Nursing school too hard on purpose?

[fangirl]

Just my opinion, but schools make it easy harder than it has to be. You can't be a minute late, your uniform had better have 1980's creases, your hair band has to match your hair, some require you to make cards for the drugs you give, you have to plaster on a fake smile, and Heaven forbid you question someone. We had to call everyone at the college by their last names, even classmates. Its ridiculous. Nursing isn't what it was back in Florence's time. Nurse rarely get respect, I've seen doctors and surgeons literally cuss nurses into a corner and nothing is done. Why would anyone want to be a nurse? It's all about covering your butt and throwing others under the bus. Where I work, nurses all seem to hate each other. Constant negativity and complaining about everyone else. 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? I had an instructor literally grab my cartilage ring one day because it is small and I had forgotten to take out out. Can someone please explain why it is important to remove an earring to take a test? 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. 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. 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.

[fangirl]

My point of too hard on purpose, is things such as, insisting on hairbands matching your hair, I understand not wearing a huge pink now, but the detail is a little unneeded.

Forcing you to call your classmates Mr. Someone or Ms. Somebody, I don't see the point, I understand giving instructors respect and using their last names, they are instructors.

Kicking someone or rather several people out of the program for leaving a paper in your vehicle. To me, that says the instructor is on a power trip. I have seen several third and fourth semester students kicked out of the program over paperwork. Some instances, the school misplaced the paperwork and wouldn't allow the student to fill out a replacement. I've seen a few kicked out for leaving a paper in their vehicle and were not allowed to retrieve it.

And I was forced to choose between my grandmothers funeral and listening to case studies. I didn't go to the funeral and I was one of the ones who's paperwork was misplaced by the school.

I feel certain instructors are on a power trip and purposely make it harder than it needs to be. Why be harder on people than you need to be? I understand we are called to be professional, be knowledgable and courteous to our patients.

[FlyingScot, RN]

Sjalv thanks for taking the time to year apart my post and show people an example of nety.

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?

Not an example of NETY. Not even close! Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean he's eating you.

The world is full of stupid, pointless policies and rules. Unfortunately, we don't get to pick and choose which ones we are going to abide by. Their house, their rules. If you can't or won't follow an easy stupid policy you don't agree with what are you going to do with the harder stupid policies?

I also wanted to add that if your instructor did indeed put her hands on you that is an entirely different issue and really the only important one.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

My point of too hard on purpose, is things such as, insisting on hairbands matching your hair, I understand not wearing a huge pink now, but the detail is a little unneeded.

In my LVN program we had to wear hair ties that matched our hair color, I had no problem with it. I don't think it's that difficult. You're representing the school & they have rules in place. Did you talk to anyone about that school before you enrolled?

[fangirl]

I talked to a good trusted friend and the school had recently before I started fired a lot of staff and started all over. Maybe it as a lack of knowledge, on their part, or maybe just a power trip. I just don't see the need for nursing school to be purposely made harder than it already is, trying to learn the skills and material.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

Sjalv thanks for taking the time to year apart my post and show people an example of nety.

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?

First of all, someone is sharing their opinion. You posted on a public forum. Not everyone is going to agree with you or validate your opinion. That's part of it. It's not nurses eating their young.

And who cares about the earring. Policy is policy. People can find all sort of ways to cheat. Maybe someone had a recorder in their earring. Who knows. But you need to get used to policies you don't agree with or understand. The hospitals are FULL of them!!

[IHeartPeds87]

To fangirl: I am sorry that your experiences in nursing school have been so bad!

There is no need to rip the OP apart. Okay, yes, there is no way she could have known what nursing school was like in Florence's time but the overall sentiment of the OP's point is that she believes that nursing school administrators are nitpicking at things and making things more difficult while at the same time not focusing on things that she believes would actually make you a better nurse (focusing on the meds and the science stuff).

To the OP: I can relate to what you are saying. I just graduated from an ADN-RN program last week and found a lot of the same things you were talking about. What got to me most was the inconsistencies though. I've had clinical instructors that were extremely laid back and other clinical instructors that were extremely strict. I've had other clinical instructors that were amazing instructors who I really learned a lot from and other clinical instructors where all I saw was blatant examples of the type of RN I did not want to be.

I first hand saw a write-up a clinical instructor gave a fellow student for "not participating in post conference." The write up was in reference to a particular day. I was in post conference, and the girl talked more than I did and I didn't get a write up. Granted, I don't know anything about the particular student's nursing abilities and it is possible that the teacher was looking for reasons to create a paper trail to get this student out (which, if that's true, is concerning also because there should be a system in place to weed out students who can't make it without giving them false write ups!).

