Poll: How much did you "know" before nursing school?

Nursing Students General Students

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Some of us must have gone in to school with medical backgrounds (Emts and such), some of us had only the knowledge supplied by prerequisites, some of us have picked up a lot of knowledge on our own, through books or t.v., and others probably walking into school pretty much cold.

How familar (or unfamiliar) were you with nursing-relevant or medical material, and did it help you feel more prepared?

What experiences or knowledge helped you in nursing school?

Before nursing school, the only time I had ever set foot in a hospital was to visit ailing relatives. I had NO knowledge of medical terminology and felt way behind my classmates, many of whom had been CNAs, paramedics, phlebotomists, etc. The first semester I felt clueless but by second I seemed to have caught up.

Let this be an inspiration for those of you who have no previous medical experience but want to go into nursing. If you have a willingness to learn and a curiosity about the human body/healthcare, you need not have any previous experience in medicine to be successful in nursing school.

I was pre-med through undergrad, which didn't really count for much except I had a s**tload of chemistry and physics and such under my belt.

I had worked clerical for pathologists, radiologists and in a medical records department, transcribing, so I could spell it all and pronounce it all.

I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge, so what I typed that I didn't understand I actually looked up. I used to hang out in the path lab, watched autopsies and learned along with the med students. (I still know the difference between pre- and postmortem clots--lines of Zahn absent in the latter!)

Of course I always watched shows like St. Elsewhere, ER, Quincy, and whatever that last one was that came about with ER (where's my Aricept? LOL)--Chicago Hope, and I looked up stuff from that as well. I just need to learn, if it's something I don't already know. (Although this trait is not related to things non-nursing or non-medical. For example, I could care less about HTML or astrophysics or botany.)

Raised in a household with an RN--although she didn't talk much about work, at least after I got into elementary school--so I guess that doesn't count.

So, I guess I knew some stuff....

I had absolutely no previous experience besides being a patient. I am doing just fine in nursing school too. I worried at first because I am more book smart but that hasn't made a bit of difference in my clincal experiences.

Specializes in CV Surgery Step-down.

None. Zip. Nada. Having two babies in the hospital was my only experience!

Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

Two very high risk pregnancies and preemies sparked my interest and got me researching stuff while on bedrest. I'm pretty familiar with most pregnancy and neonatology terms now.

Absolutely none. Background was Social Work.

steph

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I had no medical experience, other than being a patient, although I did learn how to listen to respiratory sounds before I even thought about becoming a nurse. My youngest son had severe asthma as a baby---we almost lost him twice---and I made the doctors and nurses teach me how to assess his lungs so I'd know when he was headed for trouble. I bought myself a cheap stethoscope and started him on home nebulizer treatments the instant he even sounded like he was getting tight, and by gosh, we never had to admit him to the hospital again.

I always liked medical shows on TV, I did well in my prereqs at college, and I'd paid attention to what was going on whenever I was in the hospital or at the doctor's office; but I was shocked once I got into nursing school and realized how much I DIDN'T know. :uhoh21: And I continue to be amazed at how much there still is to learn, even after 12 years in health care and becoming certified in my field.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Volunteered in a hospital my senior year of high school, worked for 10 years in a hospital Pathology department, worked 4 years in a retail pharmacy, and obtained my CNA certification a year before I started nursing school. All experiences have been a big help to me, but in my class the working CNAs are the ones who have the biggest advantage. They know a lot.

Just from being a little older (27) and having 2 kids, I'm more familiar with some terms and procedures than some of my younger classmates are.

I also used to work as a receptionist in a family clinic for a couple years. I'm pretty much a nerd - always enjoyed reading medical books or watching the medical shows on TV. :)

My brother is a doc so I've always listened to him talk about cases... people laugh at my parents and ask how they raised two children so interested in healthcare. :)

Specializes in Med-surg > LTC > HH >.

I had absolutely no clue about anything in the medical feild. I was (and still am) a hairdresser. I was the only one in my class with no medical training of any kind. It was a really big deal the day I did my first bed bath. Everyone in my class had done them(most were CNA's) and I had never heard of one, thought they were something dirty old men teased about:rotfl: . But now I wouldn't trade being a nurse for anything. I had to study way harder than any of my classmates, but I did it.:p

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