2017 Spring Nursing Student SLO Assessment Survey
Nursing Spring 2017 Student SLO Report Spring 2017 - Nursing - Copy July 31st 2017, 9:55 am MDT Q3 - What did you like about this program? I liked about the way the instructors took their time to teach and explain in class and in the clinical. They made the students understand the concept from class and apply them in clinical area. The clinical faculty, experiences, and facilities were great. It's too long Most instructors were great and truely cared about outcomes. I like that it was a 2 year program and you could do it in less time. I also thought there are some great teachers who really care about their students success I liked the amount of hands on time that we had, more so compared to surrounding schools it seemed. After being at another university where I was just a number I feel like instructors really take the time to know you and work with you to help you succeed. I would recommend this program to anyone! I liked the clinical experiences and the hands on learning the 4 semesters in a row was a nice timeframe option to have VERY STRUCtured and organized I liked that I was able to be with fellow LPN to ADN students. Forth semester instructors. It was fast paced, didn't get bored. I liked the program overall with the variety of clinical settings and education. The community feeling of the program. I enjoyed the small class sizes, the connections with staff and peers, and the intimate and caring feeling of the program. I feel that I got an incredible education and great clinical experiences. The option to do the fast track option and get finished in a year and a half. I enjoyed the ability to take classes in an online format. I liked the convenience of campus in black river falls I loved the instructors Interactions with instructors The instructors were willing to help see us through and help in any way they can Teachers are very helpful to answer my questions about the content. I also liked how the assignment are set weekly so we do not overwhelm. Over all, I had excellent experience about this program. I felt very supported by all of the instructors, I know they wanted me to succeed. I liked the accelerated program You become competent in many skills over a short amount of time. The amount of practical experience makes you feel very confident in your nursing skills. Instructors really seem to care about whether or not you learn. I also loved that I was able to complete it in less than 2 years! Less amount of students per class. Great teachers. More one on one learning. I enjoyed the program overall. The instructors are all great and truly care about the students as individuals and go above and beyond to help us succeed. I enjoyed that we were doing clinical first semester. Gave me more confidence. I liked how the program flowed. I really liked to option to take some classes online, and beforehand in the summer. All the instructors were great, and showed a lot of compassion/knowledge when training me to become a nurse. The wait-list was kind of a bummer, but it gave me a chance to take several classes ahead of time, making my workload smaller once in the program. This was very beneficial to me. That it is a condensed and fast program. I liked that the instructor are available to you for questions. The hands on learning and flexibility of the program I enjoyed all of the clinical experiences. I felt that being able to go to so many different places allowed me to find things I liked or disliked. I liked that there was the ability to do some courses online, which is helpful for students who work and/or have families. I felt that many of the courses were well thought out and the teachers were very knowledgeable and friendly. I felt the majority of the courses helped prepare me for the NCLEX and becoming a RN. I overall feel very prepared to enter the work force and ready to be a nurse. I felt well prepared by knowlegable teachers. This program is very hands on, which fits my learning style. The cost is affordable as well. I liked that this program started with clinical during first semester. I also liked the cost of the program I was able to pay out of pocket for the program. I liked that there were classes that were offered online and prior to semester starting. I really liked how I was able to keep going through the summer and complete the program quickly. I liked that you didn't have to take all credits per semester. I enjoyed being able to get done with the program in 16 months. most things: clinicals, classroom learning etc The program is an affordable way to obtain a nursing degree. I appreciate the help in prepping for the NCLEX and the variety of clinical experience. I liked that we started clinical rotations from day one. That the instructors cared so much about student success The cost, it's accredited, and the instructors investment in the students. I loved the hands on experience that we received and the instructors were very nice. Able to get through the program quickly- offered summer courses It was quick and got through the program fast, but also learned quite a bit in the process. I liked that the program was a 2 year program. I also felt that the skills were very hands on and our instructors were very involved. I loved the clinical experiences. Tomah memorial and DEU at Mayo was wonderful. Also I really liked the following teachers as they went above and beyond XXXXX X, XXXXX X, XXXXX X, XXXXX X. You are wonderful and do so much! Thank you! small class rooms Small Class sizes Everything The layout and how it all fit together How classes are organized so that material in each kind of