shmajo

Hi all, I recently started as a part of what seems to be a trial run for a unit manager position. I am currently a RN in a LTC setting, have been at this home for approximately 10 years. Initially I was supposed to be the only nurse manager and take on the role of what used to be the staff development coordinator but the position was dissolved to save money for the facility. Long story short, several people applied for this position and a few of the "favorites" applied and I think they didn't want to hurt anyones feelings, so they changed the entire thing into a 4 person "unit manager" positions and divide the building in half and two people are in charge of both sides.. well then one of them quit before we could even get any of them on the floor and we just decided at this time to keep it at 3. Let me note that we are the first ever to be unit managers and basically it went down like, "Okay, you guys are unit managers, congrats!" We had little to none guidance on what the hell we are even supposed to be doing technically, so I feel like a numb nut walking around the majority of my day aimlessly looking for something to do. Not to mention, one of us three was previously a shift supervisor and she basically is doing exactly what she wanted to do and sit behind the desk and fire out emails all shift, giving the rest of us a bad rep. But it's awfully embarrassing when staff you are supposed to be "managing" ask you what is even the purpose of the being a unit manager and you kind of have little to answer on it. Some think we're "management" and roll with the big dogs, but others just think we're "glorified floor nurses" with extra crap to deal with on our plate. It's just a bigggg flustercuck if you catch my drift. Keep in mind, I am a confident person and nurse, I've been one a while. But when I'm put into a what feels like a pretend position with no guidance, it's really hard for me to feel confident in what I am doing and I feel like that shows to others ANYWAYS, has anyone ever been a unit manager? What duties did you have to do each day at work? I am just so lost right now that I basically am being told to create a job for myself with only floor nurse experience and then get told I'm doing a good job by my DON but the floor nurses basically hate us and think we're a joke. HELP!

Hello, My point was not that the for-profit school was to be "bashed", more so that I am upset with this curriculum change and what entails and what has happened to myself and my classmates. I attended the same school for my LPN and guess what? I absolutely loved the program! I felt that I learned so much for being "just a LPN". But that was a knowledge-based curriculum. I am sure concept based nursing is working somewhere where the staff and management actually know how to teach the material, not take away material from us in hopes that we just "get it". I am happy for you that you attend a for-profit college that you enjoy the experience, it must be wonderful! But my OP was regarding the curriculum and the class, not just primarily the college as the issue, but the college itself does fall under that category. I'm sure other colleges have bad teachers and bad students, but no one else on this feed has really faced this issue and that was the purpose of this post. Not just because "for-profit schools suck". Best of luck to you and please, no negativity on this feed anymore. Thank you.

Hi there! Just wanted to update you as well as several others who posted comments & advice. We had our final exams this past week and unfortunately only 3 out of the 12 of us passed the entire course and it appears to be the final verdict. My countless hours shoved into a Med Surg & Concept book, 3 cups of coffee, and 4 hour nights of sleep paid off because I squeaked by with a 79%! I am sad for the other classmates who did not pass, they are appealing like crazy for get extra points but I do not think it's going to do any good. Their idea to help us last minute was have a random Professor review our final with us but I must have studied enough to know the material and pass the final. I will admit, if this is how this term is going to be I am absolutely petrified for this next term!!!!!!! No changes were made in the overall problem sadly. I pray myself and the other couple students who passed are able to make it out of this program alive and with some sanity left

Hi there! Just wanted to update you as well as several others who posted comments & advice. We had our final exams this past week and unfortunately only 3 out of the 12 of us passed the entire course and it appears to be the final verdict. My countless hours shoved into a Med Surg & Concept book, 3 cups of coffee, and 4 hour nights of sleep paid off because I squeaked by with a 79%! I am sad for the other classmates who did not pass, they are appealing like crazy for get extra points but I do not think it's going to do any good. Their idea to help us last minute was have a random Professor review our final with us but I must have studied enough to know the material and pass the final. I will admit, if this is how this term is going to be I am absolutely petrified for this next term!!!!!!! No changes were made in the overall problem sadly. I pray myself and the other couple students who passed are able to make it out of this program alive and with some sanity left

No stupid questions! We on all the tests, but she insists it is us who are wrong and even if we prove ourselves right, she is still the right one. I have personally attempted to go over the tests with her but she has blown me off 3 times...

