What do you wish you were told on the first day?

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What do you wish you were told on the first day? My students have already been through orientation, but I would love to find some great ways to break the ice and to encourage them. I want them to know that if they work hard, they can succeed. What have you been told that was helpful/encouraging? What do you wish you had been told?

Specializes in IMCU.
I started at a community college before transferring to a university.

At the community college, I felt like the instructors tried to scare us. Things were said like, "You'd might as well drop out now." and "Not all of you will make it."

At the university, we were told from day one, "You can do it. You're all family now and your goal is to make sure that EVERYONE passes. You need each other. You're smart and have a lot to offer, or else you wouldn't have made it this far."

And you know what? At the community college, everyone was very clique-y and we did not feel united at all and it wasn't a comforting environment. At the university, I feel like we are all united and there are no cliques. It's a nice atmosphere. I think that is owed to the teachers who from the start told us they believed in us. I don't think scare tactics do anyone a bit of good.

Very interesting. I am at a tech college and one of our instructors also works at the state U's School of Nursing. She said that faculty at the U referred to their students as the best of the best. Not so the faculty at our college. She thought it was awful. We love her because she always says "you are the nurse...now what are you going to do next". She really empowers us and says we are awfully smart.

Treat people like idiots and they will be idiots. Treat the like the best of the best and watch them fly.........

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.
I don't understand his line of thinking. I'm a parent who thankfully has an unusually situation where my husband works a weekend night shift, so worrying about babysitters is not something I have to deal with. I'm confused at the anger and sort of venom I see coming forth on these boards when another person's issues are being discussed. Who cares? Why does it make you so angry? Just deal with yourself and don't worry about it. I can't understand it.

My view on it is that I do have to worry about it when its someone in my clinical group that consistently shows up late EVERY SINGLE CLINICAL and puts more work on us because of her lateness. Lateness because she wouldn't get up early enough to take her daughter to the babysitter and then got stuck in traffic. If you're getting stuck in traffic at the same time each day for 2 semesters then LEAVE EARLIER! After 2 semesters of constantly being late to class and clinical because she can't get her life in order and thinks that her issues are more important than the rest of us, you do get a bit of anger and annoyance toward that person.

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My view on it is that I do have to worry about it when its someone in my clinical group that consistently shows up late EVERY SINGLE CLINICAL and puts more work on us because of her lateness. Lateness because she wouldn't get up early enough to take her daughter to the babysitter and then got stuck in traffic. If you're getting stuck in traffic at the same time each day for 2 semesters then LEAVE EARLIER! After 2 semesters of constantly being late to class and clinical because she can't get her life in order and thinks that her issues are more important than the rest of us, you do get a bit of anger and annoyance toward that person.

What kind of school is this? There are numerous posts on here where one maybe two tardys and you are out of the program. Is this accurate that the person is late every single clinical for two semesters? What is the school's guideline? You are angry at the wrong person IMO and should be angry at your school or the instructor for allowing it. Do you get angry when someone gets a failing grade because they didn't study? Probably not because that is their problem well the same can hold true here. This person instead of not studying is a "late" person. There are people like that and they will always be consistently late no matter how early they wake up. Is it upsetting and disrupting your group...yes....but why is the instructor or school allowing it. That is where I would be angry because I am paying good money to come here and then they allow this to happen for two semesters. Your comments also lead me to believe that you don't have children and if that is so, one day you may realize oh....there is more than just I didn't get up in time to take my child and was in traffic. Again, it doesn't matter what the reasons are. Why is it allowed?

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Specializes in IMCU.
What kind of school is this? There are numerous posts on here where one maybe two tardys and you are out of the program. Is this accurate that the person is late every single clinical for two semesters? What is the school's guideline? You are angry at the wrong person IMO and should be angry at your school or the instructor for allowing it. Do you get angry when someone gets a failing grade because they didn't study? Probably not because that is their problem well the same can hold true here. This person instead of not studying is a "late" person. There are people like that and they will always be consistently late no matter how early they wake up. Is it upsetting and disrupting your group...yes....but why is the instructor or school allowing it. That is where I would be angry because I am paying good money to come here and then they allow this to happen for two semesters. Your comments also lead me to believe that you don't have children and if that is so, one day you may realize oh....there is more than just I didn't get up in time to take my child and was in traffic. Again, it doesn't matter what the reasons are. Why is it allowed?

I agree that allowing constant tardiness is a awful. We had a woman that was frequently late -- by more than 15 minutes (not that the no. of minutes really matters). One day she came nearly an hour late. When asked what the problem was she said she thought we started at 7.30 (for 9 weeks we had been starting at 7am). The instructor pointed out that it was 7.50. So even if we had been starting at 7.30am she was still late. I just had to laugh. She still passed clinicals.

I think it is a fair remark about children. This idea that someone has to walk a mile in a mother's (or father's) shoes and no one can possibly understand their issues doesn't wash with me. I have my own problems and I get to class and clinicals on time, don't interrupt pre-clinical conferences by coming in late (or tests for that matter). I look after a family member and it is quite labor intensive, they freak out when I go to leave the house despite a caretaker being present. I pay much more per hour for their care than a daycare for a child or even a one-on-one babysitter for a child costs. Blah blah blah -- cry me a river and all that. So, even if my fellow students do not have kids I have no idea what they contend with. All I know is they need to sort it out and not bring it to school or seek excuses for lateness/late assignments (fill in the blank). When someone is consistently late, regardless of their circumstances, it is a choice.

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1) Get ready for the high school drama: the "cliques", the "friends" that NEED to register for the same section in clinicals. The gossipy-backstabbing ones that can ruin it for everyone are GUARANTEED to be in your class.

2) The "I'm an EMT" or "I work in a doctor's office" individuals that challenge the teacher on subjects that they think they have all the knowledge of. If they did, the said EMT/office employee would be teaching.

3) The fresh out of high school students that think they're still in high school. "Oh wow, Amanda's having a party tonight. I'm going!" WHO CARES?

Are you kidding me?! I was hoping to get away from those type of people after high school.

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Specializes in IMCU.
Are you kidding me?! I was hoping to get away from those type of people after high school.

I have met 70 year old women who still behave like they are in high school -- it is a mess out there.

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4. The instructors are there to help you. But if you get one instructor mad at you, you often end up with many of them mad at you. Be nice to the instructors and they will be nice to you.

Excellent advice! Some instructors need to read that, particularly the first 7 words. I'm just starting next month. I will have 3 instructors, 2 full time and 1 part time. I have already been told by current and past students, "If you have a question, ask Dana. If you ask Shannon questions, it will only put you on her bad side and she'll make your life hell".

Um, so, we're not going to be allowed to ask Shannon questions at all? Geez.

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Are you kidding me?! I was hoping to get away from those type of people after high school.

Forget it. I think college students are WORSE.

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