What's a seminar?

Dratz · Jul 25, 2006

You get to choose your classes? I think a seminar is where you get together to discuss the lecture. The labs are where you get to practice your skills ie: bedmaking, injections etc. Can't you choose both a lab and a seminar? I guess I am stumped as to why they would let a first year rookie nursing student choose his/her own classes when they have no idea what anything in nursing is about yet. Maybe someone can explain that to me as well???

tookewlandy · Jul 25, 2006

i did not get to chose my classes, i got to chose the section, but ot the classes.

nemesis · Jul 25, 2006

When I said "I was trying to choose my courses," I meant selecting them online to register for them. The courses are already chosen. Guess I should have been more clear.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2006

It sounds to me as if that is just your college's way of using language. A seminar is nothing more than a lecture. It seems to me that what you have there are nursing classes that have (1) a lecture part, which your school is calling a seminar, and (2) a clinical part, which your school is calling a lab. You usually have to chose one of each to get full credit for the class. I would imagine the computer won't let you complete your registration in a class without choosing one seminar and one lab for each class that lists these. It's like biology or chemistry where you have a lecture and a lab. Nursing classes are usually set up the same way. At first, your nursing labs are in the school in a mock hospital unit where you learn how to do basic nursing care. In more advanced nursing classes those labs become clinical experiences where you actually go to hospitals to work with actual patients.

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Aug 6, 2006

getting the most out of a seminar or class

great advice, especially for new nursing students!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Aug 9, 2006

I'm trying to choose my first yr. nursing courses. Some courses involve a seminar and a lab component after a lecture, and I have to choose one of those components. But I'm not too sure what a seminar is. I think it involves discussions about the class, but just want to clarify. Does it matter whether you choose a seminar or a lab? Is one better than the other?

Fundamentals in my school meant one lecture time slot, one lab time slot, and one clinical time slot for each course chosen. So you'd have to register for all three individually. Your school may or may not "catch" if you DON'T register correctly, but you surely don't want to NOT be registered for a required component!

We kept our lab classes for a full year, along with our clinical assignments. Then, next year, no labs but we had to find the time to use the skills lab for practice on our own.

If you are still in doubt after reading this, please check with your nursing advisor--he or she will certainly know what you should be registering for.