Nursing Students: What do you think of your instructors?

vintagemother, BSN, CNA, LVN, RN · Jan 6, 2013

Gator aims LPN: you must go to my school. Or your brain must function just like mine. Your post was spot on!

strawberryluv, BSN, RN · Jan 7, 2013

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Encourage questions and center lecture on the important concepts that are tested on NCLEX

Communicative style --> Do not be monotone, talk loudly and clearly. Try to lecture using your personality and lots of anecdotes

Provide visuals --> tables, charts, youtube videos for those points that are hard to grasp

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Don't read off powerpoint slides

Prairienurse1989 · Jan 7, 2013

The best instructors I have had, could control their classroom, and didn't allow lectures to be carried away with hypothetical question periods. I sat through way too many hours of "well my great aunt had..." or " what if ( insert ridiculous off topic hypothetical question)". They kept control of the flow, and kept students on topic.

A&Ox6, MSN, RN · Jan 7, 2013

While in school, I also tutor first semester nursing students in fundamentals and dosage calculations. The worst is when a professor refuses to answer my questions because the students should be coming to her for answers. In order for my tutoring to be effective, I need the cooperation of the professors. When a professor says that the students should be coming to her for assistance, she's negating the fact that students who are failing may need more than 15 minutes or even a half hour in her office. A tutor, when working with the school, can provide many more hours of remediation than the professors have time for

Maybaby8 · Jan 7, 2013

Hello All! :)
I am currently in a masters program with my ultimate goal of being a nursing instructor in addition to a bedside nurse. Although I remember some of my instructors from school, I am just curious from all you nursing students out there, what makes your instructors good at what they do? What do you like about the way they teach? What would you change or what do you hate?
Any feedback would be appreciated!!

My best teachers have related the subject being taught to personal experiences. I find that it is easier to remember something when a story is attached to it. In addition, they are prepared and they thoroughly know the subject that is being taught. I had a teacher that did not know the subject matter very well, and it was difficult to go to her class. I thought, I may as well not go because I have been teaching it all to myself anyways.

Maybaby8 · Jan 7, 2013

Thoroughly know the information you are teaching. I had an instructor that did not, and it was really difficult to force myself to attend her class. It was frustrating, to say the least. My best teachers have worked as nurses for a long time. They are able to attach their experiences to the subject matter. When a good story is attached to a subject, it is easier to remember.

blackandyellow · Jan 7, 2013

The worst instructor I ever had was unprepared and taught directly from the book. I went to her to review a test and she looked at me and said I don't write the questions I get them from a test bank so I cant tell you why the answers are the way they are. I could tell she had no passion in teaching and she came off as not caring at all.

The best instructor I had gave us the hardest questions. To the point you could read and study and still fail a test. Her main focus was on critical thinking. I went to her several times to go over my tests and I loved her rationales. She would pick apart every question and explain it so thoroughly when it came time to take the final I felt like I knew everything from how thorough her explanations were. She also used a lot of real life experiences that helped put a vivid picture in my mind. I wish every instructor I had was like her she was always available to help.

coco.nut · Jan 7, 2013

I can say all of my instructors were smart, experienced, and invested in our success. Yes, we used PP an spent time going over each one. They would relate stories, advice etc. We could always ask questions, no one was made to feel stupid and they would admit if they didn't know the answer. If they didn't know it, they would find out and either email if right before an exam or tell us in the next lecture.

We didn't have busy work or in-class group work THANK GOODNESS. There were never any tricks on exams and we would go over them the next week. If we felt there was an incorrect answer, we could email with a rational and they would re-examine it.

The only complaints I ever heard was that some PPs were more detailed than others (good), thus making it slightly easier to study for exams :up: I am so blessed to have had a great experience in NS, at least from what I've read here about some of the programs!

Nursing2102 · Jan 10, 2013

My first nursing course professor didn't teach me a damn thing. I sat through her class the entire semester only to listen to her personal life stories. Her tests weren't bad because it was all basically common sense. I ended up getting a B+ in her class.

My other professors were good by giving review sheets, telling us what we need to know, advising us on good studying methods, and actually teaching the material so that I can learn what I need to know for future classes.

