1. Turn off your mobile phone, if it absolutely must be on, let the lecturer know and keep it on the lowest possible volume or on silent (it is a rule at my school if your phone goes off you owe the lecturer chocolate or alcohol depending on the lecturers preference)
2. If you are a new student don't act like you know more than the students who have been there for longer (unless of course you do)
3. If the course has an online group and you can read previous questions, do not ask the same question again and again, the lecturer and other people will get sick of answering the same question 5 or 6 or even 7 times (you will be notified if the answer is different)
4. If you tell someone something it's bound to get around to other people so be careful what you tell people (Rumours spread extremely fast)
5. Be polite to your lecturers and respect them for who they are (They are the ones marking your assignments, and I'm afraid they know a lot more than you do presently)
6. If you have a story you are willing to share related to the current topic by all means share it but if it's not related forget it
7. Don't constantly complain about the number of hours you have to attend campus or how long it takes to do your assignments or how much study you need to do or how many readings you have, everyone is in the same boat and if you keep doing that you are likely to get offside with other students.
I'm trying to take that advice. I don't even know anyone in my program yet, but every day, in every class, whoever I sit next to asks "So, how'd you do on the last test?" We've had 4 exams so far, and I've scored 100, 100, 98, and 100. I always respond with "I did fine, how about you?" If they really press, I'll say I got an A, I'm really excited. No one but my husband and my mother knows my scores. It's weird. These people don't even know my name yet! Also, the ones that ask never got As. They're looking for someone else to commiserate with, maybe?
I have noticed that same exact thing! I've always done well and been perfectly aware when others around me have not done so well, so whenever they asked how I did on a test, I'd say, "I did pretty good" and leave it at that. I didn't want anyone to feel bad. But, yeah, you get those individuals that want to press you for your EXACT score.
When I took A&P, our instructor had us choose a number and write that on our tests and assignments, instead of our names, so that our grades would be confidential. There was one girl who found out my number - I have no idea how and would look for my returned tests and papers, while she looked for her own, and then hand them back to me. It bugged the crud out of me. The teacher also posted our running average online, according to our numbers. I always knew that girl was looking at mine. As it turns out, I got an A in the course and she got a B-.
I wish they would post the breakdown of the test scores. Sometimes if I do worse than my average, I wonder if it was just me, or was the test extremely difficult, etc. I would personally find that interesting and motivating. I dont' need to know any name associated with any grade; I just would like to know the breakdown.
:idea: Hope no one said this yet, but go with classmates to bookstore at mall (borders etc) or a big library and get all the NCLEX books they have and sit at a table go through each books chapter on respiratory if that is what your test is on and read through each question. I guarantee they use maybe 10 of all those questions on their tests. Even though they say they don't. This may make the difference between a 75 and an 85. It is not cheating. YOU ARE learning afterall aren't you. Thus you know the answers to those questions. When you are done in school thought get Saunders Q&A review questions book. It jumbles the questions not by system. It is most like NCLEX. BUT WHILE IN SCHOOL use the NCLEX books for studying them. SERIOUSLY:nono: :nono:
over all of nursing school, i wanted to almost make coffee mugs that people would carry with them w "rules" so that they would be reminded regularly...
1. use some discretion. sometimes people just do not want to hear about your personal life. sometimes people do not want to be asked about theirs. it is truly horrific, in my opinion, to be at clinicals and discussing how such and such nurse didn't let you do this or that and then speak negatively about that nurse... these are coworkers, possibly friends, and who are you-- a student.
2. get off your high horse. yes, we all got into a pretty difficult program and we are learning a lot. but a student nurse is at the bottom of the totem pole. don't tell nurses that they're wrong because you learned this. it may be just the unit's policy. chill out. you are not entitled to special treatment by any means by the instructor... and for goodness sake, don't "tell them off" and brag about it... if you have an issue-- be professional, you may need letters of recommendation someday. also, you may have gotten an A, but you also may be bragging to the student who is working 40 hours a week and has an ill family member, and well, doesn't have the time to study the "8 hours a day" like yourself. sometimes given the circumstances people are ok with a B or C, and it certainly doesn't mean that you're "smarter."
3. spare the stories. sometimes it can be interesting for others to share really outlandish things that they may have seen or done, or experience with family who have disease processes, but oh dear every single clinical experience does NOT need to make it into the lecture for the day.
