Need some honest advice

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I need some honest advise. From nursing students, nurses working in the field or nursing instructors. I have been a LPN for over twenty-five years. I never thought I would get the chance to go back to school to get my R.N. My biggest barrier was me because I thought I wasn't smart enough. I started taking college courses when I quit my full-time job to care for my mother with end stage Alzheimer's disease. I needed an outlet from the disease that ravaged my mom's brain, and made her anxious and fearful of everyone and everything she loved most of her life, and all of mine. My mother died a few months later, but I wanted to continue my education and was hopeful I would have my ASN degree without completely breaking my bank. That was three years ago. The community colleges in my area are inundated with prospective nursing students, who are much smarter than I am. I remained hopeful, and applied for one of the available 40 seats. My GPA was 3.6 and my TEAS score was descent or so I thought. I was number 56 out of 260 students. It was only going to get harder, so I looked for other options. My choices were to apply to an expensive private nursing school, where I lived, or Move to a rural area in Wisconsin. I chose the latter, and it was the worst decision of my life. I was accepted into the program, but I was not accepted at the school. I am not speaking about the students, but the nursing instructors . I am not a thin skinned person. I mean, I started this journey taking classes that were below college level. The first day was a lecture on ethics, and one of the instructors went into a rant about LPN's working out of their scope of practice, and pointed out my home state exclaiming the doctors there were only looking to get cheap help. I guess they didn't read the first chapter of our text book, or they didn't expect the students to read it, but it went into detail describing the nursing act of 1950 and it recognized that many LPN's were exceptional workers, capable of critical thinking and under utilized in the profession. I have several more examples of personal attacks, but I think everybody gets the point. I also listened quietly in the back row as the instructors gave misinformation to the students. None of it was life threatening but incorrect all the same. I did not undermine their authority, and simply made a mental note to my self. The last straw for me occurred when a student stood up and told of an incident that recently occurred at her work. She thought the hospice nurse intentionally ended a patient life to make her job easier. The student believed what she was saying because she was near tears and trembling as she spoke. I held my breath waiting for the instructor to offer this poor girl a clearer perspective of hospice. If not that, at least ask her who she reported this too atrocity to. Not that either. Instead the instructor said, "morphine can ease a patients breathing. Physiologically this is incorrect. Sure Patients with lung cancer or COPD do breath easier when given a medication with a sedating effect, but it certainly doesn't act open the lungs. I thought to my self... "That's it?" I was appalled. The rest of the hour was spent telling stories about the awful nurse they encountered at some point in their lives. Not only did the nursing student feel vindicated, but all the students left feeling justified and self righteous. I heard several students proclaim they would never be a nurse like "that." By the way, did I mention where the hospice nurse worked? It was a local nursing home which would be our first clinical rotation site. All I could think of was the poor hospice nurse, and how fifteen wide eyed nursing student would be looking at her as if she were the grim reaper. I am sorry I went into this amount of detail, but I have been told that I was thin skinned, and needed to get that chip off my shoulder. Is this typical of nursing schools today?, or is it typical in nursing schools? If I am the problem, I will accept that, and return to the work force, happy with the knowledge I have gained, and finish my career as a LPN.

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I don't think that your instructors or fellow nursing students' opinions and attitudes should influence your decision to stick it out and get your ASN. I'm sorry that you don't feel very respected as an LPN by your instructors, I find that really strange. I had several instructors who always said that LPNs made the best RN nursing students and were disappointed to learn that our cohort did not have any. I witnessed instructors reprimanding my fellow students all of the time with comments like, "This is basic nursing, if you don't know this by now you have no business being in this program" "You lack motivation, you will not make a good nurse" "You're going to fail this clinical, I've already talked to the other instructors about it." These are just the comments that I witnessed! I can honestly say, none of these students deserved to be told this but I was terrified that I would be next! I did notice that if a student was more chatty, offering up their opinions often, or challenging the professors, they had a much harder time getting through clinicals. I'm not saying it's right, but you may have some instructors who will pick on you or single you out and you just have to deal with it if you want to make it through the program. I wish it wasn't this way but unfortunately it is sometimes. Again, don't give up, nursing school does not reflect what it's like working as an RN. Hope this helps!

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

I feel your pain. I went back to school having already been a psychiatric nurse (doable at the time in western Canada). My first two clinical instructors were hell on wheels apparently having held it against me. The rest of my instructors didn't seem to need to do that, and the feedback I got from them was fair and honest, not a constant game of "gotcha!".

I toughed it out and never looked back. As far as your naive fellow students, yes, you'll encounter that everywhere, too. And instructors who seem to coddle their naivete. They're not doing them any favours; those poor kids will hit the real world soon enough.

Please hang in there. They are not all smarter than you; in fact many of them are not likely as smart as you. Don't bother trying to set anyone straight. Just keep your head down and learn all you can. You already are a good nurse; now you're just expanding your scope of practice and your paycheque.

