With all the reading we are giving and expected to memorize, paired with minimal guidance and classroom time, how do they expect us to succeed? 2 classes over a 3 week period followed by a 50 point exam? And if I have a question or don't get it, then what?
I'm just very p.o.ed right now and getting very frustrated/borderline discouraged. All this hard work and I'm getting nothing to show for it expect disappointment and more frustration.
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
If you are looking at your time in clinicals as just an interruption of your studying time no wonder you aren't doing well. A good student LEARNS when he or she is in clinicals. That is when what you have been taught in the classroom comes to life before your eyes. It is an opportunity to synthesize the knowledge you have acquired, and put it to use. I have been a nursing instructor for eight years, and it still amazes me when I encounter students who do not see the educational value of time spent in a hospital...[/quote']
Exactly. Clinical practicum is a learning experience where students are given a wonderful opportunity to apply textbook and classroom theory knowledge in addition to practice practical skills learned in the skills lab. Being able to apply the theories and knowledge of nursing education is not only paramount to passing the NCLEX but also critical to having a successful nursing career.
If you honestly feel that clinical time is a wasted theft of study time I strongly suggest you consider changing your major. Your persistent struggles as per your multitude of posts from trying to figure out how many questions out of 100 you need to earn 90% to probably failing nursing classes plus your projection of your struggles on external perceived causes (no power point, not enough time to read) are indicative that you may need to do a self assessment and reconsider nursing.
Believe it or not, I went to nursing school before PowerPoint was invented. And I still managed to learn. Too many students are addicted to PowerPoint.
You are lucky to even get power points
We get NO notes. Just lecture. We are told we will not be spoon fed and that we must learn to take down important information from lecture because as nurses this will be a useful skill and they want us to develop these skills. This also means opening the book and learning to filter information.
You will not and should not be spoon fed the information from this professor. This sounds tough but you need to stop making excuses and buckle down.
This may sound harsh but I don't want a nurse that become overwhelmed and starts making excuses... I would want a nurse that WHEN overwhelmed finds Solutions.
... and this is just school ... real world nursing is a huge learning curve from what I hear...
I wish you luck... I also recommend the following ...
1) Seek assistance from professors. I believe part of being a nurse is knowing when to seek help.
2) Don't reach for just passing, this mindset already predisposes people to failure. Focus on a B grade or even an A grade.
3) Stop making excuses.
Edit: I quoted the wrong user, was meant for EmilyEmily. :)
Emily Emily: I too, am hearing a ton of excuses. You're overwhelmed, I understand. But you have to learn to get past that. If you can't, I don't, personally, believe you will be a good nurse.
I have 1 semester left after next week. I've had my moments, believe me. But, I work hard, think it through, take every learning opportunity possible (especially clinicals, hello!), try to study as much as I can, and push past blocks. I am a mom, a wife, I work, I take a full nursing course load plus 1 or 2 extra classes (3-6 extra credit hours). Because of this, I'm an A or a B student when I used to be only an A student.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that you have to earn it, it's not just coming to you.
Most of my professors did not share their power points. The syllabus was clear as to which chapters/material we were responsible for each exam. Those that completed study guides/workbooks concurrently as well as the end of chapter questions were most successful. Some created outlines based upon pre-reading and filled in the gaps with notes during lecture. We were prohibited from recording lectures.
Why not ask your successful classmates for assistance? I did extremely well in nursing school by second quarter I was approached by several classmates for tips on successful studying. I don't do study groups. These were not individuals I would socialize with outside school either. But I offered specific times is be at the county library those that wanted help were free to meet me there. I did not share my notes or outlines but I did show some how I create their own study guides & outlines as well as additional resources that were included with our texts.
You seem to only list your barriers. Teachers want you to read too much. That teacher won't share power points. Classmates not study with you. School has no tutors. I don't have time. I can't grasp all this information in an short period of time.
Try listing things you can do to be successful.
Professors SHOULD share their powerpoints, and they should offer study guides. We are paying them to teach us and they should give us tools to be successful. I was in another program (which I left for nursing) and we were given powerpoints, study guides, etc Nothing was hid from us.
I am so tired of the gas lighting where people justify professors being stingy with the knowledge. The program would be a heck lot easier if students were given more direction.
We get NO notes. Just lecture. We are told we will not be spoon fed and that we must learn to take down important information from lecture because as nurses this will be a useful skill and they want us to develop these skills. This also means opening the book and learning to filter information.
You will not and should not be spoon fed the information from this professor. This sounds tough but you need to stop making excuses and buckle down.
This may sound harsh but I don't want a nurse that become overwhelmed and starts making excuses... I would want a nurse that WHEN overwhelmed finds Solutions.
... and this is just school ... real world nursing is a huge learning curve from what I hear...
I wish you luck... I also recommend the following ...
1) Seek assistance from professors. I believe part of being a nurse is knowing when to seek help.
2) Don't reach for just passing, this mindset already predisposes people to failure. Focus on a B grade or even an A grade.
3) Stop making excuses.
Edit: I quoted the wrong user, was meant for EmilyEmily. :)
And I certainly don't agree with the approach--no notes, no lecture, no powerpoint..how is this approach going to help all learning styles? It may work for you, but what about other students who need more direction? I could never pass a class like that.
