Nursing Students General Students
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I agree with SlinkyheadRN. If you don't like it quit and go for PA or MD/DO school. I decided to not go to medical school because even though i love the science behind it I prefer to actually get to know my patients and be there for them. That is why nursing was the best choice. Regarding your classes I am not sure, but my school expects you to know the basics or if not the advance topics in patho. My professor said, "we are not doctors, but having a knowledge of the process and effects of a disease can help us advocate and care for our patients as well teach them about their illness." In pharm we are learning important medications and how it works in the body. So there is no simple memorization.
I am in one of the top nursing schools in the country, and, coming from the interesting pre-reqs like chemistry and A&P, to the nursing model, which, I am sorry to say, is devoid of any real medical knowledge.....is heartbreakingly frustrating.
The nursing model is taught in nursing school rather than the medical model because it's nursing school. If it's medical knowledge you want, then nursing is not for you- become a PA or MD.
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I felt similar as you and made a thread about it called "I'm bored" in September or October. I came out of science classes I really loved, and thought assessment and foundations were boring or my exact thought was that these classes were "dumbed down" from the sciences. Not even close. In my nursing program they teach us like adults getting ready to be professionals which means they aren't going to spell out everything like science classes and we need to be proactive in learning and go beyond what seems like simple teaching. That means no not just memorizing a few drug names, but you learn all about their action, pharmacokinetics, etc. In pathophysiology you learn about the etiology of the disease, effects on the body, etc. You're not going to be babied each step of the way anymore in nursing school. You're expected to learn things on your own, to look up drug info and disease process on your own. That's why we go to the hospital the night before clinical and are ready the next morning to tell our teacher why our patient is on the drugs they are, and if we can't do that, our teacher will say go home.
Right now you're missing out like I was at first.
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Why can't you get private loans? Can you work and pay for pre-reqs so you don't have to borrow?
From reading your post, I think you really need to try pursuing PA or med school. If you have this type of mentality, even if you suck it up and stay with nursing, you will not be happy in nursing. Nursing courses won't go that indepth with medical stuff, even in med/surg and beyond. You'll be torturing yourself and probably others.
Good luck!
57 Posts
Thank you for that. It is nice to hear.
I spend a lot of time researchign on my own the pathophysiology of diseases that we are studying and then I come to lecture and want to hit my forehead because it is so dumbed down. And as for pharmacology, I studied very far into it as well and the same thing happened. I seem to study for nothing.....it feels like anyway. but thank you for your caring response. That is what I like most about nursing school. The cohort is full of wonderful caring people.
THELIVINGWORST, ASN, RN
1,381 Posts
Quit then. If it is so beneath you, bite the bullet and become an MD or PA.