I really don't concern myself with what other people in my class do, and how they do doesn't affect me...but...It seems almost common for people in my class to laugh and joke about how they've forgotten stuff from the past semester, the past test, or even the past week. They use their friends old careplans or copy them from online or from each other. It's almost scary in clinical when they have no idea what they're doing, like giving Digoxin even if a pt has a HR of say 40, or they have no idea what Lasix is(these are 2nd semester students who have already taken Pharm)...the teacher has to basically babysit them. But half of them get teachers that do EVERYTHING for them, and give them a satisfactory on a careplan that makes no sense. True story, one student's patient hurt their knee after playing sports and their primary dx was "ineffective airway clearance r/t chronic pain" 2nd dx was "impaired gas exchange r/t ineffective airway clearance" . The patient was breathing fine...and they got a satisfactory! Their first intervention was to educate the patient on something irrelevant. These are the same students who constantly talk about ,"Oh I'll never clean poop or do ADL's when I graduate". I'm just gonna be a CRNA and make 200k a year. In clincal they make fun of their patients sometimes, or lie on charting. A lot of them admit that they guess on the tests or have the answers from other ppl who already took the class. Some teachers have caught onto this and changed tests, but others are still slipping by with it. What really gets me, some of them get internships because their parents work at the hospital, and I haven't gotten one and I've been trying for a year now. There's the one thing that I don't like about my program, inconsistency. Some clinical instructors really do teach and expose students to things and grade meticulously. Other instructors let them leave early and give passing grades for just being there doing nothing. But I promise I hear this phrase on a daily basis,"You don't need to learn anything at all til you graduate, I just want a C...who cares about an A". Keep in mind, this isn't my whole class...just about 30% of them. 75 out the 130 ppl passed med/surg this semester, but about 20 of those who did pass...laughed and said,"I dunno how I did it! I just guessed!" A majority of them who fail blame it on the teacher...the med/surg teacher we had was REALLY good, but she didn't baby us like they wanted. But Why do some people aim so low and think nursing is a joke? Almost makes me mad when people pass who really just shouldn't..
And I know there are posts silimar to this, and people might think I'm just saying it without reason. But people show each other their grades online..and when they get a 2 out of 10 on a quiz..doesn't make sense to pull an 80 on a test with no studying..then you ask them what was on the test, they have NO clue and laugh. Or they fail each test during the semester and pull an 82 on the final and pass when you can still smell alcohol on them...the program is good, but there are those students who just I dunno.
It's almost scary in clinical when they have no idea what they're doing, like giving Digoxin even if a pt has a HR of say 40, or they have no idea what Lasix is(these are 2nd semester students who have already taken Pharm)...the teacher has to basically babysit them. ...
These are the same students who constantly talk about ,"Oh I'll never clean poop or do ADL's when I graduate". I'm just gonna be a CRNA and make 200k a year. In clincal they make fun of their patients sometimes, or lie on charting. ...
But I promise I hear this phrase on a daily basis,"You don't need to learn anything at all til you graduate, I just want a C...who cares about an A". ... A majority of them who fail blame it on the teacher... But Why do some people aim so low and think nursing is a joke? Almost makes me mad when people pass who really just shouldn't..
Wow! l really wish that all the new grads we hire were more like you! :heartbeat
I am a nurse educator for a large health care system - we probably hire ~ 600 new grads a year. We end up having to cope with the problems you have identified among your fellow students. We individualize orientation based on PBDS Assessment findings. So - we have actual measurements (empirical data) that reveals exactly how safe, skilled, and knowledgeable the individual is. Only 25% of the new grads we have hired are considered "safe" to work without close supervision. The majority cannot even identify problems as well as the average lay person; classic example - mistaking cardiac chest pain for an anxiety attack (seriously)
These unprepared new grads are also the ones that we simply cannot 'afford'. The economy is in the dumper - healthcare reimbursement is at an all time low and sinking fast. In this bleak environment, we cannot afford to keep anyone in a "shadowing" role - with no meaningful contribution to patient care - for extended periods of time.
Personal integrity is an absolute requirement for nursing. People trust us with their lives. Character doesn't change - people who cheat or 'fake' their way through school don't magically change when they begin their first job. Falsification of clinical documentation will result in termination, no matter where they are working.
Hang on to your ideals and don't compromise your integrity. We (prospective employers) are eager to hire new nurses with your qualities! I also want you reassure you - that there will be consequences for the slackers. To utilize one of my favorite quotes from the Desiderata: "And whether or not it is clear to you - no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. "
Students have to have clinical instructors with them when passing meds. Although your classmates may do this once on their own, I doubt this actually happened. The pt, would likely die or be severely symptomatic if the HR were lowered beyond this point.
