Instructors/Programs that set you up for failure...

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It's sad state of affairs, huh. I hope the instructors aren't purposefully vague on purpose. but it just seems like more of the same passive aggressive I was subjected to in my program. Why get into teaching if you don't want to teach? I just don't get it:confused:

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my my. that sounds so freakin familiar. at my school, if you email a nursing instructor, you can forget about a reply because it will never happen. as far as other instructors, boy, i can't tell you how many times i've gotten the kind of replies you describe. if i email them with the question again, it seems like i either get the same vague bs or something totally off the wall. i emailed an instructor a couple of weeks ago regarding changes in my work schedule and whether or not i could come to his day class on some days instead of the night class. he had told us previously that this was possible if we contacted him beforehand. here is his response "how fortunate you are to have such a flexible schedule". um, okay, so does that mean its okay? so far, i've gone to the other class 3 times and every time he sort of seemed surprised to see me. whatever.

i overheard a discussion a few days about how our nursing program has such a high failure and drop out rate. the instructors don't do any actual lectures. we listen to or read powerpoints online. our consortium was placed on warning status awhile back because our nclex pass rates were too low. i just can't understand what the problem is. if things are so bad, why not get new instructors, discipline them, something! rumor has it that our school is going to break away from the consortium. i can only imagine what will happen then, since the better instructors are at the other two schools!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Patient Safety.

It might be worth talking to someone in your school who is in a higher position of authority - but of course you have to be extra careful about who you choose to talk to and what you end up saying. It's also worth documenting when you tried contacting your instructor and what kind of information you've been seeking. That way if you or others end up suffering the consequences of a bad grade you can point to the fact that you've been making an effort to communicate with the instructor.

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well....i'm not sure if this is going to come off sounding mean (it's not supposed to) but a lot of people at my college had a similar experience with the majority of my classes. the professor brought up a point that, at the time, sounded a little unfair and callous but now makes a lot more sense. she said, guess what, this is college. we don't have to tell you exactly what to study, what page the answers are on, or what is going to be on the test. if it's in the book, it's fair game. end of story, read the chapters, learn the information, and you will pass. at first i was like...ok, i am not paying $80,000 for this, but in the long run, i think it helped us learn. anytime someone would ask they would promptly tell us they are not there to spoon feed us, they're there to set us up for being good nurses. so who knows, like i said, this was no in any way meant to be rude, but if you bring it up to your school, this is likely the sort of answer you are going to get. :nurse:

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well....i'm not sure if this is going to come off sounding mean (it's not supposed to) but a lot of people at my college had a similar experience with the majority of my classes. the professor brought up a point that, at the time, sounded a little unfair and callous but now makes a lot more sense. she said, guess what, this is college. we don't have to tell you exactly what to study, what page the answers are on, or what is going to be on the test. if it's in the book, it's fair game. end of story, read the chapters, learn the information, and you will pass. at first i was like...ok, i am not paying $80,000 for this, but in the long run, i think it helped us learn. anytime someone would ask they would promptly tell us they are not there to spoon feed us, they're there to set us up for being good nurses. so who knows, like i said, this was no in any way meant to be rude, but if you bring it up to your school, this is likely the sort of answer you are going to get. :nurse:

its still their job to teach and guide students. why they wouldn't tell you what pages to study and whats going to be on the test is ridiculous and beyond me. telling someone to read a 400 page textbook on material they have never seen in their life is unfair. its also impossible to retain all that information or even know what to focus on. please tell me you are not serious. the school you attend is cashing in on the big money. i mean your paying 80k to attend and the teachers don't have to teach or tell you anything. then when you fail, their excuse is "we don't have to tell you, read it all". sounds like a scam to me but from a business/money making point of view, i guess its a good deal for the school.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Patient Safety.
Its still their job to teach and guide students. Why they wouldn't tell you what pages to study and whats going to be on the test is ridiculous and beyond me. Telling someone to read a 400 page textbook on material they have never seen in their life is unfair. Its also impossible to retain all that information or even know what to focus on. Please tell me you are not serious. The school you attend is cashing in on the big money. I mean your paying 80K to attend and the teachers don't have to teach or tell you anything. Then when you fail, their excuse is "we don't have to tell you, read it all". Sounds like a scam to me but from a business/money making point of view, I guess its a good deal for the school.

Do they at least give you any kind of lecture objectives? If you have those, use them as a guideline for your studying.

I've had some pretty similar experiences. I would continue to try and get some kind of study guide for the exam. No one expects to be spoon fed while in school, but there has to be some realistic expectations about what you should be focusing on. However, I have found that most tests I've taken in nursing school don't follow the study guide objectives - so no matter what you do, you still need to focus on everything.

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It's unfortunate that you're having these problems with your instructor. I'm sure that you received a syllabus which outlines what chapters or pages to read. I'd go by that. The other thing you might try is to talk to students who have already taken the class that you're in and see if they can shed any light.

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