Douglas College Psychiatric Nursing Department

I was in this program for a little over three years. I was passing with mostly A's, but I quit. In no particular order, here are the reasons why:CHEATING. It was surprisingly common, and sometimes quite obvious. It was reported, but I never saw anything done about it. The cheaters have since graduated.TOXIC CULTURE. Students were so friendly at the start, but that changed soon. Cliques formed, and many were left outcast, especially shy or ESL students. Students were quick to tell on one another, often for trivial things that they could have easily helped one another with. As if throwing your classmate under the bus somehow advances you. It was disssapointing, to say the least. I know students from different grad classes, this seems to happen in all of them.UNSCIENTIFIC. Despite boasting about being evidence based, that was often not the case. My addictions textbook had a whole chapter about treating heroin withdrawals with acupuncture. In one class, a former faculty member came and performed reki “energy healing”. She waved her hands around some students, and then through a mix of placebo and social pressure they reported feeling ‘something’. When I questioned the evidence for this, I was told I was not being “open minded”. If your mind is too open, your brain falls out! I asked if I could record the demonstration and was told no. Of course not! The video would have been very embarrassing for the program.I arranged for an expert on science and medicine, Harriet Hall, a.k.a. the SkepDoc, to come give a lecture. It was during a free block and I told everyone, but not a single PNUR faculty member attended.BROKEN PROCESSES. The appeals process is faulty. If a faculty member mistreats you in clinical, it’s your word against theirs. You have to win your appeal to attend the first class of the next clinical rotation, and if you miss the first one, you cannot continue. But a formal appeal, it takes time! And you are mid semester, clinical classes start again in a few days . . .LACK OF SUPPORT. Having trouble in a class? They will send you to the learning centre to find a peer tutor. Classes that everyone takes, like English and math, are available. But usually not nursing specific stuff like Pharmacology or Therapeutic Relations. If that doesn’t work, there is nothing else in place to help you.When applying, I asked what percentage of students finish the program. They were very evasive, and now I think I know why. Based on what I saw, about 2/3 of females graduate, and about ½ of males. Ouch.If you are a veteran, some faculty will assume you have PTSD and talk to you in silly ways. I expect it from some people, but psych nurses should know better.If I did finish this degree, I’m not sure I would tell anyone.Kwantlen has the other Psych Nursing program in BC, I haven’t tried it – but maybe you should.