Entry Level Masters in Nursing and gaining experience.

[niaje10]

This forum is very educative,keep it up guys. I need some quick advice. Does the ELMSN allow one to earn enough experience to become a fully competent nurse after becoming a RN?I would not like to just be in school for 3 years learning theory without practical experience in nursing. I think experience is crucial for one to become an excellent nurse. What are its advantages and disadvantages of the ELM? Also anyone out there with info on the quality of CASUF ELMSN will be highly welcomed and appreciated.

[jjjoy, LPN]

The trend it seems in most nursing programs whether straight RN or entry-level MSN is to give exposure to a wide range of areas of nursing and nursing practice but that actual clinical competency is to be gained on the job. Thus, for most, it's a huge transition from student nurse to registered nurse. Many hospitals have instituted longer and longer orientation and preceptorships for new grads, up to six months and more because of this. However, other facilities still only give a minimal 6-8 weeks (or less!) and pressure the new grad to take on full responsibilities even sooner.

I think it's useful to change the perception that nurses come out of school as fully functional nurses to one where the idea is that your first year working is still a part of your education in becoming a functional nurse. The nursing license is sort of like a driver's license. You've passed the basic written and hands on skills tests but it will still take a lot of time and experience before driving comes to feel like second nature.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I agree completely with jjjoy. No matter what type of program you go to, being a student is never exactly the same as practicing on your own as a professional nurses. There will always be a transition period.

[niaje10]

Thanks a lot for the advice guys on the reality on the ground.I never had this during the information centers at the universities.However got a dilema wheather to go to CASUF or CASULB.Which is the best?.I live in anaheim and i would appreciate some advice on which nursing school to go to.

[jjjoy, LPN]

Schools do tend to gloss over the fact that nursing students these days don't get the extensive clinical experience that was once the case in hospital-based programs. While this has been the case for some time, most people still think of nursing school as a vocational program that will turn out a professional ready to work on their own. For example, when someone graduates from beauty school, they aren't really "novice" anymore. They've had to log over a thousand hours of hands-on work. Nursing students also log as many hours, but much of it is waiting around for an instructor or doing basic care. We had several days of "just observing" (eg OR). Only a small fraction of the time is anywhere close to what an RN will be dealing with at any one time.

Schools often concede that there's a transition from student nurse to RN, but they don't make a point to clear up the very common misconception that the nursing student's clinical experience will closely mirror RN working conditions.

For recruitment and the first year and a half of my program, the school emphasized all of the various wonderful possibilities in nursing. It was only the last few months that they started warning that we'd do well to get at least a few years of general hospital experience to "nail down" our skills before heading off to one of these others great opportunities. And they never said that a new grad nurse starting out on a hospital unit is like a brand new driver going straight from slowly driving around empty suburban streets to a busy interstate where you don't have much time to think or room for error.