I need to hear from the real nurses!

Nurses General Nursing

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i'm a nursing student about to start second semester, first clinical semester. i'm getting increasingly concerned about the content of nursing school. i like science and pathophysiology. i don't like busy work or brainstorming about the "8 holistic parameters" and how they relate to every little thing. i don't like reading a care plan for ob (2 semesters from now) that says things like "interventions: 1) provide a supportive atmosphere, 2) provide reinforcement for infant care taking behaviors, 3) provide opportunities for adequate rest", and so on. is that realistically what i have to look forward to? i guess i'm looking to find out how much science there is actually involved, compared to the more touchy feely stuff, when you are actually a working rn. i may be able to stand the whole "assessing for fall risk" type of thing if it's not really so much like that in the real world. i'm really resenting that we're being told, basically, how to be good human beings, not professionals. i'm feeling like i'm on the verge of a meltdown and school hasn't even started back up yet. i just pray that it gets way more difficult and way less feely (although that care plan i read is from 4th semester), ugh....

what am i really in for?

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

A lot of that care plan intervention stuff is things any self respecting nurse is going to be doing without thinking about it anyway. That is part of being a nurse and part of why they have you do those care plans. I know they are a headache and repetitive but you will do them without thinking about it later. For now,, know it,, do it,, complete them and know that when you are done it will be things that you will do as second nature when at work and at home. Its about the process.

nyapa, RN

995 Posts

Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.

the thing about these care plans is that as frustrating as they can be, they make you think about the 'touchy feely' things. In order to make true physical assessments, you need to develop relationships with your patients. In order to provide care, you need to engender their trust. They are more likely to listen to education if they can relate to it and you. It is especially important at discharge that you can find out what services a person needs, and the only way they will tell you is if, again, they can trust you. Nursing assessment is wholistic. Nursing is communication. Creating an environment conducive to healing is as important as attending to the physical aspects of care. And remember, behaviour can be caused by physical causes, for example, confusion can be caused by hypoxia or a UTI or dementia.

Yes there is a lot of science in nursing. Calculation and knowledge re medications and IV fluids. Lab results. Input and output. Weight. Nutrition. The list goes on and on.

I am unsure how detailed US careplans are, and whether they are like the ones at your school. The fact is though, the ones at your school make you think about these aspects, even if you may not have to write them all down in the 'real world'. You'll see what is expected when you actually get out in your clinicals...

Best of luck

Jay

Virgo_RN, BSN, RN

3,543 Posts

Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

Since patients are human beings, they have more than just physical needs. Nursing encompasses more than pathophysiology, lab interpretation, and pharmacology. I enjoy the science of nursing as much as the next person, but without a real concern for the patients' psychosocial needs, I'm not certain how much satisfaction one will get from being a nurse.

Lovely_RN, MSN

1,122 Posts

Do you think that the non-physical needs of patients are irrelevant?

It's not about being taught how to be a good person. What you're being taught is a systematic way of delivering care that goes beyond evaluating lab values and pushing pills.

Why is this important?

It's not about wearing your heart on your sleeve and feeling every single emotion that your patient is feeling. But keep in mind that when that sick person is brought into the hospital they, unlike you as the nurse, are allowed to bring all of their emotional baggage with them.

Why does this need to be taught?

Well, some people are naturally intuitive, they are excellent at ascertaining the emotions of others and are able to adjust their behavior based on subtle social cues.

Some people are a little bit more clueless and need to be taught this skill.

Maybe the touchy feely stuff seems fluffy and irrelevant to you but the patients need it and since caring is not a part of medicine (at least from what I have seen) where do you think they will get if from?