matches up with each other. Enhances learning and reinforces what we learned once. Q4 - What would you change about this program? Mental health and management to be face to face. Have more frequent exams that focus on less material. Do it 2 weeks before the finals Organization and choosing transition preceptors/sites I think there should be more opportunities for students. Some of the teachers especially adjunct didn't have the enough training. I think some of the expectations for students were not laid out well. There should be an informational meeting before each semester for student, and I feel transition was very poorly organized, leaving students with a week until it was suppose to start and still had not heard from their preceptor. I think the test throughout the program should reflex the NCLEX: more multiple choice, one question at a time, and exhibit questions. I feel unprepared for the NCLEX I would change the expectations at clinical, I felt like some students were held to higher or lower standards, everyone should be held responsible for the same things. Maybe a brief on pharmacology before the course starts, I feel like it is something that we can never get too much of. More guidance and explanations of what's expected in the coming semesters. I think there would be more benefit to spending an additional week in 2nd semester on the med surg floors rather than the 6 weeks spent at the long term care facility. Shorter days in taking the ATI exam Have management blended. Some how have ati work properly when needed for testing purposes. Each time I have came in for ati testing we spend 30 min trying to get everyone logged into the test. Management would have a face to face option. RN Predictor would be given after the final tests of the semester. There has been some situations where there was a lack of communication among staff and clinical settings. Fixing those for future students would be a good idea. I.E. DEU changes and general confusion. Increased communication regarding expectations for end of semester tests and beginning clinical course expectations and prerequisite expectations. Nothing. I would add more recordings for auditory learners. I would also appreciate it if the students were able to sit in the lacrosse campus for IDL courses when there are empty seats available. Change the DEU to adapt to rural areas. With the black river school some of the classes for us were only available via on line course it would have been nice to have a choice to take that class face to face even if we had to drive to another campus. I would change advanced clinical schedule to be more clear. It is little confusing to read. Possibly have all the students rotate through a day, pm and night shift in fourth semester. It was a little difficult to manage all nights when I had family and other work commitments. I had to use one day just to catch up on rest. The amount of reading, while I understand that it's important, there has to be a more condensed version somewhere. As a working mom going through this program I very rarely was able to complete the reading. The uniform policy could stand to be updated as well. As long as your ankles and legs don't show it shouldn't matter what type of socks you have on. Also, tattoos and piercings are becoming more accepted by employers and so maybe the uniform considerations of that should be looked at again. Nothing I think that for our transition schedules they need to be made for us. A staff member should set up all the times with the preceptor for each students schedule, as planning transition hours has been a nightmare. Between all the different requirements the school has and the facility has it has been nearly impossible to make the schedules work. I also think that face to face classes need to be offered as a priority before online classes are offered. All nursing courses are very intense and have a ton of content to get through. For the difficult content we have to learn I think it is best that face to face is offered and if there are enough students/faculty then open online second. Offer more face to face classes. I was forced to take online a few times and I do not enjoy that style of learning. I am not sure. I have basically been on my own since moving between cohorts so often. Everything worked out great for me and my needs. It seems like other cohorts had "issues" about instructor favoritism, but I did not see that at all. All instructors made their rules and expectations very clear from the start and those who did not comply had to pay the consequences, and try to constantly chase their grades to pass each class. I had a great experience, the whole way through. Nothing I thought it was very in-organized. I was receiving different information from my preceptor, instructor, and what was on blackboard. It is important that everyone is on the same page and I did not get that from my experience. An extended pharmacology My biggest concern with the program was the amount of time we had to learn skills. I felt many items were only shown once and then we were tested out on them. I would like to see the skills lab open more hours with a teacher available so students can practice before they are sent out to clinical. I wish we had more options for class times. I think there should be more leniency regarding clinical absence. I felt like the pressure of missing clinical made me make poor decisions regarding my own health and safety. I feel there is a disconnect between some of the instructors and the fact that some students have to work in order to provide for themselves and/or their families. The thought of, "just take