Question for other BSN Students

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2009

My BSN program was about the same. If I had a full professor teaching a class we were expected to find and learn the information on our own. If we had an associate or instructor level teaching they might have been a bit kinder and given us more information. As you progress into higher levels of education the expectation is that you do you own research and study. That was continually made clear to us by the professors. That is one of the downsides of going to higher institutions of learning. Their goal is to make us independent thinkers and learners.

Flamelily · Sep 22, 2009

My program is the same and I imagine most other nursing programs are like this. No spoon feeding. There are no reviews or anything either, at least we don't get any. I think nursing school is a totally different ball game when compared to other majors. I think the point is to crack your brain and get you thinking a certain independent way. Its tough, but you can do it. And try not to think about the money, you'll have a coronary by the time you finish.

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 22, 2009

In the real world of health care, professionals have to be independent learners, thinkers, and problem-solvers. People's lives depend on it.

... And besides ... there is too much you need to learn for the instructor to say it all to you word-for-word in class. If they taught that way, you would be in class 40 hours per week (or whatever) and students would not stand (or sit) for that. Until students are willing to spend all day every day in class -- and pay the teachers accordingly -- classes will only be for a couple of hours per week. That means that the rest of the learning will have to happen through homework done outside the classroom.

Why the other programs you attended had lower expectations of their students, I don't know. Maybe those programs were not focused on producers independent learners, thinkers, and problem-solvers who would be ready immediately after graduation to take responsibility for other people's lives.

My impression is that med school is pretty tough, too.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Sep 22, 2009

Hmm - nursing education is markedly different from 'normal' (academic) programs. But I don't think that nursing is that much different from other health care professions in this regard. The underlying educational philosophy is based on the fact that existing knowledge has a very short shelf-life... information is outdated and replaced about every 3 years or so. Intellectual horsepower - the ability to continually learn on one's own is fundamental to maintaining and effective professional practice.

As an educator, I am a bit surprised that you would want to pay tuition $ to have someone read the textbook for you. The job of an instructor is to 'facilitate' learning - provide you with information & skills that you cannot obtain on your own and to validate/confirm your understanding and application of new knowledge and skills you have acquired.

If you really feel the need for a more traditional approach, I am sure that your school can provide the names of tutors who can review material with you or you could work with a like-minded study group.

user.name · Sep 22, 2009

As my professors always say, it's 100% our responsibility to learn. They are just resources to us to help us figure out how/what to learn. I'm still not too sure how I feel about this though; it's the most challenging part of nursing school for sure. I don't do very well with textbooks. I'm in semester 4/5, and I'm just now kind of figuring out how to take what was taught in class and expand on it affectively without wasting my time. I don't know, surely someday we'll understand/appreciate those professors making us "independent learners". :)

Blove86 · Sep 23, 2009

Funny you should mention this, but my Peds instructor was sharing with ous the need to be independant thinkers in class today. Long story short, they are ready and willing to help facilitate learning, but their style of teaching and instruction is preparing us to be independant thinking, professional nurses in an evolving health car system. Granted the process for me personally has been rough, and ALOT of growing pains, by learning to actually independantly study OUTSIDE just the textbook, I have begun to really UNDERSTAND information and processess not just memorize them....

elkpark · Sep 23, 2009

When you say "second-degree" BSN program, are you referring to an accelerated program? If so, what you're describing would be v. typical and kind of the point of the program ( they don't call 'em "accelerated" for nothing ... :)) These programs are designed for mature, experienced, accomplished students who can function pretty independently in an academic environment.

Also, in any nursing program, there is so much more necessary content than there is available lecture time that any didactic nursing course consists largely of highlighting the key concepts in the classroom and outlining for the students what else they need to master on their own.

Besides, as other posters have noted, a large part of professional nursing practice is continually seeking out and synthesizing new knowledge on your own, so you might as well get used to it now. Mastering that ability is, by itself, part of your nursing education.

AOx1 · Sep 23, 2009

No one else is responsible for making you learn. You are. If this were the case, instructors alone are at fault when a student is not successful. Although I certainly care about my students' success, I should not care more than they do! This is their future career at stake.

First, nurses tend to work as specialists, yet schools are often required to cover general information and many different areas of nursing. There is no possible way to tell you everything you need to know for all time about nursing.

Also, by simply putting all the responsibility on the insructor and making it their duty to tell you all the relevant information, you are almost guaranteeing that you will not develop the ability to critically think, as you will need to do as a nurse. The possibilities of patients that may present themselves are infinite. They will not come with a sign that says "Remeber what you just studied in Chapter 16, do all those things for me!" They are complicated, with multiple needs.

As a nurse you will need to continue to learn. Your instructor will not go with you into the practice setting when you are an RN. If instructors alone are responsible for delivering content, that means you would cease to be able to learn without one present.

Finally, your instructor will not be taking NCLEX, you will. I would hope that by that time, they will have demonstrated and helped their students to think critically. Patients' lives depend on it every day.

You need to assume responsibility for your own learning. When you do and successfully complete the program, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you will continue to learn to be capable and competent. When you view the role of the instructor as mainly to pass on all information, it limits you. If your instructor is a poor lecturer, you "can't learn" and if they are excellent, you perform well. This should not be the case. Find a way to excel in any circumstance.

I can understand your frustration in that this transition is difficult. Going from a model in which all knowledge is just passed on to one in which you must synthesize information is very challenging. You might find some of the NCLEX review books relevant to your topic to be helpful. You can read a brief synopsis of a topic prior to class so you can ask meaningful questions, then come back to review your notes and book again after class.

SnoopysAunt · Oct 5, 2009

Maybe I phrased my post poorly, but what rbedemek wrote about is exactly what I am not getting. In one of my classes, there's no validation/application/anything. It's just here's the info, move on. We've spent less than ten minutes on really really important, difficult topics...and the only time we will ever have an opportunity to test our understanding is on the exam.... There is no facilitating either. And I am at a complete loss...

3876154]Hmm - nursing education is markedly different from 'normal' (academic) programs. But I don't think that nursing is that much different from other health care professions in this regard. The underlying educational philosophy is based on the fact that existing knowledge has a very short shelf-life... information is outdated and replaced about every 3 years or so. Intellectual horsepower - the ability to continually learn on one's own is fundamental to maintaining and effective professional practice.

As an educator, I am a bit surprised that you would want to pay tuition $ to have someone read the textbook for you. The job of an instructor is to 'facilitate' learning - provide you with information & skills that you cannot obtain on your own and to validate/confirm your understanding and application of new knowledge and skills you have acquired.

If you really feel the need for a more traditional approach, I am sure that your school can provide the names of tutors who can review material with you or you could work with a like-minded study group.

elkpark · Oct 5, 2009

Maybe I phrased my post poorly, but what rbedemek wrote about is exactly what I am not getting. In one of my classes, there's no validation/application/anything. It's just here's the info, move on. We've spent less than ten minutes on really really important, difficult topics...and the only time we will ever have an opportunity to test our understanding is on the exam.... There is no facilitating either. And I am at a complete loss...

What you're describing is pretty typical of what I've heard of accelerated BSN programs. They are extremely demanding and fast-paced, as a result of cramming the same nursing content and clinical hours as a traditional nursing program into a much shorter span of time. Did the program not explain that to you when you were looking into applying? They are certainly not for everyone. If this program isn't going to work for you, you might be more comfortable in a more traditional nursing program.

jump2thamoon · Oct 5, 2009

My program is the same, but I feel nursing is a self-learning process and it is is more helpful if you teach your self. If you are a nurse you are going to have to be critically thinking 24-7. When you are self-taught this helps critically thinking come more easy.