4. be nice. you never know... but you definitely get more flies with honey
5. take some time for yourself. i had an instructor put pictures of the beaches in the area, the sports venues, and parks in her lectures. she was the only one in 2 1/2 years that said "take time for yourself, otherwise you'll go nuts." yes, there is an awful lot of information to learn, yes it can be difficult, and you will have to get up early and go to bed early for clinicals, but there is a lot of beauty around, that is also calming and can help you keep your attention. i would take some notes to the park or a (lighter) book to the beach to study. or go to a bookstore and enjoy the time with some tea or coffee and a friend... who is also studying. read something you enjoy if possible before bed.
6. laugh and laugh often. i know it's terrible, but it's ok to laugh at your patients sometimes, laugh with them, laugh at yourself. being extremely highstrung and tense doesn't make for someone fun to be around. obviously, don't go home and tell your hubby "oh man my pt did (insert something funny yet gross) and man was it funny!" because they probably won't get it. but your NS peers will.
7. chill out take the time for yourself, but also know that it is ok to think of a patient or another nurse as annoying (doesn't mean you have to open your mouth about it). it's ok to not get it on the first try. show your preceptor some respect and cut him/her some slack if they aren't answering your question right then and there.... they're far busier than you are i guarantee it. step back and look at the whole picture when you get flustered. you're a student. you're learning. you aren't perfect. if you're frustrated, talk to someone "in the field" because someone studying say... communications isn't going to quite understand like another nurse or nursing student will.
8. start growing your backbone. if you aren't already strong, get strong. get in there! during NS is the time to practice and see as much as you can, you have someone holding your hand. don't let your preceptor just allow you to empty foley bags or change linens if you're expected to do IV sticks and give shots. let them know you really want to learn something and make it known. you could say to a few other nurses that you need to practice or at least watch xyz and if they had it, let you know. people won't always be nice to you... let it slide. patients won't always allow students in... let it go. don't crumble in the corner because a physician asked you a question and looked frustrated when you didn't know... learn from it and move on.
Our instructor actually took a girls cell phone from her. She had to go to her office after class to get it. It was in our rules. So she 'could' do it. Kicker was it rang during a class break. Like I have said before they were tough on us ---15 out of 60 graduated on time-remember some instructors out there are TOUGH so keep that in mind when reading these. THEY OWN YOU. basically.
I'm trying to take that advice. I don't even know anyone in my program yet, but every day, in every class, whoever I sit next to asks "So, how'd you do on the last test?" We've had 4 exams so far, and I've scored 100, 100, 98, and 100. I always respond with "I did fine, how about you?" If they really press, I'll say I got an A, I'm really excited. No one but my husband and my mother knows my scores. It's weird. These people don't even know my name yet! Also, the ones that ask never got As. They're looking for someone else to commiserate with, maybe?
Your post made me think of this...
"Remember that you are no longer competing with other Nursing Students. Now that you are in the nursing program your only competition is yourself."
This is directly from the information I received with my admissions packet. The competition to get into Nursing School goes on for so many semesters that some people may have trouble getting out of that mode. It obviously is a problem if my school is mentioning it before classes even start. I agree with keeping grades private only sharing with family and friends outside of the Nursing School.
I have posted in another area---I posted that I was accepted by the nursing school that I wanted and I start my nursing programs on August 13th and I am sooooooooooo ready :monkeydance: :balloons:
* If you know more than the actual licensed nurses at the hospital, keep it to yourself.
* Keep the phones off at all times and if you need to contact the prof, you have to use the unit secretary's phone. (good luck getting them to let you use it. )
* In psych, NO PHONES AT ALL ARE ALLOWED! *ahem*
* Read and study. Those are basically the major ones I've found as a nursing student.
:idea: 
:nono:
)
JarOfPennies
107 Posts
I have noticed that same exact thing! I've always done well and been perfectly aware when others around me have not done so well, so whenever they asked how I did on a test, I'd say, "I did pretty good" and leave it at that. I didn't want anyone to feel bad. But, yeah, you get those individuals that want to press you for your EXACT score.
When I took A&P, our instructor had us choose a number and write that on our tests and assignments, instead of our names, so that our grades would be confidential. There was one girl who found out my number - I have no idea how and would look for my returned tests and papers, while she looked for her own, and then hand them back to me. It bugged the crud out of me. The teacher also posted our running average online, according to our numbers. I always knew that girl was looking at mine. As it turns out, I got an A in the course and she got a B-.