Group Projects

I have never really liked group projects before. This is not to say that I'm not a team player, because I really am when it comes to working in the PICU. It's just there is something annoying about working on a project, a power point, a poster, or a presentation as a group (wow, everything in nursing school seems to start with a "p"!).

However, I realized this quarter WHY I have not liked group projects in the past. It's because I'm completely type A and anal about my work-whether it be in the PICU or in school!! I have always been the one that wanted to do a majority of the project thinking that nobody would do it as well as I could (wow, that's really cocky when said outloud!)

But I've taken a completely different approach this year in school! Don't get me wrong....I'm still a straight A student and want to keep it that way....I've just changed my view on group projects a bit. The last group assignment I had, I initiated the group to start early (I hate procrastinating!) and since I was the one to get the ball rolling I chose which part I wanted to do first....the easiest!

Then this week we were assigned a group power point presentation, and following suit, I chose the topic that I thought would be the least time consuming (granted, I was the third to choose and there were only 4 options....but still, I chose the easier of the 2 left!). I cranked out my part over the past several hours and turned it in to the rest of the group.

In the past, I would wait until everyone had their parts turned in, check it meticulously, and then create the final product....now, not so much! Once my part is turned in, there's no looking things over...there's just no need! I guess the nice thing about being in school with all PICU/NICU and other acute care nurses is that they are all as anal and type A as I am! We consistently turn in our work early, and heavin forbid we get anything less than an A!

So while in the past I hated group projects, I've changed my opinion on this in grad school! In fact, I almost welcome them....instead of doing an entire project myself, I can do a fourth of the thing and get credit for all of it! Sounds like a slacker, but really for all the work I put into group projects in the past, I think I can take this kind of mentality now!