Jl8708 · May 22, 2014

I have to post my opinion on this. One of the WORST clinical and classroom instructors I ever had would insult you if you asked them a question... pardon me but I am a nursing student and I do not know everything like you do apparently! Especially if I asked a question as to why step 3 came before step 4 (in a nursing procedure like setting up an IVPB) cuz it didn't make sense to me, she flipped and looked at me like I was stupid and was hovering over me and intimidating me for the rest of clinical after that. She talked about me to the other students and was very hateful towards me even when she gave me "constructive criticism". She would say you need to work on xyz and I would and it would be approved by my mentor but it wasn't right to her. She never told me what I did right. It was always chewing me out for the littlest mistakes. After all of that, she forged my signature on a document that got me in trouble... it was a total mess! I just don't understand why teachers like that don't get fired and sent home... nursing school is hard enough without the trickeries on tests and during clinicals. I think some of them get this sick pleasure out of making students kiss up to them or something... idk.

If you are understanding of your students and are patient with them it goes a LONG way!:) It really does make them feel like they are competent in their skills up and to that point and definitely does open the doors for more learning. I think having students participate in class discussions helps out a lot. Also using some examples from your own experience is a plus. Online learning and open labs help out a lot though! I really loved it when the teacher would tell me how to improve my skills and also why a technique was done a certain way! I am an analytical thinker sometimes. I also learned a lot by the visuals that a couple of teachers gave me and I loved it when they would accurately tell me what is going to be on a test... this is not any other profession where there is room for mistakes.. you're dealing with people's lives, and an interactive and open learning environment that makes the student feel like they want to participate and interact is very much needed in nursing school. This "closed off attitude" that the teachers have about answering questions(even if it is something that was said in class-due to the huge amount of info in one class period) is just ridiculous and uncalled for and needs to be addressed.

NuGuyNurse2b · May 22, 2014

For the most part I like my instructors, but they do seem to be covering their tails most of the time. Like in clinical, we get along fine, and then come review time all minor things I didn't even think were even issues are brought up. I'm not talking about stuff like "you made a med calculation error" - things like "you were 5 minutes late that day" (even though I called ahead to say I was running late per the policy - and it was ONCE), it's as if they needed to find something. And I know as nursing students we need guidance and constructive criticisms, but that was just nitpicky to me.

Other than that, they're obviously all very smart people, some of them are friendly and try to liven the class up, and some just do their job and nothing more. I don't think I've encountered that nursing instructor from Hell yet...

missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN · May 22, 2014

Most of my professors are great teachers. There are a few things that separate the great ones from the decent ones.

1. They give examples of real-life experiences. This helps us to connect the material to an experience and allows us to see why the material is applicable and sometimes critically so.

2. They ask the class to give examples. IE: What s/s are you looking for in Peritonitis. This allows students the chance to collaborate as a collective whole to give everything that the instructor is looking for. Some students are highly detailed, and this is helpful to the ones who are not. Some students just see the "big" picture and will point out things that I may have never thought of. It's incredibly helpful if you have the time in lecture to do this.

3. Case Studies. The most helpful ones are when the professor (and not some program) guides us through them. It is NOT helpful to have a program that gives you options for the answers. Make us think, and guide us!

Other things I can think of: You may be asked to give a lecture over a topic that you haven't covered since the last time you did it, two years ago...Please review the material before you give a lecture on it. Nothing is worse than asking an instructor for clarification and being told to read the book. It is also okay to say "I'm not sure" or "I don't know" about a topic. Often, when I am told that by a professor, I will be asked to look it up when I get home, and email her about it. This is really effective, as I tend to go overboard in looking it up, emailing her, and ensuring that I've covered all my bases. When I get finished with that process, I will KNOW that material and I've been helpful to the professor as well.

Do not read powerpoints, word for word, to us. Also, do not read the syllabus to us. We are adults, we can handle reading just fine on our own. Make your powerpoints short and sweet, explain other important details to us. We'll write it down. One of the best lectures I've had had 12 powerpoints with vague points. That lecture took three hours to get through. The professor talked and taught us about the subject.

Always remember that your students are eager to learn, and you are that bridge between real-world experiences and their pseudo-experience from clinical. Use what you've done to help us learn and retain information. We appreciate it so much :)