Things You Didn't Learn in Nursing School

[Joe V]

We learned a lot in nursing school, but some things you can only learn while on the job. Here are just a few of them.

Share your thoughts

[Do-over, ASN, RN]

That the Rapid Response Team nurses are your friends - don't be afraid to call them, and that if you are asking yourself if you need them - you do!

[rnbyprof]

how to accomplish bedmaking for 20 patients in just an hour..

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

That being in my OB rotation would not prevent me from getting pregnant..... Wouldn't trade him for the world but 32 years ago it was drama to the nth degree!!!

[FlorenceNtheMachine]

How to talk with patients about death and withdrawing/continuing care and how to communicate with doctors without turning into this:

[tewdles, RN]

Things I didn't learn in nursing school...

Not every constipated patient has hard poop in their rectum.

Hard poop is easier to get out of the rectum.

Old women are not easy to catheterize.

Old men are not easy to catheterize.

Babies stink...and so does death.

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

MochaRN424 said:

Licensed to apply bandaids...I fell out...thank you for the laugh I needed that!! But seriously I know what you mean. Like why didn't I have a phlebotomy course...and then you are expected to "practice" on patients.

How to start an IV and draw blood , though I am damn good at it now. That was considered on the job training.

[prmenrs, RN]

I remember thinking I wished they'd taught me more about plumbing and electricity, esp re: catheters and other tubes and monitors.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Quote

How to start an IV and draw blood , though I am damn good at it now. That was considered on the job training.

Nursing school never taught me this either, not even in lab on dummies. It sure would have been nice to have at least been introduced to the skill

[PMFB-RN, RN]

Quote

from nrsang97
How to start an IV and draw blood , though I am damn good at it now. That was considered on the job training.

ChristineN said:

Nursing school never taught me this either, not even in lab on dummies. It sure would have been nice to have at least been introduced to the skill

*** Nursing students are not demanding enough of the nursing school they are paying for their education. It's absurd that nursing schools are no longer teaching basic nursing skills and instead transferring the responsibility to employers. Is it any wonder there is so much reluctance by hospitals to hire new grads? New grads have always been expensive to train, having to train them in the most basic and fundamental skills only adds to the expense.

[FlorenceNtheMachine]

I don't blame schools wholly. I was very aggressive when it came to practicing skills, saying yes to any opportunity. Even if I had to do it in front of ten people. I even practiced on willing souls outside of clinical! O_O!

Many of my classmates were not actively seeking learning opportunities. You gotta make the most of your time as a student (not directed to anyone in particular.)

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

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I don't blame schools wholly. I was very aggressive when it came to practicing skills, saying yes to any opportunity. Even if I had to do it in front of ten people. I even practiced on willing souls outside of clinical! O_O!

Many of my classmates were not actively seeking learning opportunities. You gotta make the most of your time as a student (not directed to anyone in particular.)

^THIS...is one good point ?

I felt my program was pretty transparent, and encouraged people to be proactive in getting experience, sim lab, culture of safety, ethical issues, dealing with scenarios about communicating effectively with Drs. families, co-workers, etc, etc...some people felt that "I did it already", "won't happen to me," "I'll deal with it when I get a job" blah, blah, blah...no fair to call out the school if anyone (no one in particular) were in that crowd, LOL...looking at hindsight now...

My school did tell me "the real learning is in the hospital when you get your first position." Yup, I've been in class for two weeks...next month 3 days of classes, two months after that in class, back to class at my 8th month mark, and classes in between, online, in class, conference, and in the pts room and the unit...I will be in "class" for the rest of my days as a nurse

[Dagney]

I was never taught how much customer service was involved in nursing, and that you need to give the Pts whatever they want so they don't go to a different hospital next time.