eclecticlife

When Kaplan came to our school to "sell" their course, they failed to mention that it was just hour after hour of going through NCLEX style questions. I signed up and paid that day, because an instructor told me people who do Kaplan do well and there was always the money back guarantee! I was so frustrated the first day. The instructor was not interested in communicating with the class. When we all got one of the questions wrong and asked her about it, she told us we were supposed to read the relevant section in the book prior to class. I pointed out I had done that and still had a question! She did not take the time to elaborate on the material we were all questioning. I was so disappointed, I had expected from the sales pitch a healthy mix of questions and review! I called Kaplan that day, told them I had been sold a course... and this was not what I was getting. They offered me a partial refund! I stated that would not be good enough because I felt they had misled me and because I had waited four weeks for the start of this course, I had wasted that time NOT looking into other courses. I got a full refund but only after a lot of work on my part. I would never recommend Kaplan. I am reviewing on my own for the NCLEX... taking it Thursday! So, I will let you know using Saunders and NCLEX 3500 as well as the illustrated study guide worked. But pass or fail I am glad I didn't waste my money of Kaplan... the decision tree doesn't work with half the questions and the Q-bank, is fine but honestly for half the money I bought a couple books with just as many questions. Guess we will see on Thursday!

I think all that you have to say is true, but I would also say that as long as everyone sees bullying and verbal aggression and violence as acceptable, survivable and even rather minor then nothing will change. This is violence and until nurses are prepared to face their own dirty laundry nothing will change. Sexist comments and racist jokes used to be acceptable too. Women (and I saw women because nursing is still heavily a female oriented profession) need to grow up. This isn't high school... or any other school. This is our job, our profession and at the end of the day its also a significant part of how we are viewed as a profession. Bullying is immature, it is petty but it is also extremely damaging and it is and should be unacceptable to everyone. It contributes to a poor work environment, to the stress in an already stressful job and to the numbers of talented people who leave our profession, some within the first year of graduation. I don't know when verbal intimidation was ever considered a valid means of education, or communication. But it is no longer considered an acceptable part of even high school so I think nurses need to get over themselves! I am joining this profession and intend to build a lasting career, and part of that for me is to state I will not tolerate verbal intimidation and or even passive aggression as an acceptable part of my work environment, I wonder how much different nursing could be if everyone were prepared to take the same stand. Bullying demeans everyone and it is not normal or healthy and yet it is so prevalent in nursing that it has its own title within the nursing profession. I for one will continue to strive to make it an ugly chapter in the history of nursing because its not now nor should ever be so prevalent that it has its own studies, strategies or even threads on an all nursing message board.

I have ADD and I have not told my school. I struggle with studying as does anyone with the condition. However I have to say, I work at it. I have the books and have even been known to read from them. Lecture handouts and powerpoints are not enough, not in nursing! Barely passing sounds like it has more to do with not enough resource material than nursing school. Its hard to motivate yourself, I know. Nursing books are dull as ditch water for the most part. They are wordy and take pages to get to the point, I get it! But supplement them w/ NCLEX review books, and your lecture notes and take a breath! Then switch off the TV, cell phone, tell your friends and family you are not at home... or whatever you have to do to actually focus. Time when you take your meds. I chose not to 'tell' my school, although I don't hide it either. I have discussed it with a lecturer when the subject of ADD/ADHD meds came up in conversation, and even given the name of my neurologist to some one from school. BUT I try to work without extra time because for me (and this is just my oppinion) taking extra time for exams is fine, but when it comes to nursing our patients and colleagues won't... so for me I just better get used to having to challenge myself and my time management and my brain! Try working up a more focused study plan as a first step would be my suggestion, but again this is all just my oppinion. I don't mind people knowing but I don't want it to impact my academic career anymore than it already has!

Passing at BHSN is 75, not a lot of difference. Bridgeport has a more flexible credit transfer system, and double the state requirement for clinical hours which means a lot more actual 'nursing' practice. Its a good program! I have accelerated through the summer and all going to plan, should graduate in December. BHSN is a demanding program. There is no one 'best' program. You have to find the program that suits you, and that suits your learning style. I chose BHSN because it offered accelerated, its hard and its dynamic and I am wholly happy with my choice but its not for everyone. I can attest to BHSN as a path for success (so far for me) but I know others for whom the dynamic of the school was not for them, both personally and academically. So, do more than think about transfer credits and pass marks... no one will care that you had to average 80 or even 75 when it comes to the real world but they will care about a well rounded education and a competant and confident nurse and only you can decide which program will help you achieve those things.

Perhaps the original post was designed to stimulate discussion? Its all well and goo to state 'they should know it' or that 'google works' but if we all did know or googled everything then this board would be a lot less interesting! As a student I will also tell you that I know what I was told during lecture and I know what I have seen but its always valuable to hear other perspectives and real 'case histories' as it were.

I am currently a nursing student who has been the victim of lateral bullying not only from RNs on clinical floors but frankly from some RN instructors (I don't care what anyone says humiliation, and bullying are not now and have never been, effective teaching tools.) Bullying is a very real problem in nursing and it is one of the reasons that so many people who get through nursing school leave the profession! And maybe that's the key here. Nursing is a profession that struggles with image. We (well, I will be eventually) are highly skilled technicians, we are also friends mothers, lovers and people. We are expected to be able to hang an IV, give a med, listen to our patient's fears, act as confessor for some and assure families all while being belittled by doctors, techs, and each other! Time for a change at some really fundamental levels I think. I have never 'asked' to be bullied either by lacking back bone, or by sending out a 'vibe' but I have been. I have been patient when these situations arise and often do try to think about why some one is behaving a certain way, but when it is a repeated pattern I have to acknowledge this is about them. Its about power and self esteem and all the rest of the motivations, BUT it has no place in a professional environment! As long as we worry about whether psychological abuse, abuse of power and threats are really 'violence', lateral or any other kind, we don't have to acknowledge the greater issue. Its wrong! Simply wrong and none of us should accept it. We have a nursing shortage, we have a image problem and we should be paid more, with greater managerial support and on and on... and we will be expected to contemplate all this while juggling IVs, meds, pts and our own lives... don't we have enough to deal with? Don't like having a student take one of your patient's? Them discuss it with the instructor or your manager... I am a student I don't make the assignments! Don't like your co-worker... then use those critical thinking skills and acknowledge that this is work, and all interpersonal problems should be handled in a professional manner, not by resorting to the sort of behavior most primary schools have a zero tolerance policey for! Nurses are incredible. Nurses are skilled, dedicated and well educated people (I know I am making sweeping generalizations here) but we need to stop ******** at each other and start making some real progress in cleaning up our acts. Because if we do not respect ourselves and each other them why should anyone else, like doctors, patients, the general public, policy makers or even those who write our contracts.