Instructor teaching style

virgolove34 · Sep 1, 2012

Our instructors basically told us there is too much to teach with very limited time so we have to do the reading in order to know the information. They cover the important that they want to make sure we absolutely know. We have two instructors for our fundamentals class and they say they are their ti facilitate us. They expect us to have read before class and will answer any questions or misunderstanding in class but they are very teacher-student interactive. They want us to ask questions, get clarification and give feedback. They're very open with comments, like after a class activity or after going through lecture, they will ask if it worked for us, what could they do better etc. They are great.

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Sep 1, 2012

For example, we read from our Fundamentals books, Pharmacology book, do self study modules from the pharm. books online course, do the online course from Calc with Confidence, watch skills videos from the Fundamentals book, practice in the lab, and read some more. I know there is a lot to cover in so little time. I am just wondering how it is everywhere else.

As a professor, this pretty much sounds like what my students have to do. It's called studying! This is the only way you will succeed in nursing school (unless you are a natural-born nurse and super genius ). Your last sentence captured the bulk of the issue: there is no way in the world you can learn everything in the lecture hours you are assigned per week. Which leads me to the next question ( and this will essentially determine whether you are self-teaching): what is going on in the lecture? I know you're only 2 weeks in, but hopefully your professors are pulling it'll together, reviewing key points, answering questions you may have, or giving you case-studies or scenarios for you to utilize what you know. Even if they are doing the old-fashioned lecture, you are being taught. You're just not being given every single piece of information you need to pass.

It takes some getting used to, especially since our society seems to have progressed to this "give me everything I paid for" mentality. I'm not saying you don't plan to (so no need to defend yourself), but you NEED to put in the time on your own. Come to class prepared,so if there's something you don't understand, you an address it the day of lecture, not the night before thee am via e-mail. You will get out of it, what you put into it. Study smarter,not harder.

Regarding the lab and practice: the skills will not magically come to you. You have to practice them. It is very obvious who practices and who doesn't. The students who shake (to the point where I'm afraid of getting stuck), have not practiced. The ones who feel the need to tell me how nervous they are, are not practicing. Watching your friends do the skill silk to an extent (you can see what they're doing wrong). Watching the videos a couple of times is good too. But you have to do it. Until you can do it without hesitation (I use the example of learning to drive, how it takes practice).

Stephalump · Sep 1, 2012

I just finished my second week of nursing school. I was wondering how your instructors teach your classes. Some of us in our class have commented that it feels like there is a bunch of self teaching going on. For example, we read from our Fundamentals books, Pharmacology book, do self study modules from the pharm. books online course, do the online course from Calc with Confidence, watch skills videos from the Fundamentals book, practice in the lab, and read some more. I know there is a lot to cover in so little time. I am just wondering how it is everywhere else.

Is this going on IN class or at home? You are getting actual lectures as well, aren't you?

If so, sounds about right! We have 5 hours or lecture a week and an hour of lab. We spend our time out of class reading, using Evolve, in open lab, more reading, case studies, quizzes, projects, etc.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2012

It's funny you mention this. I just had a classfor the 2nd year nursing classes of a 2 year program, in which the professor stated there is NO way she could possibly teach all the material in the time alloted for class (6 hours per week). Nursing school intails a lot of 'self teaching'. What my professor did say is read the assigned material and bring any questions to class. If your question isn't answered during the lecture..ask her to clarify and she'd be happy to go over it.

Regarding skills, we have labs, its demo'd by the instructors, we then get practice time during lab class. Any additional practice is done on the students own time (there is a clinical lab teacher who has appointments in which you can work with her to practice and gain confiedence in doing the skill).

You're program sounds much like the majority of other schools way of teaching.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Sep 1, 2012

Regarding the lab and practice: the skills will not magically come to you. You have to practice them. It is very obvious who practices and who doesn't. The students who shake (to the point where I'm afraid of getting stuck), have not practiced. The ones who feel the need to tell me how nervous they are, are not practicing. Watching your friends do the skill silk to an extent (you can see what they're doing wrong). Watching the videos a couple of times is good too. But you have to do it. Until you can do it without hesitation (I use the example of learning to drive, how it takes practice).

I get very nerved up when having to demo a skill, whether it be new or not. I am an LPN with 4 years experience of floor nursing. When I had to demo skills that were basically Nursing 101 type skills for my LPN to RN bridge program, I still got very nervous and mentioned to the person doing the evaluation that I was nurvous. It isn't that I didn't practice or know how to do it, it is just something in my psyche that occurs. I get very unnerved when someone is standing there scrutinizing my every move and every word.

For example, I had to demo an IM injection. This is something I do on a daily occurance multiple times a day on my patients. I do it almost without thinking and without hesitation (just like when you learn to drive, when you first learn you actually THINK about moving the steering wheel to go around a corner, with experience and confiedence you just without even thinking about it, move the wheel. You don't think about it, you don't go through the steps in your head, it just happens). However, when I had to do the demo, my hands were shaky and as I verbalized what I was doing my voice got shaky. It's just something that happens. But I don't get that way when I work, my hands are not shaky, I can talk with the pt as I am doing the procedure with not a hit of nervousness etc. I am also a preceptor for new LPN's to my facility, doing a demo of our procedure I have no issues..no shakiness, no nervousness etc.

Long winded but basically what I mean is not all students who are visably nervous, verbalize nervouness or who are a little shaky in the hands did not practice or study.

MilliePieRN · Sep 1, 2012

We have several different instructors, they each over different topics. It is mostly read, study, and lecture on the highlights. 2 instructors are very engaging. I would consider the bulk of what we learn self taught, with great instructor encouragement and support. I feel like I can easily get help if I need it--this is stressed constantly (I'm early in my first year, too). We have one that just reads the powerpoints, which is really difficult to sit through--I dread her lectures.

PirateArrrNnnn · Sep 1, 2012

Thanks Prof. I keep up with reading, assignments, go to labs, etc. I also try to engage in active learning in class by participating in discussions during class rather than staying quiet. As for practicing skills I bug the heck out of them to do assessments. I even practiced what to say during assessments while in the shower. I don't usually sing or talk to myself in the shower.