anything you wish you were told in nursing school that you werent?

[karyan06]

I am 2 years down and 2 to go in my nursing school, and I am an LNA in LTC and a cardiac medical hospital setting. I was just wondering if there was anything you wish you were told/wish you did in nursing school or when you got out that you didnt realize at the time. anything advice would be great:D

[futurenurseheather]

..i wish i wouldn't have read this....

[FlyOR]

That the amount of liability for even small decisions is huge.

That co-workers, doctors, everybody anywhere near something going bad will look for ways to blame you and not themselves.

Corollary: NO ONE HAS YOUR BACK. YOU HAVE TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND BE SMART.

That seniority is a BIG deal in nursing, and time off at holidays and summer will be hard/ impossible to get for YEARS.

The money----you EARN every CENT. Frankly, it's not enough.

That you should savor the good moments to help you get through the bad ones.

That the job will kick your can for a LONG time before you get used to it. (Still waiting)

Whenever you get busy and it's a choice between anything that seems important and being at the side of the patient, ALWAYS CHOOSE THE PATIENT.

CHECK EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME. ALL THE TIME.

[healthstar, BSN, RN]

That you can change from optimistic to pessimistic. and you are going to have anxiety problems and possibly medication just kidding

[shoegalRN, RN]

But for real though:

You need to learn to get a backbone and not take everything personally.

You need to learn how to be assertive and learn the art of communication.

You need to learn how to juggle several things at one time.

You need to learn how to priortize. Which is more important? Getting a blanket

for the demanding family next door or calling a doctor for mental status changes for the other patient down the hall?

You need to learn not to trust ANYONE! Better to be silent and observant.

You need to learn to CYA. Chart EVERYTHING! The one thing you don't want is be standing in front of the judge saying "see, what happened was....."

Nursing school teaches NONE of this! They are so focused on theory and NCLEX ratings that they sugar coat, powder fluff, and paint nursing as unicorns and rainbows. You will QUICKLY come to see that's NOT the case!

It's good to be idealistic. However, be prepared for a reality shock. I wish I would have known in nursing school what I know now......

[85RNtogo]

Well-said, afrocentricRN....I couldn't agree with you more!

[WilburW]

Oh, sure. I also like "back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth."

I tell people that Jesus and I were in Sunday school together.

(I think he paid better attention than I did)

[ittybabyRN, RN]

I am still new, only 6mo on my own so far in nicu but so far I have learned that my patients lives are literally in my hands, depending on the decisions I make. That in the large teaching hosp I am in I frequently find new residents asking me what should be done! What surprises me most is that somtimes I know. Asking for help, asking questions and asking for order clarification are all better than a dead patient! Never assume you know everything.

And ditto on no time to pee!

[nicole109]

I think the most important thing is to BREATHE! And while I think there is a lot of negativity here, and I certainly am not above that, because I too have contributed my own 2 cents--we all have to find our own way. Yes, many of the things that are being mentioned here are true, and unfortunately nursing (IMO) is going in an unfortunate direction right now--but I think it's important for each person to form their own opinion about each situation. Not every facility, manager, co-worker, doctor, etc. that you come across is evil and wants you to fail miserably. Are they out there? Sure, but they exist in every walk of life, not just in healthcare. There are also good one's out there too--you've got to find them and hold on to them for dear life.

More importantly, you've got to find yourself in nursing. Each and everyone of us have chosen nursing for a different reason, and when you feel like you are getting lost, you've got to go back and find that reason. You will find your niche, and it probably won't be the first job you land yourself--keep looking because the possibilities in nursing are endless! Create your own path, and you will be just fine =)

[juliaann]

.....That Nurses who think for themselves are viewed as a "threat"...... :icon_roll

This is what terrifies me.

I'm seriously considering some non-nursing educational and career opportunities for this reason alone.

[rn4ever?]

That there can be too much politics at work in the world of nursing.

That what they teach in school becomes 100 x harder in the real world.

That you should always watch your back and trust no one at work.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

I had been in the hospital environment for years so I already knew about the politics and backstabbing. I do wish I'd been told that going to work in the same place where I had been a tech might not be a great idea. Didn't realize that some people would be resentful of my role change.

[HamsterRN, ADN, RN]

I wish someone had told me that I would only need to deal with Nursing Diagnoses in Nursing School.