A VENT about nursing school!

Phenomenon · Jul 1, 2004

:angryfire I am in my last few months before becoming an RN and this course is so insanely insane, it makes me question why I am in nursing!

It is a busy medical unit, in one of the busiest hospitals in North America. Enough said- it is positively crazy trying to have pts on this unit. The unit clerk is a B***H and many of the nurses are not so friendly-mostly because they do not have time. The instructor is OK, but contradicts herself a lot (do the dressing this way, then 30min later rells you to do it another way). The careplans at night are killing me. I have had maybe 6 hours sleep in 1 week and spent many nights completetly awake, just finishing in time to start the next shift.

Working with the pts is hard because it is so busy that you get no satisfaction or reward at the end of the day that you have helped anyone. It is just too busy! I mean, I could be doing meds every half hour, have chem strips every 2 hours , 6 dressing changes, more meds, 1/2 the pts are on isolation for MRSA or gross infections, suctioning trachs, catheters, IV meds, IV changes, IV starts, blood, V/S evry 2 hours plus all the regular care (bathing, full head to toe assessments) plus charting plus we have to chart everything that we put on the charts into our "care plans" during the day for the instructor to see by the end of the day.

I know this may not sound too bad but it is waaaaaaaay different than any other clinical experience.

I keep thinking - I dont want to do this if this is what nursing is!! 4/8 students have considered quitting already, just in this course. I keep thinking, only 4 more months to go......

Any one experience this. Is working any different because I am not enjoying this at all.

IamRN · Jul 2, 2004

Honestly this sounds like an awesome floor to learn from! However, it sounds as if you have a full load assignment v. just one or two patients to really concentrate and learn from????

I don't think that as a student, even in the last semester, I had the organizational skills to undertake a full patient load. That sarted to come in during my orientation/preceptorship from my first job as an RN. It was at least a year before I really felt comfortable w/my time management/organizational skills.

IamRN · Jul 2, 2004

Honestly this sounds like an awesome floor to learn from! However, it sounds as if you have a full load assignment v. just one or two patients to really concentrate and learn from????

I don't think that as a student, even in the last semester, I had the organizational skills to undertake a full patient load. That sarted to come in during my orientation/preceptorship from my first job as an RN. It was at least a year before I really felt comfortable w/my time management/organizational skills.

CHATSDALE · Jul 2, 2004

sometimes when it gets really bad think "i have the worst behind me. it just can't get any worse than this" seriously though i think previous post is right the more you are exposed to the smarter yo get and the better nurse you will be...i hope that the next 4 months go quickly good luck

CHATSDALE · Jul 2, 2004

sometimes when it gets really bad think "i have the worst behind me. it just can't get any worse than this" seriously though i think previous post is right the more you are exposed to the smarter yo get and the better nurse you will be...i hope that the next 4 months go quickly good luck

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2004

Nursing isn't always like that. It can get hectic, of course. Assuming you're going to work in the same city that you went to school in, different clinicals can give you an idea of where you may or may not want to work. My guess is that you do NOT want to work on that particular unit! Units vary on how busy they get and how well the people get along. Think about some of the other clinical places you've been. How did you like about them? As has been said before, we're in a nursing shortage and you can be a little bit picky about where you work.

Another thing to remember is that you are going to get faster and more organized at things within those first few months. You also won't have to go call your instructor over to supervise your meds or quiz you on what they're for, etc. You'll become familiar with various meds and you won't have to look them up in the book every time. You also won't have to wait for someone to get you into the med lockup or supply lockup, etc. I always wasted so much time searching for people to get me into the med and supply lockups because they didn't give students codes to get in themselves!

I guess the quick answer is, no, working in nursing isn't all like that.

KRVRN, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2004

Nursing isn't always like that. It can get hectic, of course. Assuming you're going to work in the same city that you went to school in, different clinicals can give you an idea of where you may or may not want to work. My guess is that you do NOT want to work on that particular unit! Units vary on how busy they get and how well the people get along. Think about some of the other clinical places you've been. How did you like about them? As has been said before, we're in a nursing shortage and you can be a little bit picky about where you work.

Another thing to remember is that you are going to get faster and more organized at things within those first few months. You also won't have to go call your instructor over to supervise your meds or quiz you on what they're for, etc. You'll become familiar with various meds and you won't have to look them up in the book every time. You also won't have to wait for someone to get you into the med lockup or supply lockup, etc. I always wasted so much time searching for people to get me into the med and supply lockups because they didn't give students codes to get in themselves!

I guess the quick answer is, no, working in nursing isn't all like that.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2004

I would certainly ask for help when needed. It is awful that you are having such a negative experience, but don't let it cloud your whole perception of nursing. Get that license, then join a professional organization and work towards better nursing environments.

purplemania, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2004

I would certainly ask for help when needed. It is awful that you are having such a negative experience, but don't let it cloud your whole perception of nursing. Get that license, then join a professional organization and work towards better nursing environments.

Altra, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2004

Another thing to remember is that you are going to get faster and more organized at things within those first few months. You also won't have to go call your instructor over to supervise your meds or quiz you on what they're for, etc. You'll become familiar with various meds and you won't have to look them up in the book every time. You also won't have to wait for someone to get you into the med lockup or supply lockup, etc. I always wasted so much time searching for people to get me into the med and supply lockups because they didn't give students codes to get in themselves!
I guess the quick answer is, no, working in nursing isn't all like that.

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but thanks for the input KRVRN - this has been a thorn in my side lately. This summer is our med-surg course, and we are assigned 2 or sometimes 3 patients. Sometimes I've spent these days constantly walking from room to room searching out my instructor, or keys, or whatever. Thanks for the reminder that it won't always be like this! :)

Altra, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2004

Another thing to remember is that you are going to get faster and more organized at things within those first few months. You also won't have to go call your instructor over to supervise your meds or quiz you on what they're for, etc. You'll become familiar with various meds and you won't have to look them up in the book every time. You also won't have to wait for someone to get you into the med lockup or supply lockup, etc. I always wasted so much time searching for people to get me into the med and supply lockups because they didn't give students codes to get in themselves!
I guess the quick answer is, no, working in nursing isn't all like that.

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but thanks for the input KRVRN - this has been a thorn in my side lately. This summer is our med-surg course, and we are assigned 2 or sometimes 3 patients. Sometimes I've spent these days constantly walking from room to room searching out my instructor, or keys, or whatever. Thanks for the reminder that it won't always be like this! :)