I hate the fluff stuff

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Mar 14, 2016

Apparently you don't have an understanding yet.

Emergent, RN · Mar 14, 2016

Just take it as practice for the endless useless continuing ed requirements you'll face throughout your career.

Now, breathe deeply, in and out. Imagine your peaceful center, that calm, happy place, free from discord and strife. Nothing can disturb your peace of mind. :saint:

vanilla bean · Mar 14, 2016

I hated the fluff too. Keep your head down, eye on the prize, and plow through.

pinksnowflakes · Mar 14, 2016

I honestly don't mind it. I figure that it will help me be a nurse in one way or another. If there's even a 1% chance that learning something like that could allow me to help a patient someday, I'm willing to learn it :)

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Mar 14, 2016

Let me explain something, you will use guided imagery in nursing. I saw it used twice last night on my shift a see transported patients to new rooms. Both nurses used it as we transferred their patients to new beds and it was incredibly painful for them and it was not possible to give them a pain med at that moment.

You don't have the capacity to realize yet what nursing is. We had the codes last night along with the patients that needed transferred. They all needed our help.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Mar 14, 2016

Thus - another example of the difference between "education" and "training". The former includes theory and principles - the latter is task based. The old adage "you don't know what you don't know" comes to mind. I think it's cute when students just want to focus on the most visible tasks because that's really all they can see at first.

la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2016

Ok, so CAM isn't your thing. The only fluff I resent being told are the things that we're taught as a function of our textbooks being out of date. I have no specific examples in mind but I work in pediatrics. We get our patients to use their imaginations (ahem, guided imagery) on the reg. :cool:

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Mar 14, 2016

Not everyone in your graduating class will work on a med surg floor. Just like not every one will work in cardiac or OB. Is learning rhythms or the stages of labor fluffy crap too just because YOU may not use those skills?

Ok, so this is a rant. I just want to rant about how much I hate the fluffy crap they make us regurgitate in nursing school. All the utter crap that you know damn well no real nurse ever does. You know, like guided imagery?? I'm not saying that meditation and guided imagery are stupid, in fact I use both in my personal awareness practice. But on a regular old med surg floor? Like really? If that was actually feasible, sure, but... That's just an example. Maybe people could list all the fluffy, inane, unrealistic crap that we are made to learn. It's a waste of time! Teach me how to save people's lives and be a good nurse!

ZLindy · Mar 14, 2016

Ok, so what do you guys think about the things that are taught "textbook," but the nurses on the floor just laugh and shake their heads at us? Like the 4 minute IV push? Like listening to an apical pulse for a full min? Like listening to bowel quadrants for 5 minutes each? Like counting respirations for a full minute? The nurses on the med surg floor don't even count respirations.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2016

Ok, so what do you guys think about the things that are taught "textbook," but the nurses on the floor just laugh and shake their heads at us? Like the 4 minute IV push? Like listening to an apical pulse for a full min? Like listening to bowel quadrants for 5 minutes each? Like counting respirations for a full minute? The nurses on the med surg floor don't even count respirations.

You're taught those things because that is best practice. You're new, and inexperienced, and learning these skills. The time for taking short cuts is after you've mastered these skills, not before you've even learned them.

ZLindy · Mar 14, 2016

Fair, Fair. That helps, actually. Makes me feel like it's not just crazy. On the topic (ish), why do we listen to heart sounds? I can hear when something is irregular, but other than that, Im not going to pick up anything else, and even the clinical instructor I had said she wouldn't be able to identify a murmur... So, WHY?