Education vs. Experience

amullis · Nov 14, 2005

Thanks for all the wonderful feedback!

llg, PhD, RN · Nov 14, 2005

The development of expertise requires BOTH "book learning" and "practical experience." That has been shown to be true time and time again through both academic methods of knowing and learning and through practical experience. You can not become an expert -- or a leader -- without both. How and when you get that experience can vary from situation to situation.

I have known some people to get their graduate education first. Some expect to move right into an advanced practice (or leadership) position after they graduate without any practical experience and they ususally have a very rough time of it for a few years and sometimes fail miserably. Others recognize that they need practical experience first and take a job as a staff nurse for a while and get that needed experience. Then, after they have acquired the practical experience that "rounds out" their formal education, they move into advanced practice and/or leadership positions. I have seen many of those people do just fine.

Another point to consider is that the material learned in graduate school is often best learned with a little experience. As you are reading and discussing the material, those with experience have the ability to relate that material to actual situations they have encountered -- and they have an understanding of the nuances of those issues and situations that the novice practitioner does not have. That helps the experienced nurse develop a deeper understanding of the material than the nurse with no experience can hope to achieve.

But ... on the other hand ... I agree that, for some people, they will lose their window of opportunity to go to grad school if they don't go soon after they finish their undergraduate work. For those people, I recommend trying to get at least a litttle experience first (or simultaneously) to make sure that:

(a) You really like nursing enough and your chosen specialty enough to make the investment in grad school. Some people find they don't like their chosen specialty as much as thought they would and I think it's best to find that out before you invest in another couple of years of expensive schooling.

(b) You have a sense of what the "real world" of nursing is like. There are few things worse than having our leaders/educators/researcher/etc. be clueless about the actual practice of what they are trying to lead, study, and/or teach.

If you can't get much practical experience before or during graduate school, at least recognize that you have missed that essential piece of your education -- and take a beginner level job for a while after you get your graduate degree in order to complete your education before you try to sell yourself as an expert.

If you need educational/theoretical references to explore this further ... I suggest you start with the works by Patricia Benner, who does a good job of recognizing the value of both formal education and practical experience. Much of the literature on reflective practice and experiential learning might also be helpful to you.

Good luck with whatever you decide,

llg (RN, PhD)