Nursing school too hard on purpose?

OrganizedChaos, LVN · May 3, 2015

Well it sounds like you had a bad experience. Not all nursing programs are that horrible.

When I was in nursing school for my LVN it wasn't that bad, all my professors cared about us. No one was thrown out, no one was cussed & everyone dressed appropriately.

But you have to remember, you are representing the school when you go to the clinical sites so you need to look professional. Every time you go to the hospital it is a potential job interview because you might work there. How professional is it to have a hot pink hair tie or tattoos & piercings everywhere (yes I have tattoos but they are easily covered).

Nursing school doesn't teach you everything, but how can it? That's what orientation on the job is for. Nursing school teaches you what you need to know. You learn the rest on the job.

If this is how you're feeling about nursing already then maybe this isn't the field for you.

fangirl · May 3, 2015

I've been a nurse for a year now. Schools, I say schools because I've had nursing courses at two, both experiences were the same. A girl was kicked out because her TB test verification was in her car, not in the instructors hand. I was kicked out over an agreement for clinicals being "lost" by the school. I wasn't allowed to sign another one. Also what would be been my first ever absence, my grandmothers funeral, I was told if I attended the funeral, I would miss valuable class time (case study discussion) and get kicked out. I had to choose. There is no reason for instructors to be on power trips like this. I respect their knowledge, but there's no reason to be a jerk just because you can.

fangirl · May 3, 2015

By just because you can, I was referring to instructors, not organizedChaos. Sorry for the mistake.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · May 3, 2015

I've been a nurse for a year now. Schools, I say schools because I've had nursing courses at two, both experiences were the same. A girl was kicked out because her TB test verification was in her car, not in the instructors hand. I was kicked out over an agreement for clinicals being "lost" by the school. I wasn't allowed to sign another one. Also what would be been my first ever absence, my grandmothers funeral, I was told if I attended the funeral, I would miss valuable class time (case study discussion) and get kicked out. I had to choose. There is no reason for instructors to be on power trips like this. I respect their knowledge, but there's no reason to be a jerk just because you can.

Yeah it sounds like you had bad professors. I'm sorry about that. I'm glad you're a nurse now. Did you appeal the decision? You are right though, some people shouldn't teach. Kicking students out over not having a paper in their hand at that moment is petty & ridiculous. It sounds like that professor is burned out.

fangirl · May 3, 2015

I did appeal, didn't win. They refused to let me back in, refused to write a letter so I could join a sister school and start in second semester again, so I had to change schools and go back to first semester because they claimed they were a different curriculum. All in all, it took me 5 1/2 years and I came out with an LPN. So, yeah I'm bitter.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · May 3, 2015

I did appeal, didn't win. They refused to let me back in, refused to write a letter so I could join a sister school and start in second semester again, so I had to change schools and go back to first semester because they claimed they were a different curriculum. All in all, it took me 5 1/2 years and I came out with an LPN. So, yeah I'm bitter.

I'm sorry that happened but there's nothing wrong with being an LVN. I've been one for 5 years. I'm going back to school to become an RN. When & if you go back to school, research research research! Talk to people in the program or who have graduated. Hopefully if you go for your RN it won't be as bad.

sjalv · May 3, 2015

You can't be a minute late,

It's called professionalism.

your uniform had better have 1980's creases,

Again, professionalism.

your hair band has to match your hair,

Never heard of this.

some require you to make cards for the drugs you give,

Yeah, it's almost if an incorrectly given or poorly understood medication could harm the patient!

you have to plaster on a fake smile,

Your attitude is your problem, not the school's.

and Heaven forbid you question someone.

It must be done in a tactful and nonabrasive manner, which judging from your post, I'm assuming that's not how you went about it.

We had to call everyone at the college by their last names, even classmates.

Addressing instructors as â€˜Mrs. ' is the norm in the United States. I've never heard of doing it for students.

Nursing isn't what it was back in Florence's time.

How would you know?

Nurse rarely get respect, I've seen doctors and surgeons
literally cuss nurses into a corner and nothing is done.

Nothing is done because those nurses don't stand up for themselves.

Why would anyone want to be a nurse?

Why do you?

It's all about covering your butt and throwing others under the bus.

Perhaps that's how you cope with stress, but others have more positive methods.

Where I work, nurses all seem to hate each other. Constant negativity and complaining about everyone else.

It sounds like you're projecting.

Can we please have a nursing school that focuses on the important things, such as giving medications, knowing correct sites for injections, drugs, antidotes and what drugs do to the body, instead of worrying about not having the proper colored hair tie?

You complained about your school making you do drug cards but you're asking for more in depth pharmacology instruction?