No corrective action was done on anyone's part, rather myself and the class were ignored the following class when we all miserably failed the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd test. I wish I knew how I failed all 3 exams! I'd like think I'm not a total idiot but the 3 times I have asked to review my test and meet with my instructor she has blown me off and said she had a class to teach EVEN though I have arrived at the times she told me to be there. I can fly though questions about the subjects we have covered in this class and get them right but when I take the tests these teachers wrote it comes down to what the teacher thinks is right rather than what we think, even if we have a rationale as to why we thought that way or chose that answer. If I was the only failing student, I know that it is 99.9% a ME problem... but I'm in the 100% of the class that is failing

That is a scarily very good point... Concept Based Nursing is ridiculous. Yes I understand the concept of "perfusion" but that does not mean I automatically know every disease process that is involved in perfusion aka all of them

From the sounds of it yes! We are rounding home base here on week 10... class average is about 67-70% when the answer from the DON, "Do more NCLEX questions, we are working on it". This should have been a red flag, in my opinion, when our entire class failed, and by failed I mean bombed, the first test 7 weeks ago. Our subject courses are those we know about already; DM, Cardiac, Resp, etc. But when the tests are written by the professors, it comes down to what I feel like is an opinionated answer than one I can chose as a priority or the best answer. I know how how to NCLEX test... I have taken the LPN NCLEX and passed with the lowest score possible and on the first try. Granted I am sure it is not the same level of RN knowledge, I understand how to read the questions, prioritize, and if I do not know the answer off hand at least I am able to narrow them down. We have used our student handbook and chain of command, but we are in fear of speaking out because we might happen to fail the class if we do speak out. It is one of the most sickening feelings I have ever had in my life these last few weeks.

That's what I said! There's only 12 of us now, and o let two people are semi close to passing. Looks pretty bad going from a class of 50 to a graduating class of two... but they're keeping us in the dark and pretending we all aren't failing. We have one week left of class and a final. Most of us have to get 90% or higher on the final to pass with the 78, but there has yet to be one person who had passed any of the three previous tests we've taken.

That's how we all feel too... however we are overpowered by the school faculty who will not let it out that we are doing so poorly. Also, we discussed appealing our final if we all fail again but they won't put our grades in until the week after finals as our appeals have to be in the week of finals. Make sense right? I don't know who go to who is above the school itself!!!

There are 5 free standing colleges in our state. We are the first students of a new concept base curriculum vs. a knowledge based one. It's terrible... we are stripped of resources and told to "critically think" but we aren't even taught the material we need to "think" about. We've had online classes, which I've aced them all, but this course is ridiculous.

this is very interesting... you would think if we are all failing they'd be more worried about pass rates? We are currently the first class to begin a "concept based" curriculum and it is absolutely awful. I learned so much during my LPN ... RN not so much

I speak for myself right now, but when I do practice NCLEX & HESI questions I do much better than I do on these so called tests. I know we all try to find resources to pass the test & learn but we are so lost where our test info is coming from we don't even know where to look!

Yes it is! Over 30+ grand for this program.

Hello everyone! I currently attend a private college in the northeastern portion of the United States. I am one term away from graduating with my ADN, BUT myself and entire class have run into a major roadblock. We are one week away from this term ending, and the entire class has failed all three exams and are subsequently failing the class. Not by a little, but severely failing. Our grades range from 56% to 74% in the class and we all know a 78% is key to success. Our teacher and other educators such as the DON, ADON, etc. continue to tell us WE are the problem, WE do not know how to study, and these tests are so easy a LPN student can pass them! Our college seems to care less that literally not one student will be in the next term due to entire class failure... I find it hard to believe that we have no one who is trying to "fix" this problem. Our teacher will not curve the grades whatsoever, we are told we do not know how to take tests. It's quite funny when the majority of us are working LPNs but we are not "real nurses" and do not know how to read a test. I have spent countless hours studying like any "prudent nurse" would do... I am not looking to be handed my RN, BUT I also feel that there needs to be a fair shot, not be told after almost a year into this program passing all classes that I have "poor test taking skills"... shouldn't I have run into that issue awhile ago? ANYWAYS... Has anyone run into this problem during nursing school? How was it resolved? If we all fail, who can we take our issues to? The dean of the RN program also says we are the problem too, so it is pointless to address this with her. I can speak for my class when we say we are past the point of feeling defeated... we are losing the love of nursing due to this college. Any advice and/or comments are welcome... but please no negativity. I am not sure how much more my mind can handle! Sincerely, One frazzled nursing student