So do you use this stuff in the hospital..really?

Nursing Students General Students

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Specializes in psych, ltc, case management.

Now that I have started school I feel like:

Before- I didn't know what being a nurse entails but I thought I did.

Now- I have scratched the surface and....whoa.

There are a million and one theories and things that are supposed to be going on in your head when you actually work with pts in the hospital. My question is- how much of what you learn in school do you actually use? Do you sit there and break down the nursing process in your brain and think about self care requisites and deficits as you converse with a pt...or do you concentrate on the straight skills at hand? How does one ever balance this balancing act?

I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed (like everyone else in this forum it seems) and looking to hear some thoughts.

Thanks!

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Specializes in CDI Supervisor; Formerly NICU.

My wife is a longtime nurse. She often walks into my office at home, when I'm studying and doing homework. I have, many times, heard her say "Geeze, why do they have yall spending so much time and effort on THAT? You'll never hear that spoken of again, once you graduate."

It's highly frustrating, and I've demanded that she stop it.

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In a couple of words: "Hell no! You don't use half of this material"

Nursing IMO is not about being nice and graceful (although that is great) it is about knowing what you're doing and being able to do it when it is needed and being confident in your abilities.

I'm in school now with all of these snappy older students that do very good on tests and what not but would never make it in my setting (ER) because they are afraid of "hurting the pt"

The good thing about all of this is: not everyone is made out to be an ER nurse, there are many diff types of nursing for everyone.

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you will forget and never use about 80% of what you are taught in nursing school. you will learn what you need to know based on your specialty and your hospital unit. that's it. all of this fluff is just to take up time :) hehehe

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Specializes in Peds.
you will forget and never use about 80% of what you are taught in nursing school. you will learn what you need to know based on your specialty and your hospital unit. that's it. all of this fluff is just to take up time :) hehehe

Oh no, no, no, no!! It's all required as a foundation to critical thinking! "Okay, THIS is crap. Okay THAT is crap. And so is THAT!"

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mm, what 80% wouldn't you use? this might become a nice study guide :p

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Specializes in psych, ltc, case management.

I just want to say that I find these posts very interesting. I also posted the same question in the general nursing forum, but I am getting a very different response. Here, most posters are saying "No, you don't use most of it." But I feel that the general majority of the posters in the other forum are saying "You don't use all of it, but you definately use a LOT of it." I am also wondering if I am getting more student posters like me here, and more experienced nurses posting in the other forum. Interesting..

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU.

You might not use it in the field, but don't forget...you DO have to take the NCLEX. From what I hear, they just love the warm fuzzies and through them in there. They also like to include a lot of questions about nutrition, alcohol, and acidic fruit juices, but we'll see right? lol

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I just want to say that I find these posts very interesting. I also posted the same question in the general nursing forum, but I am getting a very different response. Here, most posters are saying "No, you don't use most of it." But I feel that the general majority of the posters in the other forum are saying "You don't use all of it, but you definately use a LOT of it." I am also wondering if I am getting more student posters like me here, and more experienced nurses posting in the other forum. Interesting..

I checked out the thread you posted in the general nursing forum and I see what you mean. I think you are getting more students that are giving you their opinions in this forum. :twocents: The responses in the general nursing forum (from nurses w/exp) seem to be overwhelmingly "yes" you do use the stuff you learn in nursing school (just not all the tid-bits). It's just that you adapt the information/processes to yourself, your specialty, your reality, and eventually it all gels together and becomes second nature and you don't realize your way of thinking has changed. Like Tweety said "nursing school laid the foundation". I am glad you mentioned the thread in the general forum because I feel I was getting the wrong impression from this forum. :rolleyes: This is a good question btw thanks. :heartbeat

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