Well the first time we passed meds yea she was with us. But most of the time she wouldn't go with us. We do accuchecks, all injections, PO meds, wound care(usually with another student too), etc. alone. Anything IV she would have to be there like a push, starting one, or any invasive procedure as well. Yet if it were a med like that, she'd make you give her a set of vital signs and stuff before you passed anything. And when the student told her the HR, the teacher asked her if she was still gonna give it, and the student said,"hmmm yes?" and the teacher wrote her up for it and explained why not. The teacher we had was awesome, she was the only one I know of who made you give her full report, and you had to answer anything about what your patient was doing or had done in the past 24 hrs, where they will be going that day, what tests were ordered, what the labs were doing... But again with the inconsistency, other teachers would show up an hour late, and have the students just watch the nurse all day, and not do anything hands on..just shadow and never ask any questions. Which is why they would use their careplans over and over.
But you're all correct in saying I shouldn't be concerned with them, unless they're my nurse one day. I mean I'm 22, and I actually enjoy learning about something. I have a friend who works PACU and Pediatric ICU on the weekends, and that's pretty much all we talk about...new stuff in the world of nursing. She gives me tips and advice about what I can do to make stuff easier. I like the feeling of being able to know something and understand it, and explain it to others. I've helped her study for her CCRN, although I don't know much at all about what's in that book, but it's fun hearing about it. I just wish I could get an internship haha. That's another story though, I'm going to call the Nurse Manager tomorrow to see if she's made a decision. She told me to call after January 1st and see. Although the interview wasn't even one, she just took me on a tour and didn't ask me one question...oh well we'll see
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
I really don't concern myself with what other people in my class do, and how they do doesn't affect me...but...It seems almost common for people in my class to laugh and joke about how they've forgotten stuff from the past semester, the past test, or even the past week. They use their friends old careplans or copy them from online or from each other. It's almost scary in clinical when they have no idea what they're doing, like giving Digoxin even if a pt has a HR of say 40, or they have no idea what Lasix is(these are 2nd semester students who have already taken Pharm)...the teacher has to basically babysit them. But half of them get teachers that do EVERYTHING for them, and give them a satisfactory on a careplan that makes no sense. True story, one student's patient hurt their knee after playing sports and their primary dx was "ineffective airway clearance r/t chronic pain" 2nd dx was "impaired gas exchange r/t ineffective airway clearance" . The patient was breathing fine...and they got a satisfactory! Their first intervention was to educate the patient on something irrelevant. These are the same students who constantly talk about ,"Oh I'll never clean poop or do ADL's when I graduate". I'm just gonna be a CRNA and make 200k a year. In clincal they make fun of their patients sometimes, or lie on charting. A lot of them admit that they guess on the tests or have the answers from other ppl who already took the class. Some teachers have caught onto this and changed tests, but others are still slipping by with it. What really gets me, some of them get internships because their parents work at the hospital, and I haven't gotten one and I've been trying for a year now. There's the one thing that I don't like about my program, inconsistency. Some clinical instructors really do teach and expose students to things and grade meticulously. Other instructors let them leave early and give passing grades for just being there doing nothing. But I promise I hear this phrase on a daily basis,"You don't need to learn anything at all til you graduate, I just want a C...who cares about an A". Keep in mind, this isn't my whole class...just about 30% of them. 75 out the 130 ppl passed med/surg this semester, but about 20 of those who did pass...laughed and said,"I dunno how I did it! I just guessed!" A majority of them who fail blame it on the teacher...the med/surg teacher we had was REALLY good, but she didn't baby us like they wanted. But Why do some people aim so low and think nursing is a joke? Almost makes me mad when people pass who really just shouldn't..
And I know there are posts silimar to this, and people might think I'm just saying it without reason. But people show each other their grades online..and when they get a 2 out of 10 on a quiz..doesn't make sense to pull an 80 on a test with no studying..then you ask them what was on the test, they have NO clue and laugh. Or they fail each test during the semester and pull an 82 on the final and pass when you can still smell alcohol on them...the program is good, but there are those students who just I dunno.
Seems to me that all the above that the people in your class are doing does affect and concern you or wouldn't have written such a long and detailed post about it! My suggestion. . .become an instructor yourself and eventually a program director so you have the power and authority to put a stop to this from happening in another program that you will run and have responsibility over. That is the only way to assure that things will be done your way.
Good advice, I have thought about being a clinical instructor and still working. My psych clinical instructor is a nurse manager at another hospital while she still taught. And my med/surg instructor still works on the floor on different days.
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
Good advice, I have thought about being a clinical instructor and still working. My psych clinical instructor is a nurse manager at another hospital while she still taught. And my med/surg instructor still works on the floor on different days.
