Asked to speak to new nursing students...

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Nov 16, 2005

Hello everyone,
I was asked to speak to new nursing students and I was hoping some of you might have some ideas of what I should talk about--besides my own experiences?
What are some things YOU wished you would have been told before you became a nurse--besides to look for a different less stressful career...he he

As a student asking you:

Tell me what a typical day is like for you?

Upon graduation what areas of nursing do you recommend to get experienced in first?

What is the most rewarding part of your career?

What advancements opportunities does nursing offer?

:)

Kelly_the_Great · Nov 16, 2005

Hi Larry77,

Congratulations, what an honor has been bestowed upon you!

Also, thank you so much for asking for our input.

First, I think obviously someone thinks you're own personal experiences would be valuable or they wouldn't have asked you personally to speak, right?

Something I wish had been stressed was the need for nurse to nurse care. The need for all of us to care for one another as well as our patients, doctors, etc. It's my belief this is a very important issue. I think if we don't do this we will become obsolete as a profession and we will begin not to care at all (burnout).

What do you think?

Good luck! :)

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2005

You should include at least one or two really personal stories by nurses that bring some tears to the eyes. I believe it was RN magazine that had a monthly feature at the very last page of every issue that featured a personal nursing story that pulled at the heart strings.

smarge117, ASN, BSN, RN · Nov 21, 2005

I think that you should really talk about the "culture shock" of going from being a student nurse to a real nurse. They really 'glossed' over that part in my program.

Encourage them to "shadow" on prospective unites (if possible) to get a feel of what kind of unit they would like to be on, and talk to the nurses there. Most of the people I graduated with are miserable in their units and we aren't sure why that is. Did they (school) not prepare us for the daily grind of everyday nursing? were we naive about what we were getting into? were our expectations too high about wanting to 'love' our jobs?

Organization tips!!!!!

How to write a nursing note (they glossed over that one also).

How to speak to doctor's efficiently.

How to give a concise report.

Encourage them to be proactive with their preceptors and ask questions, and not be afraid to get a different one if there is a 'personality' clash.

Talk about what kinds of questions to ask about the unit when interviewing.

OK, can you tell my first experience out of school wasn't a pleasant/positive one? Good luck!!

optimisticSRNA · Nov 22, 2005

Hey Larry77,

I did something like this before. I basically presented some humerous lists regarding nursing school to build rapport, then opened up the floor for questions. There was also a nsg instructor present who helped the students form some of the questions. I got thank you notes from a few students and a glowing recommendation from the nsg instructor.

They seemed to like my truthfulness regarding awkward situations, and felt as though they were able to ask questions they couldn't have to other people. I really enjoyed it! Good luck, I hope you do too! :nurse:

Larry77, RN · Nov 22, 2005

Great tips, you guys are great!! You have given me a lot of ideas...I just hope it stays "informal" like they have promised me. Will let ya know how it goes should be early January.

Kelly_the_Great · Nov 23, 2005

Great tips, you guys are great!! You have given me a lot of ideas...I just hope it stays "informal" like they have promised me. Will let ya know how it goes should be early January.

Okay. Please do keep us posted, Larry77, and let us know how it turns out.

Again, congratulations & good luck!

MMARN, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2005

I'll be a nursing student in January and I gotta say that I, personally, would really like to know experiences in nursing school (i.e. anectdotes, funny/sad/angry stories) what was your most touching encounter with a patient? what were the "hospital politics" that affected you while you were in nursing school? how did you and your family adjust to being in nursing school and did you really had to "die" to the world in order for you to do well in school? Just things like that. Good luck!

GrnHonu99, RN · Nov 23, 2005

I think that you should really talk about the "culture shock" of going from being a student nurse to a real nurse. They really 'glossed' over that part in my program.

This is a good idea. I recently went to a nursing conference for senior nursing students where we listened to a panel of new nurses. There were 4 of them each in a different specialty. They talked about where they worked, why they chose that area, how they passed the NCLEX, what the did to prepare, etc. They also told what their typical day was like and their fears etc.

We also listened to some professional speakers give a speech on culture shock in which he talked about how to handle conflict in a professional way and how most new nurses feel at each stage of their first year. He divided them up into 0-3 months 3-6 months and 6-13 months...he said that a lot of new nurses during their 3-6 month stage are emotionally exhausted and physically exhausted and start to wonder if this is the right career choice for t hem. That was really helpful for me to know that if I feel that way it is normal. he quoted a study (qualitative) that reflected this but I can't remember the name or who performed it...

we also heard some things on professionalism, how to dress for an interview...we talked about our communication and conflict styles. we talked about benefits and preparing for the future..etc..how to negotiate to get what you are worth basically...talked a bit about retirement and those kinds of benefits...

good luck!

kristen38 · Nov 24, 2005

Time management, I am still a student, but I know that when I start working in a year it's going to be very difficult to adjust from a few pt. to however many I may get. One teacher I had was very helpful in explaining to use different techniques for time management, and that was helpful.

Kristen