vent about other nurses attitudes

singinRNwannabe · Jan 27, 2012

I guess what the confusion is...how is one to gain clinical hands on experience from the computer? Many of the more traditional programs have hands on experiences, labs, clinicals in the hospital, and so forth. These type experiences help lessen the stress that many new grads and nursing students feel just by interacting with a human patient.

I dont think anyone was trying to knock anyone else's program. I think people are just wondering how the online programs offer the clinical experience.

Someone is right, it's really not up to anyone to wonder. If it's accredited...then hey...an RN is an RN.

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN · Jan 28, 2012

please try to understand how difficult it is to see how you can learn how to be a nurse when almost 100% of the actual job is the physical, hands on assessment and treatment of living breathing people, that it is confusing that you are trying to learn it without ever touching one until the end. if this ends up turning out ok.....only time will tell.
i can tell you that i have found the online grads awkward in tense, emotional patient situations, reticent to be involved with the patient and need strong evidence to learn how to interview (admit) patients and be involved in bedside care. they need to be taught a larger amount of basic nursing skills and tend to stick pretty close to the computer. they require strong leadership and guidance to achieve the interpersonal; skills to deal with patients and their families
you have to admit that a profession that depends so much on being "hands on" the concept that you can learn how without being hands on is tough to wrap one's head around the concept. i understand if you are already a rn and going for your bsn that sitting in lecture isn't necessary, but if going for you np....i'd like you to be diagnosing and treating a real person and not a dummy in a sim lab. i have a friend who is going for her doctorate.....she is researching the loss of "instinct" and "common sense" due to hands off training and sim labs and then impact to the profession.
i am very curious.....and you don't have to answer, why did you choose an online program?
i wish you the best.:loveya:

esme - love reading your posts and often agree with much of what you say. maybe i can offer some insight. at least from my perspective.

i am a 2005 ec graduate and am very proud of this. i choose this route because i needed to keep my full time job as an lpn, i had 2 young children and a husband that drove a semi and was gone much of the week. i have always referred to my ec diploma as my "midnight diploma". i could put the kids to be at 8, the house was quiet and i could begin studying..often times until midnight.

i tend to be an independent soul. (heck, back in the day before the internet i actually wrote my own divorce decree at the age of 22. dad told me i got myself into the mess, get myself out..so i did. but that's another thread ) i hate to rely on others and consider myself to be a self started. i actually loved the challenge of coming upon a concept that i just didn't understand and knowing it was up to me to teach it to myself or i would be unable to pass the test. i spent many nights looking up different internet sources until i got whatever subject drilled into my brain. (this actually makes an ec grad pretty resourceful and to be successful at this builds a lot of confidence in your abilities).

hands on experience? afraid to touch a patient? you are correct. i did not develop those in the ec program. this was developed during my 2 years as a aide and 19 years as an lpn. the ec program really only helped to define the clinical concepts that were not taught in detail in my lpn program. i knew "how" to do things really well as an lpn. i even knew "when" to do things as an lpn but i probably didn't always get "why" i was doing them. does that make sense? i can tell you, the ec program drills the critical thinking skills into your brain and without understanding critical thinking skills it would be impossible to pass their exams or complete the clinical testing component.

leadership skills/interpersonal skills: well some of this, i believe, it just an innate ability. some of us have it and some of us don't. some can be taught these and some could go thru a phd program and still not get it - think some drs we come in contact with. as an lpn i was a leader in my facility. i held positions most often reserved for the rn's such as staff development and mds coordinator. i got these positions because i consistently demonstrated leadership skills.

but, i got stuck. there is only so far one can go as a lpn and i had come to the point where i wanted more. my original intent was to leave ltc and go to acute care with my newly minted rn. i even got hired on an ortho floor at my local hospital but when it came time to go i just couldn't leave ltc. i've finally decided to just own it - it's who i am. currently i am a don and all because i stuck it out thru that ec program. i am well respected by all in my position (those "above" me and those "below" me). because of this, i am finding when i tell people where i graduated from it is often met with surprise but also respect. i now have 2 lpn floor nurses (both with years of experience and fantastic clinical skills) just starting the program. i plan to help them every step of the way and be their cheerleader.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jan 28, 2012

anyone else tired of the reaction that they get when the tell another nurse they are getting their rn online? sometimes i don't even want to tell anyone bc then i feel like i have to explain myself.

where can you get "your rn" on-line? i thought one had to graduate from an accredited school of nursing and then take the nclex-rn in order to be a registered nurse. or are talking about acquiring a registered nurse on-line? how does one do that?

