I feel like I am learning to be a nurse on my own.

[MzSS]

I would love some feedback on nursing school today. I am a ADN student and I feel feel like this journey has been autonomous when it comes to the learning aspect. I often wonder what I am paying for in nursing school when there is very little lecture or other forms of teaching. Each module is given with lots of reading and then we test. Is this the way most nursing schools work?

[happynurse49, BSN]

Not mine. We have lecture, a separate instructor to teach us in the lab, and simulation lab. If we don't understand something then our teachers review it until we do.

[loriangel14, RN]

My program had no lectures at all. As adults they expect us to take responsibility for our own learning experience. They aren't going to spoon feed it to us and hold our hands.It's tough for some people.

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

My program had no lectures at all. As adults they expect us to take responsibility for our own learning experience. They aren't going to spoon feed it to us and hold our hands.It's tough for some people.

I can learn great that way, however a lot of people need the lectures to learn the content. It's not spoon feeding but helping people with a variety of learning styles to learn. Hopefully you wouldn't push a bunch of papers to your patient and tell them you're not going to spoon feed them.

[rubato, ASN, RN]

My program had no lectures at all. As adults they expect us to take responsibility for our own learning experience. They aren't going to spoon feed it to us and hold our hands.It's tough for some people.

While I think we are all adults and should take the responsibility to learn, lecture isn't hand holding. It's just one way of teaching. I am grateful that my school wants to TEACH me. I am responsible for my learning, but do have a schedule of lectures that I can attend, if I so choose. I can also choose to just read the book, read the powerpoints, ignore it all, whatever.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

One advantage to this philosophy of education is that the students are learning how to be life-long learners by seeking out and using resources themselves. I have been out of school for mumblemumble years and I still buy books and use new (reputable) online resources for my own education.

[RunnerRN2015, ASN, RN]

We have lecture 2-3 mornings and 2 full days of clinicals each week.

[llg, PhD, RN]

In cases such as the OP is describing, the student is paying for the credential more than actual teaching. I'm OK with that if the school is up-front and honest about that with prospective students. They have a product to sell: a self-study and testing program leading to a given credential. If that is what the student wants to buy, OK.

But if a students wants a human being (i.e. teacher) to help them learn the material ... then that is not what this school is selling and the student should pursue other schools -- ones that do include actual time spent with teachers whose job it is to help the student learn.

[Everline]

We have lecture two days a week. Then we have clinicals and simulation labs. We have a different instructor for all of these classes. Plus, we have learning/resource labs where there are instructors to help you if you need it. I will say that lecture isn't always helpful. Depends on the teacher, really. I like my lecture teacher but a few times this semester I found myself thinking I could have just stayed home and read the book. Still, if there were no lectures and teaching going on, I wouldn't be happy about that at all. I hope they were upfront about that fact when you paid your tuition.

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

Also, I think there is an important human element that we can only get through some instructors. The best instructors I've had and my favorite classes involve people who were able to bring the human element. I can read the books all I want, but it is not the same. In fact, I would do better as a student if I just had the book. However being able to draw from experiences from others is important.

We have mostly lectures with powerpoints and we're expected to read the book on our own. First semester we had a lab to learn skills once a day. Some lectures are horrible and some just read from the powerpoint.

[Stephalump]

My program had no lectures at all. As adults they expect us to take responsibility for our own learning experience. They aren't going to spoon feed it to us and hold our hands.It's tough for some people.

I'm not really sure how to respond to this, except to say...adults listen to lectures, too.

That sounds like a load of Kool-aid someone in some nursing program made and started spreading to the masses.

[loriangel14, RN]

Well I'm not saying whether it is right or wrong but it does foster independence.