! :smokin:

sasha2lady · Sep 23, 2011

I dont think I'd want to work the same shift with her for sure! I work with a few sort of like her, but not to the degree that she is. We have a really old nurse who's always had others to basically do her work for her....so she's clueless and gives you report from several days ago if the report sheets are left where she can see them.

Some others I work with are just plain mean. When I say mean....they are mean in and outside of work. Hateful, spiteful, obnoxious, and do a seriously sloppy job.

yet......because they can pass boards......here they are....out and about all over the place working taking care of sick folks.

I keep telling myself....."these idiots will get the same care they give in their careers. Hopefully worse.".....and I truly hope they get back what they give others.

allnurses Guide · Oct 6, 2011

Perhaps making NCLEX a 1, or not more than 2, time pass affair? Raising the entry GPA to a 3.4 or 3.8? I think that is a more credibly realistic measure of potential and performance than paying 3 times as much for a degree with the same scope of practice.

I agree.

Anyone can get the 2.5 GPA required to get into our program. I think that is ridiculous!

Let's face it, prereq's are not that hard!!

Mukfay · Oct 6, 2011

Originally Posted by Rob72

Perhaps making NCLEX a 1, or not more than 2, time pass affair? Raising the entry GPA to a 3.4 or 3.8? I think that is a more credibly realistic measure of potential and performance than paying 3 times as much for a degree with the same scope of practice.

I agree.
Anyone can get the 2.5 GPA required to get into our program. I think that is ridiculous!
Let's face it, prereq's are not that hard!!

The prereqs are a lot like Federal taxes. Although it's the same class (and the same rate), they're really actually different depending on where you go to school (live).

Some schools' prereqs are a cakewalk. In others, the teachers don't believe in giving A's at all. In some, 86% will get you a C, and in others you have to be in the "below 80" range. Just like taxes. there are places in the country where $60,000 is a lot of money, and others where you couldn't afford to live in the most inexpensive home, or even a studio apartment for that.

And as to the NCLEX, although they put a lot of effort into it, I'm not sure it is an indicator of a safe nurse. So I'm not sure that I agree with the thesis that a person who fails it twice would not be a good nurse (or that someone who nails it in 75 would be).

Regards,

Mukfay

Tori11 · Jul 7, 2012

What in the devil? Sounds like a sociopath. I would not be able to tolerate her ignorance.

Mukfay · Jul 7, 2012

I work with a nurse who is not a new grad, she had been nursing for 5+ years and is 40+years old. She is just plain incompetent. Doing narc count with her is like doing narc count with a monkey who is trying to be bad at it, I mean come on second graders could do a better job. She does not get treatments done, is pathetically slow to respond, sometimes does not respond at all (a pt was found on the floor at shift change with a head injury and she wanted to finish report and count narcs while the pt was on the floor) I told this nurse her pt was asking for nitro and having chest pain-she didn't know what nitro spray was:eek:!!!! And said the pt was lying about the chest pain, she never did VS or any assessments. For two person changes she just stands there, I have to tell her what to do, once she even asked me what to do with a dirty pad:confused:! I noticed one pt had 4 med patches on one night and asked her if she takes one off before she put on another, she said its not her job (maybe she thinking of the little nurses fairy who comes around and does things like take of patches, gets water and warm blankets).She can be very nice, always greeting me nicely, but she can turn on a dime. If you question her on anything, or tell her she missed something she blows, yelling and screaming about how we are all equals and she knows how to do her job half the time I don't even know what she is talking about her words are English, but her sentences are incomprehensible. The next day its like nothing ever happened. I refuse to work with her now if I can help it, if they call me I always find out if she is one before I say yes.
So, have you ever worked with anyone who you are shocked made it through middle school let alone nursing school???

What shocks me is that, although you're a nurse, it hasn't occurred to you that there might be some pathology here. Does this lack of judgement and knowledge seem normal to you? Why is the first response (and apparently later responses too) anger and chagrin rather than concern?