Don't go into nursing school if_____

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Specializes in L&D.

Fill in the blank with any advice you can give students who have just been accepted into a program or who are thinking about embarking on the journey of nursing school.

Here's mine:

DON'T GO INTO NURSING SCHOOL IF you haven't done your own research about the realities of the profession. Good, bad, truth, and common myths & misconceptions.

Yall's turn!

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

Don't go to nursing school if you're convinced you never want to "wipe butts", "clean up old man poo" or get near an actual patient.

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Don't go into nursing school if:

You think that being a nurse is an easy job that provides job security and a fat paycheck.

You think you will get a Monday through Friday day shift- no nights, no holidays, no call, that pays top dollar upon graduation

You can't take constructive criticism

You aren't willing to set your goals on what you eventually want to do and be willing to pay your dues to get there.

You are too good to clean poop;-) This comes with many nursing jobs so plan to be an expert by retirement!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Don't go into nursing if you think in "black vs white", all or nothing thought patterns...nursing is a TON of gray and creative thinking needs to be in order. :yes:

Don't go into nursing if you are looking for something to validate your existence or NEED to be right...nursing has a toughness that is needed to advocate and critically think in order to endure this business.

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Specializes in Hospice.

Don't go into nursing school if you don't have any common sense.

....if you are doing it for mom/dad.

....if you aren't sure nursing is what you want to do.

....if you think you are going to change the world.

....if the thought of body fluids disgusts you.

....if you don't work well with others.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Don't go to nursing school if...

you expect to be cuddling babies and holding patient hands.

you expect to re-enact Grey Anatomy.

you expect appreciation, admiration and elevated status.

you have a chronic, painful need to be absolutely "right" all the time (because good Lord, when every answer on a test is technically correct but can still be wrong, your nursing instructor will throttle you if you try to debate your way to a better grade).

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....if you think you have a "right" to smoke pot, chug ETOH, or regularly engage in "recreational" drugs.

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+ If you think you'll ever be too good to scrub down a patient in a good old fashioned bed bath.

+ If rectal foleys don't make you happy.

+ If you can't treat nursing school like a full time job.

+ If you can't own up to mistakes.

+ If you have no humility.

+ If you think it's a lot of codes, dramatic lifesaving, and you don't like repetitive, mundane tasks.

+ If you aren't damn sure being exposed to every bodily fluid you know of and a couple you don't is in your life plan for every work day for the rest of your life.

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Don't go to nursing school if you treat it like a full time job! You'll walk away without any sanity!!! You need time for you too!

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Don't go into Nursing School if you are * Selfish * A Quitter * Lazy *

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Don't go into nursing school I you don't know how to prayer. Believe me, you will learn how to pray and cry out to God in the process of nursing school.

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... if you can't do basic algebra problem-solving proficiently and independently before you start school

... if you aren't literate enough to write clearly and accurately using proper, grammatical, and properly-spelled language. I mean it.

... if you think your faculty will tell you everything you need to know to pass all your exams in lecture, and that you deserve to have that happen without fail

... if you have a nervous or fragile temperament and can't handle criticism maturely enough to learn from it

... if you think that nursing school and nursing work will gladly and completely accommodate your life schedule at every turn because you have kids/another job/a husband or boyfriend who wants your attention/a medical condition/a psych condition/a learning disability/important family events/a legal situation/an unreliable car/any other excuse

... if you are dead certain sure you will be an (x, y, or z) kind of nurse; you have no idea what kind of nurse you will be. Even though you think you do. Really.

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