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.

You may be going for nursing and be taking pre-nursing classes currently. Now, that's different than being a nursing student. I am a third semester nursing student, and I know exactly how hard it was to get into this school and whats more how hard it is to survive nursing school. I dont mean to belittle or something the non-nursing students. Pre-nursing classes are steps to the nursing school that we all have to go through. Being a nursing student means stress, sleepless nights, intense studying, sweating for clinicals and skill evals to me. I personally think people who haven't strived all that we Nsg students have gone through, they don't deserve to call themselves a "nursing student" After all, if you aren't in "nursing school", you are obviously not a nursing student yet. Why getting offensive? There is nothing wrong with taking pre-requisite classes and not being in nsg school. We all have been there once. I have never thought about introducing myself to people as nursing student when I actually wasnt accepted to the program yet and so wasn't one. Non-nursing students who call themselves a nsg student are just disregarding all that hard work, stress, and busy process we go through to keep being a nursing student and not fail. It is more and harder than saying "I am going for it, so I am nursing student." No. It shouldn't be that easy.

I want to add that I don't mean to glorify nursing school or nursing students here. it could be a different career and I would still think this way. If you weren't in law/medical/accounting, etc school, then you wouldn't be a law/medical or accounting student for example.

This.

There is nothing wrong with "pre-nursing" or being "just" in pre-reqs. Nobody just up and decided to join a nursing program one day without first being declared as pre-nursing or taking pre-reqs. Just as no nurse just walked up to a hospital and got hired before going through the hell that is NS.

It's just a different kind of thing. Pre-nursing isn't easy. Chem and A&P and whatever other pre-reqs your program sets forth aren't a walk in the park, I get it. But by no means does taking science classes give you any understanding of what NURSING school is like. It's so much different... the readings, the lectures, skills labs, clinicals, the way you study, the types of assignments you have....

I don't get offended or dislike anyone who calls themselves a nursing student without having been enrolled and taking a nursing course, but I do think they should maybe try to see where we are coming from. Hopefully someday they'll be in our position too!

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"It's just a different kind of thing." Yes, it is. That was my point, unless one knows something about the education of nurses, he doesn't understand the difference. That doesn't make him either stupid or disconnected. It means the difference doesn't fit into his paradigm.

Nurses have done the same thing for the same reason, though it was a different paradigm that got in their way. They equated any student in the shadow program to being a nursing student because that is who they get all the time. Each time I met another nurse in the department, she would assume I was a nursing student. I would tell her I was not, that I wasn't accepted in the nursing program yet. I would get a blank look. They would ask if I was there for a class, I was. They would ask how many hours I needed. At least ten. They would ask what school I went to. I named the college, a community college with a very well respected nursing program. They would look more comfortable. Then introduced me and referred to me as a "nursing student." I resorted to introducing myself so I could be accurate.

They intelligent enough and with-it enough to get through nursing school. They just fit my answers into their frame of reference rather than understood what I actually said.

I think I do try to see where you are coming from but the more I look, the less I see it. I still have never refered to myself as a nursing student, but it more habit than conviction anymore.

My school requires two classes before the start of nursing school: chem for health care providers (less rigorous than chem I) and elementary algebra.

My school has no prenursing major, officially we have no more status than a person taking random classes. Which is very annoying during registration because we can't sign up for classes during early registration, we have to wait a week and sign up with the other people who have not declared intentions.

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Specializes in Forensics, Trauma, Pediatrics,.

That is a really good question. I have noticed people doing this as well. I think personally, that being in nursing school is like an honor. When someone asks what you are going to school for, and you respond "I am in nursing school" there is almost always an oooh-ahhh factor. People who are doing pre reqs most likely realize this, and saying they are in a nursing program puts them on a little bit of a pedestal as well... why they say it when they are not in the program is beyond me, because personally I would feel dumb if I had said that and someone further questioned me!

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Specializes in Telemetry, OB, NICU.

By the way, I myself said "pre-nursing" student too here. But where did I get this label, really? I have never used that in my life. When I was talking about my school before I was in Nursing school, I would just say "I am taking pre-requisite classes to apply for nursing school" I didn't label myself as 'pre-nursing student". Actually, pre-nursing sounds like you are guaranteed to go to nsg school, and it is just the first part of the process, even though it doesn't mean that.

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Specializes in Telemetry, OB, NICU.
That is a really good question. I have noticed people doing this as well. I think personally, that being in nursing school is like an honor. When someone asks what you are going to school for, and you respond "I am in nursing school" there is almost always an oooh-ahhh factor. People who are doing pre reqs most likely realize this, and saying they are in a nursing program puts them on a little bit of a pedestal as well... why they say it when they are not in the program is beyond me, because personally I would feel dumb if I had said that and someone further questioned me!

I agree. If a person says "I am a nsg student" to me even though they aren't, I will ask "which semester?". And when they say "oh, I am not in yet, but I will apply" type thing, then I will say "then you aren't a nsg student". I really will do that. :)

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my guess is that these students genuinely don't understand what being a "nursing student" entails. there is such a tremendous difference in the life of a pre-nursing student and a nursing student, but you don't realize it until you're in the program. i was careful to never call myself a nursing student before i began the actual program, but i can't get mad at students who make that mistake. they most likely see nursing as any other major. if you declare bio as your major, you're a bio student even as a freshman, so it would be easy to confuse "nursing major" with "nursing student" and i'm sure it's only because they take pride in their quest to become a nurse. they'll see the light once they get in, so no worries! :) for now, even if it grates on your nerves, see it as a chance to practice tolerance (a super-valuable virtue for soon-to-be-nurses to have!)

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Kristen,

I think you're right. I certainly don't think they are purposely arrogating an honor to themselves that they have not earned. The majority of them probably don't know any better, but there are those who do so out of laziness These people know better but can't be bothered to make fine distinctions; how such an attitude will work for them if they are accepted is interesting to think about.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

Not much different than some one in nursing school saying they are going to be a nurse (even though they do not know if they will pass school or their boards).

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.
Not much different than some one in nursing school saying they are going to be a nurse (even though they do not know if they will pass school or their boards).

It's funny, I thought of this same thing. I do not hear my colleagues saying this. I know that I never would because I am terribly superstitious and weighed down with a bad case of impostor syndrome and am always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

:uhoh3:

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Specializes in Oncology.
Not much different than some one in nursing school saying they are going to be a nurse (even though they do not know if they will pass school or their boards).

I think this is a false comparison. Saying "I'm going to be a nurse" is the same as "I'm applying for/hoping to get accepted into/going to be in nursing school." A nursing student saying "I'm a nurse" would be a more accurate comparison.

In almost every clinical, I have a patient, family member, or support staff mistake me for the RN or ask me a question that I feel should be answered by or at least run by the RN. I always clarify that I am the student and not the licensed nurse when the mistake is made. I also have no problem answering for what semester I am in when asked by a patient, family member, support staff, etc, because I'm not ashamed of where I am in the process of becoming a nurse. I do think of myself as a nurse in my head, but I don't claim that role publicly and will not claim that role until I have the letters behind my name.

As I've stated before, I don't think it's a huge deal, and as others have said, I don't believe that the mistake is done out of malicious intent. I really think that pre-nursing students just don't have the frame of reference to understand why there's a huge difference.

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CNA's may not be nurses but I could see how some would consider it nursing program.

Especially with an older person. In their day, there were "nurses" who had no actually training but sat with patients doing home care.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

.....

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