What would you change about your nursing school?

S.N. Visit, BSN, RN · Jun 16, 2005

The grading scale. I'd also like a better pick of classes to choose from. (I hate that I will have 2 1/2 hours between my last two classes next term with at least 20 minute breaks between all the other classes, I'd like to serve my time and go home to my family Being there from 7 a.m - 5 p.m is gonna suck!!!)

Sheri257 · Jun 16, 2005

What would I change in nursing school? Lots of things:

Give us extra days in clinical, cut lectures on psychobabble. Too much time is wasted on gobble-de-gook.

Get the administrators and the instructors to become better organized. Don't pile on assignments the last six weeks of the semester because you've fallen behind on the cirriculum.

Eliminate the adversarial atmosphere. Don't pile on test after test, clinical practicals, plus final exams all in the last week of school ... then tell us that nursing is stress and we better suck it up and deal with it.

Spend less time on care plan paperwork assignments, which force us to spend more than half the day in the charts, and spend more time getting our skills honed in clinical. If possible, alternate care plan assignments to every other week so we can at least get some days where we concentrate more on skills while we're in the hospital.

Make better use of lab time. Too often you're rushed during skills lab, don't really know and practice the skill yet, and then you're suddenly expected to do it in the hospital.

Let me float on the floor, if necessary, to get my skills. Too often your assigned patients don't need things done that you need to learn as a student. I can always find RN's willing to teach skills if you would give me more flexibility on the floor.

Quit screwing around on tests: If you say something's not on the test, then don't put it on the test. If you say something is on the test, then put it there. Quit misleading us and be honest about the material we're supposed to know ... rather than forcing us to play this guessing game.

Try to consider the fact that we're human beings and that we do need some sleep. When you've got us running seven days a week, there's little time to actually study and learn.

I can probably think of more ... but that just about covers it.

:coollook:

AussieKylie · Jun 16, 2005

Here here, I am so with you Lizz, hooray

lunakat · Jun 16, 2005

get the nursing office better organized , so that the instructors are all on the same page. Also the schedule you register with the college (be it morning lecture/clinical) should match up to what your getting from the nursing office. We really didn't like the suprise that some of us were being forced into night classess we hadn't registered for. Also having a whole semster of peds, they spend so much time telling us they are not mini adults then only give us 4 clinical days for peds and jam it all in the same semster with OB and psych! also would like to have psych one semester only not part here and part there... Ok enough ranting :rolleyes:

teelee · Jun 16, 2005

I went to Diploma School of nursing about 25 years ago. It was the best of both worlds. Courses like Micro and A&P were through the local community college.

I do wish we had more about evidence finding and research.(should get that with my MSN work)

Clinical time was not a problem, 2 weeks of school had us in the hospital giving AM cares to patients 3 days a week. By last semester 3days staffing hospital and 2 days in the classroom.

#1rnstudent · Jun 16, 2005

I'd change the faculty and I would change the admission criteria. My school practically lets in anyone (meaning people who don't really care about being a nurse but it was the only program/school they could get into). It's frustrating to work one's a$$ off at school and look around to see almost everyone else NOT doing the work and NOT caring about it either way... AND then to see those lazy people passed on every semester!

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jun 16, 2005

I'd like to eliminate having the clinical instructors also be our advisors. They are never there in the day time because they are busy teaching clinicals, and at night forget it, they are so tired and irritable that it discourages anyone to visit them.

Let the students know who is teaching the course before you sign up for it. (Some instructors must avoided at all costs :chuckle)....and they know that so the school will not let you know anything. You find out the first day of class by which time it is too late to drop the class because all of the others are saturated :rolleyes:

Eliminate some nonsense classes like public speaking, in exchange for something that we would really use in the field. (Didn't learn anything in that course other than to write 5 speeches...wow :stone )

Modify Intermediate algebra class. Make it more like how to approach word problems and conversion factors etc..; rather than what is the square root of the invisible letter to the tenth power of....(Ok, I exaggerated a bit, but you get the point :chuckle). If I cannot see it and will be of any use to me later on, please don't offer it. :uhoh3:

Change the fact that everyday the teachers or staff must point out that "not all qualified candidate will be offered a spot in the program because of limited space".....(Ok we get it by now)..........only leading to frustration and more competitivness in the students. To the point that some feel the need to step over whoever and whenever they need to, just to make it in and not you: back stabbin, making other look bad, etc :rolleyes: (sorry, just a rant on that one)

I can keep going....but I shall stop

Take care all of you,

Jessica

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Jun 16, 2005

I'd change the faculty and I would change the admission criteria. My school practically lets in anyone (meaning people who don't really care about being a nurse but it was the only program/school they could get into). It's frustrating to work one's a$$ off at school and look around to see almost everyone else NOT doing the work and NOT caring about it either way... AND then to see those lazy people passed on every semester!

That is not the case in my school, but I can definetly see your point. It is sad, especially when you are working so hard to fulfill a goal or dream. Hang in there, you are a survivor

Jessica

#1rnstudent · Jun 17, 2005

I'd like to eliminate having the clinical instructors also be our advisors. They are never there in the day time because they are busy teaching clinicals, and at night forget it, they are so tired and irritable that it discourages anyone to visit them.

Excellent point! I totally agree with that! And brilliant idea to let US pick who we want to teach us. Nursing school is definately NOT nursing, it's harder. I think they do that on purpose because nursing itself is an incredible job and the powers that be don't want "just anyone" to make it. I just hafta keep smiling and nodding and lay low. Smile and nod... smile and nod... :rolleyes:

dave1117 · Jun 17, 2005

We need more woman in our program... Right now it is only about 92% female, I don't like those odds. To many guys...:chuckle