What is the DEAL with all the group projects?

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Dec 21, 2006

I hate group projects, and thankfully I only had to do one project while I was in school. It was the last semester, and I picked the coolest laid back friends of mine! So it was kinda cool. A little disjointed because we all did our part separately the day before the presentation, but cool none the less.

I think the point of them is to teach you how to deal with people in a teamwork environment. I work with people who I wouldn't necessarily choose to work with, but when my pt starts to crash, I may need thier help, and I'll need to know how to ask. They are trying to break you out of your shell....

BeccaznRN, RN · Dec 21, 2006

We've all been there. I'm fresh off of a community health project that was worth almost half of our final grade myself! I always found the key to successful group projects (or at least less stressful ones) is to pick the minimum number of group members. You may end up doing more work, but it is SO nice not having to coordinate with 4+ group members on how to divide work, when to meet, etc. etc. I completed my big community project with only one other group member, and it was a lot of work but it ended up working out so nice with just the two of us. And we got an A!

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 21, 2006

The "deal" with group projects is not only to give you the opportunities to practice and learn how to function within a group and as a team member, but to also learn to exercise skills in leadership, managment and communication. RNs are not just "hands-on" nurses. They become involved in any number of groups in the course of their professional careers: committees, special projects, staff meetings, supervision and leadership of various types of teams. Depending on the facility or organization where you will be working you may be called upon to head up special projects or, at the least, to be a member of such project teams. This is all part of being a member of a profession. The higher your training and designation, the more of this kind of activity that is expected of you.

Group behavior is a study within psychology. One of my first classes in my BSN completion program was a formal course in group behavior. It included several group projects, a term paper, reading of Eric Berne's book Games People Play and study and analysis of both interpersonal communication techniques and the behavior of individuals within groups.

If you are unconvinced this isn't serious subject matter as well as a skill that needs to be learned, read some of the posts in the First Year in Nursing and Geriatric and LTC forums where new or inexperienced charge nurses are having problems getting along with either co-workers or those they supervise. Your happiness and survival on a future job just may depend on any skills and experience you are able to absorb and learn from participation in class group projects. Like any school assignment, if there are problems, go to your instructors with the intention of seeking their assistance in strategies to get a project completed. I guarantee that during your nursing career you will butt heads with both patients and other nurses who will be difficult to interact with. In many cases, you will be called upon or expected to use your skills to "deal" with them. A lot of times the Buck is going to stop with you.

BoonersmomRN · Dec 21, 2006

I know...I get it ..it's just seems to me that if they want to teach us how to get along with others, diffuse situations with others who don't see our way, etc.....then they wouldn't allow groups to form themselves. Of COURSE friends are going to join up with friends! This community class allows us to form our own groups...as will OB.

Now in Psych I was given my partner...and wound up pulling 90% of the weight ( yes, we were given seperate grades). I don't feel I learned much from the experience other than to step it up because I had no choice...I refused to allow my grade to stink because she was a useless partner...if you know what I mean. Trying to get her to pull her weight...in a dignified manner..got me NO where. I finally had to go to the instructor about it.

But, still, 60% of the grade? Psych's presentation - which was an HOUR- was only 10%! I am nor concerned about my group not doing well...it's just a royal pain due to the extreme distance all of us live from one another, etc.

onduty23 · Dec 21, 2006

i had two groups this semester

and both were the worst experience in my entire nursing school

that semester is over now

and i graduate but those group project members almost made me lose it

*RubySlippers* · Dec 21, 2006

I took a online Art class and everything I had to do was a group project, why,,, why,,, why,,, the other students were from totally different areas and we had to get online together, no ones schedule worked it was awful, I hate group projects, I think it is easier for the teachers to grade 5 group projects instead of 20 student projects or more, depending on size of class and group. :angryfire My grades showed bad the projects were due to different opinions and understanding. I did end up with a B, but, my grade reflected other peoples work.

jemommyRN · Dec 21, 2006

I don't like group projects either, because it usually turns out that the other people (or most likely one person in particular) do not pull their weight and they get the same "good grade" as the rest of the group. I just don't like them.

