(vent) Group projects

cursedandblessed · Oct 25, 2008

OMG!! I hate this group project thing. We're doing it with our clinical group. We have the guy who has decided he is in charge, has picked out the flipping topic for us ( I thought we were supposed to do it together) and had a discussion about it with only some of the members and then waits 8 hours later to email the rest of us with his decision. I'm still waiting for someone to be bothered to answer my email from Thursday when I brought up the subject. Of course by this time, he's already discussed it with the instructor.

I feel really left out of things now. Frankly, I don't trust him to email me any of the information now, since he's gone behind some of our backs. But of course, I'm just supposed to suck it up and go with the flow.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2008

Please read the information on the weblinks I posted. Muster up the courage, be assertive, take the bull by the horns and step forward and do something. This doesn't have to go his way. Otherwise, his grade will be your grade. Worse, he could complain to the instructor that no one in the group is helping. I believe the posts also suggest that you let the instructor know what this student is doing this so they are aware of what is going on and can either intervene or advise you on what to do.

moncj66 · Oct 25, 2008

I agree, I hate group projects, especially when your working with people that aren't strong in English so basically ur doing their share as well. You have to go back and correct grammar and punctuation. Also, the outside meet up things are soo annoying, when ppl have to bring their kids and stuff.. I just rather work alone..

D1914 · Oct 25, 2008

What is funny about this thread is that all of the people who replied may be or may have been the weakest link in their own respective groups and don't even know it. :clown:

moncj66 · Oct 25, 2008

lol, well yeah I have to admit I was the weakest link in the last group project because I didn't like any of the people in the group and their was this one girl that only wanted to use her ideas for everything, so I quit trying and let her do everything! Some people are just hard to work with!

Hanna0225 · Oct 25, 2008

i preferably would rather do it myself. but for some reason i become the leader, and will distribute the work load accordingly. one pro is picking who is of your intelligence level or higher to be in your group (which isn't so bad). but unfortunately when you are assigned with those students who can care less, then it's time for me to buckle down. i don't mind doing the extra work, i do encourage them in doing the work and having more confidence, but sometimes it does not always pan out that way.

it's also another thing if you are graded as a whole vs. as an individual, when graded as a whole (sometimes) that gets pretty darn tricky :confused:

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2008

think about this though. . .school is a learning ground. in the real world of nursing, if you let someone walk all over you and make the decisions about a patient's care, the patient could be the one who suffers the consequences. as a nurse you are the problem solver and decision maker. the buck will stop with you. are you just going to stand there and give up your power and authority? you worked so hard to get into nursing school only to let somebody else come along and take your hard earned work away from you like this? are you a (wo)man or a mouse? one of the questions you are going to get asked at a job interview by a really smart manager is "tell me about a group project you did in nursing school and how you all got along and cooperated with each other." a smart manager wants nurses are are assertive, take responsibility and act as leaders. can you honestly say that is you, or that you are trying to be that way?

Jules A, MSN · Oct 25, 2008

the thing with group projects is that your success is dependent on a collaborative effort. if you are in a bad unmotivated group it will be living hell. if you are in a cohesive group it can be a decent experience. simple as that imo. with my rn class they weren't bad but in lpn school i hated them, hated them, because there were people that were so stinking lazy and the professors seemed afraid of certain students so we were left to fend for ourselves...fine it shaped the idea that i would be highly particular about the team i joined when i became a nurse, which i did, so i guess in the end those miserable experiences with group projects were worth it. :no: or not, lol.

uscstu4lfe · Oct 26, 2008

i had a study group, which i loved. we'd go out to lunch all of the time and quiz ourselves. however, group projects absolulely sucked! i was paired with the laziest people and we couldn't agree on anything. i finally just let them do everything and go along with it, only a few days before our big presentation. we got a good grade though so it was all good!

cursedandblessed · Oct 26, 2008

I'm good at research, I've been researching the topic during the last day, and have found a lot of mixed information.

I've never been the weakest link in group projects, I don't like to be the leader, but if I don't feel like my opinion matters like I'm feeling now, then my motivation goes out the window.

When I know how to do something really well, I can stand up and take charge. I've run the family business for over ten years, and I can do every job on it well. I'm just not that secure yet in nursing.

I'll go check out those links, thanks, I just really needed to vent before I exploded. The last few weeks have been one problem after another, mostly home stuff, hubby had a motorcycle wreck, exams, pet dying, sinus infection, etc. I guess this was my breaking point.

MaryAnn_RN · Oct 26, 2008

I found observing the group dynamics very interesting - in fact more interesting that the actual topics which I cannot remember now - and used the experience for a later psychology assignment.

Bortaz, MSN, RN · Oct 26, 2008

Bortaz isn't fond of group projects in school, and is an old adult who learned teamwork as a young person.