out a loan" is too prevalent and becomes a bias, which makes an already difficult program, moreso. I would change the ATI books and pricing throughout the program. It would be nice to pay for it all up front and not have to pay for the virtual ATI at the end of the semester as well. More ATI or NCLEX homework to help with questions. I think pharmacology should be taught with the health alterations. Ability to do classes at other locations especially if there are seats available. mandatory purchase of ATI softcover books The quality of the staff ranges greatly. There seems to be a lack of cohesiveness with some members of the teaching staff. There was frustration with some instructors preaching professionalism but not setting the bar nearly as high for themselves. Overall a good experience, however, I don't regret taking the opportunity. Thanks! If anything I would add a class requirement. I think that the class 'Intro to Addictions' would be very helpful for students in helping them get a better understanding of addiction and the wide spread complications it causes. There needs to be a better backup plan for regional students traveling to clinical in bad weather The ability to have some evening classes. I would have a pharm refresher course in the 4th semester. I don't think any classes should have to be online. I think you can make that an option. Online classes are hard for me to learn from and some semesters that was the online option for a class. More organization in the program as a whole and all courses. Feels like you can never be on top of things because blackboard is a mess and it's not likely to have an instructor more than once- by the time you figure one instructor out you're moving on to the next. expectations that are the same for all students also. The organization and communication between all. It was very unorganized at times, especially with signing up for classes and clinicals and making sure everything was done correctly. Some instructors had been told one thing and others had been told another, which made it quite confusing at times. I would change the consistency with the instructors. Some of the instructors did things a certain way, while others did the same thing differently. We definetely need an orientation on ATI it is extremely confusing and a lot to know as far as when you get to transitions. more organized add an optional 1 credit NCLEX review class for 4th semseter. NOthing Mental health to be face to face Maybe try to make face-to-face classes available on the same days instead of separate days. Not a major concern but helpful for those who work clinic hours and don't work weekends. Q5 - How many of your nursing classes did you choose to take in an online format? # Answer % Count 1 None 5.56% 3 2 Less than 5 81.48% 44 3 5 or more 12.96% 7 Total 100% 54 Q7 - As a result of this program: I have learned effective communication skills. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.85% 1 2 Disagree 1.85% 1 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 7.41% 4 4 Agree 40.74% 22 5 Strongly Agree 48.15% 26 Total 100% 54 Q8 - Provide any comments you have on effective communication skills you learned. I have learned to communicate well by handing over the report How to communicate effectively with other cultures, students, and instructors. more confidence I have learned how to effectively communicate between different health care providers to maintain safety With post conferences I feel like that was something that was almost always discussed, some of the content told us what we should do but it is always easier doing it in practice when you have to. More confident in my public speaking abilities and speaking with others I learned how to communicate my patients effectively such as asking open ended questions and listening skills. It's great to learn from experienced nurses and your instructors about how to better word things to your patients. I'm an effective communicator, but sensitive issues are another ballgame. I have learned how to communicate with other staff and supervisors since starting this program. I have worked in the health field very several years and seem to have struggled at times when having to communicate with superiors. After this course, I am confident in knowing when I need to ask for help and how to do that. I learned how to best talk to my patients and the healthcare team Clinical helped promote effective communication between other students, staff, instructor, patients, and families. A It has been interesting communicating with the different instructions as each instructor has a different learning style as well as communication style. Assertive communication Could be demonstrates better by staff- students can tell there is tension and drama which is not setting a good example. On the same note it is inappropriate to discuss your personal problems with students especially in the clinical setting. Communication is important for all areas of nursing, including in the classroom. I learned to communicate with my instructors more efficiently, as well as with patients and preceptors. I have learned to communicate effectively and confidently. I started the program in a shell and have since broken out of that shell. Q9 - As a result of this program: I am able to apply mathematical concepts. