QUT v Griffith - does anyone have any feedback as to which is the better RN course?

LOL - Corpusdelicti indeed!

Yes its a controversial subject. For everyone who says Griffith is better, there are probably the same number who would say QUT. Just talking about this today, my wife said she spoke to a recently graduated RN who encouraged me to switch over to Griffith as it is easier to complete the course ...Now that's biased and not helpful but all I know is QUT is not soft in their standards and that's how i like it despite the fact for example last semester's pharmacology class for nurses and paramedics got only 51% passes in the first mid term test!!! and I know personally a number who did not make the final grades. How tough is it? Well I can say this - that pharmacology class is almost like studying pharmacology itself!! I am doing this semester's mid term exam this coming tuesday and I am sweating like a pig...LOL. They expect you to know how drugs are agonist or antagonist, the receptor (binding) sites of alpha, beta and sub alpha and beta receptors, the types of enzymes that breakdown the drugs like CYP3A4, CYP2D and how for example smoking stimulates production one of these enzymes which metabolises Paracetamol hence reducing its efficacy and etc etc. It talks about first generation antipsychotic drugs and second generation, what's the differnce. Contraindications and why for example, if a patient can screw themselves up by not informing their doctor that they are ashmatics and the doc prescribe atenolol which competes for beta receptor sites with salbutamol even though atenolol is Beta 1selective (not specific) and Salbutamol is a Beta 2 agonist and render it less efficient!! LOL. Just a sample of the madness that is roasting my brains into pop corn

QUT's post graduation employment stats is pretty impressive but so is UQ's. I think UQ is more hands on than QUT or probably even Griffith but QUT focuses on a lot of theory and lab to expose you to more information. being in a ward more gies you the confidence that no labs can give you but it also can restrict you to learning what is on the wards. To compare Griffth to QUT is like comparing a ferrari with a lamborghini...it boils down to what you want from it and both as just as good as the other. the difference will probably distill to you and your aspirations because it will be the driving force behind your success. And for this, I am confident that you will do well. So all the best and maybe we can Tee up once you're in QUT, unless you have decided to swap to Griffith...LOL

Massimo, Not to prick your bubble but ratio of teachers to students is critical only in certain circumstances. I am not discounting that but most Unis know their ratios can be stretched...for example there's one subject that I did in QUT that required additional tutors to facilitate the tutorial. In fact we had 3 tutors together with the lecturer whenever we did this tutorial because it was anatomy and physiology...lots of anatomical samples of infracted hearts, TB of kidneys and lungs, ectopic pregnancies, brain injuries, thyroid and parathyroid glands, appendices, cancer growths (benign and malignant) and etc etc. Each week, we see new samples (actual body parts preserves in special containers), hence the need for tutors to help us indentify how the disease morphologized, the treatment and etc. We get to do dissections and etc. So in this instance, we actually paid a little more than the normal fees for this subject.

However you will find in Uni, that a lot of people skip lectures and even tutes, hence it actually makes little difference whether a Uni have a better lecturer/tutor to student ratio. I am one of them and all my mates know which one I would attend and which ones I would not go to even if given $50 each time. You will note that you would learn better online (lecture notes are uploaded weekly and podcast fo the lecture is available after the lecture for that week). I find that my time spend reading the subject on my own is more efficient and conducive than attending these lectures. Most lecturers are academics with loads of experience under their belt. However most are also not TOAST MASTER material, so they tend to ramble off exactly what they have written in the lecture notes. I even miss some non essential tutes...but I always attend those which scores you for attending! I have completed many subjects where I have only attended the first lectures - only because i needed to know the pertinent format of the subject and what is expected and from then..no one sees my shadow happilyever after...LOL. I am not discounting your comment but I think all unis are pretty much the same. You go on placement and its not the Uni that makes the placement great...its the people on the wards, the facilitator and yourself that mush up to make it great or crap...LOL.

I like my subjects to be Tough...its makes me learn more but for others, they like it easy so that they can breeze through and start earning big bucks...LOL. Each to their own and nothing wrong with either.... Anyways, I wish you all the best in Griffith...keep us posted on what's happening. Go male nurses!!! It about time, the females get to salivate over our manly butts and we become the objects of desire...ROFL

Massimo, Looks like you will end up a truant like me...LOL. Wow, did 11 modules online yourself, now that's a feat i have yet to dare contemplate let alone do...Maybe if you give me $50...I'll have a go at it...need some motivating factor..LOL

Can't tell about 1st year...I'm a grad entry so i skipped 1st year and started 2nd year...some of the subjects are a compression of several modules to help you catch up but no big deal...they know our brains can only hold so much, so they won't rough you up too much...ROFL. Prac if probably a bit intimidating first up, but because i used to work as a carer (AIN) before, it was easy to slip into the role. I think medications is probably the biggest area that can give you the jitters. In QUT, all facilitators will ask you to tell them about the meds you're giving out, what for and why. Get yourself a nursing drug guide (I'll check up the name of this book that's really good...unfortunately i don't have it myself but I have MIMs, courtesy of a pharmacologist). The trick to quickly identifying meds is have a quick look at the patient's charts and look for underlying disease or reason for admission. If diabetic for example...you will know that diabetic meds would be the one prescribed...example diabex (metformin hydrochloride) or insulin (fast acting or slow release). Because as you have probably heard people with diabetic usually have other underlying problems (secondary or pre-existing) look for meds to treat them..example if patient is fat or older...you can bet your ars* that hypertension is going to be present - then look for blockers and ACE (Angiotensin Converting Enzymes) inhibitors (the meds with "prils" at the end like trandolapril). Diabetics also have poor circulation, those insulin dependant ones are always the types...then look for warfarin (blood thinning) and etc. if patient is an old lady...you can probably guess..osteoporosis..so all the "cal" perfix meds will be there. On the whole, you will have loads of fun....I even had a gay patient try to hit on me, an old lady treating me like her son, RNs who think I am nuts (now how did they guess?) and so forth...ahhhh what precious memories they'll make. Now if only a nice pretty chic would grab hold of my love handles and say "I love the security this gives me".......;)

If you get paid on placement, i'll move to Griffith too!!!

