I hate the fluff stuff

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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!

Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.
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?

Because you should be able to recognize heart sounds. Your instructor can't likely because it isn't a skill she's learned. As a PICU nurse, I was expected to identify far more than just an irregular rhythm. Various kinds of murmurs, rubs, gallops, S3's and S4's. Nurses on a telemetry floor or Cardiac ICU need to do the same. Not all nurses will need to be that adept at differentiating heart sounds, but depending on your specialty, you may. The only way to learn those sounds is to listen, and keep listening.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
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?

I assure you, you need to listen to heart sounds..

I hear murmurs, junctional rhythms, gallops, especially when your pts have a new onset or previous cardiac history, you will hear a murmur; even bruits.

This is NOT fluff. :no:

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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?

I'm so glad I don't have your instructor.

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