Are Student Nurses Prepared for "Real Life?'

baileysmom07 · Jul 20, 2008

I am about to graduate at the end of this month. We did 800 clinical hours during out 1 year advanced program. We did all patient care for our one or 2 patients that we had (depending on our level). As a previous poster stated, ALL of our meds were checked many times (for us, 5 times). Some of the students didn't like it, but it definately helps with medicine errors. We also have to know the meds (action, reason for your patient getting it, adverse effects, interactions, lab values and other things) before we could give them. If you were not prepared to give meds on your selected day (we had to be prepared every day because we were selected the morning of clinical), you received an unsat. 2 unsats in 1 semester you are out of the program. After reading some of your posts, I am glad to be in the program that I am in. We did get a lot of good clinical experience at different places.

BlessedRoseRN · Jul 20, 2008

I graduate from NS in 3 wks. Do I think I am fully prepared...Um NO!! As many have said here nothing prepares you for the real world NOTHING! We are responsible for our own learning but if we are unable to practice and carry out these skills in a real setting have we really learned anything? I must admist I've had pretty good clinical experiences where nurses let me do procedures and taught me a lot, and even my clinical instructor have been helpful in teaching and letting us do all we wanted to do in the hospital. That's why you have a preceptor when you go into the hospital to work they know you are not prepared for the real world b/c they once went to nursing school to.

Torchwood · Jul 20, 2008

School seldom makes you ready for the real world. I knew some poor students, I had some good clincal rotations, and some were I made a point to forget everything I learned at that rotation, for fear of hurting someone.

There are alot of bad students, bad nurses, bad hospitals, also alot of good. School preps you for boards, that have little to do with the real world.

DestinedRN09 · Jul 20, 2008

I graduate May 2009:yeah: with my BSN degree and I definitely feel that I am not prepared for the real world. At this point in time, I have zero experience working in a hospital outside of clinicals. I am desperately trying to get a job for this last year to get some exposure because I am sooo scared of being thrown to the wolves! I think it is pretty fair to say some schools may prepare their students more than others and in different ways.

Let's take this discussion a step further....Any suggestions on how to become more clinically prepared?

SweetLemon · Jul 20, 2008

many of the student nurses i have encountered lately appear to be ill-prepared for the real world.what is going on? what are these students being taught and prepared for? ex: student drawing up 5 cc of insulin thinking it's 5 units. what are they doing????

as recently finishing nursing school myself i would say preparing for the nclex..... i want to a good school but felt that the amount of clinical time we had was minimal and even during our clinical experience much of what we did was out simply to prepare us for the nclex.

now i have no doubt in my mind that being able to pass the nclex is really important and allows us to make sure new nurses are competent before unleashing them onto patients....but there is something to be said about hands on experience..... you can be an incredible test taker, do amazing on the nclex and still come away somewhat incompetent to begin real world nursing..... if u cannot physically carry out the task while dealing with your patients, it won't matter how good a test taker you are......

uscstu4lfe · Jul 20, 2008

it may be the nerves of being a new nurse in a new setting with all those scary vials of drugs that is causing them to "blank out". take a little time to politely remind them of the correct thing to do :)

ConnieNTX · Jul 21, 2008

Of course not, that's why they are 'students'. All were one once too I'm sure, and I doubt anyone was perfect. Of course your example seems frightening, but as you said it was a student and it would A. be caught prior by the person supervising and corrected, and B. I bet that student would never make that mistake again. The only way to really learn is by 'hands on' experience, and actually being allowed to learn in the 'real world' of nursing. Nursing school is basically a lot of papers, humanities and speech and such classes on top of the anatomy and micro. and patho. that bombard our thoughts, and the best way to really get training and knowledge is by actually working side by side a working nurse in the field. If we are lucky, we'll be under a nurse with compassion and someone who offers us good training. Much like any field. I'm sure many students are just not cut out for the field, and unfortunately since we don't get the real feel of the 'real world', until we are forced into it, they find out after putting in all the time in school. I'm not sure how fantastic you were fresh out of pre-req's and into clinicals, but I'm sure the clinicals will be the most important learning part as far as how much knowledge and insight we gain thus far. The nurses who forgot they were once in our shoes are sadly abundant, and many thrust their own cockiness onto the already timid students.

uscstu4lfe · Jul 21, 2008

well said, connientx! that's what i wanted to say, but couldn't think of the words, lol. Let's all remember how scary it is to be student! instead of scolding, reporting, etc, let's teach them instead!

tamsonfirst · Jul 21, 2008

As new grad who has just recently begun my residency program within the last two weeks, I'd like to give the more veteran nurses my perspective. I worked on the floor with patients for the first time on Thursday and I was scared as hell! This despite the fact that I worked as a Nurse Tech on the same unit for the past year...There is a higher patient acuity these days and there are not enough hands to go around; however I knew these things going in. It is not as if I was completely ignorant of these facts.

I earned a BSN degree and completed roughly 900 clinical hours over the course of my schooling and, although I had exposure to a variety of clinical experiences, I never got to do any one thing enough times to feel confident about it, let alone proficient. I have a great deal of respect for the nurses who have done it "old school", sitting for 2 days worth of boards, etc. I also appreciate the care and patience they have with me as I strive to learn to become more skilled.

I had a nurse tell me Thursday that she was glad to hear I was scared because she believed I would be more careful then those who come out of school cocky...I suppose time will tell on that.

Anyway, be kind to us new grads, we're trying to make your jobs easier...

just my :twocents: ...

Tam

p.s- Oh yeah, about the new grad who drew up 5 mls of insulin...giving her the benefit of the doubt here, maybe she was nervous?

sweetpeanurse · Jul 21, 2008

"p.s- Oh yeah, about the new grad who drew up 5 mls of insulin...giving her the benefit of the doubt here, maybe she was nervous? "

tamsonfirst has a point!!!

I know when you are @ clinical and you finally get to do something new that you get nervous with all the experience nurses around, and the dreadful loss of points.

jml444 · Jul 21, 2008

I think nursing school simply qualifies us to work in a hospital as a trainee.

I agree with that statement 100% !!

Kiringat · Jul 21, 2008

Me too!

I know loads of theory, and can write a care plan in 10 seconds flat, but as for actually working a hospital floor...:sofahider: I just hope I get lucky enough to have an understanding preceptor!