If you are only interested in the pathophysiology and science then maybe this isn't for you.

unikuelady, RN

141 Posts

:yeahthat: I would encourage you to do some deep soul searching and figure out why you want to become a nurse. I have worked with many a bedside nurse who had vast amount of knowledge about the disease process, treatments etc and could carry out the tasks competently........but there was very little compassion/caring for the actual patients. Just about every one of these nurses had dissatisfied patients. The chief complaint was not being treated with a caring attitude. (as a side note it was NOT very much fun being their co-worker either). IMO a nurse who cares for the "whole of the patient" is a valuable asset that should be given far more respect that is usually given. The care plans of nursing school train a nurse to expand not only their knowledge but how to apply it holistically.

And YES nursing school became much more intense each semester as it was expected to build upon the previous semesters knowledge/experience.

I for one am very thankful for the excellent nursing education I received.:w00t:

FuturoEnfermera

144 Posts

I really appreciate what all of you have said! I certainly understand the need for compassion, human touch, etc, but I feel like the ability to be trusted, in any relationship, comes from within. It seems so strange to me that such basic common sense and decency has to be "taught". I suppose I just think that if you don't have that certain something that makes people trust you and get along with others, in general, you aren't going to learn it because it's on a list of the "right" things to do. And if you do it because the list says so and it's not naturally in you, wont people see though that and you'll still end up untrustworthy. I mean, isn't it common sense to make sure a mother can feed her child before sending them home? I would think that if that didn't occur to a person they really shouldn't be a nurse! Please do correct me if I'm wrong! I'd love to hear that this might actually help at least one student so we're not ALL wasting our time. Ok, yeah, I'm frustrated! =) I just know that as a mother, no one had to teach me to care about my children, and I see nursing the same way.

FuturoEnfermera

144 Posts

why does this need to be taught?

well, some people are naturally intuitive, they are excellent at ascertaining the emotions of others and are able to adjust their behavior based on subtle social cues.

some people are a little bit more clueless and need to be taught this skill.

maybe the touchy feely stuff seems fluffy and irrelevant to you but the patients need it and since caring is not a part of medicine (at least from what i have seen) where do you think they will get if from?

if you are only interested in the pathophysiology and science then maybe this isn't for you.

i didn't see that before i posted my previous response. i do fit into the naturally intuitive category. maybe that is why it's so hard for me to grasp. i actually pick up on way too much sometimes. i'm an extremely sensitive person, internally and externally. maybe the way i worded my op made it sound like i was cold and didn't want to deal with those aspects of nursing but that is not the case at all! i just don't feel the need to learn what i guess is "common sense" to me and maybe not to others. interesting.....i really never thought of it that way. i was voted class president and have lots of friends in my class so it's not like i'm all science and don't care about people i promise! =)

thanks again for the interesting perspective.

jl_nurse

27 Posts

Always remember, each person is born with a heart and a brain and needed to be treated as whole real people.You must have compassion, a listening ear, and caring heart to truly succeed in this profession. REmember this, a patient may not remember or even mentioned the nurse that started his iv without difficulty, the nurse that gave him his medications, however, he will remember the one that sat down next to him and listened with a open ear and heart and earned his trust. If your heart is not in it, try something else. Yes, knowledge is needed, however compassion, thoughtfulness, and true patient advocacy is what the best nurses care about and follow through on.

FuturoEnfermera

144 Posts

REmember this, a patient may not remember or even mentioned the nurse that started his iv without difficulty, the nurse that gave him his medications, however, he will remember the one that sat down next to him and listened with a open ear and heart and earned his trust. If your heart is not in it, try something else. Yes, knowledge is needed, however compassion, thoughtfulness, and true patient advocacy is what the best nurses care about and follow through on.

I totally agree with you!

