First week- will I die of boredom?

AliNajaCat · Sep 27, 2016

nursing theory is a joke.

So you say. So what's your rationale for doing nursing as you do? How do you think about nursing and how you fit into it?

Is it perhaps the holistic model, in which we look at "the human being, adaptation, and nursing. Under the concept of adaptation are four modes: physiological, self concept, role function, and interdependence."

Or maybe it's that caring is "transmitted by the culture of the nursing profession as a unique way of coping with its environment."

Or perhaps it's that "all patients want to care for themselves, and they are able to recover more quickly and holistically by performing their own self-care as much as they're able."

Or maybe it's "the art and science that moulds the attitudes, intellectual competencies, and technical skills of the individual nurse into the desire and ability to help people, sick or well, cope with their health needs."

How do you see yourself achieving the "Seven Nursing Roles: the stranger role, in which the nurse receives the patient the way a stranger is met in other situations, and provides an atmosphere to build trust; the resource role, in which the nurse answers questions, interprets data, and gives information; the teaching role, in which the nurse gives instructions and provides training; the counseling role, in which the nurse helps the patient understand the meaning of current circumstances, as well as provides guidance and encouragement in order for change to occur; the surrogate role, in which the nurse acts as an advocate on behalf of the patient; the active leadership role, in which the nurse helps the patient take responsibility for meeting treatment goals; and the technical expert role, in which the nurse provides physical care for the patient and operates equipment?

See, this is not merely esoterica. it goes to the heart of how you see yourself and your profession. It will really make a difference to you in your work, knowing where you're coming from; being proactive and not merely reactive.

I have been a new student, a new grad, a (very) seasoned nurse, as staff and in advanced practice, and, god help me, have been tasked with trying to communicate the idea of nursing theory to snotnosed kids just like me as faculty. Karma's a b*****, eh? I flatter myself that sometimes I succeeded in raising their consciousness. But you can only lead that horse to water. Drink deep.

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · Sep 27, 2016

But, but,.....what about the secret handshake?!!?

No, no, no!

Handshakes are foul and disgusting.

Secret fist bumps or forearm bumps only!

PG2018 · Sep 28, 2016

Just bide your time and become an APN.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Sep 28, 2016

Nurse: Code Blue, ICU!
Physician: What happened? What's going on?
Nurse: My patient is suffering from altered energy states and his focal and conceptual stimuli are misaligned and they are suffering from a self care deficit!
Physician: Oh, they stopped breathing,...why didn't you say so?!!?
SHEESH!!!

You owe me a new monitor screen!!! My drink got all over it!! :roflmao:

OP -- Nursing theory was something I barely tolerated, with the exception of Benner's Novice to Expert theory. That one is actually useful. My BSN program faculty were in love with Modeling and Role Modeling. I had to premedicate for the headache I was sure to get during class or paper writing. A Caring Field is established when my aura connects with the patient's aura? What the...???

There will be plenty of meat later on, as you get into patho, pharm, advanced nursing etc.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Sep 30, 2016

I think when it comes to nursing school, critiquing the presentation is fine. Critiquing the information though? How can you do that if you are just learning it?
The role of the CNA is critical in patient care and is a task oriented role based on concrete information that does not require dissection and analysis.
The RN role is completely different. In nursing school you build a foundation of learning how to think critically in a nursing and medical context. That's why all those awful careplans, believe it or not, they help to teach you to think like a nurse.
As a long time preceptor of new nurses I have to say, you do not know what you do not know. You have to realize that to be successful. Humility. I still do not know what I do not know and I've been doing icu nursing for 16 years.
Nursing school is not about memorizing content. It's about the very beginnings of having an understanding of WHY nurses do what they do.
It's going to get tough. I have never in my nursing career met any nurse who didn't say school was hard. I think you need to adjust your expectations and attitude.
The best of luck to you.
Btw, I'm kinda stunned by the knocks at nursing theory here. Theory is our history! I recommend any book by Patricia Benner (especially "From Novice to Expert" for any new nurse in their first couple of years in nursing).

I'm rather stunned at some of the poor attitudes displayed here. If you don't bother to read the material, or if you don't pay attention in class, I worry that you will be one of the posters we see all the time who cannot understand why he still hasn't passed NCLEX after the fifth time.

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · Sep 30, 2016

I'm rather stunned at some of the poor attitudes displayed here. If you don't bother to read the material, or if you don't pay attention in class, I worry that you will be one of the posters we see all the time who cannot understand why he still hasn't passed NCLEX after the fifth time.

Or worse, a poster who is floundering terribly at the bedside.

AngelKissed857, BSN, RN · Oct 2, 2016

No matter how boring it may be, it may also show up on in an exam, or on your NCLEX. Being conscious of communication is actually very helpful when you're finally on the floor. I taught this stuff in my previous career, I know it inside and out, but it's still different from the perspective of a nurse, even though you were a CNA, you aren't now. Your responsibilities and liabilities are very different, and how you communicate with patients, families, peers, and management needs to reflect this. Humble also means being willing to admit to being wrong, and maybe sometimes admitting to a touch of arrogance on occasion?

supakimchee · Oct 4, 2016

I've had over a decade of EMS experience working 911 side by side with our local fire department. I've seen everything there was to see in the EMS point of view. TFAs, decapitations, eviscerations, STEMIs, CVAs, major crush injuries, amputations, GSWs/stabbings, 100+ foot falls, blah blah, typical trauma/medical stuff. Before I started nursing school, one of the fire department medics pulled me aside and gave me the best advice that I still follow to this day. He was a trauma nurse before joining the department, and he said the WORST thing I could do walking into nursing school was to act like an insufferable know-it-all because I have a ton of experience.