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I'm not giving up. I started at a community college in Minnesota that had a great reputation in the community. Many medical groups will take a grad from this school over some of the expensive private. When my mom was in the hospitals I saw a group of these students come through with their instructor. I was really impressed by his knowledge base, and how respectful he talked to the students. He had a positive energy about him. It is so competitive to get into a good program that doesn't cost 50,000.00. When I applied in the Twin Cities my GPA was 3.6, and I was in the 80th percentile for the TEAS. I was number sixty-six out of two hundred an sixty, and there were only forty spots. So I moved to Wisc, applied, and got in. No waiting list, no TEAS. I felt it was poorly organized and the syllabus was a mess. The instructors didn't even realize the text books were a new edition. The first two weeks every student brought every book everyday to class because we were not told hat half the books we wouldn't tart using until the following semester, The was so small and most of the floor was covered by huge bags/ suitcases. The first week I caught several errors they were teaching. One instructor used an example f her nursing note, that she wrote as students ( I hope) None of the doctors I have ever worked would read 2 pages of information that is not important I was never one to be a know it all, and answer every question first. I didn't point out instructor errors. the class, as to embarrass the instructors, but even when I questioned it after class, or in an e-mail it was met with defense. As far as I can remember the LPN instructors 25 yrs ago were all nice. I understand the critical thinking part of nursing that is so important. Nurses need to consider so many different factor. How much of what a RN/BSN does a nurse learn in school verses on the job? I was very disappointed to see one of the BSN nurses on this site, in a forum tell a second year nursing student from Germany that his mentor wasn't there to teach him. She suggested he refer to the policy and procedure manual. A good nurse can only learn some things from other nurses. Nothing in medicine is black and white. I wonder if the instructors at some of these more affluent colleges have this attitude. I some how doubt it. Could imagine if the govornor daughter went to a school where the instructors wielded their power like I am fearful many do. I want to go to a school where I am treated with respect, I don't expect to be respected, and this is the difference. A quick example is when I went to an orientation for a nsg program at a pilot college. The ones where your two year degree wont transfer to a four year degree. During the orientation the nursing Instructors, and even the director of nursing stood in front of 150 perspective students, and spoke in a reprimanding tone, never smiled, and told us this is how it is, we wont work with you, you need to make it work , or you'll be done. I left and and never went back. Thank you for not yelling at me for having a higher expectation. I wonder how some of these teachers would act if they had a television camera on them. I'm getting up there, so this next university is my last chance my chips are all in! I really think it has become an issue because many young girls will do anything to make it through, but I' m not. I know this is a lot of complaining, and If there was even one redeeming quality of that program I would mention it, bu I honestly can't think of one. I will say this; the microbiology instructor was really good. She knew her stuff. I learned a lot from her.

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I was trying to fly so far under the radar my wings were dragging on the ground. Thanks for the thoughtful response.

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Specializes in OR.

I started in healthcare as a supply clerk to ward clerk to surgical tech to ASN nurse to BSN nurse. In my entire career I have seen a number of LPNs that are clinically wayyyyy better nurses than a lot of new nurses with their shiny new BSNs. That being said, there is a lot that you know to be correct and practical about the real world of nursing. Sadly there are a lot of programs, frequently the for-profit ones that are pumping out nurses like water. Many are not terribly well trained. The power trip that some of these instructors are on is a real thing.

My suggestion is to stick it out. All you need to do is pass. Once you've got the degree/RN license, your grades (unless you are aiming for grad school) don't mean a whole lot. Even with the BSN programs if you are bridging from an ASN. Just get through it and ignore the stuff that is patently BS.

If you've got questions, are there contacts from your previous jobs that you have that you can rely on to get decent information? Don't put yourself down as "not smart enough." You've made it this long in nursing, you are not stupid. Hunker down and stick it out. It may seem like it but school does not last forever.

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

Hey! I'm so sorry you're having that experience! I'm currently finishing my BSN program in a private school in NYC so I don't know if that would even account for the differences in our experiences, but I personally have found my teachers to be pretty open minded. If they made a mistake or didn't know something they own up to it and say - "I'll look it up and get back to you". If a student points out an error they made, they thank students for pointing out the error (Then make a comment about how happy they are bc then they know we're learning lol). Throughout the whole program they have reiterated that everyone works as a team in healthcare. I'm in a Leadership class now, and it emphasizes how doctors can't do their job without us, RN's/LPN's can't do their job without CNA's etc. We all need each other, and the end goal is a good outcome and care for the patient, and we need to all respect each other and the expertise we bring to the table. We also have had a lot of medical assistants, or CNA's/PCT's in our classes and the teachers love when students offer any type of experience they may have had.

The point of me saying all of this is, that it could just be that particular school. Of course my school has its downsides - every school does. There will always be professors or clinical instructors that are rude (once saw an instructor yell at a girl who passed out from seeing a lot of blood - that if she can't handle it then she picked the wrong career), but that'll be anywhere you go. But like everyone else said - just stick it out, because they've told us the amount you learn in nursing school is equivalent to two weeks on the job. You're basically going to be doing majority of your "learning" on the job. So even if the teachers and the school stink, don't give up on it! Nursing school is just a stepping stone to get you to the job you want. To me, it's worth it to just stick it out! Good luck with everything! :)

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I did quit that particular program, and I applied to Indiana State University. I have two more prerequisites to complete, and I can apply for admission into the LPN to BSN program this fall. I will graduate, but I will never forget my roots as a LPN.

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