What do I do all day?

thatsthekeyRNC · Mar 21, 2011

I haven't even started clinical yet, but I get the same reactions when I talk about nursing school...I think some people think it is ONLY observation and we're not allowed to do anything. There are also the people who think we're starting IV's from day 1 and every time they see me they seem annoyed that I don't know how to do anything yet! haha

Good luck in your last semester!!

lilhealer · Mar 21, 2011

I have my very first clinical session tomorrow. I'm nervous! I do well when it comes to tests, but I'm so afraid I'll botch things up IRL. Did you ever feel that way?

Good luck on your last semester.

manu705 · Mar 21, 2011

I get the same thing all the time! I am also in my last semester, don't be nervous, just ask lots of questions!

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2011

Yet I'd be ok with doing nothing but changing bandaids. Not hands on I guess.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Mar 22, 2011

I don't get that per say but I did recently get really annoyed, my dad has to have these weekly infusion treatments. He has the port that is surgically placed under the skin. My mom is a CMA in an OBGYN office for the past 14 years. So anyway, she was trained by a NURSE how to do my dad's infusions. Well when I was up during winter break I asked if I could do it and she could walk me through the steps. I mean, I know how to flush the line and prime and stuff but we have never worked with these ports before so that was all new to me which is why I wanted to do it.

Fast Forward to last week, my dad came up to visit and he was staying longer than a week so he needed the infusions done. So my mom told me I would need to do it for him. Ok sure, well I called her for one question on something because something she wrote down didn't make sense with what I know. She wrote it down wrong but than she proceeded to go on and on about how I need to be sure to push out the air when I transfer the med and on the line their can be no air bubbles and so forth and so on. I was like, YES I KNOW HOW TO DO THIS. I mean it just got absurd and than my dad was doing the same thing. Hello, I graduate school in 45 days what do you think I have been doing? I have told them both about all the things I have done in clinicals.

Anyway, they weren't trying to be rude or anything about it, it just was annoying on my end because I kept telling them I knew what I was doing on these specific things and they still felt the need to go into every little detail to make sure I understood. My mom does this a lot, I know she is knowledgeable about a lot of things, especially when it comes to pregnant woman. But she compares what nurses do to what she does a lot and it does get very trying to bite my tongue.

The norm I have experienced though from everyone is they expect me to know way more than I do, especially for being a student. You would think I was a med/school graduate from the questions people ask me. I am like, UMMMMMMM ask your doctor.