Do you guys see a lot of people saying they are nursing students....

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or go to nursing school and than find out they are still in the Pre Req phase? I swear I have seen a good number of people do this, and than when I say, "Oh what semester are you in, I am in this semester" they are like, Oh well I am not actually in yet but I start pre reqs soon, or I just started pre reqs. I wonder why that is. Before I started the actual program I would say if asked that I was doing Pre Reqs to get into the nursing program. Or I am on the waitlist for the nursing program.

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
It's pretty cut and dried: if you've been accepted into a nursing program, you are a nursing student. If you haven't, you aren't, regardless of what your intentions are.

Despite hysterical charges of "elitism", no one is saying that people who call themselves "nursing students" before they've been accepted should be disciplined or shunned or anything. The most that has been suggested is that they should be corrected in a friendly way with the distinction properly explained to them. It has also been said by some of us that we find this annoying. This is hardly elitism.

Calling this "elitism" and implying that those who agree with it are fascists is ad hominem of the worst kind and it is far worse than taking issue with people who, perhaps with the greatest hope and best intentions, appropriate categories to themselves that they have not yet earned.

Right, my gosh. I can't believe how many people are getting upset and being so rude about this and having to call names. My very first post doesn't even say anything bad about a pre nursing student. I simply asked if people see this where they are. Than you have the people that come in and talk about how absurd the thread is and they can't believe what is being said or why this is being talked about or anyone cares, all while adding to the thread and making sure their opinion is seen as well. Hmmmmm hello pot meet kettle.

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.

wow I don't understand why people are so sensitive about this subject. It is pretty cut and dry I think. I also don't think anyone is trying to be "mean" about it either. I don't know why anyone would feel the need to say they are something that they are not, it actually will probably take away the pride you will have when you can say that you are and you really are. I never called myself a nursing student and since I've been accepted it feels great to say that because I worked very hard and sacrificed a lot to get to this point. I also never felt bad about being a pre-nursing student either and I never felt the need say I wasn't one so I guess I don't understand why people are so worked up over this :)

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
LOL- I get it just fine..

Than you would see the problem with it. When you are actually IN your nursing classes and are REQUIRED to go get the lab kit and find out they are all sold out because some eager students years away from getting into the program bought them up and you are kicked out of required lab for not having it, than maybe you will see the problem. Our bookstore doesn't simply make more. It is not a class like A&P where there are a lot of students and the number can vary. They only make a specific amount and that's it. We can't get the stuff anywhere else.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Parents and grandparents get confused, my grandmother thought I worked in HIV/AIDS for years, even though I explained to her that I was doing something completely different 8000 times. I don't think the general population sees the differences in different health care fields, they think in terms of someone being a doctor or a nurse, anything outside that is like "huh?" My friend primarily saw a midwife for her prenatal care, but she was in a doctor's office, she for some reason thought that meant that she had gone and gotten an MD in addition to her CNM. This friend is pretty smart too, she just doesn't understand the variations in the medical field.

People just don't pay attention. I had a senior resident ask me if I was shadowing to work on the floor, nevermind my nursing school uniform and two nametags saying I was a student. Oh well.

My cousin, (the family member mentioned) has had extensive medical problems, we have also dealt with my uncle, her dad, going through cancer. She will tell you all about the nurses and the aides, and the lab guys. She is aware of the difference, knowing this particular cousin, it was probably more that she wanted her daughter to be seen as a nurse and not an MA.

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Which before I get jumped on for "bashing" MA's, I have no problems with MA's, My mom is a CMA (back when they required 18 months school to get it) and I have many friends that are CMA's.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
Than you would see the problem with it. When you are actually IN your nursing classes and are REQUIRED to go get the lab kit and find out they are all sold out because some eager students years away from getting into the program bought them up and you are kicked out of required lab for not having it, than maybe you will see the problem. Our bookstore doesn't simply make more. It is not a class like A&P where there are a lot of students and the number can vary. They only make a specific amount and that's it. We can't get the stuff anywhere else.

That is an issue to take up with the school.. not the girl who likely didn't know she was committing such an egregious faux pas. Seriously, if there aren't enough and you're going to get kicked out of your class for not having it.. it's an issue for the school to address. Perhaps if they are out you can borrow one from one of your classmates who bought 2. :idea:

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
wow I don't understand why people are so sensitive about this subject. It is pretty cut and dry I think. I also don't think anyone is trying to be "mean" about it either. I don't know why anyone would feel the need to say they are something that they are not, it actually will probably take away the pride you will have when you can say that you are and you really are. I never called myself a nursing student and since I've been accepted it feels great to say that because I worked very hard and sacrificed a lot to get to this point. I also never felt bad about being a pre-nursing student either and I never felt the need say I wasn't one so I guess I don't understand why people are so worked up over this :)

Thank you, it seems like the ones that are coming off "mean" or with an "attitude" are the very ones accusing others of doing it.

