doliveri

Many of the hospitals that we are contracted with do not want students in shift report. I personally believe that first semester students may not necessarily fully comprehend what is said in shift report and I am not sure how much learning would take place in that instance. However, I have personally fought to have my third semesters students included in shift report, which has worked out well. For my students that are not permitted to participate in shift report, I appoint a team leader each clinical day who has the job of soliciting report from all the students and then gives that report to everyone in post conference, In post conference, the students then take report and then the students constructively critique the report. This works well and students seem to like this method. Dee

Hi, You make very valid points that need to be reinforced to instructors. You have touched on several issues that cause students frustration. These are issues that students seem to respond about on facultly evaluations.

Hi, A test review in my point of view should give feedback to a student in order to learn, first and foremost. A student should be able to understand the concepts that were not clear to them on the exam. This should be a learning process. On the flipside, it should also be a learning experience for the instructor. We use PAR SCORE at the school where I teach and this computerized program gives the instructor a very detailed item analysis of each question on the exam. This allows the instructor to tailor their lectures, to tweek what did not work so that the next time it will work, students will understand the concepts because the instructor devoted more time to those hard to get concepts based on evidence. I have a policy about test review. It is not a battle, and I am not the enemy. I answer questions, and I let students know that I am not opposed to change answers or grades , but they have to have sound data to support their convictions. I have not had any problems with test reviews, and most of my students tape lectures. I do fear the opportunity that some students will take to copy an exam if they are allowed to keep the exam. We give the exams out for test review and go over them in detail. Students are allowed to make notes about concepts on the exam , but obviously can not copy the question. Students have to return the exams or they suffer consequences. I don't know why some instructors do the things they do, but if you have serious issues with some instructors, you should take those issues up with them or go through the chain of command at your school or university. Good luck, hope this helped

Hello! At the school where I teach, our first time pass rates have risen. We have been using ATI and we have a progression policy with consequences for not being successful on the ATI exams. The students take the ATI exams starting in the second semester and continue until they graduate. In the third semester they take four ATI exams and in their last semester, they take four more. I have not looked at national pass rates. Presently, I do not know of any remediation programs that the hospitals use other than demoting unsuccessful GN to a nursing assistant position.

Hi, The teaching salaries have gotten better in California, but it really depends on what school district you are with. My daughter teaches fourth grade in a Title 1 school in their fourth year of program improvement and is entering her second year of teaching. She makes more than I do. But you are correct, while it may not be all about the money, it is good to enter this knowing about the salary disparity. Dee

In the program where I teach, pharmacology is integrated through each course. The program offers a mandatory online pharm course in the first semester, but it concentrates on dosage calculation and not pharmacokinetics, which I think students do need. Our students do not start passing meds until the 13th week of a 16 week course which I think is too late!

Hi, You are not old fashioned at all! A curriculum revision should not only align itself with the organization's mission and philosophy statement, but your department mission and philosophy statement should serve as the foundation for your curriculum. The mission , philosophy, and goals should serve as the guide in this process and everything should align with the organizational values (goals,mission, and philosophy). We have just started this process of curriculum revision. I have been through this once before, but this time admittedly, it has been difficult for me as well. There are so many new and innovative instructional strategies in nursing education today (simulation, for example), and care must be taken to include these newer strategies into the curriculum. Good luck

Hi, The majority of the hospitals that our school are contracted with require the faculty to attend a mandatory one day clinical competency marathon each year. These marathons are usually offered twice a year in January and early in August. All equipment, (pumps, glucometers, etc.) are highlighted at these sessions along with the forms that the faclity uses, as well as the opportunity to become familar policy and procedure manuals. I have found the sessions extremely helpful not only for new knowledge and hands on experience, but the sessions give me an opportunity to meet the people with whom I will be working. Dee

Hi to all, great to meet all of you! I have been a nurse educator for seven years at a community college. I teach first and second year nursing students beginning and advanced med/surg. I enjoy this so much and I have learned a great deal. I have just finished all my course work for my EdD and I am waiting approval from IRB to start my study. Admittedly, this has taken up so much of my time over the last three years. I have recently made a lateral transfer in my department for a position as lab coordinator. I am very excited to start this, a bit sad to give up my clinical and lecture posts. But I will be able to work with all the students and not just some of them in a limited time, which will be much more challenging for me! I have been so busy reading up on simulation, as we have three adult mannekins, two infant mannekins and one birthing mannekin. I love simulation and I think that it offers the students so much relative to critical thinking! Thanks again for starting this thread

Thank you for sharing this.

Rapid Interpretation of EKGs by Dale Dubin,MD. The illustrations are great, it is easy to read, my students love it. It is now in its sixth edition and I used it when I was in my critical care course over 20 years ago Dee

I believe that if you crush all the meds and flush down the tube at once, you run the very high risk of clogging the tube, and secondly, if your patient should have a reaction to something you just gave, you would not know what it was exactly, not how to treat it. It is very time consuming, but it is the correct way and the safest method for the patient. Dee

You should definitely have your own malpractice insurance Dee

Vicki, I think that only the life threatening arrhythmias need to be taught. I do understand that students spend clinical time on medsurg floors that have telemetry capabilities on them, but I still think that the life threatening ones are sufficient for them. The students that get jobs on telemetry floors after graduation go through orientation courses and they are given a course in arrhythmia detection. Just my two cents Dee

Katie, You might want to look into Indiana University School of Nursing, they have an online PhD program. They have an excellent reputation! Good luck Dee