Education vs Experience

Nurses General Nursing

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luvbug9956

48 Posts

Specializes in Oncology.

I am a recent (5 years ago) grad, and I struggled with the same issue. Do I go and work for awhile, or go straight to grad school? I decided to work, and I am really glad I did! I have already moved into a leadership position with my BSN and am now in a really great spot to start my Master's program. I truly don't think it's about paying your dues. I think that, with a Master's degree, you are showing that you have an advanced level of knowledge and skill. Whether you want to do leadership, clinical specialist, nurse practitioner, or education, you truly need basic experience to do any of those positions. It may be hard for someone who hasn't worked yet in the nursing field to realize what those advanced positions entail. You will never find a staff nurse who will respect you as a manager, leader, clin spec, or NP if you have no basic nursing experience. Unfortunately, that's just the honest truth. Honestly, a BSN does NOT prepare you for the realities of nursing...especially the politics that exist. And a resume that includes a 4-year BSN degree followed by a Master's degree, but NO work experience will NOT get you very far. I am on a recruiting committee that helps to choose leaders and clin specs for our organization. There are MANY applications for each position; someone with no work experience will not obtain a position in our organization. That's not to say you can't go straight for your Master's, but get some even part-time work experience. There are skills you never practiced in nursing school, whether it be a BSN or AA degree. And, if grad schools in your area are like they are here, there are probably 20 spots for every 500 applicants - you will not be selected without proof of progressive work experience. Like the above posters have stated, it's not about paying your dues....it's a reality.

JDCitizen

708 Posts

School: To gain the experience and knowledge to become excellent practitioners.

Real World: Build onto experience and knowledge to become excellent practitioners.

There is a big difference:

- Between reading orders and giving orders

- Between reading a diagnosis and making a diagnosis

- Between interpreting lab results because you can and interpreting lab results because you have to..

- Between reading a plan of care and dictating the plan of care.

- ETC.

- ETC.

Looks so easy: The provider hits the floor make rounds, looks at the charts and writes some orders and leaves.. Now that I have been on both sides I can tell you it is not so easy. I can tell you the patient does not want to hear how new you are.. That nurse that has questions wants the answers.. That doctor your consulting with on a case wants answers not guesses. Everyone wants answers and they want them yesterday.

Its not education vs experience, its education and experience..

Explaining it is not easy but there comes a time and no one can know what its like until they have to do it: Diagnosis and dictate treatment without strings attached.

Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Things will come up in conversation one day and you will be asked,

"What's your background?"

BSN, MSN, ARNP. Impressive.

So, where did you get your clinical experience?

*chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp*...

Makes me think, "I don't want to be your patient."

Rnandsoccermom

172 Posts

I have been saying this to my peers for years. I got my basic nursing education from a textbook. My advanced practice has come from experience. I have gotten 80% of my knowledge from patients, coworkers, doctors, families, reading thousands of H&P's, consult reports etc...... Medicine is not an exact science.

An instructor and I were discussing this topic recently. In nursing, if nowhere else, not having clinical experience will hurt you and your patients. There is no way around it.

allnurses Guide

ghillbert, MSN, NP

3,796 Posts

Specializes in CTICU.
Because over time, education first and then experience = the same Outcome as experience first then education. The problem seems to be that many have the attitude of YOU HAVE TO PAY YOUR DUES. This is not the teamsters, this is nursing.

You don't have time to have a gap in your skills - you have to be up and running immediately. Sure, some people can cope, but that doesn't mean most people should.

Airforce1

4 Posts

Hello everyone,

First of all I would like to say that if I offended anyone with my greenness, that was not my intent. I appreciate most of your thoughtful and patient comments and I hope to glean as much wisdom from the community here that I can. I am a brand new student and I have wanted to be a nurse for years. Perhaps my overzealousness to get to where I want to be in nursing resulted in my voicing of more than a share of passive aggressiveness.

I am beginning to see that in nursing, the general consensus is that experience is the best education. Someone made a great point that nurses are expected to hit the ground running, and that nurses with advanced degrees are expected to be experts already at what they do, with little or no time to develop nursing skills that will be required of them.

I guess all I can say is that I look forward to developing that experience.

