Nursing school isn't preparing me for the real world

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I am in an accelerated master's degree program, only 1 semester in so far (never been a nurse, bachelor's outside of nursing). It definitely is a good program, and I am confident in the material I have learned. Thing is, I feel that at this pace when I graduate I will feel unprepared for the real work world. I expect to go into an acute care setting when I graduate (ICU, etc). So far, I have nothing but A's, and I love being a student and learning everything I can. I just don't feel like this is enough.

What should I do? How can I better prepare myself? I don't want to go into the real world not being the best I can be in a year.

Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

Gotta give you credit for figuring out that you will not be prepared to practice as a functional nurse with the nursing education you received in school.

Depending on your attitude in allowing yourself to be taught by persons with a "lower" degree than yours, you could make the climb up the steep learning curve presented in critical care areas and do quite well.

I am wholeheartedly against direct entry advanced level nursing. Even more so the accelerated programs. This dilution of nursing experience in the advanced degrees will hopefully be self limiting. Corporations will figure out they aren't getting their money's worth paying for a nurse with an advanced degree that doesn't know anything special.

Just curious, if you are in nursing school just how did you get 5 years' nursing experience?

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Specializes in CVICU.
Gotta give you credit for figuring out that you will not be prepared to practice as a functional nurse with the nursing education you received in school.

Depending on your attitude in allowing yourself to be taught by persons with a "lower" degree than yours, you could make the climb up the steep learning curve presented in critical care areas and do quite well.

I am wholeheartedly against direct entry advanced level nursing. Even more so the accelerated programs. This dilution of nursing experience in the advanced degrees will hopefully be self limiting. Corporations will figure out they aren't getting their money's worth paying for a nurse with an advanced degree that doesn't know anything special.

Just curious, if you are in nursing school just how did you get 5 years' nursing experience?

I'm not sure if the credit you're giving me is facetious or not. I'll choose to take it as a compliment, since I do know that that can be a problem.

I have a bachelor's degree as it is and my former work experience was with many folks who had "lower" degree's than mine (paramedics specifically). It's not the degree that matters, it's the experience & expertise, which I'm sure you agree with. I'm an adult changing careers after years in EMS after college, not a child with a chip on my shoulder. I don't expect this to be a problem.

I understand your concern with the accelerated programs. However, education costs and the length of schooling are certainly factors to contend with in real life. I am not financially able to afford a full 4 year education without working, and likewise cannot take more than 18 months of "no free time" away from my family and life. I don't think those things should hold me back from pursuing this career, and accelerated programs are a great answer to this issue. With that said, this program educates me at the BSN level for clinical nursing and the rest is for CNL, which we are told to practice in the future after we gain some experience as opposed to directly out of school.

Lastly, I put 5 years in regards to my experience as an AEMT, not nursing. As I said in a post above, I'm new to this forum. Is this incorrect? Is it only for nursing experience? I can change this if needed.

Thank you for your insight! I appreciate honesty in this.

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.
I'm not sure if the credit you're giving me is facetious or not. I'll choose to take it as a compliment, since I do know that that can be a problem.

I have a bachelor's degree as it is and my former work experience was with many folks who had "lower" degree's than mine (paramedics specifically). It's not the degree that matters, it's the experience & expertise, which I'm sure you agree with. I'm an adult changing careers after years in EMS after college, not a child with a chip on my shoulder. I don't expect this to be a problem.

I understand your concern with the accelerated programs. However, education costs and the length of schooling are certainly factors to contend with in real life. I am not financially able to afford a full 4 year education without working, and likewise cannot take more than 18 months of "no free time" away from my family and life. I don't think those things should hold me back from pursuing this career, and accelerated programs are a great answer to this issue. With that said, this program educates me at the BSN level for clinical nursing and the rest is for CNL, which we are told to practice in the future after we gain some experience as opposed to directly out of school.

Lastly, I put 5 years in regards to my experience as an AEMT, not nursing. As I said in a post above, I'm new to this forum. Is this incorrect? Is it only for nursing experience? I can change this if needed.

Thank you for your insight! I appreciate honesty in this.

Yes, it is a sincere compliment.

Since you're new I'm not surprised you haven't gotten the drift that BSN degree ("higher") nurses frequently get in trouble for suggesting that they know more and can't believe they would have to be taught/oriented by an ADN/ASN ("lower") degree nurse. The vast majority of practicing nurses do not have a BSN degree and they will be the ones most likely orienting you to the practice of nursing.