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 3.70% 2 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 1.85% 1 4 Agree 44.44% 24 5 Strongly Agree 50.00% 27 Total 100% 54 Q10 - Provide any comments you have on mathematical concepts you learned. mathematic is a continuous practice, I'm still working on dosage calculation How to check my answers. I feel confident solving math problems associated with the health care field I have always liked and seemed to have caught on to math, so that is something that I never really found an issue with I am terrible at math but feel confident in dosage and drip rate calculations now teachers provided us enough practice questions. I know math very well and so this wasn't difficult for me, but the math component was difficult for many and could possibly use maybe another day in 1st semester to teach it. I like how the math was continuously incorporated into exams and content. Math has never been my strong suite. It was difficult for me to learn here, especially in skills. It seemed like random days we covered it a little bit, then all of a sudden there was quizzes we had to get 100% on. It was very intimidating, and did not facilitate my math learning at all. I had to go to YouTube and other online sources to get a better, more comprehensive understanding of how to navigate these medication calculation questions. Now I feel quite confident. I feel that my mathematical skills were present prior to enrollment in the program Having math questions on every exam we take helped with improving mathematical skills. It would be helpful if the math was taught using a consistent method. It feels a lot easier than at the start Liked getting math practice in each class Really enjoyed the math. I was strong in mathematics prior to entering the program, but there were many opportunities to improve for those who struggled in math. Q11 - As a result of this program: I learned how to transfer social and natural science theories into practical applications. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.85% 1 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 9.26% 5 4 Agree 44.44% 24 5 Strongly Agree 44.44% 24 Total 100% 54 Q12 - Provide any comments you have on transferring social and natural science theories into practical applications. Not sure on how to answer that question NA I feel I have the basic education to start me off in my nursing career with advanced learning I will become a great nurse. I am not sure what that is supposed to mean There is know question that you learn your science in this program! I feel I can identify and discuss many aspects of social issues with my patients if I needed to. I feel very confident in my ability to utilize many scientific theories within my patient care. Don't feel like social theory was an emphasis Q13 - As a result of this program: I learned critical thinking skills. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.85% 1 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 1.85% 1 4 Agree 37.04% 20 5 Strongly Agree 59.26% 32 Total 100% 54 Q14 - Provide any comments you have on critical thinking skills you learned. I learned the importance of checking vitals before administering any blood pressure medication. I learned how to thinks outside of the box and analyze things first. I have learned how to think critically and apply it to many situations on the health care field Learning material and content has really shown us what should be priority as a nurse rather than what we would have thought before as a CNA. Things that used to seem more important do not now and that is something that has come from clinical and classroom experience This is one of the gold star categories I would give this program. It really focuses on critical thinking skills and makes sure you have them by the time you graduate. I still need to work on my critical thinking in some ways. This program has challenged by critical thinking skills. I have learned how to look a situation from several points of view and how to use that in conjunction with my patient's needs. I believe having these critical thinking skills on board, I can become a great nurse. I am know able to relate how medications and interventions will affect my patients and what to anticipate The material that we covered for this program was very difficult and if a person is not able to think critically, this would pose a real problem for them doing well. I think this program helped to expand on the critical thinking skills we already had. As I went on in the semesters I could tell my critical thinking skills continued to improve. Looking more in depth at patients instead of just the symptoms they were presenting with. Independent clinical thinking opportunities Q15 - As a result of this program: Q15_1 - I have learned to use technology effectively. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.85% 1 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 14.81% 8 4 Agree 44.44% 24 5 Strongly Agree 38.89% 21 Total 100% 54 Q16 - Provide any comments you have on what you learned about using technology effectively. I have learned on how to use EPIC I I know and feel comfortable using epic We use technology everyday and while at clinical we use many different kinds, the stuff we use in skills lab an stuff for the most part is kind of outdated so if it weren't for clinical and work experience I think we'd be lacking with that. I found it frustrating when the students were able to use blackboard and e-mail more effectively than some of the instructors. Technology isn't incorporated much into our program, but there was plenty to do on the computer, so you had to be proficient. I have always been very technologically savvy. This course just helped reiterate that with all the online class I have taken over the course of this program. able to use and understand different charting systems Beneficial to be exposed to charting at various facilities for example Q17 - As a result of this program: I have learned to value myself and work ethically with others in a diverse population. