What should they teach in nursing school but don't. What do they teach but shouldn't?

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My impression of nursing school based on my very limited experience is that there are many things taught that while perhaps not a waste of time are none the less perhaps not the best possible use of that time. If you were made the supreme overlord of nursing school curricula what things would you delete? Conversely, what things would you add both in terms of content and methodology (perhaps you would teach the same stuff but would do so in a different manner). Could nursing schools today implement your ideas (if they wanted to) or would they be prevented by accredidation bodies from straying from approved curriculum?

From a 45 year old finishing my ADN. Like virtually any degree offered by almost all colleges its just a money making opportunity for the college. Let me explain:

Colleges offer classes, some required, some elective. They make a lota money on these classes. Most of it is used for administration pay and to cover their losses in the various sports programs they need (?) to support, football, basketball, lacrosse, field hockey, etc... Are these classes really necessary to perform at an entry level in the career you have chosen? Questionable. Take nursing for an example. There is an entry exam to the career of nursing that all nurses must take, (NCLEX) (The Boards). It is very conceivable that anyone with the right study materials, (Kaplan), could pass this exam with flying colors. Of course the nursing field has made it a requirement that you have a nursing degree to pass it. But, I have been having some interesting conversation with hospital hiring managers, (nurses), who tell me that they "expect me to have no nursing knowledge" on hire date, because they have preceptorships or training programs where "they will train me every thing I need to know". Virtually every hospital nurse I have talked to have expressed there very little expectation in nurse grads, some have even expressed their down right disgust in the minimal skills and knowledge new nursing grads have.

The whole college degree program is just a big scam made to make more money for colleges and pay the salaries of nursing instructors who are burned out of doing real nursing or are incompetent of doing real nursing, remember the old saying "those who can not do - teach".

If there is one saving grace to nursing school it would be the clinicals where at least you learn real world hands on procedures. Of course that is the way nurses used to be trained - Hospital Diplomas - Which produced a lota great nurses and with none of the college BS and I do mean B.S.

WOW! This takes me back to the "I can train a chimp to do a nurse's work" mentality. Nursing is much more than giving meds and taking vital signs. It's no wonder we aren't viewed as a profession when even our own see education as a waste of time.

I agree that nursing schools should look at how best to prepare nurses for reality, but much of the content is intended to teach critical thinking and problem solving. It takes a lot of foundation to "grow" those skills.

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I am interested in what you (especially those who posted who are instructors and BSNers) really think about the ADN, BSN ,MSN education offered through schools such as University of Phoenix, Excelsior and Indiana State (online)

I have been teaching in a variety of roles for ADN programs for 13 years (with a BSN and additional education courses). They have needed me because many advanced degree nurses (MSN) are not available or unwilling to accept the salary (I take a major cut in pay to teach). I finally took a permanent position at the CC and must get my MSN within 3 years.

I started in a self-directed, distance learning program but found I could not finish as quickly as I wanted - so transfered to University of Phoenix. I am in my 5th course and plan to finish next August. I can say without reservation that I am working harder and learning more than I ever did in a classroom. Anyone who dares to suggest that these type of programs are "buying your degree" is so mistaken! For each 3-credit class I spend at least 16-30 hours a week researching and responding online. In addition, I spend nearly every Saturday writing formal papers and creating presentations. I know that by the time I graduate I will have experienced a full and valuable nursing education.

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WOW! This takes me back to the "I can train a chimp to do a nurse's work" mentality. Nursing is much more than giving meds and taking vital signs. It's no wonder we aren't viewed as a profession when even our own see education as a waste of time.

I agree that nursing schools should look at how best to prepare nurses for reality, but much of the content is intended to teach critical thinking and problem solving. It takes a lot of foundation to "grow" those skills.

Agreed - it truly is a shame. I will never understand why so many nurses seem to be ashamed of being educated. They want to be the "blue collar workforce". I, for one, went to college and earned a degree because I wanted more from my career than that, and I chose nursing because it seemed intellectually challenging, yet professional, and I liked the diversity available within the profession. At the time, I did not think that I was alone in looking for professionalism in nursing - I thought nurses were just like any other college grads. I thought all nurses expected to be treated as professionals. That is the one aspect of my career decision I wish someone had warned me about beforehand. I may have chosen differently. [even through school, our professors drilled it into us - you are professionals - never did they mention that nurses were the red-headed stepchildren of healthcare - never to be thought of as true professionals, just "trained monkeys"].

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My impression of nursing school based on my very limited experience is that there are many things taught that while perhaps not a waste of time are none the less perhaps not the best possible use of that time.

I dunno...I think that what I learned in nursing school - all of it - was a critical foundation that may not have been the most exciting string of lessons, but I need(ed) to know all of it in order to make my decisions now as a nurse. The critical thinking is what I learned as a student nurse (as a job, not through school) and by just being in certain situations. It's not really something you could teach a class on, to a certain extent. You have to be in the moment and see which decisions work and which don't. Knowing about Florence Nightingale is something every nurse should know about...Clara Barton too. And just look at Maslow..again, not exciting, but crucial. So I am not sure I would change much except to STRONGLY suggest a student get a student nurse or student tech job at a local hospital, because clinicals just aren't enough.

