Difference in Grad and Non-Grad?

1-Terms vary by region, but basically you have student nurses and nurse graduates. Hospitals and other employers do distinguish between the two.

2-If you want any bachelor's degree, you will experience about two years of "basics" that any college grad would be expected to know. Art, writing, literature, sociology, economics all are often considered necessary in our society to be considered educated. Other cultures cover this material in other ways. Here, it's part of a bachelor's degree. The rest of the bachelor's is special information that a person with your type of degree should know. These are the specifics of nursing in the case of a BSN.

The job skills of a nurse are broader than you may think. I won't attempt to describe the skills necessary. As I said above, that takes about two years to cover.

3-Talk to someone actually in this field. Sorry, this is not me so I can't help.

Hey all,

I've been lurking for a while...this is actually my first post. I'm working on my pre-reqs so that I can apply for nursing school. I grew up in a family of medical professionals, and one of my dearest friends is an RN.

I can, in my head, hear her reaction to this:

I understand nurses help people, wash them, clean pillows and stuff, but what makes nurses unique in helping? Any teenager can clean pillows and can probably learn the basic skills nurses has in less than 4 years of studying, why do you have to go through 4 years of studying only coming out to do that?

...and it's not fit to print. ;-) Oliver, ask around among the people you know...you're bound to find someone in your neighborhood/church/temple/whathaveyou who is a nurse, or at least knows a nurse well. Ask him or her what a typical day involves and you'll understand why there is so much training and education involved.

Once you find out more about nursing you may think it's the coolest, most meaningful thing you can do with your life, or you may run, screaming. Either way you win: you'll know ahead of time if it's something that you should be doing with your life.

Good luck!

Penny

You learn a lot more than just cleaning pillows...

Anatomy, physiology, mircology, patho, chemistry plus all the nursing classes where you learn vitals, meds etc.

Not just any teenager could do it.

JMO

I hope I'm understanding what you're asking . . . A student nurse isn't a nurse yet. They do clinicals, working with an instructor and a nurse to learn. Unless you're planning on working as an LPN while you get your RN. The advantages of that would be along the lines of experience. I did that and liked being covered by an RN while I worked. It kind of felt like a safety net--although a bit frustrating when I had patients with a lot of IV push drugs.

Somebody can answer your next question far more articulately than I can, but I'll give it a shot. Yes, it sure doesn't take a college degress to fluff pillows, but that isn't the role of nurses. We treat pain, position properly and do things for the patient that they can't. We educate. Most important we assess patients throughout our shift. Through knowledge and experience we can tell when things aren't going well and are prepared to address this. At least as important is that we serve as our patient's advocate--in pretty much whatever area they need: physical, psyco-social, educational--if we aren't able to help them ourselves, we find out who can.

I don't have the foggiest idea about informatics; my thought would be that you wouldn't have to be a floor nurse, but could go straight into that field, but I really don't know. Sorry.

You should look into shadowing a nurse. Tell him/her you are interested in becoming a nurse, but don't really know what nursing involves. The nurse should be able to give you a better idea of what nursing is.

Any teenager can clean pillows and can probably learn the basic skills nurses has in less than 4 years of studying, why do you have to go through 4 years of studying only coming out to do that?

Ouch! That kinda hurt, honestly. Not that I think you meant it to sound insulting. I HOPE the degree program I'm working my behind off for will teach me more than cleaning pillows, since my mother already taught me that. Sounds like you need to learn a lot more about nursing. Shoot! I still have a lot to learn about nursing! Besides this site, here is another site that I used to visit when I decided to pursue nursing.

www.discovernursing.com

2) No offense intended to nurse for this question, please don't get mad !! I understand nurses help people, wash them, clean pillows and stuff, but what makes nurses unique in helping? Any teenager can clean pillows and can probably learn the basic skills nurses has in less than 4 years of studying, why do you have to go through 4 years of studying only coming out to do that? I want to know this because I question if it's really worth the 4 years. (Kind of continues to the next question)

oliver, a nurse's responsibilities are defined by their state's nurse practice act, accessed through the state board of nursing.

here's a link to my nurse practice act.

a tad more than pillow cleaning.

http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/dph/regs/244cmr003.pdf

leslie

Can I ask why you want to be a nurse, since it appears that you have no idea whatsoever what a nurse does?

good question!

Can I ask why you want to be a nurse, since it appears that you have no idea whatsoever what a nurse does?

Can I ask why you want to be a nurse, since it appears that you have no idea whatsoever what a nurse does?

Sorry for that. I'm just exploring around what careers of what I want. I don't know anything so I'm asking all the questions I can.

SORRY !!! if I sounded rude!!!

I'm going to edit my post now!!!

Really sounds like you have no clue about nursing. Before I started NS I volunteered at a local hospital as a Volunteer Nurses Aide. This gave me the oppurtunity to observe what rns really do and see if its what I want to do.

I would recomnd that you volunteer or shadow someone for atleast one day in the ICU or stepdown. You'll see patients on cardiac monitors, rns analyzng cardiac rhythms, monitorng vitals constantly, starting cardiac and insulin drips, tube feeds, chest tubes, etc. while at the same time assisting patients with hygiene and fluffing pillows so that patients are comfortable.

I am sure that your perspective will change dramatically.

Hey Oliver. The only dumb question is the one you don't ask :). Part of our role is to educate and that includes new nurses coming in. Nursing is too intensive of an education to go through and then decide you don't like it. You're smart to ask on the front end. Do try to shadow a nurse--see if you can get a nurse who precepts and who likes to teach. A lot do, but some don't. Good luck and welcome.

Sounds to me in the OP that Oliver is unsure or unaware of the difference between RN, LPN and nurse assistants. I think that is the reason behind the fluffing pillows comment. Im not saying that is all nurse assistants do however I do believe that the perception of nursing that the OP is why the question behind 4 years of schooling.