How To Shadow A Nurse

[2bnurseguy_2005]

I am STRONGLY thinking about going back to school to be a nurse. I got my bachelor in Business and almost finished with my MBA

HOW do I go about shadowing a nurse?

I want to make sure this is what I want to do

What do I tell them or ask them? I want to sound professional

[drgreen]

Like someone posted earlier, you might not be able to. HIPPA is taken very seriously and they may not let you have patient information. First off, do you know ANYONE that works in healthcare. If they have any position they may be able to get a foot in. If you don't, speak with a nursing councilor at a local college, they may be able to give you a contact at a hospital, clinic, or nursing home. If that doesn't help try HR. Tell them what is going on. They are not going to think you are a fool for asking.

[andigurl]

I definitely think it is worth taking the extra steps to shadow a nurse before making a career change. Contact a hospital-(preferably a large teaching hospital associated with a nursing school)-contact the nursing recruitment office and tell them your situation, see if they could be of assistance. Make sure this is what you want to do before jumping into it.

[hollykate]

I shadowed a nurse before I went to school. I will say it was a completely useless after noon and did not help me decide that nursing was or was not for me. The school set up the shadowing experience for me even though I was not their student. Unfortunately, watching someone do something is very different than doing it yourself, which is why the afternoon was pretty much a waste of my time.

I'd recommend doing something like a CNA class, rather than shadowing. If youenjoy doing the basic nursing care that CNA's provide, it is highly likely you will be a great nurse.