University of Alberta BScN Program

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Hi I'm a grade 12 student going into nursing next year and i was wondering if anyone knows what the nursing program at the University of Alberta is like? I heard unhappy opinions about the CBL system but is that true? At first I was really sure about going to the uofa but I hear the program at Grant Macewan is better?

I don't mean to sound harsh with the above post. It just seems like it would be very challenging to have to teach oneself much of the material. I am just hoping that the tutor gives lots of guidance. JMO.

They don't for the most part. You have other classes in traditional lecture form for research and stats but those don't come until 3rd year. It is challenging and it is frustrating but you learn to deal with it. Most of what you need to know you take in during clinical experiences which is why it's important to seize every learning opportunity offered to you during that time. CBL was a challenge to work through but like I said, I feel like in the end it did help.

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They don't for the most part. . . Most of what you need to know you take in during clinical experiences which is why it's important to seize every learning opportunity offered to you during that time. CBL was a challenge to work through but like I said, I feel like in the end it did help.

And that is why most of the working nurses at the clinical sites don't look forward to having students. We are expected to teach. Something that we expect the University to do, and which the students pay the University to teach them. When you have four patients and a student shadowing you it makes for a very long shift. You have to find out what a student can do, then you and your patient have to wait around for the instructor (who often has students on two different units) to appear to check off the skill for the first time. So your patients are left hanging, waiting for dressing changes, waiting for medications. Then you have to read your students charting (and trust me we really don't need a page and half for an 6 hour shift to read through, so why are the instructors demanding this?). Some instructors don't take it well when we amend the charting, or politely point out that somethings are missing (uhm, yes, we do document and chart what the epidural dressing looks like), your students who are here for 6hours shouldn't be marking for an "A" shift which is a 12 in the care maps.

And that is the crux of the problem. We are seeing clinical instructors on surgical units who have medicine experience and vice versa. We have Caritas experienced nurses working in former Capital Health sites (different paperwork). They just don't really know the flow of the units being from different backgrounds. They only come in for one shift before bringing their groups in and one shift isn't enough if it's not your area of experience. The principles of nursing are the same all over the building but specialties do things differently and for different reasons.

Preceptors are burning out. Constantly being asked to take a student for the final placement rotation. It's a lot of work and when there are problems it's usually coated over by all three training facilities. We've come to the conclusion that the schools don't want to fail anyone, that they want them to wash out on writing the national exam.

I do know what I'm talking about. My unit has students from the UofA, GMU and Norquest. We're tired. We rarely see the same instructor more than twice. There is no continuity for the instructors to get a grasp of the units and the day to day of them.

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Just a quick point of clarification on Cupid14's comment, the University of Alberta does not nor has it in the past used MacEwan's simulation labs for teaching. We have our own cutting-edge lab and simulation equipment (check out www.nursing.ualberta.ca/Undergraduate/TeachingMethods/Labs for a list and description of the lab equipment we have available!) which we have had for a number of years and upgrade frequently. We are also very excited because all of our high-tech equipment will be getting a nice new home with the opening of the Edmonton Clinic Health Academy on campus in September (2011)!

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For a full description of CBL (Context Based Learning) and how it works, please check out www.nursing.ualberta.ca/Undergraduate/TeachingMethods and www.nursing.ualberta.ca/Undergraduate/TeachingMethods/Tutorials!

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Specializes in ER.
Jan: I think that is the best sum up of the state of nursing in Alberta today.

The U's students hit the floor with what can only be described as "I'm to posh to wash". Their students have no clue as to the roles of other healthcare workers on the floor. I did my utmost to job shadow every worker on every unit I have been on. Yes, I took initiative.

We've had their students try to delegate their am/hs care to the NAs and LPNs on my unit. Rationale from one student was "I'll be a manager in a few years, so I have to practice my delegations skills now". Uhm, no. Wash your own patient. They have no clue as to what an NA can do and treat the PNs as their inferiors. I've never treated anyone as my inferior.

Some instructors groups are worse than others. But when it comes to the hard, physical side of nursing, GMs students seem to at least expect it. The U's seem to think it will be done by someone other than an RN. One of the first skills I remember learning in lab was how to give a bed bath. Then it was transferring patients. So, right from the beginning I had an idea of how hard I was going to work....

But then these are the same students who are usually appalled to learn that they will be buddied up with LPNs to learn the ropes on many of their placements.

I love learning from all of those around me, regardless of the designation...

I'm sorry that you have had such a negative experience with U of A students, but please don't generalize. It gets kind of tiring to essentially hear that one program or another produces "bad nurses". I believe that it comes down to individuals. I just graduated from the U of A and I am very proud of my hard work. I hope that with more hard work and learning I will be a great nurse:)

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Wow, you commented on a two year old post?!!

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Specializes in Cardiology.

Maybe they feel the need to pump up the U of A program? :)

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Maybe they feel the need to pump up the U of A program? :)

I think I'm having a cougar crush on you, Petie!:lol2:

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Specializes in ER.
Maybe they feel the need to pump up the U of A program? :)

Well, I guess some people are still reading it after two years:)

Nope, not trying to pump up the U of A program. Glad I am done!:yeah:

Just saying that anyone can become a good nurse regardless of their program. :twocents:

Peace

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Specializes in Cardiology.

Kind of hard to miss it when you resurrect a two year old thread and bump it to the top of the front page, of course we are going to read it. ;)

Congrats on being done, I'm getting near the end myself and can't wait! :)

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