How do you wonderful nurses do it?

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Hey everyone I been on this site for a few months now. I am not a nurse or even a nursing student or not even doing prereqs. But am hoping to start within the next year. Well that's not the point. I come on the site every single day it is SO GREAT here. I love it. Well back to the point I have read a lot of threads on here. And I start wondering how on earth do you guys do it. I am talking about learning all the kinds of medications dosages conversion. How do you learn and remember all the different kinds of diseases treatments for them how much how long. I am terrified of this how am I suppose to learn and/or remember all these things. Does it mean I shouldn't be a nurse? Will I be imcompetent? This is something I truly want I think about it every day. I see myself going to school graduating working in a hospital. I have so much plans for my future and career but I see having a good memory is essential. So how do you do it when it comes to memorizing things? How do you remember it all the medication to the disease and all that stuff. I had more question I was thinking about but I can't remember now that I am writing. What kinds of things do you keep handy in order to help you through school and in the workforce. I am so looking foward to being a nurse that I am trying to plan and learn as much as possible. I am so excited about this that I am driving myself crazy with the thinking and planning. I am the worrier type and it makes me crazy. In a way I wish I wasn't that way. But that's another story. Well any input ideas suggestions and thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

You learn the basics in school and the rest comes with on the job experience. What may look difficult actually comes easy when you love what you're doing. The physical challenges of nursing IMHO are the most difficult. Nursing is emotionally difficult at times because you truly care about your patients. I try to remember that these people would be in the same shape whether or not I was a nurse and as a nurse at least I'm there to make them as comfortable and pain free as possible.

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Nursing school is hard but definitely worth it. As the above poster stated, you learn the basics. You should consider shadowing a nurse and see what that nurse does. I don't remember everything that I learned in school and I just graduated in May 08. I really enjoyed learning about the human body and most of the diseases that can occur. Just think that if nursing school was impossible, that there would not be any nurses in the world. Good luck.

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you will study, you will practice, you will learn. the process never stops. you will be a fine nurse! :nurse:

(and regarding the 2nd part of your post: i am never without my littmann stethoscope and several pilot g-2 07 black gel pens.)

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One day at a time. Learn HOW to learn, and never stop learning. (At least that's what I keep telling myself).

-Student Nurse

Class of 2009 !!!

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Thanks for the compliments.

I agree that you need a good stethoscope and comfortable pens. In addition, keep a good drug reference book handy. Nobody can remember everything. If you only give a drug once in a while, look it up again. Learn anatomy and physiology and the diseases make more sense.

Keep in mind that if you do not know much about what nurses actually do it is critical that you investigate. Shadowing a nurse will give you alittle snippet of what nursing really is. Talk to all the nurses you can. Visit elderly people in nursing homes. They will love the company and you can observe and ask questions of nurses.

You might want to take a CNA course to see if you like the field. Many nursing programs either require this or look favorably on candidates who already have shown the ability to deal with people when they are at less than their best; short tempered, in need of personal care or requiring a cheering squad.

Best of luck. We do need nurses who take the time and energy to think this decision through before they start the process.:nurse:

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Specializes in Home Care, Hospice, OB.

as others have said, you never stop learning and growing, you burn a lot of midnight oil and eat a lot of take-out...and it is worth every minute! good luck in this journey, and thanks for all your kind words!:redpinkhe

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Like all forms of school, professional degree and mastery, nursing is not really any different from any other profession in the terms you are describing.

Here is my point. You go to school. You get the concept from a teacher, and research it. You have a relevant vocabulary and knowledge of related things to the subject. Then you go to practice it under the scrutiny of a mentor type. This person will admonish and correct when you are wrong, and applaud and reinforce your actions when you are right. This happens for some time, then you graduate and write a test to certify your skills in that field. When you begin practicing, you immediately notice that there are protocols individual to your workplace and environment that you must rectify with you knowledge base. The faster and more expediently you are able to do this, the more smooth your transition to a practicing professional you become. More practice gets you better, and less dependent on collaboration, but the smart ones always collaborate when they can, to gain perspective, regardless of the autonomy of their job requirements. ..

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Specializes in ICU.

no one remembers everything everytime everyday that's why most units have a reference library on hand. that's why you have other nurses on shift. that's why you have a mouth, to ask if unsure. nurses are not all knowing gods walking on earth.....we just try to be.....:smokin:

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

how do you remember how to get to work or tie your shoes? because you do these things every day. do you ever watch the program are you smarter than a 5th grader? do you know why no one has never won the $1,000,000? we all recognize the questions they ask. once upon a time we all studied and learned all that stuff they ask. but here's why no one is likely to ever win that $1,000,000. we never use most of that information ever again unless we have to. the old adage "use it or lose it" certainly applies.

i start wondering how on earth do you guys do it. i am talking about learning all the kinds of medications dosages conversion. how do you learn and remember all the different kinds of diseases treatments for them how much how long. i am terrified of this how am i suppose to learn and/or remember all these things.

you do exactly what you did in school before. study, memorize. use whatever techniques work best for you. as an adult you are better able to understand that studying is a skill just as tying you shoes or driving your car is also a skill. living life has taught you that bit of common sense. you will remember all this stuff you learn in nursing school because you will be applying and using it every day. every time you do that the facts get cemented deeper into your brain.

on post #15 of this sticky thread are weblinks to really good information on how to study. now that you are motivated and have a distinct goal in mind please read them and take a course or two and try some of them out. it's one of the ways to find out just how well you can learn and remember. you might surprise yourself! fyi. . .no one can remember everything. many of us have little cheat sheets that we use on the job.

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