“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards"

Vernon Sanders Law

keithjones

198 Posts

You see, this is why I wanted to post this thread. Because there are probably so many qualified competent students out there, who upon graduating can begin to gain the experience they need to become excellent practitioners, especially if the framework is there for them to get the experience. Because over time, education first and then experience = the same Outcome as experience first then education. The problem seems to be that many have the attitude of YOU HAVE TO PAY YOUR DUES. This is not the teamsters, this is nursing.

based on the way your brain works I will disagree here. if you have experience first and come across things where you don't know what to do then when you come across that information in a learning environment, it clicks and it sticks! IF YOU COME ACROSS THAT SAME INFORMATION WITH NO CONTEXT FOR IT YOU MAY NOT DEEM IT AS IMPORTANT AND WILL HAVE A MUCH LOWER CHANCE OF REMEMBERING IT LATE

Moogie

1 Article; 1,796 Posts

Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.

Hey, AF1, you're okay.

Sorry to go off on you---sometimes there are a lot of posts from people who ask advice, get it, ignore it and then gripe at those who gave them the advice for which they asked in the first place. Sometimes it gets frustrating, like talking to the proverbial brick wall. (Gee, can you tell I have kids that are probably around the same age as you?)

One of these days, we'll all probably be asking you to share your advice and expertise. :icon_hug:

It behooves us "older" nurses to look out for the next generation. You're the ones who will be taking care of us someday.

So---how far along are you in your program and what aspects of nursing interest you the most?

JDCitizen

708 Posts

Hello everyone,

First of all I would like to say that if I offended anyone with my greenness, that was not my intent. I appreciate most of your thoughtful and patient comments and I hope to glean as much wisdom from the community here that I can. I am a brand new student and I have wanted to be a nurse for years. Perhaps my overzealousness to get to where I want to be in nursing resulted in my voicing of more than a share of passive aggressiveness.

I am beginning to see that in nursing, the general consensus is that experience is the best education. Someone made a great point that nurses are expected to hit the ground running, and that nurses with advanced degrees are expected to be experts already at what they do, with little or no time to develop nursing skills that will be required of them.

I guess all I can say is that I look forward to developing that experience.

“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards"

Vernon Sanders Law

:redlight: Every day with every patient. If not reinforced by patient/family there is always the medical director.:redlight:

PS. We are all here to learn and share and sometimes whats printed seems more hostile than what was meant. I found myself thinking about how this topic would have gone on a PA or doctor type forum....

NurseBrittney

185 Posts

There are some nurses who will continue to eat their young and they are the ones who have a problem with it.

I know an LPN who hates RNs and thinks that the higher level of education has nothing on her "Years of experience" and she is constantly talking about how she is the "most seasoned nurse on the floor". She has issue with new nurses pursueing further education...actually she has issue with any new RNs period, but especially those going on to get their bsn and msn.

Jelousy I guess? bitterness? I'm not sure. Since she so desperatly wants to be the charge nurse, I would think she would just go to school the extra year to get the degree to do so, but she doesn't. I just don't understand.

nanettewill

5 Posts

Specializes in Surgical.

:yeah: It is wonderful that you are going forward with your education! Please remember that the classroom time you had only gives you a foundation for what you will do and see in nursing. I believe that experience is the best teacher! After I graduated from nursing school, I was ready and raring to go. I soon found out there was still a lot to learn and what I would learn was not always the way it was presented in school. Keep working while you are going to school to help get more experience under your belt. A long time ago I read an article titled- "Nurses Eat Their Young". It is so true still today. I am sure you could find that article yet today if interested in reading it. Many nurses still beat up new nurses instead of helping them grow:nono:. So sad! Don't let anyone discourage you from achieving your goal. :nurse:

:prdnrs:

TenaciousRN

3 Posts

I am in my final year of nursing school, so I may not be a knowledgeable about the experience vs education as others, but I am going to give my opinion anyhow. Personally, I believe that no amount of theory makes up for clinical experience. I watch on a daily basis where fellow students who make A's in theory do not have the ability to translate that knowledge into practical use. What we learn in theory is never the same as what we see applied in the real world of practice. I have to agree with the more experienced nurses here. I will eventually get my MSN...that is my goal. I can't imagine after having gone through clinicals that any student would believe that they can go straight through to their MSN and walk out into the real world with no experience and work in advanced practice. How can you be an advanced practice nurse if you haven't "practiced" at all. The problem is that many people see the dollar signs or they decide they don't want to do the grunt work. You have to pay your dues. We are not trying to become managers at the Burger King...we deal in life and death. mistakes can be made very easily and when they are...someone's life is put in jeopardy. The point that you are missing is that you are supposed to be doing what is best for your patients...not what is best for you. That is a luxury you sacrifice to become a nurse. Again...this is just my own opinion.

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