There are no tutors for my nursing programs, and at this point, there is nothing the advisors can do. Class is over with in a week
Additionally, my issue is not the inability to grasp the material, its the lack of time I have to retain all of the information for both classes. That is what I struggle with. One of the professors does not give a powerpoint nor offers any type of direction for her exams so I struggle greatly in her class. Im lost
My professor rarely shares her PowerPoints. We have an exam every 2 weeks. If you are struggling with this, I don't know what else to tell you. You've been given a lot of advice. If the pace is too much, then maybe you're just not cut out for this. You have to be able to absorb the material in the allotted time.
Have you ever scheduled an appointment with your professor to discuss your issues? I'm sure you're not the first person in the program to have this issue. He/she might be able to offer some good advice to you. But really, if it's the pace that's the issue, then you're basically out of luck if you aren't willing to change your study style & habits. You need to learn to study effectively, not just read everything.
There's been a lot of good advice given on this thread. You can either keep making excuses or choose to do something about it.
And I certainly don't agree with the approach--no notes, no lecture, no powerpoint..how is this approach going to help all learning styles? It may work for you, but what about other students who need more direction? I could never pass a class like that.
You must learn to adapt. We are given study guides that clearly states which diseases/surgeries etc. we are know before each exam...
It is up to US to find the information (opening the book and reading) and apply it... come prepared to class etc...
The point also is that you need to learn to adapt.
I learned this myself... adaptation is very important in nursing. I will never forget this lesson from a professor.
There are no tutors for my nursing programs, and at this point, there is nothing the advisors can do. Class is over with in a week
Additionally, my issue is not the inability to grasp the material, its the lack of time I have to retain all of the information for both classes. That is what I struggle with. One of the professors does not give a powerpoint nor offers any type of direction for her exams so I struggle greatly in her class. Im lost
I'm confused. You said you're taking two classes. That's a very part-time school schedule. Why don't you have time to study? Based on your previous threads, I think it's pretty clear that your problem IS that you're not grasping the material.
The professor teaches you material, does she not? So therefore, she's giving you direction for her exams. When she lectures, you take notes- there's your study guide. This isn't grade school where you get a list of 10 words on Monday and get told to memorize their spelling for a test on Friday. You are an adult, you need to take responsibility for your own learning. Do you not have a syllabus?
Just because your school doesn't offer nursing tutors doesn't mean you can't pursue one on your own. I am quite certain that with a simple internet search you could find one within a matter of minutes.
I don't see what the instructor not using power point has to do with anything. Nursing programs have been around since long before PowerPoint graced us with its presence in 1990. The best instructor I had in nursing school never used PowerPoint. It's clearly possible to learn material without PowerPoint.
You are correct that there's nothing the advisors can do at this point with only one week left in the semester. Perhaps you should have heeded our advice earlier in the semester on all of your previous threads. Next semester be more proactive.
with two courses combined, yes, it is quite a lot of chaps to read. then you have long clinicals(interrupt valuable study time), careplans, etc. not much time to really grasp the material. it has nothing to do with my prioritization skills. I just need more time to learn the material
If you are struggling with only two classes, how are you going to manage once you have a full load? How do you have "no time" with only 2 classes?
You say the teachers are being " stingy" with the knowledge. You really expect them to teach absolutely every item? This isn't high school. You need to do your own learning.
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Professors SHOULD share their powerpoints, and they should offer study guides. We are paying them to teach us and they should give us tools to be successful. I was in another program (which I left for nursing) and we were given powerpoints, study guides, etc Nothing was hid from us.
I am so tired of the gas lighting where people justify professors being stingy with the knowledge. The program would be a heck lot easier if students were given more direction.
I have to disagree that professors should share their PowerPoints or offer study guides. As their own creation, those PowerPoints are their property to do with as they wish. If they choose to share them in printed form with students, that's their choice. If they choose to save them for only presentation purposes and not provide students with copies, that's their right too. This isn't high school anymore; you are responsible for your own learning. College and university professors shouldn't be spoon-feeding anyone information; providing PowerPoint slides and study guides is spoon-feeding. The professor isn't being "stingy" with knowledge; the professor expects you to take the initiative and learn the knowledge rather than be spoon-fed and parrot it back.
Your professor/instructor provided you with a study guide for the entire semester on the first day of class or maybe even before- your syllabus. Your syllabus already tells you what information is fair game for the test- it is your responsibility to learn this information.
Having looked at your other threads, I have to say you really need to evaluate whether nursing is for you. All I see from you is excuses. You take every suggestion given to you and tell us why it won't work. If being a nurse is important to you, you will make the effort required to find solutions rather than excuses.
I don't understand this obsession with PowerPoint slides or study guides. Sure, they're nice sometimes as they show what to focus on studying, but they're essentially the same thing that's in the book or what you learn during lectures. I find the best way to study and retain the info is taking my own notes, in my own words.
Another thing. EmilyEmily, saying that you "pay them to teach you" and believing that that obligates them to provide you with all those non-essentials -- study guides, etc, is quite an arrogant and lazy attitude as a student. I think the better way of thinking is that tuition is for the privilege of receiving the knowledge. Teachers already do their part by sharing their knowledge through the lectures, assessing and guiding along your progress through homework and exams. The learning itself is the responsibility of the students.
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JustBeachyNurse, LPN
13,957 Posts