How has Nursing changed you?

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I graduated from LPN school in August and will find out if I passed the NCLEX tomorrow. Since graduating, my whole demenor has changed. I am still doing CNA work but I come to work with my uniforms starched and my little nursing pin on. I try to do my hair everyday(I usually pull it back.) The nurses tell me that I look like a real nurse. Im planning on buying one of those Ultrascopes and a whole new wardrobe. I have a job waiting on me that is paying me $7 a hour more than Im making now. Its strange but I feel like a totally different person. Did anyone else feel this way? I guess I am feeling proud of my accomplishments and taking it up a notch.

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Absolutely no offense is intended toward anyone, but all of the nursing students who posted responses may wish to revisit this very same thread after a year or two of working full time as a licensed nurse to see if their perspectives change somewhat. I'll bluntly declare that the real world of nursing is so very far removed from the textbooks and clinical rotations of school.

Nursing has changed me in one major way: the sight, smell, and thought of death doesn't really bother me much anymore. I now fully comprehend that human life is temporal, and that no person is placed on this earth to live forever.

However, it has not changed my personality. I am still a laid-back, quiet introvert. I have never been catty, envious, or the type of person who snitches on colleagues.

I am so with you Commuter, as I am out of the honeymoon stage. Nursing is so not like school. The real deal is that you really do have to watch your back with certain people. On the plus side, I have learned a lot and continue to learn. I too am a non-catty, introvert so I do find it hard to adjust to certain situations.

Yeah, I would, too. It is not like I desire to rain on anyone's parade; but, the honeymoon stopped for me before I began. I wanted to be a nurse because I do enjoy the exposure to science and medicine, I do enjoy people and I wanted to have the ability to obtain a position whenever I want to. I really do enjoy those aspects of nursing, but I am also a realist (not saying others are not). All of that has happened for me. Because I worked in a hospital for many years, I was not surprized to see that BS that goes along with it. Nursing is not an honorable profession by far. You have to be strong to survive in our jungle. I think I spend more time looking like I am pissed off because I hate to witness the things that I see so frequently.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
It is not like I desire to rain on anyone's parade; but, the honeymoon stopped for me before I began.
I'm not attempting to remove anyone from their "cloud 9," either, but I'll bluntly state that clinical rotations are the biggest joke known to mankind. If anyone thinks that they are practicing real nursing by attending clinical rotations, then they are sorely in for a rude awakening soon after they complete school and land a job.

Clinical rotations are mainly activities used to occupy space and time, and are primarily utilized to fulfill legal requirements before graduation. While they are intended to provide the student with learning experiences, they are also too idealistic, because no LPN/LVN will ever perform full care on 1 or 2 patients in their career unless they happen to land the rare ICU job.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I'm not attempting to remove anyone from their "cloud 9," either, but I'll bluntly state that clinical rotations are the biggest joke known to mankind. If anyone thinks that they are practicing real nursing by attending clinical rotations, then they are sorely in for a rude awakening soon after they complete school and land a job.

Clinical rotations are mainly activities used to occupy space and time, and are primarily utilized to fulfill legal requirements before graduation. While they are intended to provide the student with learning experiences, they are also too idealistic, because no LPN/LVN will ever perform full care on 1 or 2 patients in their career unless they happen to land the rare ICU job.

Yeah...it doesn't really matter if you have even missed days of clinical...they are NOT based on reality. Since I have faced 'mini' clinicals as a CNA, phlebotomist, MA and Patient Care Associate, I knew that the nursing was basic BS...but longer and in different places. I just wanted it to be overwith. That is one thing I have against Excelsior's on line program. Most people do decently studying on their own, but when it is time to get to their clinical, the instructor or proctor has failed the student for childish reasons...like they really keep up with those practices themselves (yeah...RIGHT). I had a friend that failed three times for her practicuum for Excelsior; two for blood pressure and one for not washing her hands. And, she has been an LPN for 15 years. Give me a break already...

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Nursing is not an honorable profession by far. .

I cannot think of any profession MORE honorable. Fire Fighter, maybe?

ouch.

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Clinical rotations are mainly activities used to occupy space and time, and are primarily utilized to fulfill legal requirements before graduation. While they are intended to provide the student with learning experiences, they are also too idealistic, because no LPN/LVN will ever perform full care on 1 or 2 patients in their career unless they happen to land the rare ICU job.

I guess it depends on where you attended school. To us, our "Skills Lab" was kind of a joke. Whereas our Clinicals were where we learned and regularly performed skills such as inserting Foley's, med administration, decub wound care. All things that I would hate to miss out on before I entered the work force.

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Specializes in Mother-Baby, Rehab, Hospice, Memory Care.
I guess it depends on where you attended school. To us, our "Skills Lab" was kind of a joke. Whereas our Clinicals were where we learned and regularly performed skills such as inserting Foley's, med administration, decub wound care. All things that I would hate to miss out on before I entered the work force.

I think what Commuter is saying is, you DO learn the necessary skills in clinicals to work an an LPN/LVN, but in no way does it completely prepare you for the load of patients and amount responsibility that you will have in real life.