Rosa2Little · Dec 21, 2006

The "deal" with group projects is not only to give you the opportunities to practice and learn how to function within a group and as a team member, but to also learn to exercise skills in leadership, managment and communication. RNs are not just "hands-on" nurses. They become involved in any number of groups in the course of their professional careers: committees, special projects, staff meetings, supervision and leadership of various types of teams. Depending on the facility or organization where you will be working you may be called upon to head up special projects or, at the least, to be a member of such project teams. This is all part of being a member of a profession. The higher your training and designation, the more of this kind of activity that is expected of you.
Group behavior is a study within psychology. One of my first classes in my BSN completion program was a formal course in group behavior. It included several group projects, a term paper, reading of Eric Berne's book Games People Play and study and analysis of both interpersonal communication techniques and the behavior of individuals within groups.
If you are unconvinced this isn't serious subject matter as well as a skill that needs to be learned, read some of the posts in the First Year in Nursing and Geriatric and LTC forums where new or inexperienced charge nurses are having problems getting along with either co-workers or those they supervise. Your happiness and survival on a future job just may depend on any skills and experience you are able to absorb and learn from participation in class group projects. Like any school assignment, if there are problems, go to your instructors with the intention of seeking their assistance in strategies to get a project completed. I guarantee that during your nursing career you will butt heads with both patients and other nurses who will be difficult to interact with. In many cases, you will be called upon or expected to use your skills to "deal" with them. A lot of times the Buck is going to stop with you.

With all due respect, the difference between nursing school projects and real world projects, is that in the real world if a team member is not pulling their weight and they do not produce, they will be the first to be let go.

In my past career I managed a multi-million dollar sales territory. I led a diverse team, comprised of an inside sales person, many engineers and a project manager. It took the input of every person to get the job done smoothly and have the client happy at the project completion. Should someone not pull their weight, the project would be compromised. This would result in a credit to the client for their inconvenience -- hitting my bottom line, and as a result my paycheck. :trout: I made darn sure I chose my team players carefully.

In nursing school we are often assigned to a team NOT of our choosing. I have yet to see any adverse repercussions for team members on group projects who do not pull their weight. While I agree that it is a valuable lesson to work in a team, I get very frustrated when my grade is adversely effected by slackers.

Sorry, but school group projects are my pet-peeve.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 21, 2006

with all due respect, the difference between nursing school projects and real world projects, is that in the real world if a team member is not pulling their weight and they do not produce, they will be the first to be let go.
in nursing school we are often assigned to a team not of our choosing. i have yet to see any adverse repercussions for team members on group projects who do not pull their weight. while i agree that it is a valuable lesson to work in a team, i get very frustrated when my grade is adversely effected by slackers.
sorry, but school group projects are my pet-peeve.

and, i don't have any dispute with what you are saying. however, many times you will have patients and co-workers not of your choosing either. you are going to get frustrated then also. an experienced person has confidence and skill to handle those situations and doesn't feel anywhere near the kind of frustration that comes out of an inability of not knowing how to handle a predicament. when the patient is the one who ultimately is going to be the one suffering the fallout as a result of serious personality conflicts, don't you think you at least owe them the effort to learn some strategies while you have educational mentors on hand to learn how to deal with these problems? no one likes problems. the world would be so nice if everything ran smoothly. but, the fact is that to collect those big time salaries and overtime bonuses that many rns are capable of making, you've got to be able to be problem solvers. when problems arise at 3am in the morning, some action needs to be taken right then and there in most healthcare situations involving patients and/or the nursing staff. or, one can go to work every day praying that these kinds of conflicts never come up because they don't know how in the world they would even begin to deal with them. hiding under a rock is no way to live a career!

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Dec 21, 2006

however, many times you will have patients and co-workers not of your choosing either.

amen! ain't that the truth...

Rosa2Little · Dec 21, 2006

and, i don't have any dispute with what you are saying. however, many times you will have patients and co-workers not of your choosing either. you are going to get frustrated then also. an experienced person has confidence and skill to handle those situations and doesn't feel anywhere near the kind of frustration that comes out of an inability of not knowing how to handle a predicament. when the patient is the one who ultimately is going to be the one suffering the fallout as a result of serious personality conflicts, don't you think you at least owe them the effort to learn some strategies while you have educational mentors on hand to learn how to deal with these problems? no one likes problems. the world would be so nice if everything ran smoothly. but, the fact is that to collect those big time salaries and overtime bonuses that many rns are capable of making, you've got to be able to be problem solvers. when problems arise at 3am in the morning, some action needs to be taken right then and there in most healthcare situations involving patients and/or the nursing staff. or, one can go to work every day praying that these kinds of conflicts never come up because they don't know how in the world they would even begin to deal with them. hiding under a rock is no way to live a career!

of course. you will sometimes have co-workers, clients and even bosses who are less than pleasurable to deal with. you smile, roll up your sleeves and deal with it -- the adversity should remain unseen to the client/patient. however, we do have a choice in the situations we place ourselves in most of the time and in our response to that situation. in the work environment, my compensation was based on 100% of the result of the group effort... i chose my group carefully. the original poster's complaint (valid, imho) was that the group project represented 60% of the grade. in the real world, if my compensation were based on a variable that was 60% beyond my control, it would not be a situation i would choose. hence, accept employment elsewhere.

one more point... as a manager, it is far easier to hire the right people to comprise the team, than to let the wrong people go. i have had that unpleasant task on my plate, and i will taking hiring over firing any day!!