You're only seeing this as a student. When I became a supervisor and manager I saw this kind of stuff in much greater proportions. I finally decided that it was probably why I got made a supervisor and many of these kinds of people never will. I used to think that everyone went into nursing for the altruist reason of wanting to help others. Boy! Was I wrong. Getting into positions of authority will give you some power to act and make changes. It also gives you the vision to see that not all behavior can be changed unfortunately and that some behaviors must be prioritized because they are more important than others. Keep in mind that, in general, the only behavior we can change is our own.
You're only seeing this as a student. When I became a supervisor and manager I saw this kind of stuff in much greater proportions. I finally decided that it was probably why I got made a supervisor and many of these kinds of people never will. I used to think that everyone went into nursing for the altruist reason of wanting to help others. Boy! Was I wrong. Getting into positions of authority will give you some power to act and make changes. It also gives you the vision to see that not all behavior can be changed unfortunately and that some behaviors must be prioritized because they are more important than others. Keep in mind that, in general, the only behavior we can change is our own.
The same reason why American products are substandard these days. The same reason why our automotive industry is suffering.. The union is to blame to a degree, the status quo, dont advocate advances in technology or change for effiency. If we fail the government will bail us out, so why do anything other than the bare mininum.
This is the mentality of our society now apparently.
The things you have mentioned in this post are oh so sad, but oh so true. I am in my second semester, and see the same thing all the time. But the truth is: you cannot change or control other people. I personally seek to be a good nurse and to provide quality care to my patients, so I spend many a day studying, seeing a tutor, or getting extra lab help if and when I need it. I'm even thinking about volunteering at the local health dpt just to get some extra hands-on clinical experience. I take nursing very seriously, and have every intention of being a good nurse. But some of your (and my) classmates could care less about this...they sleep in class, cheat on tests, copy each others work, do just enough to get by, come to clinicals wearing wrinkled/dirty-looking uniforms. I do believe that some of these individuals will weed themselves out, because as others have said, they are on their own taking the NCLEX.
The same reason why American products are substandard these days. The same reason why our automotive industry is suffering.. The union is to blame to a degree, the status quo, dont advocate advances in technology or change for effiency. If we fail the government will bail us out, so why do anything other than the bare mininum.
This is the mentality of our society now apparently.
This isn't a union issue. It's a culture issue.
Our culture is a culture of minimum work, maximum benefit. How can I provide the barest level of quality and eek out the maximum amount of profit.
Even our technology is based on do more with less. Everything needs to faster, easier, cheaper.
This 'epidemic' I believe was born in America and is wholly American. We've even exported it. Take Chinese goods. Why are they so cheap in quality and price? Because Americans LOVE that.
Unfortunately I think this one's rampant - not just in nursing, but in every job I've had and every class I've taken. There's always people who want to get by on the bare minimum. I used to be one, I'm aware they're out there in force. And in things like medical professions, they kinda scare me. Bare minimum care isn't what I want, and it's not what I want to give. Ever.
That's all I need to keep myself going - I refuse to lapse back into this kind of mindset again. I will not be bare minimum care for anyone. No one deserves it.
Honestly it is sad that these type of people are taking the precious few nursing school seats away from others who might give a darn. I also find it scary that people like this are going into health care and depressing that some instructors are just letting them "squeak" by.
I couldn't agree more. I thought this almost verbatim
this past semester, i had "one of those" clinical instructors who said mediocre students are better than A students. apparenly, knowing less makes you more competent. really? what kind of logic is that?
also i had a classmate who argued hard (and won, unfortunately) that we shouldn't have to know how to read a snellen eye score because the pages it was on in the book were not listed on the syllabus.
HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD
9,051 Posts
Wow! l really wish that all the new grads we hire were more like you! :heartbeat
I am a nurse educator for a large health care system - we probably hire ~ 600 new grads a year. We end up having to cope with the problems you have identified among your fellow students. We individualize orientation based on PBDS Assessment findings. So - we have actual measurements (empirical data) that reveals exactly how safe, skilled, and knowledgeable the individual is. Only 25% of the new grads we have hired are considered "safe" to work without close supervision. The majority cannot even identify problems as well as the average lay person; classic example - mistaking cardiac chest pain for an anxiety attack (seriously)
These unprepared new grads are also the ones that we simply cannot 'afford'. The economy is in the dumper - healthcare reimbursement is at an all time low and sinking fast. In this bleak environment, we cannot afford to keep anyone in a "shadowing" role - with no meaningful contribution to patient care - for extended periods of time.
Personal integrity is an absolute requirement for nursing. People trust us with their lives. Character doesn't change - people who cheat or 'fake' their way through school don't magically change when they begin their first job. Falsification of clinical documentation will result in termination, no matter where they are working.
Hang on to your ideals and don't compromise your integrity. We (prospective employers) are eager to hire new nurses with your qualities! I also want you reassure you - that there will be consequences for the slackers. To utilize one of my favorite quotes from the Desiderata: "And whether or not it is clear to you - no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. "