Some of us must have gone in to school with medical backgrounds (Emts and such), some of us had only the knowledge supplied by prerequisites, some of us have picked up a lot of knowledge on our own, through books or t.v., and others probably walking into school pretty much cold.
How familar (or unfamiliar) were you with nursing-relevant or medical material, and did it help you feel more prepared?
What experiences or knowledge helped you in nursing school?
None, except for having 4 children, and having chronic migraines, and becoming diabetic after my 4th child was born.
But, I LOVE medical stuff! I subscribed to nursing magazines back in 1993, before I even started taking pre-req's, and even though I didn't understand a lot of the articles, I looked up whatever I didn't understand, and asked questions to whomever I could. When I was dx'd with diabetes, I did, and still do, read, re-read, ask questions, read medical journals, and do my best to not only understand my disease, but the who/what/when/where/why of it all, and how it relates to everything else.
I did have a grandfather who was a Dr., but I never knew him as he died when my dad was a teenager. My grandmother, his wife, was an RN, but since I wasn't interested in nursing when she was alive, we never spoke about it much. I find that sad, because she was very highly regarded in her specialty.
Not much besides working in a few hospital labs. One I was a clerk, one information systems(computers) and another purchasing. I've always been interested in medical things though.
I have been CPR/First Aid certified for over 16 years....worked in Emergency Services for over 6 years....I am also an EMT. Now I work as a Unit Secretary in the NICU.
Been an EMT for almost 20 years which definately has helped a ton...
I have a sincere interest in the human body for many years and have read hundreds of books on nutrition, diet and excercise that have also helped a ton.
Now the kicker...My wife of 19 years in a Head Nurse Manager of ICU, My mom is a nurse, my one sister is a nurse and my other sister is a respiratory therapist, my sisters husband is a nurse, my wifes brother and his wife are both nurses and my wifes other brother's wife is a nurse, I also have two aunts that are nurses. Any ideas what we talk about at the Thanksgiving table??? :chuckle
All of this experience has made a tremendous difference in my ability to learn things a little quicker and a little easier than some of my classmates.
I tell them all to start taking more of an interest in their own health and it will help them with their studies. For example, I don;t even take a tylenol anymore without looking it up in the Drug Guide. It helps. When you go to the Doctors office, read the brochures for drugs and procedures that are laying around the waiting room. When you do have to visit someone in the hospital, be coureous, look around...
i had none. i had had 2 babies, but both L&D experiences were normal. kids go to pediatrician. never been sick, not even ear infections. no ER visits for me or my kids.my hubby had his appendix out,but i didnt go with him to the ER so i didnt see how any of that worked. i had just had all my prereq's. never been a CNA. and i did just fine. i think having some medical experience might have made me less nervous about it, but i've made it this far, so something worked out the right way nonetheless
Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.
There was a time when I worked for the U of Miami School of Medicine as a medical secretary. I worked in various departments and for the chief of medicine at the associated teaching hospital. That's where I discovered my interest in nursing. It was a long time ago.
Eventually, I became a legal assistant for a medical malpractice law firm. In my spare time, I enjoyed going over the medical records that were exhibits in the lawsuits, testing my knowledge to find out what went wrong, even though it wasn't my job and had no formal education in it, using the knowledge I picked up working as a med sec.
only what i learnt at school - which was the biology i did, except the topics were in more detail than the biology and the science bridging course i did before university started. the math i didn't at school wasn't of much help (using calculator too much), though we had roughly 4 or 5 lectures on math in nursing anyway.
My mom had just had a bypass when i started so i had some from that. for the most everyone in the program fed off of everyone elses knowledge. however, this semeter we had two girls from third semester RN transfer to 2nd semester LPN and lets just say there are 50 total in the class and 48 of them want those two gone. we are sick of hearing "well in the RN program we do this" they are pissed because they have been signed off in the RN program to do IVs but they are not allowed to do them in the LPN. the one really isn't so bad but the other. she was making some comments during lecture. and since she sits in front of me. she gets keeps running her mouth about the RN program. So i leaned in and said not softly that if she loved the *amn RN program so much she should take her *ss back there. otherwis keep your mouth shut!!!!!!! not a peep the rest of the lecture she just makes faces now. she is one of those i left because the instructor didn't like me. it couldn't possibly been any of her fault!! my advice if you know alot try not to act better than everyone. someday in clincial you are going to need these people.
i knew nothing about nursing and just sorta jumped into it. I like it though and I feel like I've learned more the past 6 months than I have learned in my 12 years of school.
It took me a while to decide, so I guess I'm a late bloomer:) I was a hospital volunteer in my early teens, was pre-med in college, was a medic in Army, worked a few years as LPN after the service, worked in drug/psych research for 5 years, worked as manager in a managed care program for a large insurer for 15 years.........by then I knew I wanted to study nursing!
RedSox33RN
1,483 Posts
None, except for having 4 children, and having chronic migraines, and becoming diabetic after my 4th child was born.
But, I LOVE medical stuff! I subscribed to nursing magazines back in 1993, before I even started taking pre-req's, and even though I didn't understand a lot of the articles, I looked up whatever I didn't understand, and asked questions to whomever I could. When I was dx'd with diabetes, I did, and still do, read, re-read, ask questions, read medical journals, and do my best to not only understand my disease, but the who/what/when/where/why of it all, and how it relates to everything else.
I did have a grandfather who was a Dr., but I never knew him as he died when my dad was a teenager. My grandmother, his wife, was an RN, but since I wasn't interested in nursing when she was alive, we never spoke about it much. I find that sad, because she was very highly regarded in her specialty.