I just completed my last final exam this past Saturday and out of my first semester of 'real' exposure to the Faculty of Nursing, I have to say that I'm a bit appalled. No, it's not a student nurse, who speaks without thinking.
It's the faculty itself.
It's their spelling and grammar.
After writing three exams filled with typos, spelling errors, and grammar goofs, I simply cannot believe that degree and doctoral-trained professionals could allow such filth to be distributed en masse to the student body as a form of testing. I neither expect my average fellow student to care as much as I do about this issue nor do I expect them to even notice the errors in the first place. What I do expect is that the professors would have the decency to press the 'spell check' button at the conclusion of compiling their final exam.
This problem is not isolated to final exams. I have witnessed the same carelessness throughout the semester. I have been given "scheduals", informed that "your responsible to complete assignments in a timely manner", and have been constantly reminded to assess the patient's "ventillations".
To be clear, I do not expect perfection, a simple review would catch most of the mistakes I have seen and proof-reading from an appropriately-trained staff member would virtually eliminate the rest. What I expect is an effort, and it is apparent that effort is not given to this area.
It is for these reasons that I added a small postscript note to the end of one of my finals that read: "You're spelling and grammar sucks bahls."
EDIT: Just located the culmination of nursing's literary shortcomings here.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Early Christmas Gift
A special token of my appreciation for all your quick glances at my blog this semester:
Monday, November 22, 2010
It's QOTS Time Again!
The hits just keep on coming! Whatever will these people say next? That they're going to grow up? Start thinking before they speak? Consider others' opinions before assuming their own are correct?
Nope!
"You have the model body like a runway model. I mean, you're not that thin but, you know, you kind of look like that."
Nope!
"You have the model body like a runway model. I mean, you're not that thin but, you know, you kind of look like that."
Friday, November 5, 2010
Insinuation
If ever you've felt that I thought nursing students, on average, were of the stupid inclination, I apologize...for now.
While sitting in class and listening to no fewer than eight students do their best to tear the professor apart due to the fact that they said that she (prof) said that there was only multiple choice on the midterm, wait, no, that she (prof) said that there would be short answer but they would be only one-word answers (wtf?), no, that wasn't it, it was that she (prof) didn't communicate clearly the expectations of the exam because I would have studied WAY differently (read: actually studied) if I had known that I was supposed actually comprehend and memorize things instead of being able to choose the best answer from a list containing one goofy answer, one wrong answer and two answers that are plausible but one results in success and the other in tears and cries of "BUT IT'S THE SAME THING!" (deep breath to recover from run-on sentence and continue the train wreck).................I realized that nursing students aren't exactly stupid, they're scared.
What are they scared of? Quite simply, they fear the same thing every single person on earth fears: losing control. Now, just because we all fear losing control doesn't mean we all have valid fears. In fact, it's just the opposite. Our fears are usually ridiculous, things that we have talked ourselves through time after time but still can't bring ourselves to overcome them. Our fears are irrational, yet every time we reason our way through them, we end of right back where we've begun: clinging to the ice cream bucket, sobbing our eyes out while we watch episode after episode of Holmes on Homes.
Or something like that.
BUT, nursing students are different.
Nursing students, usually being the overachieving, recently graduated from high-school types, fear losing control of their educational outcomes after realizing they were spoon-fed throughout high-school. They fear the presence of expectations that, when not met, result in actual consequences. For instance, being expected to study for and write an exam that isn't multiple choice or being expected to hold your rage inside after a clinical coordinator tells you ever-so-kindly that you are not the perfect angel your parents always said you were.
At this stressful juncture, students have a choice to travel down one of two paths. They can choose the direction that sees them remain calm despite emotions, cool despite the pressure, and collected despite the urge to lash out at everything (and everyone) that seemingly stands in opposition. This path leads to the realization that life just isn't all about you despite what car makers and your well-intentioned parents would have you believe. The other path is much easier because every problem is the fault of someone else and every success is yours to flaunt. The ease ends, however, with a frightening crash upon the rocks of reality or, as I like to call them, the Cliffs of Disparage.
So, while sitting and listening to my fellow nursing students further embarrass themselves, I realized that I was surrounded by something more lethal than idiots: fearful nursing students.
Stay in school.