I have seen some students get away with atrocious behavior (one student, throughout our psych rotation had earphones in his ear the entire day, and would have one earphone in his ear while he spoke to patients and the instructor knew and did nothing). I have seen other students, and myself, been berated for things like not having my scissors for clinical- from an instructor who was less than professional herself evidenced by her showing up to clinical late more than 3x (and I don't mean a little late, I mean over a half hour late while 7 students waited on her).

I had trouble with one of our lab modules and had come in for help. I asked one of the instructors to watch me do the procedure and to help adjust my technique. Instead she asked me question after question (knowing that I did not know the answer) about topics that we had not covered in class yet and had nothing to do with the topic at hand. Despite me redirecting her to the specific lab module, she simply wanted to make me feel small...and I was already feeling small because I was having difficulty with the material!

On the flip side, I had an instructor who was so supportive of my goals and who gave me SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS on how to get better at things. For example, I communicated to the instructor that I felt like overall my assessment skills were lacking because I just didn't notice things. I am, in general, an unobservant person and this is clearly a problem in nursing. The instructor suggested to me that I do those activities in magazines where it's like "notice what's different between both these pictures". She also encouraged me to seek out opportunities to physically view different stages of things (pictures of stage I, stage II and stage III pressure ulcers to differentiate), etc. She also had me, for one day, do ONLY assessments. She walked in with me to multiple patients rooms and had me explain my thought process and she guided me as to how I was either right or wrong. It proved to be super helfpul and useful and I sincerely could not have made it through the program without her.

To me, it was the sheer amount of inconsistencies that got to me! You never knew what you were gonna get!

Back to the OP: some of what you mentioned is universal. I have noticed that across the board many nursing schools are, for lack of a better word, "time nazis." This frustrated me initially but now I kind of get it...working on the floor you see how unprofessional and rude it is to be late when the shift before you is waiting on you to go home and it makes sense to drill that into people's heads. Some of the things you said though...having to address other students by their last names, the hair scrunchie, etc, is way over the top. I urge you to do your research when looking at a nursing program in the future by talking to students that are currently in them. Some of what you have experienced is universal; some isn't.

Also, some of the other students had an attitude that I found helpful: do what you gotta do. This girl was like "nursing school owns me for two years. it is what it is." I'm not saying that the attitude is correct or principled, but to some extent....I see it kind of like bootcamp. It sucks, a lot of it seems arbitrary, but you are doing it for a reason so learn what you can, shake off the rest, and leave with your degree.

Good luck OP.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

I talked to a good trusted friend and the school had recently before I started fired a lot of staff and started all over. Maybe it as a lack of knowledge, on their part, or maybe just a power trip. I just don't see the need for nursing school to be purposely made harder than it already is, trying to learn the skills and material.

That would be a red flag to me. If they just got a bunch of new professors, something is not right. I would've applied to a bunch of different programs & see where I got in. I know at the community college in my town they just fired a bunch of staff & revamped it. It makes me apprehensive to apply.

[annie.rn]

Wow! Your school sounds intense. If you make it through there you'll easily be ready for the military :-)

I realize after reading many of the nursing student threads that I was quite lucky. The professors in my BSN program were pretty reasonable. We had a few tough ones but more so in the sense that they expected perfection at clinical. One would yell and throw things if you weren't catching on quickly enough. She'd do this in front of patients. She also happened to be the most brilliant nurse I've ever known and even though her clinical was tough, if you made it through you learned SO much.

They weren't sticklers about being a few minutes late, forgetting a paper, etc. We could even turn in papers late. They deducted points for each day late but that was fair.

My professors were real people that were approachable. They treated us like adults. If we missed class it was our problem. Missing class, however, made it hard to pass the tests.

The emphasis was on knowledge and knowing our stuff at clinicals. Not knowing would get you into trouble fast. A lot quicker than a uniform issue.

I do remember most of the nurses on the floor not wanting to give the students the time of day. Guess that hasn't changed too much but I'm guessing they were just crazy busy and overwhelmed.

We had a semi-formal at a hotel a few weeks before graduation. There was an open bar and a few students got really drunk. My friend was throwing up in the bathroom and one of our instructors walked in the bathroom and saw her. All she did was ask me if she was ok and if I needed any help. They made sure no one was driving home if they'd been drinking. No one got in trouble.