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.85% 1 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 5.56% 3 4 Agree 37.04% 20 5 Strongly Agree 55.56% 30 Total 100% 54 Q18 - Provide any comments you have on what you learned about valuing yourself and working ethically with others in a diverse population. Coming from a diverse background it was not a big challenge to work with diverse population I think there was some opportunity to work with diverse groups I think there is room for diversity in this program I have caught myself saying before how I am just a CNA and oh I'll just be a nurse, but there is a lot of value and responsibility in both of those roles so it is important to remember. Caring for people is a privilege and seeing different populations and some lifestyle choices you might not agree with can be tough but it is important to remain professional With the diverse experiences we are given in clinical this is taught very well! I have had the opportunity to work with many diverse people within this program. Taking care of patients who have been "out of my comfort zone" has been very beneficial to me, as I know more about what to expect and what to look for specifically. Q19 - As a result of this program: I am able to make decisions that incorporate the importance of sustainability. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.85% 1 5 Strongly Agree 48.15% 26 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 5.56% 3 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 4 Agree 44.44% 24 Total 100% 54 Q20 - Provide any comments you have on what you learned about incorporating the importance of sustainability in decisions you make. I have been able to participate in group projects make decisions and also make decisions on what we are supposed to do We talk about the importance It is important to make decisions that you can stand by, and if you can't support your decision you shouldn't be making it This concept is repeated often throughout the program. As an entry level nurse, a topic like sustainability may not be at the forefront of my thinking, but through this program I have learned a lot about sustainability and why it is important for nurses to consider. Q22 - As a result of this program, I learned to: implement my role as a nurse in ways that reflect integrity, responsibility, ethical practices, and an evolving professional identity as a nurse committed to evidence-based practice, caring, advocacy, and quality care. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.85% 1 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 0.00% 0 4 Agree 38.89% 21 5 Strongly Agree 59.26% 32 Total 100% 54 Q23 - Provide any comments you have about learning this program outcome. I have learned high quality nursing standards, which I will apply to provide quality care to the patient. XXXXX XXXXX was a great example on how nurses should act. Learning from nurses who have been in the field for so long and have had so much experience really gives us great resources to learn these things from. The program incorporates many chances to research and learn from evidence-based practice. I am a stronger advocate for my patient's after going through this program. I got the majority of that through my community rotation. Learning about the resources and programs available for my patients has allowed me to provide quality patient care as well as use evidence-based-practice in all areas of care. Q24 - As a result of this program, I learned to: demonstrate appropriate written, verbal, and nonverbal communication in a verbal and nonverbal communication in a variety of clinical contexts. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.89% 1 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 0.00% 0 4 Agree 45.28% 24 5 Strongly Agree 52.83% 28 Total 100% 53 Q25 - Provide any comments you have about learning this program outcome. I have written nursing care plans, nursing journals, and also chart in patient medical records I think the clinical paperwork helps but the feedback could be more in depth I wish we would have had more opportunities to learn about nursing notes and an appropriate way to write them. I feel that this is an important part of communicating changes in patient status, patient needs, safety concerns, etc. Communication is emphasized throughout this program and you definitely improve on it throughout. I still do not know APA format. I have done a lot of communication in this program. I am typically a great writer, and enjoy it, but there seemed to be so many variances of APA expectations between instructors, it was hard to keep straight. I think there should be some kind of one-day class in the beginning of the program somewhere to discuss APA formatting so we are all on the same page. Q26 - As a result of this program, I learned to: integrate social, mathematical, and physical sciences, pharmacology, and pathophysiology in clinical decision making. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.85% 1 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 0.00% 0 4 Agree 44.44% 24 5 Strongly Agree 53.70% 29 Total 100% 54 Q27 - Provide any comments you have about learning this program outcome. mathematic is a continuous practice, I'm still working on dosage calculation I liked when the clinical instructor was able to go over labs and diagnosis with us. I think a pharmacy 2 class should be offered They pound this in so that we are better nurses. Decision-making can be difficult for me, but after this course I have learned how to be confident in my choices. I am very confident in pathophysiology and pharmacology when discuss options with my patients. More pharm throughout the program please! Pharm first semester is hard to take in with little exposure to medications during clinical at that point Q28 - As a result of this program, I learned to: provide patient centered care by utilizing the nursing process across diverse populations and healthcare setting. