[aholdridge123]

I'm a nursing student. I am looking for an RN that graduated before 1980 to answer the following questions for an assignment in my seminar class.

1. Why did you go into nursing?
2. Where did you receive your education? In what year did you graduate?
3. What kind of education did you receive? (RN-diploma, Associate's degree, BSN?)
4. What was taught in nursing school and how were clinical experiences structured? (More class time than clinical time, etc.)
5. Who were your instructors and what were their level of education?
6. What were the conditions of the health care system during your education?
7. What was nursing practice like at the time you were receiving your education?
8. Were nursing care plans utilized?
9. What differences do you see in standards of care now versus when you were in school?
10. What was the role of nursing on the health care team?
11. Any other interesting facts, or differences between nursing then and now.

I appreciate your help!!

[CuttingEdgeRN]

1. Why did you go into nursing? I worked as a candy striper in a hospital durring highschool and truly enjoyed it. I was in awe of the nurses.

2. Where did you receive your education? Methodst Hospital School of Nursing In what year did you graduate? 1980

3. What kind of education did you receive? Diploma

4. What was taught in nursing school and how were clinical experiences structured?
We had a lot more clinical time than class time. We actually worked (unpaid) shifts and quickly began taking patients with preceptors. We even did a few weeks in the OR and scrubbed.

5. Who were your instructors and what were their level of education? I believe they were all MSN's but not positive

6. What were the conditions of the health care system during your education? Seemed to be more caring, less paperwork and less political

7. What was nursing practice like at the time you were receiving your education?
See above!

8. Were nursing care plans utilized? YES and I still remember crying over them, LOL

9. What differences do you see in standards of care now versus when you were in school? Hard to say.. I want to say thet it is better because of all the "rules and watchdogs" but seems that we as nurses are cramped by those same "RULES AND WATCHDOGS"

10. What was the role of nursing on the health care team? I don't feel that has changed

11. Any other interesting facts, or differences between nursing then and now. Just that I do miss the old days!

Your welcome

[ebear]

1). I thought that it would be exciting
2). Columbus College (Georgia)
3). Associates
4). Same things that are being taught now, but we had to demonstrate
we were competent to perform them VERY well before instructor
allowed us to advance. Clinicals 7a.m. to 12p.m.Mon thru Fri.
Classroom (theory_) 1p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mon thru Fri.
5). former army nurses (near Fort Benning), civilian nurses, and Sisters
of St. Francis / Masters and phD
6). Excellent condition. NO huge conglomerates.
7). Same as now minus the politics. Nurse managers were actually
nurse managers
8). Yes, always and not computerized-each was individually done
9). none
10). making patient rounds very frequently, starting all IV's, mixing all
IVPB's and hanging (no such thing as IV teams), inserting all N/G
tubes, dressing changes, and making rounds with every
physician. There were also no PCA pumps, so we had to give all
PRN pain meds.
11). The hands of nurses are so tied today--we used to be able to
actually take care of patients

[michigooseBSN]

1. I too was a candystriper for many years and never considered any career other than nursing.
2. University of Michigan 1962
3. BSN
4. My class was the first one that was not used as a work force in the hospital. All clinical experience was based on our needs as students. Theory came first. We had no clinicals until the last two years and then our assignements were based on what we were studying at the time.
5. Univ. faculty all of whom had Masters degrees in Nursing and many with PhDs.
6. Huge Medical Center with all kinds of complicated patients. We rarely saw anything ordinary like an appy.
7. Team Nursing. One of our rotations was as a team leader.
8. Yes, extensively
9. Much more controlled by economics now. Little time for interpersonal interactions, teaching etc. This, by the way, is why I left bedside nursing. I'm a school nurse now.
10. Same as now.
10.

[woody62]

Originally Posted by aholdridge123

I'm a nursing student. I am looking for an RN that graduated before 1980 to answer the following questions for an assignment in my seminar class.

1. Why did you go into nursing?
I got an offer, for the NYSDOMH to pay for one year at a local four year university.
2. Where did you receive your education? In what year did you graduate?
Brooklyn State Hospital School of Nursing 1964. Left seven months before graduation (I got pregnant). Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, New York 1969 to 1971.
3. What kind of education did you receive? (RN-diploma, Associate's degree, BSN?)
Associate in Nursing, BSN, MS
4. What was taught in nursing school and how were clinical experiences structured? (More class time than clinical time, etc.)
Fundamentals, Med/Surg, Peds, OB, Psych. Theory four hours a day two days a week. Clinical eight hours a day, three days a week.
5. Who were your instructors and what were their level of education?
MSN's PhD's, MSN working on their PhD's.
6. What were the conditions of the health care system during your education? Good to excellent community hospitals.
7. What was nursing practice like at the time you were receiving your education?
When I first started school, we were to be handimadians but my school didn't endorse such an attitude. We were encouraged to question staff and house staff. We were required to attend M & M's. And had to respond to any question asked of us. And we were asked the same questions as the house staff.
8. Were nursing care plans utilized?
Yes
9. What differences do you see in standards of care now versus when you were in school?
Nursing is more focused on passing medications, hanging IV's, teaching a little, writting in charts. I was more focused on taking care of patients and teaching them.
10. What was the role of nursing on the health care team?
Educator, care giver
11. Any other interesting facts, or differences between nursing then and now.
Today nurse's seem more focused on finishing paper work. When I am in the hospital, exception ICU, I am lucky if I see my nurse three time during a twelve hour shift. And it is mostly to give me medications and do one assessment.

I appreciate your help!!

Woody

[P_RN]

1. Why did you go into nursing? Read all the Cherry Ames books and decided it was for me. Still is.

2. Where did you receive your USC? In what year did you graduate? 1974

3. What kind of education did you receive? (RN-diploma, Associate's degree, BSN?) BA ADB BS

4. What was taught in nursing school and how were clinical experiences structured? Classes etc.) MWF 4h clinical those days and 8 hours clinical tues and thurs.




5. Who were your instructors and what were their level of education?all masters/D's for professors. BSN for clinical instructors




6. What were the conditions of the health care system during your education? Good. Felt part of everything.


7. What was nursing practice like at the time you were receiving your education? Mostly technical, read orders, carry out, Very little self motivation.


8. Were nursing care plans utilized? Nope Nanda hadn't come on the scene.


9. What differences do you see in standards of care now versus when you were in school? Truthfully. Back to the handmaiden style. Scared to death of lawsuits.


10. What was the role of nursing on the health care team?
11. Any other interesting facts, or differences between nursing then and now. Tasks and handmaiden.

I appreciate your help!!