This was during the early 90's. Maybe my program has changed. I haven't kept in touch.

I know I didn't answer your question but thought I'd provide another perspective. Good luck to you.

[rob4546, ADN, BSN, MSN]

My point of too hard on purpose, is things such as, insisting on hairbands matching your hair, I understand not wearing a huge pink now, but the detail is a little unneeded.

Forcing you to call your classmates Mr. Someone or Ms. Somebody, I don't see the point, I understand giving instructors respect and using their last names, they are instructors.

Kicking someone or rather several people out of the program for leaving a paper in your vehicle. To me, that says the instructor is on a power trip. I have seen several third and fourth semester students kicked out of the program over paperwork. Some instances, the school misplaced the paperwork and wouldn't allow the student to fill out a replacement. I've seen a few kicked out for leaving a paper in their vehicle and were not allowed to retrieve it.

And I was forced to choose between my grandmothers funeral and listening to case studies. I didn't go to the funeral and I was one of the ones who's paperwork was misplaced by the school.

I feel certain instructors are on a power trip and purposely make it harder than it needs to be. Why be harder on people than you need to be? I understand we are called to be professional, be knowledgable and courteous to our patients.

I hear what you are saying and even though you may not appreciate my opinion I feel compelled to voice it because of my previous experiences. I would like you to read what I am saying and realize that I am not accusing you of doing anything of the sort, just giving an alternate perception.

When I was in nursing school, about the time you were as well I believe, there were numerous people in my class that created havoc everywhere they went. The uniform , including piercings, didn't fit in their idea of style. The type of assignments didn't agree with how they thought it should have been accomplished. They couldn't get required paperwork in the office in a timely manner. They responded to others, including classmates, nursing staff, and clinical staff, without the respect that all people are due.

So what happened? Rules were modified by the second semester going forward. The expected uniform was identified and enforced. Assignments were required to fit learning outcomes without exception. Due dates for the submission of paperwork was strictly enforced. The means for communication was outlined to provide for respectful communication between those who were of more seniority and colleagues alike.

This brings me to my point. Instead of talking about the rules and hoops you have to jump through in nursing school should you instead discuss why some nursing students can't follow simple rules? When I was in school I could only sit back with my jaw wide open and say.... "Are you kidding me? You want to wear that betty boop hair band to clinicals?"

Do not read my words and assume that I am talking about you. I rather insist that maybe you were more like me. You did not need the constant threat of breaking the rules to be professional, respectful, and an active learner. Unfortunately I (we) had to live the life of some of the most ridiculous and oppressive rules I have ever seen. Most of these rules were set before your time in response to other students that could not follow simple rules and engage in learning.

Rules are everywhere, I have lists I have to follow at work. The rules, or enforcement of the rules, is not the problem, the attitude and dedication of the people that cannot understand the rules and follow them is the problem.

And by the way, I attended my fathers funeral which required me to miss a class (lab). Although my instructors helped me make up the skills I missed, I did receive a "0" for not showing up. I thought it was excessive and not fair as well but I rolled with it and still graduated at the top of my class.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

My point of too hard on purpose, is things such as, insisting on hairbands matching your hair, I understand not wearing a huge pink now, but the detail is a little unneeded.

If a student shows up with an unprofessional appearance (or otherwise provides poor customer service), most patients aren't going to say "Oh, well that is a reflection of the school." No, they are going to "blame" the hospital with poor customer service scores and this can hurt the hospital financially and in terms of attracting new patients. (Sad but true) Clinical spots, in some locations, can be incredible hard to come by. The hospital will have no trouble dropping a school if that school's students appear unprofessional.

Which brings us to your school's policy. Perhaps the school had a policy that all hair accessories must be small and conservative. Then they got taken advantage of by students--or someone at the hospital complained--and they adopted the strict policy.

Having to call classmates as Mr./Ms. So-and-so is silly and hurts team building.

[Aurora77]

Nursing school should be very hard on purpose. Like my instructors used to tell us, if you make a mistake as a nurse, people can die. All these nit picky rules may seem over the top, but they teach you to pay attention to details. You'll get through it just like we all did. Or you won't, and that's ok too.

[caliotter3]

I can see calling classmates by Mr., Ms. So and So as a way to instill respect for one's colleagues as professionals, as opposed to working with Janey from the Block, so no, I see no problem with that. Actually, like the idea.