LOL....Massimo at least you can still ooze sex appeal...I'll be lucky if I can ooze snort at my age!!!

GO TRUANT!!!!...ooops sorry...Massimo .... :) Frankly from your perfect english, I can second guess that you'll do really well in Griffith...signs of maturity, discipline, excellent communication skills and definately a go getter.

I went to QUT and my friend went to Griffith and we both ended up getting the same job (graduate program) in the end anyway so it doesnt really matter where you go. It depends on the individual and how you apply yourself to your studies. We both have nothing but good things to say about each university, so totally up to you. I chose QUT as my cousin was studying a health related degree there aswell and it was easier for me to get to transport wise. I will be returning to QUT (fingers crossed) in 2011 for a post graduate certificate so I must have enjoyed my time there to be crazy enough to go back!

I finished uni 3 years ago. I did my grad program in a very small public hospital and rotated in medical, surgical and mental health. After my grad program I worked on nursing support which I really enjoyed, going to a different ward everyday and working in medical, surgical, emergency (mostly), high dependency, maternity and paeds.I did that for a year then worked in a medical ward which dealt mostly with cardiac- heart attacks & angina etc and people waiting to go to a bigger hospital for angiograms and surgery etc. I got bored very quickly and am now working at a bigger hospital in the intensive care unit which I love. My grad year was horrible, there were 2 other new grads in my 'rotation group'- we all rotated together and we were bullied by our preceptor in the first rotation, and didnt have any preceptors for the other 2 rotations! There was no 'congrats on finishing your grad year' at the end - we didnt even know when the 'year' was up technically and i approached who I had to to start working on nursing support asap. The study modules we had to do were pretty boring, we only had to do 2 compulsary modules which were crap and 1 elective, i ended up doing 4 electives because they were so easy (stroke, wounds, stoma management and cannulation/venipuncture)

I work in intensive care now and we have new grads doing intensive care programs and they do tend to struggle alot. I highly recommend doing medical/surgical and general nursing for at least 6 months when you are a grad do develop your time management skills and gain a grounding of the kind of nurse you are going to be. I see new grads in the intensive care who just cant handle their time managment at all and in a unit like that you really need to know what you're doing- if you dont have your basics down pat I dont see the point in specializing. Working in a general ward first and becoming a whiz at hygiene cares and medications along with dealing with minor emergencies like chest pain or a patient having a fall and feeling confident in managing these skills makes a huge difference. I also highly recommend working in emergency for a little bit, its great exposure to patients of all ages and all conditions and you learn very quickly.

I dont think you can really pick a magical grad program, everyone has a different experience so its really up to you. When it comes to other nurses, especially your senior nurses who might not have the best practices it is up to you to decide if you are going to follow their lead or find out the correct way yourself. Im pretty sure the majority of hospitals have guides on correct policy & procdures and its up to you to utilize these guides and show best practice. I remember in my grad year getting in trouble for this patient I had taken over who was having a blood infusion. The nurse before me had set it up wrong and it was a danger to the patient. I looked up the policy, changed the settings, did an incident report and forgot about it. The next day my preceptor found out about it and blasted me for using all this 'wasted equipment' I had added to this patients infusion and doing an incident report. I went and printed out the policy and showed them where I was right and the patient was in danger with the set-up the previous nurse had done. They realized I was right but they werent happy about it and I was known as the prissy nurse who does things by the book. I couldnt care less- id rather that then something bad had happened to my patient and I wouldve lost my registration over it! Remember its your registration, and if you do something 'because a senior nurse told me to'..that doesnt stand up in court!

The hospital you like but is too far away, is there any way you can move? Im not sure on your circumstances? If not then you may have to make do with whats closer.

Unfortunetely ive heard alot of horror stories from new grads, but I do hear the odd good one every now & then! A friend from uni had a great grad year, she specialized in paeds and is still working there and has done post-graduate studies and is very happy. It really is the make or break year and develops you into the kind of nurse you will be.

It is a shame so many people quit nursing. I was 17 when I did my first prac, and seeing dead bodies and blood and wounds was very confronting at that age. I was very shy at that age and unfortunetely I was bullied abit by the nurses on my first prac- i was pushed into doing skills i wasnt ready to do and witnessed alot of bad attitudes.

There are good and bad things when it comes to middle age students. I get mixed attitudes from mature age students I have buddied with. Some are very eager to learn and practice new skills and will make fantastic nurses. Others think because they are 20years older then me they dont need to listen to my advice or have me supervise them giving medications etc and forget they are still a student and that the nurse they are buddied with is in charge of that patient no matter how young and blonde they are! lol. I generally find the mature aged students have better people skills and are more hands on compared to the younger students who are all about the academic sides of things.

I would personally never work in private, I hear they usually have heavier workloads with less resources and get paid less then public nurses. QLD health has a very good ongoing education program as well and i think an organisiation of that size which is constantly in the media works hard to keep a good image. Its also generally easier to change jobs at different public hospitals because its still the same employer. I dont know many people who work in private but the ones I have spoken to are generally unhappy!