Too many lame courses in MSN programs?

Trauma Columnist · Nov 12, 2007

I too thought APA format was completely over-rated! Re-doing a paper is no problem provided that the content is improved upon. However, to waste my (to me at leastways, precious) time redoing it for APA format was ridiculous. Good luck.

enfermera1 · Nov 12, 2007

I have to agree . I think APA format was invented by someone who wanted to make money..........:angryfire

carachel2 · Nov 13, 2007

At my school we have to take one semester each of Theory, Research and then Theory AND Research. I've just about decided it is all a plot to take our $$ to sponsor a prof. that is too old to work on a unit.

SteveNNP, MSN, NP · Nov 13, 2007

I'm currently in a Health and Social Policy class, and it's getting old. We spent about 5 minutes on actual health policy, then 8 weeks on how every other healthcare system in the world is better than ours. Nary a mention of the thousands of people waiting for a hip replacement, or having to bring your own towels and toothbrush to the hospital when you're admitted. There are a few good aspects of the class, but nothing really practical. I'm just counting the days until I start clinical and all my classes (at least look like they) are neonatal and career specific.

knittwhit · Nov 13, 2007

Oldibutgoodie, hang in there. When you get to the end you will see how it all comes together. The information you are learning is all part of the skill set you will need as an advanced practice nurse. The courses will enhance your critical thinking and broaden your world view. Good luck.

I got dinged a few times for APA errors, when protesting to my professor she told me the APA is the frosting on the cake, if the cake doesn't look attractive people won't want to eat it. It is about consistency and precision. If you took the time and put in the effort to turn in a theory based paper, but spelling, grammar and formatting errors left it unreadable, what good is it. As an advanced practice nurse you may decide to publish, APA is the format you need for submission, otherwise they won't even look at it.

anc33 · Nov 13, 2007

In my program we have 5 non-clinical courses, two of which are research/theory courses. I do like theory and the research component is very helpful in my current position (research coordinator). But I feel like I've got it already. On the other hand, I believe that public health courses are vital, especially if one is planning on going into primary care. My school does not offer any in the nursing program so I supplemented with a graduate certificate in PH.

BChapp3182 · Nov 14, 2007

Man do I totally agree with you! I have to take one theory and two research classes which cost me about $8k and total waste of time. I agree, it's so the school can make more money. Totally lame. I'd rather have an extra pharmacology class or a how to manage a practice type class instead of learning how some theorist thinks we'll be nursing under the sea and in outer space.

oldiebutgoodie, RN · Nov 14, 2007

Man do I totally agree with you! I have to take one theory and two research classes which cost me about $8k and total waste of time. I agree, it's so the school can make more money. Totally lame. I'd rather have an extra pharmacology class or a how to manage a practice type class instead of learning how some theorist thinks we'll be nursing under the sea and in outer space.

:lol2:

Nursing under the sea and outer space... you kill me, kid!

Yeah, I feel that in these NP programs we are spending too much time on this stuff and not enough time on how to diagnose and manage patients. I would also like more pharm, etc.

Oldiebutgoodie

oldiebutgoodie, RN · Nov 14, 2007

In my program we have 5 non-clinical courses, two of which are research/theory courses. I do like theory and the research component is very helpful in my current position (research coordinator). But I feel like I've got it already. On the other hand, I believe that public health courses are vital, especially if one is planning on going into primary care. My school does not offer any in the nursing program so I supplemented with a graduate certificate in PH.

I suppose I could sorta agree with the public health aspect if this course wasn't such a time waster. Example: Compare and contrast your population (we had to select a population for an intervention) with your classmates.

Well, gee, mine are white and theirs is black, mine is rural and theirs is urban. Ok, yeah, I get it.

grump grump

Oldiebutgoodie

llg, PhD, RN · Nov 14, 2007

I suppose I could sorta agree with the public health aspect if this course wasn't such a time waster. Example: Compare and contrast your population (we had to select a population for an intervention) with your classmates.
Well, gee, mine are white and theirs is black, mine is rural and theirs is urban. Ok, yeah, I get it.
grump grump
Oldiebutgoodie

I assume you are being sarcastic in this post because if the only significant differences you see in those two populations are their color and their location, then you really don't get it.

Unfortunately, a lot of students really don't get it. They don't see how the many differences between these two populations would change your assessments and types of health services needed be each group. For some students, they really need such exercises to get them to see how those differences would effect their practice. Without such exercises, they would create standard protocols and programs that would not take those differences into account. It's a shame, but it's true -- and that's why such exercises are needed.

I teach in a BSN completion program ... and while I have some great students and respect them immensly, I am always surprised by how little some of them know and/or how little some of them have thought about. So often, I feel bad being "so basic" in class only to have the students say, "Gee, I never thought of that before," or "Thanks, no one ever explained that to me before," etc.

Who was it that you could never underestimate the public? They were right.

CraigB-RN, MSN, RN · Nov 15, 2007

I have two masters not in nursing or health care. I hate to tell you guys but I heard the same arguments there also. Nursing education isn't any different than any other education. Hard science programs have it easier in that there are prob more things that are black and white measurable.

Some people get certain topics before the first page in a text book is turned and others need to have it beaten into them. Some proffesors make looking at a brick interesting and other could make you fall asleep just by opening their eyes. Unfortunally for us, nursing isn't a hard science. There are always more than one way to get a job done. The goal is to teach us to think. Is it successfull. not always, and it's frustrating as I'll get out.

During the early days in my MSN program I had to learn to keep my mouth shut. I was being tought by a 28 yo who had never had a real management job in her life. I was a DON of a hospital system,and had military command experience. Did I really need to sit there and listen to her lecture on mentoring and developing nursing resources. I learned to keep my mouth shut and my classmates learned that I was the one to come to when they had questions.