I never felt bad about being a pre-nursing student either. People would ask what I am in school for, I would say I was taking my pre-nursing classes. No one was confused or didn't understand. The only reason I probably notice it now is because I love to talk to pre nursing students or nursing students behind semesters. It's nice to give them a real account of how our program has been and to ease some of there fears and stuff. I have also had many people come up to me when I was in the student center (usually on days we had to wear our scrubs) and talk to me about the nursing program.

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Than you would see the problem with it. When you are actually IN your nursing classes and are REQUIRED to go get the lab kit and find out they are all sold out because some eager students years away from getting into the program bought them up and you are kicked out of required lab for not having it, than maybe you will see the problem. Our bookstore doesn't simply make more. It is not a class like A&P where there are a lot of students and the number can vary. They only make a specific amount and that's it. We can't get the stuff anywhere else.

LOL so she only "gets it" if she agrees? Interesting perspective....

The thing with the bookstore is not the student's fault....it's the bookstore's. If there are just enough kits for nursing students, nursing students should have to show their clinical ID to buy it.

The student bought something that was for sale.....they did nothing wrong.

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Rearranging words: You don't think the title should be exclusive to those that have earned it. :confused:

Well my gosh, after I JUST said that I, and probably a lot of other people, say "nursing student" b/c most non-nursing people don't understand what kind of process RN school is and I dont feel like explaining it!

Yeah a student nurse has earned her title (or his), but if you are not using is AS a title and u are just trying to make it simple and save time and explanations for those who wont understand, than its not that big of a deal. As it has been explained in this thread, the term "nursing student" can be construed many different ways

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
That is an issue to take up with the school.. not the girl who likely didn't know she was committing such an egregious faux pas. Seriously, if there aren't enough and you're going to get kicked out of your class for not having it.. it's an issue for the school to address. Perhaps if they are out you can borrow one from one of your classmates who bought 2. :idea:

Yea I could see how the girl could be confused and not know what she was doing when the bag is clearly labled as "Required kit for NUR 206" or Required kit for "NUR 109" and they are all in the section where the nursing textbooks and required materials are.

Look you can make excuses all you want. When you are actually a nursing student and in nursing classes and labs, maybe you will understand. Maybe you still wont. But either way, I am not going to debate this further with you. It's pointless.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
LOL so she only "gets it" if she agrees? Interesting perspective....

The thing with the bookstore is not the student's fault....it's the bookstore's. If there are just enough kits for nursing students, nursing students should have to show their clinical ID to buy it.

The student bought something that was for sale.....they did nothing wrong.

No it's not a matter of only getting it if she agrees with me. It's a matter of not getting it because she isn't in my program to know the way things work to see the problem.

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This is a great point.

Everyone hears about how they cannot possibly prepare for what NS is like and if they are like me they think that this does not really apply to them.

Then, if and when they get there, they realize that they were utterly unprepared for it and that there really isn't much one can do to get completely prepared for it.

The truth is that NS really is a different world.

  • You will see people crying and freaking out, you may even cry and freak out a little yourself.
  • You will take your first exam and wonder what just hit you even though you studied as much and as profitably as you could have.
  • After this first exam, you will realize that you have no idea how to study for this.
  • You will read hundreds of pages of information that makes about as much immediate impact on your brain as binary data would on that of an ape.
  • You will write ten papers in one semester and participate in two or three group assignments which will each amount to only ten per cent of your over all grade but you know you better do them because you may need that ten per cent even though they are time consuming and mind-numbing.
  • You will deal with students who think they know everything and don't.
  • You will have instructors who expect you to perform at a level higher than any you have ever performed at before and you will get very few if any cues as to how to meet their expectations.
  • You will spend most of your time worrying and you will be justified in your worry because everything is, ultimately, within your control.

So, yes, we are protective of our prerogatives and titles and if you think it's not a big deal, you are either a better person than I am, a fool, lying, or aren't in a program yet.

See, to me that's just college. I honestly thought my prereqs were harder than my nursing school classes. I wrote more papers in undergrad Part 1 and did more group projects as well (I'm a second degree student). People make a huge deal about how nursing school is sooooooo different, but really I don't think it is. I think it's different from people's previous experience, but not from college in general. Maybe it seems different for many people it's their first college experience outside of their prereqs or for the BSN students, it's junior and senior level classes. People in other majors and programs work hard, have nervous breakdowns, have professors who expect a lot of them and so on. I saw all the things you described above happen to people in other majors or other programs.

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No it's not a matter of only getting it if she agrees with me. It's a matter of not getting it because she isn't in my program to know the way things work to see the problem.

Oh, so you've now changed your perspective to: she doesn't get it because she's not in YOUR nursing program (as opposed to your last post in which you stated that she would "get it" if she was in her nursing program).

Even though you've explained that your program requires the kits....was there something else you didn't tell us that would make this situation as unique as you seem to think it is?

I maintain, that she both "gets it" and disagrees with you...as do I.

I'll also repeat that this is not the student's fault. If there are only the minimum required kits available, students should have to show clinical ID to buy them. While the student in question had ample ability to know the kits were for a specific class, they would have no way to know they only made enough for the students registered in that class.

But whatever, if getting annoyed at innocent folks floats your boat....there's nothing to be done about that.

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