Lovely_RN, MSN

1,122 Posts

I really appreciate what all of you have said! I certainly understand the need for compassion, human touch, etc, but I feel like the ability to be trusted, in any relationship, comes from within. It seems so strange to me that such basic common sense and decency has to be "taught". I suppose I just think that if you don't have that certain something that makes people trust you and get along with others, in general, you aren't going to learn it because it's on a list of the "right" things to do. And if you do it because the list says so and it's not naturally in you, wont people see though that and you'll still end up untrustworthy. I mean, isn't it common sense to make sure a mother can feed her child before sending them home? I would think that if that didn't occur to a person they really shouldn't be a nurse! Please do correct me if I'm wrong! I'd love to hear that this might actually help at least one student so we're not ALL wasting our time. Ok, yeah, I'm frustrated! =) I just know that as a mother, no one had to teach me to care about my children, and I see nursing the same way.

Have you ever heard the saying "Common sense isn't common"?

Here is the scenario: I was assigned to a cancer patient who was about to receive a blood transfusion. She had vomited all over herself and even after we got her cleaned the room still smelled like vomit. After she is all cleaned up one of my classmates with nothing better to do decides to butt in because she wants to see what is going on. She pulls a tissue out of her pocket and (I am NOT kidding this really happened) and covers her nose and whispers to me that the smell is getting to her. I wanted to fall through the floor I was so embarrassed for the patient and I was really ****ed off too. Our clinical instructor was no where to be found (lucky for her) but I was surprised that the RN didn't say anything to her. The patient is taking all of this in and she starts squirming and mumbling under her breath. I am trying to be subtle and tell my classmate to lose the tissue but the block headed wench just wasn't getting it.

The patient finally gets up her nerve and throws us out of her room. She told the RN that maybe we don't get that she has cancer and that we need to be taught how to deal with patients. I was mortified and my stupid classmate still didn't get it. She was all like "What? Why did she kick us out? What's her problem"

I pulled her to the side and explained to her that she had offended the woman by covering her nose with the tissue. I also told her that she would be lucky if the Rn didn't report her because she could be kicked out of our program for what she did.

She nods her head but later on another classmate told me that she was really mad at me for saying anything to her.

I guess I should have just reported her and let her deal with the consequences. :icon_roll

Btw, block-head was one of the most book smart students in the class.

It proves that book smart doesn't equal emotional intelligence.

FuturoEnfermera

144 Posts

have you ever heard the saying "common sense isn't common"?

here is the scenario: i was assigned to a cancer patient who was about to receive a blood transfusion. she had vomited all over herself and even after we got her cleaned the room still smelled like vomit. after she is all cleaned up one of my classmates with nothing better to do decides to butt in because she wants to see what is going on. she pulls a tissue out of her pocket and (i am not kidding this really happened) and covers her nose and whispers to me that the smell is getting to her. i wanted to fall through the floor i was so embarrassed for the patient and i was really ****ed off too. our clinical instructor was no where to be found (lucky for her) but i was surprised that the rn didn't say anything to her. the patient is taking all of this in and she starts squirming and mumbling under her breath. i am trying to be subtle and tell my classmate to lose the tissue but the block headed wench just wasn't getting it.

the patient finally gets up her nerve and throws us out of her room. she told the rn that maybe we don't get that she has cancer and that we need to be taught how to deal with patients. i was mortified and my stupid classmate still didn't get it. she was all like "what? why did she kick us out? what's her problem"

i pulled her to the side and explained to her that she had offended the woman by covering her nose with the tissue. i also told her that she would be lucky if the rn didn't report her because she could be kicked out of our program for what she did.

she nods her head but later on another classmate told me that she was really mad at me for saying anything to her.

i guess i should have just reported her and let her deal with the consequences. :icon_roll

btw, block-head was one of the most book smart students in the class.

it proves that book smart doesn't equal emotional intelligence.

i hadn't actually heard that saying but i dig it! and i must ask, do you think block-head could learn to be compassionate because she is supposed to be? i cannot believe that someone would do that! like i said, i haven't started clinicals so i've yet to witness the atrocities that some of my classmates are sure to commit!

after reading these posts i'm really feeling better and i truly thank all of you that have replied. i have a huge heart for this profession but i admit i'm impatient and expect most people to think like me. sounds like i need to work on that.

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