The end of my first semester of an ABSN is approaching and I am seriously reconsidering this program and perhaps even the entire profession. I am finding the nursing instructors and a lot of the material to be totally useless. It is Concepts of Professional Practice that is so troublesome.
I have a Master of Science in Physiology and a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Medical Care. I have been in rigorous academic programs before. I am not stupid and I believe I have a pretty good knowledge of the human body/disease process. I have been a paramedic for eight years and a community college adjunct instructor for five. I am hoping to become a nurse practitioner because as a paramedic there is very little opportunity for any career advancement.
In this Concepts of Professional Practice, which basically a fundamentals of nursing class, it seems that none of what I study is on the exams. I have tried the textbook, the lectures, study groups and everything. But without exception the test comes around and it seems like the test was taken from another class or another school. I am doing ok in pathophysiology and health assessment. It is not easy, but it is simpler in terms of, if I pay attention in class, take notes, read the chapters, and study the material I can do well. But in this class I don't know what else to do. There also seems to be complete and total lack of consistency in practical skills evaluations. Clinical skills evaluations are something I have done as an instructor for many years, and I find it very disturbing to see one student pass a station and the next student failed for doing the exact same thing.
I have tried talking to my professor and she frankly was nothing but condescending. She refers to everything as "just a guideline." In many cases she doesn't seem to know the answer herself. She makes outlandish errors in presenting clinical information which could be harmful for my classmates because they don't know any better. We never even had a lecture on careplans. We were basically given a case told to figure it out ourselves. The professor graded it extremely harshy despite the fact we had absolutely no instruction. It seems like something that unique and complex would warrant some instruction. We also didn't get a single lecture on drug dosage and drug calculations, but we had to pass a 25 question exam on the subject to pass the class.
It seems like so much of this program is unnecessarily esoteric. The instructors, some more than others, seem to pride themselves on complicating even the simplest information as much as possible. Frankly, the concept of this nursing diagnosis seems insulting to my intelligence as student. So many of the faculty seem to be catty for no apparent reason and have a chip on their shoulders the size of Texas. Is this typical? Did I pick a bad program? What should I do?
Glad to see I am not alone! I envision a committee sitting around with thesauruses coming up with a bunch of BS. My favorite from the Ackley Nursing Diagnosis book is Disturbed Energy Field.
Oh my goodness...we had to learn this recently, and I had to stifle a laugh. I don't think I will ever grasp the idea of a nursing diagnosis. I was also never so irritated at having to study anything as I was the chapter on nursing theory. What good is that going to do me on the job? This is a technical trade. Who cares about theory?
FDW630
219 Posts
Oh my goodness...we had to learn this recently, and I had to stifle a laugh. I don't think I will ever grasp the idea of a nursing diagnosis. I was also never so irritated at having to study anything as I was the chapter on nursing theory. What good is that going to do me on the job? This is a technical trade. Who cares about theory?