How do you know if you're at a bad school?

Merlyn · Jan 16, 2012

I started my LPN training at one school. Now I'm at another school. Long story. Won't bore you with it.
Because the curriculum is presented in a different order at the second school, I am re-taking a subject I have already taken. I'm finding that the instructor at the new school is contradicting the instructor at my former school on many subjects. I am more inclined to believe the current instructor. THe things she is saying agree with the textbook that both instructors used. But the first instructor said many things that are the opposite of what is printed in the text.
I think my current school is just a better school than the one where I started out. The instructors are more focused on helping students succeed. The classes are more in depth. I can list 101 reasons why I think this school is better.
My point is that if I hadn't come here, I would not have seen many of the flaws in the original school. I could have graduated from school #1 as a poorly prepared nurse. I feel that every penny I paid to school #1 was wasted. How do you know when you are going into this field that you are trusting your education dollars to an institution that will give you good value for your money?

Nothing in one's education is a wast. Life is a learning experience. Even if the first school was a bad. Now you know.

allnurses Guide · Jan 16, 2012

If you feel good about your decision, that's the important thing. If you had not been able to switch you probably could've overcome the deficiencies by seeking out additional information on your own, but that just lets the bad school off the hook for what you're paying them to do, especially if there are reasons beyond an instructor who is unfamiliar with the text she's teaching from and adding his or her personal opinions.

If the text was dated and she explained exactly why her opinion differed that would be different. Since the first part of most programs is pretty straighforward I'm curious to know some examples of what the first instructor told you?

Raviepoo · Jan 16, 2012

If the text was dated and she explained exactly why her opinion differed that would be different. Since the first part of most programs is pretty straighforward I'm curious to know some examples of what the first instructor told you?

Here's what I remember without checking my notes. She said, "Never massage a boggy uterus." She said it over and over again. The text and instructor #2 say the opposite. SHe also said that multipara moms have less afterpains because thier uterus comes pre-stretched and doesn't clamp down as hard as first time mom - also contradicted in the text. I have other examples scribbled throughout my notes.

allnurses Guide · Jan 16, 2012

Thanks for answering! To answer your question about how do you know if you're in a bad school - honestly I think the only way to avoid that as a student is to do lots of research on the schools before you enroll. When I started nursing school I came straight from a job selling clothes at a trendy store with high school chemistry and biology classes being the closest thing related to nursing or health science. I wouldn't have known I was in a bad school unless the teacher came in rip-roaring drunk or tried to hit on the students - real obvious stuff.

caliotter3 · Jan 16, 2012

Many LPN/LVN schools have a less than great reputation from former students because of conditions that usually can be attributed to their for-profit outlook. Many come to the conclusion that they have to survive the school so that they can graduate and take the licensing exam. Then they can learn on the job. To a lesser extent this can be said about some better schools. Most of these observations are obvious. You just have to realize that you still need to complete a course of instruction, no matter how good or how poor, in order to reach your own personal goal.