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Specializes in Government.

I don't know if they even teach this anymore, but I found much of the "nursing diagnosis" training a colossal waste of time. I don't mean objective documentation, which is critical. I mean overly academic parsing of what nurses do. I realize there was a good intent behind it but I'd have rather had more pharmacology.

I wish we'd learned phlebotomy. That would have been helpful. For some reason that was not in our curriculum of an otherwise outstanding program. I got a lot of IV starts but no training on lab draws.

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I too am a graduate of a diploma program of nursing,we had clinicals at least 3-4 times a week for 3 months at a time. When we went to Ob we were there 3 months on differnet floors we had more than one patient and we were doing modified care plans this was before the nursing process. In my LPN school we worked the floor as staff couldnt give medications at all and still had class. Now here in Ky the graduates have to be a cna before applying to the program and after they graduate they apply to the hospital where they are suppose to precept them. Ok what is wrong with this picture? I now am an instructor in an LPN program and they are on the floor 2 days per week form 8-4 learning what i might ask? and they are supposed to be functional after graduation? I am reading all these thread and I am getting information about how not to instruct. We do group test on occasion and the students learn more from each other than me standing up in front of the class yapping. I havent used power point because i dont know how yet, but I am learning. I dont know what the future holds for nursing education , but keep those thread coming I will learn from them.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

i started in a self-directed, distance learning program but found i could not finish as quickly as i wanted - so transfered to university of phoenix... anyone who dares to suggest that these type of programs are "buying your degree" is so mistaken! for each 3-credit class i spend at least 16-30 hours a week researching and responding online. in addition, i spend nearly every saturday writing formal papers and creating presentations. i know that by the time i graduate i will have experienced a full and valuable nursing education.

i am curious about your 'self-directed' distance learning program, as i was in one too, and did not like the style. it had traditional semesters, but the course work was not at all interactive. so i would not say i was buying a degree, but rather buying the curriculum to teach myself. so i went back to the traditional msn program.

i too have heard, that u of p is rather intense.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
i don't know if they even teach this anymore, but i found much of the "nursing diagnosis" training a colossal waste of time. i don't mean objective documentation, which is critical. i mean overly academic parsing of what nurses do. i realize there was a good intent behind it but i'd have rather had more pharmacology.

i wish we'd learned phlebotomy. that would have been helpful. for some reason that was not in our curriculum of an otherwise outstanding program. i got a lot of iv starts but no training on lab draws.

i agree about the nursing diagnoses...complete waste of time!! (i think they still do teach it).

in my hospital based-adn program, we only learned skills that nurses in that hospital did. no iv's, blood drawss. didn't even learn ng insertions or male foley's (catholic hospital- women did not do it?!?!? :uhoh3: ).

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Specializes in CICu, ICU, med-surg.
I agree about the nursing diagnoses...complete waste of time!! (I think they still do teach it).

As a current nursing student, I can tell you that nursing diagnoses are alive and well (unfortunately)! :chuckle

I'm loving this thread. Really interesting to hear from you experienced folks what you feel is important for students to learn in school.

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I am currently in my second year of the rn program, and the one thing that needs to be present, that can not be taught, is maturity. I think that an interview process should be mandated for all nursing applicants.

In terms of teaching gaps, here they are using the pbl system, which quickly shows who is up to the task and who is not.

What is the "pbl" system? Where did it come from and what are it's relative strengths and weaknesses? Are there any other professions, trades, or skills that utilize this approach? Thanks.

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Specializes in ER, PED'S, NICU, CLINICAL M., ONCO..

I found that we, Nurses, suffer a lack of ethics. We're prone to gossip. We're so competitive that we could conclude that for a Nurse there is nothing worst than another Nurse.

I think we should be taught to respect one another as professionals, as coo of a tremendous emotional and suffered profession as we have. We should be taught not to judge one another. We should be taught the ability of placing ourselves in the skin of others before to elaborate any judgement before jumping on the professional sand.

The hate to the other is our fate.txt

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What is the "pbl" system? Where did it come from and what are it's relative strengths and weaknesses? Are there any other professions, trades, or skills that utilize this approach? Thanks.

pbl is "problem based learning" Our nursing "teachers" do not teach or lecture, rather, the students are responsible to find out all of the information required. The learning is brought to the classes via case scenarios where group process is applied. It has been implemented in adult learning classes since the 1970's. one weakness is the fact that some of your learning must come from others. this is where the problems occur. Some people do not put the same effort into obtaining the information required. A little notation or story from the internet and they are done. where there are some who spend quality time researching information and bring it to class to share it. A strength is you can get alot of varied information from different perspectives.

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