I'm going to ask that you heed this same advice OP. Take it from someone who has been in your shoes before, except someone was nice and caring enough to explain to me the pitfalls of previous medical field experience. Start as a blank slate, because that's what you are. You don't know what it is to be a nurse, so to be critical even during the "boring" theory stuff reeks of a lack of humility and frankly a lack of patience (I think someone pointed that out too). To discount a basic fundamentals course before you even have an inkling of what nurses do, shows how little insight you actually possess. If you wanted the "blood and guts" you should have went into prehospital EMS.

Nursing school was the biggest challenge of my academic life. Sounds like I scraped by with Cs? I graduated with a 3.9 cumulative, valedictorian of my class, and won every academic/clinical award from my program (high 90s NCLEX pass rates). I would NEVER tell anyone considering nursing school that it's easy or boring, because any program that's worth its salt is going to chew you up and spit you out.

I seriously hope you change your attitude in general, because at best it's going to make you a horrible bedside nurse, and at worst your arrogance is seriously going to harm a patient.

P.S. Even to this day I still constantly brush up on my pathophysiology/pharmacology, ask my attendings/nurse educators all sorts of random and annoying questions, because I know that I always have room for improvement. There's always new treatments and medications coming out too, so it is our professional duty to keep up with them as well. "I don't know that medication or treatment" because it is new is NOT an excuse.

Banana nut, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Oct 5, 2016

I've had over a decade of EMS experience working 911 side by side with our local fire department. I've seen everything there was to see in the EMS point of view. TFAs, decapitations, eviscerations, STEMIs, CVAs, major crush injuries, amputations, GSWs/stabbings, 100+ foot falls, blah blah, typical trauma/medical stuff. Before I started nursing school, one of the fire department medics pulled me aside and gave me the best advice that I still follow to this day. He was a trauma nurse before joining the department, and he said the WORST thing I could do walking into nursing school was to act like an insufferable know-it-all because I have a ton of experience.
I'm going to ask that you heed this same advice OP. Take it from someone who has been in your shoes before, except someone was nice and caring enough to explain to me the pitfalls of previous medical field experience. Start as a blank slate, because that's what you are. You don't know what it is to be a nurse, so to be critical even during the "boring" theory stuff reeks of a lack of humility and frankly a lack of patience (I think someone pointed that out too). To discount a basic fundamentals course before you even have an inkling of what nurses do, shows how little insight you actually possess. If you wanted the "blood and guts" you should have went into prehospital EMS.
Nursing school was the biggest challenge of my academic life. Sounds like I scraped by with Cs? I graduated with a 3.9 cumulative, valedictorian of my class, and won every academic/clinical award from my program (high 90s NCLEX pass rates). I would NEVER tell anyone considering nursing school that it's easy or boring, because any program that's worth its salt is going to chew you up and spit you out.
I seriously hope you change your attitude in general, because at best it's going to make you a horrible bedside nurse, and at worst your arrogance is seriously going to harm a patient.
P.S. Even to this day I still constantly brush up on my pathophysiology/pharmacology, ask my attendings/nurse educators all sorts of random and annoying questions, because I know that I always have room for improvement. There's always new treatments and medications coming out too, so it is our professional duty to keep up with them as well. "I don't know that medication or treatment" because it is new is NOT an excuse.

THIS IS GOLD! Thank you for taking your time to write this. I will be taking take your advice.

AngelKissed857, BSN, RN · Oct 5, 2016

First semester, hated doing prelabs and NCPs, second semester, didn't love them, but started realizing how much I learned by sound them. Third semester, we don't do them formally , but i am SO aware of how much what I learned from doing so many, and that knowledge helps me with my patients now. It's a process, gotta trust the process. Students aren't there to rewrite the program.

ChristiHamm8, CNA · Dec 13, 2016

Look at it this way. In this field you have to learn to deal with a lot of $H1#! Learning the theory of how to communicate is crucial because a lot of nurses, patient, aides, management are stressed out and any little thing worded wrongly can set someone off. Having those mundane, basic skills to communicate clearly will end up saving your behind at some point. You know it is going to come in handy on those NCLEX style tests too.

Yes it may be boring but it is critical to get those basics down and out of the way. Pay attention and get that easy A!

AliNajaCat · Dec 13, 2016

You know, I just had to reiterate this.

Thus speaketh someone ((now, a LOT)) who has no real practical knowledge of nursing, expects to have most of her professional training based on hands-on stuff to implement "doctor's orders," and is (by the sounds of things) not mature enough by half to understand the value of research and being in an actual, like, profession.
If you think nursing theory is boring, perhaps you'll never know the difference between two or three ways of how to teach and plan care for a complex or challenging patient. If you think nursing diagnosis is silly, perhaps you'll never learn about the power it will give you as a professional because you won't have a clue of how to seize and apply that power.
But we who have been around the block once or twice have seen many of you. Most of us were you once, and we outgrew it. I promise you that the faster you leave behind these adolescent, amateurish attitudes, the faster you'll learn to think like a real nurse. Check back in here in, oh, fifteen years or so and prepare to be embarrassed by your original post, because I can promise you that you will be.

As to the OP saying that some other student's opinion of nursing and theory is just what she thought she would hear, well, it's what she wanted to hear. And being in an echo chamber of uninformed novice voices isn't validation. It's just ... noise.