Goal of nursing school - training or not?

Nurses General Nursing

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Looking back, nursing school sometimes seems like it was more of an introduction to nursing than actual training to be a nurse. We got a glimpse of most everything (insert one foley, remove stitches once, witness one childbirth, ten days with oncology patients, ten days with orthopedic patients, etc). It teaches the WHAT of nursing and WHY of nursing. If you make it through, THEN you start the process of learning HOW to be a nurse.

I realize that some programs are more clinical focused than others, with hospital-based programs generally providing the most clinical experience. But is is realistic to expect someone to pick a diploma program over, say, a BSN program? Especially if local diploma programs have waitlists and the BSN program is affordable and one will graduate in the same amount of time, or faster?

Just frustrated that my own program was clinical-light and sad to hear that so many others seem to be as well. And by "clinical-light" I don't mean the number of hours on the floor. We spent many hours on the floor, but had to share the clinical instructor and had limited opportunities to practice our skills.

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Specializes in Hospice, Med/Surg, ICU, ER.

Of all the myriad things I've learned in my lifetime, very few of them were learned in/at school.

There's a moral in that, somewhere......

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Specializes in ER.

Unfortunately, nursing school does not teach you to be a nurse, it gives you the opportunity to learn. It is sort of like getting a parking permit...it does not guareentee you will find a parking spot, but you can legally look for one!

I think all nurses should be required to go thru a one year internship like MDs do. A few week orientation is just not enough to provide safe care.

School gives you the basics and the background, but you don't really start to learn until you are actually on your own.

The first 2 years you are scared to death, then about years 2-5 you figure that you have it down pat. After about 5 years, you start to realize what you don't know. After 10 + years, you are scared to death everyday because of what you DO know! And after 20 years, you just pray your way through every day and hope you don't kill someone or end up in court.

After 30 years, you are amazed you are still nursing, and are praying you live long enough to retire, but know realistically, you will be toddling around passing meds from your walker at age 80.

How is that for a refreshing view of your future??? :uhoh3:

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Specializes in ICU/CCU, CVICU, Trauma.

I am so glad I went to nursing school when I did. I graduated from a 3-year diploma school in the late 1970's. We had 6-week rotations in every area. Six weeks in the ICU with very much hands-on care. Six weeks in the OR with hands-on circulating & scrub experience ( I even got a chance to put in a few simple sutures with MD supervision). Team leader experience, evening & night experience, multiple procedures. I firmly believe this has made me a good nurse.

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Specializes in Nurses who are mentally sicked.

It is true that school does not teach what is actual happening in the real world....it is part of nursing life....

Good luck!

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Unfortunately, nursing school does not teach you to be a nurse, it gives you the opportunity to learn. It is sort of like getting a parking permit...it does not guareentee you will find a parking spot, but you can legally look for one!

I think all nurses should be required to go thru a one year internship like MDs do. A few week orientation is just not enough to provide safe care.

I like the analogy of the parking permit though I don't like the reality of it... when I buy a parking permit but the lot is usually full, I feel ripped off! And when I spend several years and a good chunk of money, I don't think I ought to have to scrounge for opportunities to practice what I'm supposed to be learning. I know, life doesn't usually unfold the way I think it should. :crash_com

I totally agree with the idea of an internship for new nurses!:cheers:

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this isn't just nursing, it's pretty much every profession. i got my bs in chem eng prior to deciding to return to school for nursing and i felt the exact same way when i finished that program... and that was even with alternating school quarters and work (co-op) quarters

imo, an education gives you just enough background to be dangerous :smiley_ab

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I wonder, though, do employers expect new grad chem engineers to be able to more or less carry the same workload and responsibilities as an experienced staff member within 6-8 weeks? I know teaching tends to be similar to nursing where you start off with full responsibility and the first year often feels like sink or swim... where swimming school taught you all about pools and bouancy and stroke patterns but not not much opportunity to practice swimming before throwing you in the deep end.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.

I totally agree with the idea of an internship for new nurses!:cheers:

Wow, I feel really blessed because one of the hospitals where I live offers an internship in ICU for 12 months! There is also a L&D internship that lasts 8 months.

I don't know how long the others are but there are internships in telemetry, med/surg, and ER too.

The children's hospital has internships for up to 20 weeks.

I think I live in a good area for learning.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
I wonder, though, do employers expect new grad chem engineers to be able to more or less carry the same workload and responsibilities as an experienced staff member within 6-8 weeks? I know teaching tends to be similar to nursing where you start off with full responsibility and the first year often feels like sink or swim... where swimming school taught you all about pools and bouancy and stroke patterns but not not much opportunity to practice swimming before throwing you in the deep end.

I thought they had student teachers that sat in the classroom and observed and then they took over at intervals?

That's what I remember in school.

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Oh yeah, I forgot about that term of student teaching. I took a teaching position as an emergency substitute teacher (major shortage here for those) for a short time and didn't get that guidance. It may only be in one classroom for one term but it is closer to the real deal.

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I wonder, though, do employers expect new grad chem engineers to be able to more or less carry the same workload and responsibilities as an experienced staff member within 6-8 weeks? I know teaching tends to be similar to nursing where you start off with full responsibility and the first year often feels like sink or swim... where swimming school taught you all about pools and bouancy and stroke patterns but not not much opportunity to practice swimming before throwing you in the deep end.

actually they expect you to do more than them b/c you're the low man on the totem pole... at least my boss did.

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