Accelerated degrees are the market answer to the astronomically high cost of an education. You may have bought the same degree but you did not get the same education.

This is a nursing forum. Though it is not necessary to have experience or even be a nurse to participate on these boards, I think the fact the question is being asked is to let participants get a sense of how credible your comments may be to them, especially with regard to clinical responses, not just personal opinions.

Nurses are still THE most trusted profession. You don't get that way playing loose with the facts. Let personal integrity guide you.

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Specializes in ER.

In all honesty, there is a reason why more hospitals have developed residency programs for nurses. It sucks but you cannot really adequately prepare nurses to hit the floor running with the way the current system is set up unless you find a diploma program. It is less hands on than it was years ago and there is talk of making it more simulation to help provide critical experiences for students instead of routine med-surg patients.

In general, nursing is very specialized while nursing school tries to approach it as a general education. I mean, an ER nurse won't operate the same as a med-surg nurse and neither will work the same way as an office nurse. Skilled nursing facilities are very different than an ICU.

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While I don't know much about the type of program that you're in, I can say that the schools in my area (as my teachers will attest to) do NOT prepare you to be a nurse. They prepare you to pass a test. Granted, they try their best to make sure that you don't kill anybody too, but they are geared towards passing the NCLEX

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
I've heard the same thing, and honestly sort of expect that. I just don't like that feeling - I'd much rather prefer to know what I'm doing going in. Maybe that's just the reality and I need to accept it? Hmmm.

Yeah ... one of the hardest things some new grads have to adapt to is that feeling of not being totally in control or "comfortable." You will work for many months as a new grad before you feel comfortable in a challenging staff nurse role. Learning to work well in spite of those feelings of discomfort is part of the process of becoming a good nurse.

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Specializes in CVICU.

Ah, I see. Thank you again for your replies Mavrick.

I had looked into some residency programs. I think that's a great option, however I admittedly know very little about them.

Yes, I'm starting to get the feeling that this is just how it is going to feel until I really get some experience under my belt.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, ICU.

I feel like you are getting way to ahead of yourself here.. RN, BSN, MSN all in an accelerated program?!

Of course it can't prepare you for the 'real world'. You have to go slowly here not tackle everything at once.

Also in reference to your post above where you claimed to work with those with a 'lower degree' than you and referenced paramedics....

You may have had a bachelor's degree but it wasn't as an EMT. Those paramedics you referenced were above you in licensure and as an EMT you always answered to them.

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Specializes in CVICU.
I feel like you are getting way to ahead of yourself here.. RN, BSN, MSN all in an accelerated program?!

Of course it can't prepare you for the 'real world'. You have to go slowly here not tackle everything at once.

Also in reference to your post above where you claimed to work with those with a 'lower degree' than you and referenced paramedics....

You may have had a bachelor's degree but it wasn't as an EMT. Those paramedics you referenced were above you in licensure and as an EMT you always answered to them.

Yeah, I tend to get ahead of myself. An admitted weakness.

In regards to the Paramedic thing, yes, I understand that in specific regards to EMS the only "degree" that mattered was their Paramedic vs my AEMT certification. I know my bachelor's has nothing to do with EMS and in no way puts me ahead of them in the EMS profession. I was simply using this as an example to show that I do not put the value of my technically higher degree/education ahead of their much greater level of experience and expertise compared to myself. Likewise, I will not flaunt my future MSN to ASN/ADN RNs as if I'm more qualified than they are, as that is simply not the case.

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I am in an ADN program where you receive your associates, but I am also a CNA. Honestly nursing school mainly teaches you about the background of illnesses, infections, etc. The hands on learning comes from when you're at the hospital. When you receive your first nursing job, they won't just put you on the floor. They make you have a preceptor and depending on what facility it can be a week up to 3 months. If you don't feel comfortable then read up on some of the material.

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If you have the required hours of clinical required by your Board of Nursing, there should be no reason that you would be any less prepared than any other new grad nurse. It is only your first semester, you will be amazed at how much you will learn by graduation and beyond. You will learn things every day as a nurse. You will get a 10-12 week orientation as an Acute care nurse and maybe a week or 2 more if you really needed it. By that point, you should feel like you can safely and independently care for patients. They do hire new RNs into ICUs, sometimes through a residency program which is essentially a 12 week orientation period. You are not thrown to the wolves after orientation, you will always have back up. It seems scary now but have faith that you will be a lot more prepared come graduation day.

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Every nurse I've meet always tells me, "nursing school taught me how not to kill someone..I learn my real skills on the job". It's still early in the game, it will pick up.

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