I can totally remember the "honeymoon" stage in nursing school... Then I started working... I still love nursing and view it as a honorable profession, but it's very different once you get in the real world. I think our society somewhat glamorizes nursing and that's how people go into it only to only be sorely disappointed.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I guess it depends on where you attended school. To us, our "Skills Lab" was kind of a joke. Whereas our Clinicals were where we learned and regularly performed skills such as inserting Foley's, med administration, decub wound care. All things that I would hate to miss out on before I entered the work force.
I experienced clinical rotations at eight different Southern Californian facilities during my time in the LVN program, including Encino Hospital, West Hills Hospital, Kaiser Hospital, All Saints Healthcare, Mountain View, United Cerebral Palsy, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, and Northeast Valley Health Center. As you can see, there were a bunch of acute care hospitals intertwined into my clinical experiences.

I removed sutures, pushed IV meds, dressed wounds, changed ostomy bags, gave bed baths, administered injections, obtained blood sugars, observed births, palpated funduses, suctioned clogged trach tubes, administered meds, operated and flushed g-tubes, played around with ventilators, and performed many more clinical skills that I cannot think of at this time.

Even with these skills, you are not practicing nursing; therefore, a nursing student cannot correctly state that nursing has "changed" them if all they have accrued are good clinical experiences and classroom time. The nursing does not begin until you are licensed and working as a nurse.

To clarify, I suppose I can divide it into two straightforward questions:

1. How has NURSING SCHOOL changed you?

2. How has NURSING changed you?

If a person is a student, and has not experienced the latter (real nursing), then they can only discuss with accuracy the manner in which school has changed them.

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In my training programme we had to be able to manage a five patient assignment (which is the norm for the hospital in question) on a surgical unit to obtain a Pass on the clinicals. Unable to keep up, go back and repeat the semester.

Nursing has made me aware of my own and my family's mortality. Living Will in place. Children have been told if they die in hospital their organs will be donated. Seriously considering having DNR tatooed on chest and "no tube feeds" on the belly (OK, I'm joking)

It has made me very aware of how stressed the health care system is overall and has made me question things that people now regard as their "rights". Private rooms with TVs, I don't think so. Intubate, and don't care for how long? Get real.

The human body was designed to wear out. Not every human has been given the natural ability to reproduce, but now it's a "right" and cost be damned.

Yes, nursing has made me bitter and jaded.

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I removed sutures, pushed IV meds, dressed wounds, changed ostomy bags, gave bed baths, administered injections, obtained blood sugars, observed births, palpated funduses, suctioned clogged trach tubes, administered meds, operated and flushed g-tubes, played around with ventilators, and performed many more clinical skills that I cannot think of at this time.

I gave insulin once. Observed a birth (held Mom's right foot!), gave PO meds once, gave lots and lots of bed baths and made lots and lots of beds. Hung an IV bag once.

Clinicals were a JOKE. That's why I decided not to waste time in a classroom and in clinicals for RN - and my friends affirmed that. Excelsior all the way. I'm going to pay for the workshop and I'm sure I'll make it.

Now, clinicals with the folks I work with from a different school - they sound like The COmmuter's. Excellent.

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- they sound like The COmmuter's. Excellent.

EMESIS BASIN TO my house, STAT!;)

I guess it all goes back to the old addage: you get out of something, what you put into it. I worked like a dog on my clinicals. All the RN's came to love me, and most of my classmates. Our school did have a great reputation. Now, I do basically the same hard work and get PAID for it, and dont sweat nearly as much. I just worry about my pt's now, not my very tough instructors.

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Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.
It has made me very aware of how stressed the health care system is overall and has made me question things that people now regard as their "rights". Private rooms with TVs, I don't think so. Intubate, and don't care for how long? Get real.

The human body was designed to wear out. Not every human has been given the natural ability to reproduce, but now it's a "right" and cost be damned.

Yes, nursing has made me bitter and jaded.

Are you saying healthcare is based on money not care and respect for life? If so, I have to agree. And if so, there are times I feel the same way. I hate being treated like dirt, if I can't get to the buzzer on time. I hate "jumping" on a person in a code blue when there is no evidence they will survive, and then they don't. I hate being told I have to do something to a patient who is unable to verbalise he doesn't want it done, but is not considered to have the ability to make the decision for himself, even though nonverbally he is quite capable of showing that he doesn't want it. ]

But I love the thanks. I love watching ppl walk out healthy. I love it when a person who is palliative is able to make decisions and take control of their own lives, not have the system tell them what to do. I love cuddles from kids.

So at times I am bitter and jaded. But there are times when I really feel appreciated, and it is fantastic when you actually feel you have done something successful and "right".

Nursing has taught me to relate to ppl and their relatives. I never had real contact ppl, I was a "book person". But it still has not helped me to deal with conflict...

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Specializes in Psych, LTC, Acute Care.

Thanks for the replies. As I read, I say to myself, I have a long way to go. Nursing has always been my first love and now that I have gotten my licensed and start my new job next week, I will wait a few months and see how my perspective changes. My love for patient care will never change. I have been a CNA for 14 years and have a 4 year degree and taught leisure/ Self development education in psych for 9 years. My goals in life is to be a sponge and soak up as much experience as I can so that I can go on and use it one day in higher education.

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