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.85% 1 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 0.00% 0 4 Agree 44.44% 24 5 Strongly Agree 53.70% 29 Total 100% 54 Q29 - Provide any comments you have about learning this program outcome. By utilizing nursing process I have been able to provide individualized nursing care in a diverse population. could be more diverse Was able to experience many different health care settings and departments within. Care plans teach you the nursing process from day 1 in this program. It took me some time to integrate the nursing process into my method of thinking, but once it stuck, I have realized that I do it all the time without ever thinking about it. Q30 - As a result of this program, I learned to: minimize risk of harm to patients, members of the healthcare team and self through safe individual performance and participation in system effectiveness. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.85% 1 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 0.00% 0 4 Agree 44.44% 24 5 Strongly Agree 53.70% 29 Total 100% 54 Q31 - Provide any comments you have about learning this program outcome. By use of three identifier this minimizes risk and promotes safety Safety is a huge deal for me, and with this program, I have learned a lot about patient safety and what I can do to make their hospital stay a comfortable and safe environment. Q32 - As a result of this program, I learned to: lead the multidisciplinary health care team to provide effective patient care throughout the lifespan. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.89% 1 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 1.89% 1 4 Agree 56.60% 30 5 Strongly Agree 39.62% 21 Total 100% 53 Q33 - Provide any comments you have about learning this program outcome. collaborate and communicating with the instructor and the preceptor provides effective care to the patients I wish there was a better way to teach the management and delegation during clinical. I know that it is important to learn how to do however, nurses do not micromanage people the way that you had us during clinical. Teamwork is another important factor emphasized in this program. I am still not a confident person in regards to pediatric nursing care. Otherwise, I feel I take on a leadership position in most cases. Q34 - As a result of this program, I learned to: use information and technology to communicate, manage data, mitigate error, and support decision-making. # Answer % Count 1 Strongly Disagree 1.89% 1 2 Disagree 0.00% 0 3 Neither Agree nor Disagree 3.77% 2 4 Agree 54.72% 29 5 Strongly Agree 39.62% 21 Total 100% 53 Q35 - Provide any comments you have about learning this program outcome. Use of school email , blackboard , and charting patient cares in their charts at a timely manner. Q36 - CONCLUSION Please use this space to share any other feedback, comments, or suggestions about your experience at Western Technical College. This has been my best experience being in college. I would recommend to any individual who wants to become a NURSE ready to study and learn to join western Technical college. Please have the predictor AFTER the other courses are completed, as you do with the Community & Mental Health ATI exams. Also, please do not have the Predictor AND the other testing on the same day! It was a wonderful learning experience. The instructor worked well to help every student succeed. XXXXX, XXXXX, and XXXXX make this program stand above the rest. Overall I have had a great experience, a big thanks to the dedicated instructors that offer their personal numbers that they can be reached at any time. They might not answer right away but they answer in a timely manner. Some instructors I think have had their better years and I did have some poor, not valuable experiences with clinical. XXXXX, XXXXX, XXXXX, and XXXXX I can't say enough good things about! The only problems I had with the program involved ATI and Gundersen Epic training. There were no clear directions or announcements of when EPIC training needed to be completed. Instead we received strongly worded e-mails saying we had by the end of day to complete. ATI was often problematic and involved calling ATI several times. I felt the instructors were all great and really wanted us to succeed. At times the paper work felt overwhelming but in the end I realized it helped me to better myself in the nursing field. I recommend WTC for anyone pursuing a nursing degree. The classes are well structured, the instructors are professional and they allow students to get a feel for "real life" practice during clinicals. Thank you so much. My experience has been wonderful. I am so grateful to this program. I leave excited for my future as an RN with a job already lined up. I just have to pass my NCLEX! I am very pleased with the learning that I have received for this course. XXXXX XXXXX and XXXXX XXXXX are top notch instructors. I had an excellent experience at Western, all except one nursing instructor where extremely helpful and easy to talk to. The management class was very unorganized, but all other classes followed syllabus and weekly schedules as