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Jan 28, 2012

My alma mater has an online RN program. It's not an LPN-RN bridge, it's an ASN program. All lecture classes are online, with clinicals at various clinical sites. Students still have to take exams on-site, take the NLNs, maintain an adequate GPA, and pass the NCLEX.

UMass Boston and UMass Amherst have online RN-BSN programs. I'm not sure how they manage clinicals.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 28, 2012

UMass Boston and UMass Amherst have online RN-BSN programs. I'm not sure how they manage clinicals.

Most RN-BSN programs don't have clinicals in the same sense that a prelicensure program does. Clinicals in a RN-BSN program are more community based.

For an online RN-BSN program, the student may need to need to make their own clinical arrangements, and/or the requirements could be met at their place of employment.

frankie,RN · Jan 28, 2012

beachie, dont get too upset, i have your back. 1) none of these nurses that are putting your education down will ever put food on your table (unless they become your patient) so dont worry about what they have to say or even think about how you got yours. 2)the nln and your state bon have faith in you. 3)whoever esme12?? is- needs to come out of the 1960's. this is 2012. education in this world is totally different than it was 33-50 years ago. it is not 100% physical. i would say approx 45physical/55%mental. esmee12, even if you say it nicely or as intelligently as u can, you are still putting someones hard work down. be nice to Excelcior college grads- we may be your nurse one day.:)

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 28, 2012

Anyone else tired of the reaction that they get when the tell another nurse they are getting their RN online? Sometimes I don't even want to tell anyone bc then I feel like I have to explain myself.

If you don't like the reaction you get, IMO then don't explain it. It's less stress on you and you don't have to justify your choice of where you got your education to anyone except (if necessary) to your state BON.

Mind you, you may be forced to deal with attitudes and misconceptions/prejudices about online nursing programs once you start the job hunt. I'd suggest talking to your school to see if they have advice/tips on handling this when going on interviews.

BostonNurse2876 · Jan 28, 2012

Right,I think when people wonder about our type of nursing program they wonder where we are getting our clinical skills from. Well we have all been using our nursing skills since graduating and passing the boards for the LPN. Honestly, I work with almost all RNs and there is not much difference between us (in my setting anyways--homecare) I have worked with many RNs that have a vast knowledge of nursing and then sometimes I have more nursing knowledge in my pinky finger than they do. Just depends on the person. And again, once you get hired anywhere usually hospitals will have you go though a period of training in your unit for a min of 6 weeks (no matter where you got your degree from)

Merlyn · Jan 28, 2012

Anyone else tired of the reaction that they get when the tell another nurse they are getting their RN online? Sometimes I don't even want to tell anyone bc then I feel like I have to explain myself.

Hey your the one that you only have to please. If no one likes the idea that you are getting your RN on line, forget them( I would love to use the another,stronger phrase but I don't want to get banned) If RN on line programs were available when I was young and healthy, I would have my PHD by now. Back in 1960 or 61, they had an article in the Sunday Paper about 'The World of Tomorrow' it showed a city that was on the Moon. You could see flying cars and people in space suits out side of this guys apartment. He was doing push ups while looking at a computer screen. On the screen was a graph. The caption read "Going to College in the 21st Century". Well here it is the 2012. You are not on the Moon but you are going to college by computer. The only difference that I can see is that you don't have a teacher watching you all the time and you don't have football stars sleeping in the back of the classroom. More power to you!

allnurses Guide · Jan 28, 2012

I learned far more going through the hell of hands on clinicals than I did reading a textbook. It forced me to look at parts of myself that needed a boost of "grow up". I know it's totally out of fashion to talk that way but that's the way I feel. I feel the same about the brutal first year of residency out of medical school. What we go through is a cream puff compared to that.

That was my experience. I was 19 and had never worked anywhere near anything medical. Today's nursing students tend to draw from a more varied group age-wise and previous career wise, although some seem to have issues being a newbie again and want to critique the process to death.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jan 28, 2012

I learned far more going through the hell of hands on clinicals than I did reading a textbook. It forced me to look at parts of myself that needed a boost of "grow up".

I love this line! I am soooo stealing it for the next time I have to deal with someone (including myself) who could use a dose of that miraculous stuff. :)

emijen2girls · Jan 28, 2012

I hate to get in this battle but as an EC graduate I have to say that A) you have to have some clinical experience to be able to do the program (either have 1000 clinical hours from LPN school or paramedic or respiratory therapist), they do not just take people off the street and teach them over the computer to take care of people. B) I see student nurses all the time at work (acute care med-surg) and both the AS and BSN student do not do half what we had to do when I was at school...they spend more time doing care plans and talking and standing than giving bath, doing care and giving meds and thinking critically. Just my observation.