Self Study BSN ??

[Dr.Nurse2b]

How do you feel about your program?

I am in a small class...less then 50 now...and we all agree that our program seems to have taken on a "self study" method.

A general example...

The class receives a weekly lab assignment...study drugs, study lab tests, med math work book exercises and read chapters 22 - 26 on Fluids and Lytes...a typical assigment for this particular 4 hour per week lab.

OK...so next week we come into lab and its "OK class, lets talk about titrating medications, flow rates and drip rates"... Let the firestorm begin...

The encursion begins with the professor firing of questions at random and asking for very precise and correct answers...the room scrambles for calculators and scratch paper.

I may not be clear...basically we are reading volumes and then tested each week on what we read... Med calc was taught to us by assigning an entire workbook to be completed over the course of 8 weeks...each day of class we were DRILLED on what we were learning in the workbook.

My point here...I could have purchased a math workbook and taught myself how to calculate medications on my own...AND without someone firing random questions at me to test my knowledge. I have taught myself how to calculate medications...on my own.

I don't expect to be "spoon fed" but I thought 3rd year would have been a little...uh...different??

Am I missing something?

Physical assessment went the same way...read and perform - read and perform while the instructors watch. I learned physical assessment from watching DVDs...I could have purchased the set for $400 from amazon and saved thousands on tuition...Ok...someone stop me!

[jjjoy, LPN]

To do well on tests doesn't necessarily mean understanding and retaining all that is assigned in the readings. It means learning how to read and answer NCLEX questions. It means learning what will and won't be covered on tests most of the time. You can't learn everything, so you strategize your studying to cover what's most likely to be tested on and then apply your test taking techniques to maximize your chances of getting the "best" answer even if you didn't really study that specific material in depth.

The catch is that what you need to do well on tests isn't necessarily what you need to wow your clinical instructors.

Given what you describe of your academic background, I'm sure that you can learn to adapt to this different style of testing and that in the future your test grades will come up. : )

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

My school is the same way. I don't think its necessarily that they pride themselves on making a "non-spoon fed- self taught" program, but that they have a lack of educators...very few of our nursing instructors are "professors" (phd)...many have their masters....just because you might be a good nurse does not mean you know jack about teaching it....

[pixie0413]

I really believe you can adapt to this. Oh, I do agree, if I don't know what the heck we're talking about before lecture... I'm lost 1/2 the time. Big thing is to prepare before, note what the teacher really highlights, and cover your basics. I usually make sure I can answer all the Chapter objectives and I also use all my online and written study guides and resources.

Answering questions really helps me find what I get and what I'm missing. You'll get better. (PS. I'm sure clinicals won't be totally self study. No nurse in their right mind is going to let you hurt someone.)