outlined by the instructor. Over all, I had great experience. Having a 4 year degree from a UW school, I am extremely impressed on how much I have learned and practiced in this program. The teachers are dedicated and know what they are talking about! You leave the program feeling confident that you will be a competent nurse when you start in the community. I've never been more grateful for such a great learning experience in my life! I had a great time. Lots of tears and stress, but overall am very happy with my education. overall the experience has been good. I do wish I had more face to face opportunities in the classroom. Also It would be nice to see what answers you got wrong on a exam right after you take it. There were many times I left an exam not knowing if I was right or wrong on certain questions and not able to correct my learning/thoughts. I am very passionate about Western Technical College and how truly great they are to us as nursing students in particular. Yes, it is tough at times, but if it wasn't, it wouldn't be nursing. Every instructor has been great and shows so much knowledge about the fields they teach and work in. I LOVE this about Western. I recommend Western to everyone I meet who states their interest in going to nursing school, or any other program for that matter. Thank you for preparing me to be a great nurse! The program needs to be more on the same page. I was getting different information from everyone I talked to. I feel prepared to enter the nursing field because of the quality education and the clinical experiences that I had here I feel like I have been strongly supported by all of my instructors to succeed in this program. I have been greatful that I was able to take some of my classes in Viroqua, this made maintaining my farm responsibilities while attending school a possibility. Thank you for providing me with quality education. nothing more to add I felt that this program was excellent. If anything I wish I would have been able to participate in a rural hospital for part of my clinical experiences. Other than that I really enjoyed this program. Emphasis needs to be placed on pharmacology. Maybe teach with health alterations. I thought the program was a knowledgeable program. However, not being able to take classes in other locations that were closer to home or work even if seats were open was frustrating. As well as being told by the counselor that you would be able to take the classes in a certain location only later to be told no that was not the case. I also felt that some of the instructors had a way to fuel some drama when the drama could have been avoided. With regards to the holds I felt that it was a scramble when I was on a hold to get registered and ready for the next semester. I am unsure how that could be fixed but finding a way would make for a smoother transition. All in all it was a wonderful program just sad that some of the drama unfolded. One additional resource instructors could provide would be recorded lectures posted on blackboard as podcasts. It would be awesome if western could work with Rochester MN hospitals as well. There was a lot of frustration with Blackboard. I often feared I was missing assignments that had been posted in unexpected places. This challenge decreased with experience, but there was always a level of discomfort with not knowing. A nursing specific meeting maybe a few weeks into the first semester as a nursing student, once we are more familiar with the program would have been helpful. An opportunity for staff to answer questions, give pointers, and for students to express concerns and provide feedback. Thank you! Fourth semester clinical would be a better experience if there was a combination of shifts; for example, if you are registered for days, having 2 shifts that change to pm's would give more of a rounded experience. A backup plan is needed for regional students who have to travel long distances in bad weather. A more lenient absence or tardy policy for these situations should be considered. Our safety is more important than getting to clinical on time-and having instructors telling us that if they can make it, we should be able to make is not helpful at all. Having study rooms available on the weekends would be a huge benefit. All around I feel this is the best program. I would have liked if they helped us with finding the best school for us for our BSN. As well the RN predictor should be in the morning before all the other ATI tests. Don't feel like you have to baby us- we are choosing to be in school and should be self motivated to do well. Many instructors did a good job of showing support to us as individuals but some were inappropriate and disrespectful. More than one instructor has been consistently unfocused during clinical because of personal issues and may not have been fit to supervise students. If we are expected to be there and put forth effort despite all of the things we have going on, so should the instructors. I was thankful for the opportunity to practice independence during the program and have exposure to a variety of types of people and situations. Special thanks to XXXXX X, XXXXX X, XXXXX X. Keep it up you are a wonderful asset to the school. Thank you I have enjoyed my time in the nursing program, much more than I thought I would when I first started! The faculty are very supportive, classes and clinical were excellent experiences, especially Skills courses. One suggestion for 2nd semester students is to provide a list of "can" and "cannot" do while in Nursing Care Across the Lifespan clinical. Overall, very satisfied with the Nursing program
