best advice you can give student nurse

fab4fan · Nov 23, 2003

Don't believe everything your instructors tell you...some of them like to intimidate students and tell them they'll never make it/they're incompetent/etc. Some of them are nothing more than bullies.

ratchit · Nov 23, 2003

Don't be pressured into doing things you don't know how to do.

Don't refuse to do things you don't know how to do- ask someone to help you do them so you can learn. It's not "I don't know" it's "I don't know YET."

Don't let staff nurses make you feel useless or small because they know more than you- they have had years to learn on the job, and most of nursing is taught on the job. You're not supposed to know what they do yet. And they didn't know any more than you do at this point.

You won't get it right every time. Learn the lessons from your mistakes and move on- don't kick yourself.

Use your peers for help. Keep in touch with classmates. You'll be more comfortable asking questions of them than you will be with experienced nurses. Your peers might not know the answers either, but they'll make you feel more comfortable asking someone else since you're not the only one who doesn't know.

Find an experienced nurse that you are comfortable with- use him/her for a resource.

When in doubt, call for help. In a crisis, airway comes first.

:)

Kora0880, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2003

Never, never, never quit !! It will be worthwhile if you chose this profession for all the right reasons!!

good luck:)

SmilingBluEyes · Nov 23, 2003

do your homework...don't ask people for answers....do the research and think for yourselves!

oh and best wishes.

nurseygrrl, LPN · Nov 24, 2003

Best wishes to you in this endeavor!!

The best advice I got was from my 1st clinical instructor. She said: Don't do anything you feel uncomfortable doing. Ask, ask, and ask again until you're sure. If you ask a question of someone and they get annoyed...that's their problem. Ask until you get an answer you feel comfortable with.

mystc42 · Nov 24, 2003

I'm in nursing school right now myself, and one of our sayings is....... EAT AN ELEPHANT ONE BITE AT A TIME. One of the students from a couple of years back was doing homework and getting stressed. Her younger son (between the ages of 5-7 i think) came up and said that too her, and its so true!!

________________________________________________

Dont pray for your mountains to be moved, but for the courage to climb them.

Agnus · Nov 24, 2003

The best advice I received was, "No matter what, never every give up."

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Nov 24, 2003

Always, always, ALWAYS listen to the little voice in your head when it tells you to question something. Just recently I worked with a nurse who ignored that little voice, and wound up giving a patient a whopping dose of Demerol IV that should've been given IM. The patient almost went into respiratory arrest.

'Nuff said.:)

mario_ragucci · Nov 24, 2003

Lol, the best advice is to be yourself, LOL. The homework and lab skills are straight away; It's the clinical experience causes me some stress because you could be eaten right then and there. You see, there's an old saying that says nurses eat their young, but few will discuss how nursing students are eaten twice as fast as nurses, though I don't know for sure. Some older instructors might eat you at clinicals so you won't suffer. Just like anything else. Let your true senses guide you. Come here and read what other people say re: their experiences. Find out exactly what you can and can't do so you can communicate that with your nurses at clinical. Find out exactly doing what will fail you. Can you do a CBG on a PT? Give a opoiod PO med? Are all drugs looked up and written down. Am I a dreamer? :rolleyes:

mattsmom81 · Nov 26, 2003

Practice being a sponge...take everything in you can and resist forming snap judgments. There are indeed lots of ways to cook a goose.

When you become a nurse, don't forget this.

Good luck and enjoy the journey. :roll

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 26, 2003

Don't ever get behind. Keep your eyes open and your mouth shut. (Just kidding. LOL)

Enjoy yourself. Be a sponge and learn. Let go of judgements. Have a conscience and keep it.

Good luck.