Not sure if you were intending for answers to come from a student's perspective, but in my observation, time management is a bigger problem than academics. The students that continue to struggle academically in my program are the ESL students, presumably because they have language barriers.
Not sure if you were intending for answers to come from a student's perspective, but in my observation, time management is a bigger problem than academics. The students that continue to struggle academically in my program are the ESL students, presumably because they have language barriers.
But the OP was asking about academic problems. One big problem I've seen, at least in my geographical area, is the science background of nursing students is poor. I felt like the "nursing" science classes I took were dumbed down and it's left me at a disadvantage when reading research articles. I spend a lot of time looking things up. It seems like the students I see have the same problems. The nursing students from the university seem to have a better grasp of science than the nursing students from the hospital-based nursing programs that have become "colleges" in recent years.
Not trying to start anything...just going on my experience with the nursing students from the three RN programs in my town.
Grammar, proper written and spoken language, etc., are also sorely lacking. You have a degree, so try to sound like it!
I can only speak on behalf of my school's curriculum:
We are far from adept at thinking critically (aside from the students that challenged, and succesfully completed their LPN exam) because after second year we do not see any acute, hospitalized patients until the third year practicum. Then, again, we are not in the hospital until our fourth year practicum. A major weak link in our curriculum.
Oh, yeah, that and we don't have a PHARMACOLOGY course!
Yes, but s/he wrote "major academic problems experienced by the nursing students", which makes me think she is asking about student perpectives. Who knows?
I thought my math skills were bad, but there were several who flunked out of my nursing class because they could not grasp the concept of basic math.
It was kind of shocking, actually.
Also, I'm no English scholar, but when you see nurses write and they butcher the language with terrible slang and atrocious grammar, spelling and punctuation it really does a lot to take away from their credibility. In fact, when I start seeing "coz" and "gonna" I stop reading. It's such a turnoff, makes me feel like I just stepped in a pile of you-know-what.
vashtee, RN
1,065 Posts
Not sure if you were intending for answers to come from a student's perspective, but in my observation, time management is a bigger problem than academics. The students that continue to struggle academically in my program are the ESL students, presumably because they have language barriers.