I had an instructor literally grab my cartilage ring one day because it is small and I had forgotten to take out out.

You should have reported her for assault.

Can someone please explain why it is important to remove an earring to take a test?

You agreed to the school's policies when you enrolled.

I've seen people kicked out for forgetting a paper in their vehicle. It seems it would make more sense to allow a person to retrieve a paper from a vehicle than to ruin their career plans because an instructor is on a power trip.

That is excessive, but you are in college, not kindergarten.

Nursing school is no joke, it's cut throat and I don't feel it has to be. You spend way too much time stressing over non-profit critical things and way too little on the big stuff.

â€˜Non-profit critical things'? What does that even mean?

We were never taught how to do a medication pass, told nothing about narcotics and counting them, not taught how to call a doctor, not taught how to handle families, but we were taught how to "be professional". It's insane how much unnecessary stress is placed on nursing students and how many have been kicked out over small trivial matters. It makes me sick.

It sounds like you had a poor experience at a particular school. Do not assume all other schools are this way.

fangirl · May 3, 2015

Sjalv thanks for taking the time to year apart my post and show people an example of nety. Anyone knows an incorrect medication could harm or kill a patient. My point was we were made to copy the drug book for every medication, even ones we gave all the time. I understand the point of doing it.

Btw, you shouldn't assume. Just saying. We had two instructors who were fired for their attitude. We had to address classmates as Ms. Whoever or Mr. Someone. It was over the top.

I don't see myself as projecting. Some nurses come in to get report late and start complaining before they even pick up a pen. I did report her, she was removed from checking out skills off.

You still haven't answered my question about why it is important to remove an earring to take a test. True it is policy, but what's the point?

The paperwork in the car was simply an instructor on a power trip. It was cut throat, cover your butt at all costs.

I meant non-critical not profit.

I don't assume all schools are that way, I merely stated based on my experience, both I attended were similar.

However, it seems that about half of nurses are the same, they think they are above or better than newer nurses. Just because you have been a nurse longer doesn't make you a better person than me. You have valuable knowledge and can teach the newbies many things, if you can get over yourself long enough. We all out on our creases pants the same way, one leg at a time.

psu_213, BSN, RN · May 3, 2015

some require you to make cards for the drugs you give
Can we please have a nursing school that focuses on the important things, such as giving medications, knowing correct sites for injections, drugs, antidotes and what drugs do to the body,

I was not there so I'm not going to try and defend the school. However, two points: (1) how can you complain about making drug cards and then report that schools don't focus enough on medications? (2) Yes, medications and passing drugs are important, but there is a whole heck of a lot more to nursing school (and dare I say more important things) than just passing meds, drug antidotes, etc. Plus, I'm pretty sure that information was in one (or many) of your texts.

P.S., get used to that smile (fake or otherwise). You will need to have one every day that you report to work as a nurse.

psu_213, BSN, RN · May 3, 2015

You still haven't answered my question about why it is important to remove an earring to take a test. True it is policy, but what's the point?

I would think this would be stupid, but what does this have to do with nursing school being "too hard on purpose?" Yes, it is a dumb policy, but who really cares?? There are dumb policies all over schools, work, life in general.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · May 3, 2015

My school is not like that at all. You get a 5 minute window in the classroom except on test days. Once the door is closed on a test day, you cannot come in until after the test is over. If you come in after the 5 minute window on lecture days you can be marked late but I have never seen anyone have an issue with being late. I had to go to my son's school one morning and thought I might be late so I texted my instructor and she said no problem, family first.

For clinical, we must wear our uniform and look professional. White socks, white shoes. We must have our name badges on. Our hair must be clean and neat, no big blingy hair accessories. Mine is short so I don't have to pull it back, but I do pull the front back so my hair isn't in my face. No visible tats, and only one pair of stud earrings. I have yet to see them go crazy on an industrial or cartilege.

No one in my program has been kicked out. I think if you communicate with the professors well and work hard there are no real problems. I did have a couple of issues come up and I communicated with my program and all is well. I missed one of my pharm classes a couple of weeks ago because I felt miserable. I had a headache for a week and was throwing up. My instructor said go home and rest. But make sure I understood what she was going over and I did. Just took my test Friday and I didn't do my best but not my worst.

My program wants to see us succeed and I appreciate that. I've had one rough professor but it's ok with me. Not everyone's personalities are going to mesh. But I make sure I am on time and presentable every clinical, and I have grown as a student nurse these past 8 weeks. Lecture is lecture, but I felt I have learned a lot about how to actually be a nurse this semester and not just how to be a good student. I love nursing and I can't wait to graduate in a year!!! It's coming fast.