While sitting in class and listening to no fewer than eight students do their best to tear the professor apart due to the fact that they said that she (prof) said that there was only multiple choice on the midterm, wait, no, that she (prof) said that there would be short answer but they would be only one-word answers (wtf?), no, that wasn't it, it was that she (prof) didn't communicate clearly the expectations of the exam because I would have studied WAY differently (read: actually studied) if I had known that I was supposed actually comprehend and memorize things instead of being able to choose the best answer from a list containing one goofy answer, one wrong answer and two answers that are plausible but one results in success and the other in tears and cries of "BUT IT'S THE SAME THING!" (deep breath to recover from run-on sentence and continue the train wreck).................I realized that nursing students aren't exactly stupid, they're scared.
What are they scared of? Quite simply, they fear the same thing every single person on earth fears: losing control. Now, just because we all fear losing control doesn't mean we all have valid fears. In fact, it's just the opposite. Our fears are usually ridiculous, things that we have talked ourselves through time after time but still can't bring ourselves to overcome them. Our fears are irrational, yet every time we reason our way through them, we end of right back where we've begun: clinging to the ice cream bucket, sobbing our eyes out while we watch episode after episode of Holmes on Homes.
Or something like that.
BUT, nursing students are different.
Nursing students, usually being the overachieving, recently graduated from high-school types, fear losing control of their educational outcomes after realizing they were spoon-fed throughout high-school. They fear the presence of expectations that, when not met, result in actual consequences. For instance, being expected to study for and write an exam that isn't multiple choice or being expected to hold your rage inside after a clinical coordinator tells you ever-so-kindly that you are not the perfect angel your parents always said you were.
At this stressful juncture, students have a choice to travel down one of two paths. They can choose the direction that sees them remain calm despite emotions, cool despite the pressure, and collected despite the urge to lash out at everything (and everyone) that seemingly stands in opposition. This path leads to the realization that life just isn't all about you despite what car makers and your well-intentioned parents would have you believe. The other path is much easier because every problem is the fault of someone else and every success is yours to flaunt. The ease ends, however, with a frightening crash upon the rocks of reality or, as I like to call them, the Cliffs of Disparage.
So, while sitting and listening to my fellow nursing students further embarrass themselves, I realized that I was surrounded by something more lethal than idiots: fearful nursing students.
Stay in school.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
In the Beginning...
By now, those of you that read (or sporadically check, more than likely) my blog may have noticed that I have some issues with nursing education, the people that enter into nursing education, the people that populate nursing education, and the people that have completed nursing education.
Did I miss anyone?
Oh yeah, the nursing unions, we'll get to them in later posts.
I'm glad we've cleared that up because widespread criticism just isn't the same when you start excusing people from the festivities. In a nutshell, that is why I write this blog; I can't stomach the thought of being the only health professional on the face of the earth with an active moral, ethical, financial, and satirical conscience so I feel led to call out those that I see doing wrong and those allowing wrong to be done. In the course of this calling out I hope that I may meet some like-minded individuals but more importantly, I want to meet and hear from those that disagree and those that know better.
I write this blog because, in my time spent learning how to be a nurse from those that are nurses, I will inevitably learn how not to be a nurse and that's where everyone benefits.
An opportunity for learning and having a laugh at others' expense.
Did I miss anyone?
Oh yeah, the nursing unions, we'll get to them in later posts.
I'm glad we've cleared that up because widespread criticism just isn't the same when you start excusing people from the festivities. In a nutshell, that is why I write this blog; I can't stomach the thought of being the only health professional on the face of the earth with an active moral, ethical, financial, and satirical conscience so I feel led to call out those that I see doing wrong and those allowing wrong to be done. In the course of this calling out I hope that I may meet some like-minded individuals but more importantly, I want to meet and hear from those that disagree and those that know better.
I write this blog because, in my time spent learning how to be a nurse from those that are nurses, I will inevitably learn how not to be a nurse and that's where everyone benefits.
An opportunity for learning and having a laugh at others' expense.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Another QOTS!
They're coming in from all angles! This one thanks to a "resident".
"You know, I've noticed that some of the darker young ladies that work here have a...protrusion on their backsides. What could they possibly be doing with that? I know I wouldn't know what to do with it."
Probably paying the bills...
"You know, I've noticed that some of the darker young ladies that work here have a...protrusion on their backsides. What could they possibly be doing with that? I know I wouldn't know what to do with it."
Probably paying the bills...
Monday, October 4, 2010
New QOTS!
We can ring in another winner!
"You know, over 600 people applied to the faculty this year and only 210 were accepted. Just think that for each one of you, three other people wanted to be in your place. Congratulations, you all must be very smart."
Oh, you'd be surprised...
"You know, over 600 people applied to the faculty this year and only 210 were accepted. Just think that for each one of you, three other people wanted to be in your place. Congratulations, you all must be very smart."
Oh, you'd be surprised...
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