Education vs Experience

When I read your post I had to smile. I used to be you. When I graduated with my BSN a little over a year ago I was going to go full steam ahead and move forward with my career. I planned on applying for masters programs early on and being an APN at a young age. Then I actually hit the floor and found out just how little I really knew. It's one thing to have the education, it is an entirely different story to be able to apply the knowledge and know what to do in the plentiful times that patient care does not fit under the umbrella of the perfect scenario we are so often taught about in school. I have been a floor nurse for over a year now in a stepdown unit and I am still learning nearly every time I step on the floor. Luckily I have more experienced nurses to help me down my path. I still want to pursue something more in nursing, but I have a much better idea how education is only a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to nursing. In time you will learn to appreciate and respect the importance of experience - especially when you are getting your butt saved by an experienced associates prepared nurse (god bless them because they have gotten me through many hard times)

I have no faith in graduate program that accepts advanced practice students without experience. I also worry that the student signs up for something that five years down the road proves to be a bad decision for the student and they've sweat. tears and money on something that's not a good match for them. I also see direct MSN programs that allow for these micro-specialties without requiring the basic master's in the specialty. Lots of students are going to find that they're skills can only be utilizied in limited geographical areas.

I listen to my daughter and her friends use the same wisdom when deciding on continuing their educations; this type of thinking is proactive and doesn't come from a bad place. It sounds like a good idea to those who haven't been on the floor, had a professor without the ability to make real-life comparisons and been in a situation where your experience doesn't help even a little bit and you require assistance with a life-threatening situation or possible bad outcome.

How can an untried anything be good out of the shute?

As previously mentioned baby doctors have lots of time and mentorship to screw up and learn, nurses are not afforded that time. Their clinicals have to count during any practitioner program. I was recently advised by an NP that unlike PAs with set medical training; NP programs can vary tremendously leaving a graduated practitioner grasping for straws. Skills like reading xrays may or may not be taught-it is up to the NP to find a mentor. This is a totally different scenario then that facing an MD or PA.

Under any and all circumstances those choosing to further their careers and their scope of knowledge should be applauded. We should never be finished with our quest for knowledge and educational betterment. When nursing catches up to the rest of the professions, internships will be the natural progression. Right now it is still piecemeal leaving us to become the best by building on what we already know.

M

How do you teach or supervise without having the experience doing what you're teaching? How do you evaluate the patient care done by others when you've never done that work yourself? Before I joined the military, I worked on a surgical ward staffed mostly by experienced Diploma RNs- myself included-and we worked our butts off and gave outstanding care. Along came a new BSN grad who worked with us for about 6 mo. and was then made our charge nurse when our boss relocated. The reason given was that "she has a degree." HUH??? She was suddenly in charge of a group of mature, experienced nurses while she was a 22 year old BSN who had worked for 6 months. There was so much resentment and feelings of betrayal by the nurses who had not even had the opportunity to apply for the job. There seem to be too many people going into nursing for reasons other than a love of caring for people, which is supposed to be our reason, right?? I went on to further education myself and I'm all for education, however, had I done it all at once, without a strong clinical background, I know I wouldn't be the nurse I am today. Just saying....

" OLD ENOUGH"

The topic of when to enter graduate studies in nursing has raised certain red flags- that of a traditional aspect where the art and practice of nursing knowledge gained through hard earned experience versus that of today's nursing students who are eager to explore new methods and research theories as applied to nursing practice. The fact is that nursing is a profession which does demand good clinical and academic knowledge, facilitating application of theory in practice. This type of learning is known as experiential learning where clinical and academic knowledge are fused together. This is the unique aspect of nursing practice, unlike any other, but continues to produce disagreement.
Two of the major drawbacks in continuing education costs and time. Nursing salaries and family responsibilities do not easily allow or encourage continuing education. Job securitiy, power and physical fatigue are other aspects which negatively impact and entrench nursing attitudes, inducing feelings of helplessness and powerlessness This is a topic which would be of academic research and findings would benefit the profession.
There is a need for a multilateral approach in nursing today however, pure academic learning cannot be validated without clinical experience where learning curves should continue upwards, an aspect which stimulates a nurse to pursue knowledge and advanced practice, a positive development. . The comparison to medicine is limited because of the approach to teaching medecine versus the design and content of curriculum offered in nursing studies and in the practice/art of nursing. I have met nursing professors who have little experience to offer as examples when teaching nursing students and who are defensive about it. This significant gap cannot validate academic practice or reinforce teaching. There is no need to condemn the lack of practice but there is a need to ask oneself, am I being honest with my skills assessment needs and how will this affect my choice of advanced practice. Your choice is to be lauded but I would also agree with other readers who have suggested that you discuss your decision with your professors along with your competence assessment. Good luck!!

All the Grad programs i have checked..require "at least 2-5 years nursing experience" to be competitive. Thats for a clinical degree, though. Even if it's education, i really think it would be hard to get in a position even though i somewhat agree about being fresh in evidence based practice(my interpreation)

I just want to toss my thoughts into this discussion.

A registered nurse and a nurse practitioner (or CRNA, CNS, whatever) encompass two distinct fields of health care. The practice is different and the qualifications are different. While any experience toward something is always beneficial, it's not completely necessary. As an advanced practice nurse, you'd be learning new deliveries of care. Basically what I'm trying to say is that while having experience is always a good thing, when that experience is in an area that you no longer wish to pursue, it may not be as necessary. I don't think you would need to spend years working as a dental hygienist to become a successful dentist or a CNA to become a successful nurse. The same logic should apply to those nurses who wish to advance their education and expand their scope of practice.

There are some requirements, because to be able to have advanced practice, you should at least know something about basic practice, like monitor readings, etc., and how to associate them with physiologic conditions and changes. These modes of thinking come from experience, not just education. A book and a professor can discuss scenarios all day, but only experience can teach you how you will react to each one. I have nothing against advancing your education, but to just get out of school and try to be in the role of advanced practice with no experience can be dangerous to the patient. And no, a registered nurse and a nurse practitioner are not 2 different distinct fields of health. The NP, CRNA, CNS or whatever, has to pass the same NCLEX and be a registered nurse as the rest of us!

I guess I have mixed feelings on this. While I understand the point you're trying to make, having been a nurse for the past two years now (wow, time flies...I joined Allnurses as a student) the experience I have gained has had me thinking back to some of the schooling I had. It's kind of the "aha" moments. "Oh that's why they said that in school...or that's why so many nurses say you'll understand x,y,z after you've been out for a few years...

There IS a lot about nursing that you just can't teach. You have to experience it.

OTOH, I do want to finish an advanced degree, but I have to pay off some debt and with a spouse in grad school, our budget just can't handle THAT many student loans! I would have been frustrated having to wait to go to school to fulfill the experience requirement.