Infuriating Responses To Questions

Nursing Students General Students

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Are any of you frustrated when your instructor answers your question with a question?

One suggestion.

www.ratemyprofessor.com

Do all those students who follow you a big huge favor and write a review so that we might be prepared for what lies ahead. Thanks.:nurse:

Thanks for this link! I've had a couple really amazing professors that deserve public kudos! :yeah:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU.

No, I do not have you confused with Bicster. I quoted Bicster, addressed the "quip" (read: insult) that he made, and then I addressed your assumption that I am generalizing.

But whatever. As a nursing student, I don't have time to waste being irritated with anyone, and I shouldn't waste my precious free time.

Edited to add: THIS post was in response to LiveToLearn's post that I had confused her with Bicster. The latter half was in response to Bicster's continuous posts that I am dumb, or stupid, or whatever he called me...I don't care to quote him.

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Specializes in Quality Management.

My first year nursing faculty included one who was sharp and defensive but, in her defense, she was also the deputy administrator for the entire program. People were very quick to judge her, I believe, largely based on her physical appearance and her tendency to answer questions with a "well, what do you think?"

I found that if I actually did the reading and wrote down my questions and asked them during the breaks, rather than interrupting her lectures, that she would just give me the answer because she wanted to go pee. >;-D

I doubt that's going to work on second year faculty, though. Time to step up...

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My first year nursing faculty included one who was sharp and defensive but, in her defense, she was also the deputy administrator for the entire program. People were very quick to judge her, I believe, largely based on her physical appearance and her tendency to answer questions with a "well, what do you think?"

I found that if I actually did the reading and wrote down my questions and asked them during the breaks, rather than interrupting her lectures, that she would just give me the answer because she wanted to go pee. >;-D

I doubt that's going to work on second year faculty, though. Time to step up...

:chuckle That is hilarious! Helpful post of the day! :yeah: lol!

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Specializes in urology, pediatrics, med-surg.

Wow. The level of bickering in what could have been a fairly adult conversation amazes me. I'm guessing some folks may be a little stressed out these days.

Opinions were asked for, so here's mine.

As one of the oldest in my nursing class at 40 yrs old, I had many in my nursing class that would ask a question of the instructor NOT because they'd already tried to find the answer, but because they wanted to save themselves the time to look for it. These students did seem to believe they should be spoon-fed facts and didn't realize that the information was not retained well when they were given the information that easily.

OTOH, there were times when a question was asked and we really needed an answer. I found it helpful to frame the question in such a way to show that previous research had been done without success. "Could you explain why X causes Y? The book doesn't cover that detail and I was unable to find anything in my own research." I nearly always got either a straight answer, or an honest "I don't know" which I respect much more than an instructor trying to BS me.

I disagree with the theory that all instructors who answer a question with a question are doing it because they don't know the answer. In some cases it may be true. In others it's a teaching style (whether you like it or not) and in others they may believe that your research on the subject wasn't thorough enough. Or maybe you're overlooking something simple and they want to lead you to the "click". Some instructors are horrible and have no idea what they're talking about, but at least in my experience, the majority are very knowledgable and we can learn a lot from them if we set aside the little annoyances and work with them.

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Specializes in hospice.
I find one learns better when the prof's force you to find the answer yourself instead of just telling you.

:twocents:

I totally agree. My current clinical instructor is great; she won't lead you to the answer, but instead she'll get you there via your critical thinking. I really appreciate that.

What I don't like, however, is the way one of my pre-req professors did it. We could ask him a simple question like, "Is the answer to the question yes or no?" And he'd respond with, "Well, it depends. It might be yes, it might be no." :banghead: He would leave it at that, and he wouldn't help us out at all. No leading us in the correct direction with critical thinking, nothing at all. Sometimes, we truly do need help.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

ARNurse2B, I couldn't agree more about mentioning what you have done to find the answer already. This shows where your current knowledge level is, what you have already tried, and helps an instructor formulate a response that will not patronize your or overwhelm you, but offer helpful information. I really enjoy helping a student find their own answers, and the satisfaction they get from seeing how much they really know.

I much prefer this type of question to others such as "What's the phone number to my clinical site?"

"What will instructor X test us on?" (in a class I don't teach)

or "Can I leave clinicals early today, I haven't studied any for my test next week?"- and yes, I have actually been asked all these questions.

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Specializes in urology, pediatrics, med-surg.

I much prefer this type of question to others such as "What's the phone number to my clinical site?"

"What will instructor X test us on?" (in a class I don't teach)

or "Can I leave clinicals early today, I haven't studied any for my test next week?"- and yes, I have actually been asked all these questions.

I don't doubt it. I heard similar questions from some of my classmates on occasion. One nearly got kicked out about a month before graduation for doing a clinical write up for the previous week, which was already past due, on his laptop in the breakroom of our current clinical location. When asked why he considered that ok (he was supposed to be caring for 4 patients) his answer was that he hadn't had time to do it. Ummm....ok...everyone else somehow managed.

Point being, not everyone has what we consider to be common sense. Even those who are technically book smart. An instructor can never assume that a student asking a question has actually exhausted all his options for finding the answer.

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No, I do not have you confused with Bicster. I quoted Bicster, addressed the "quip" (read: insult)

A quip is not an insult.

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Specializes in ER.

I am very sorry you have what seems like instructors who don't like their jobs or take pride in what they do. Unfortunately you find people like this in all professions.

As an instructor I will challenge a student to think or walk through a process to find an answer to their question. Nursing school does not spoon feed you, you need to think and figure out what might be wrong with your patient.

I am an instructor that is not afraid to say I do not know, lets find it out together, as nursing is a never ending learning process.

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Hi! Everyone!

Guilty as charged!!! And proud of it! Yes, I am a nursing instructor who does answer (selected) questions from students, LPN, CNA , both adult and high school secondary ed, with a question. Why would I do such a thing you might ask??:chuckle When I am pretty sure they know the answer already, or in an attempt to teach them critical thinking, which is thinking with a purpose. If I don't know the answer, I so state. And then verbalize my expectation the student will find out and share with us all......

sue

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Yup....I usually take it as a sign that they don't answer because they don't know...99% of the time this is the case.

Very rarely it's because I have sometimes proven, that there is a such thing, as a stupid question :)

Well, as a nursing instructor and a nurse with 22 years experience in my field of maternal-neonatal nursing, I can honestly say that isn't the case in my experience. I had wonderful instructors that taught me so much. I think 99% is quite high and assuming and lumping everyone into the same categoryis silly and presumptuous.

I tell my students at the very first of the year that I do not know everything and will never act like I do if I don't. I expect the same from them when people's lives are on the line. I would much rather them ask me something than to be afraid they will think it is a stupid question.

I tell them if I don't know the answer, I will find it for them. One thing I DO know is how to be a nurse, they may have more degrees than they have fingers, but what they do not have is bedside experience and a license. I am there to help them get that.

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