I'm not "intelligent." Do I have any business being a nurse (and other questions)?

FashionablyL8, CNA, LPN · Aug 10, 2017

Your post was very interesting to me, and I also hope that you get the answer you seem. My opinion is that you definiteky posses excellent communication skills and, it seems, a genuine concern for the safety and well-being of others, particularly others in your care. I also think that people who are convinced that they are very smart are often much more dangerous to others than those who question their intelligence and abilities. Even geniuses do not excel in every area.

That said, I do think it's difficult to answer your question without knowing exactly which ways you consider yourself below average in intelligence. If you are like me and are overcome with a mind numbing confusion when faced with certain,math problems, there is help for that. If you are mechanically challenged, finding it hard to figure out how to work hospital bed brakes or drain a catheter bag, you can work with that, by making sure to take extra time to figure these things out and practice them. There are so many areas that many of us have problems with, but I can't think of a lot that would absolutely make you an unsafe nurse, regardless of any effort made to improve. I think that sharing with everyone exactly where your doubts come from.

I must add that I'm not a nurse, but a MAP certified NA. I am hoping to get into nursing school, and am also questioning if I have what it takes to be a good nurse. In my case, I wonder if I'm young enough or will be quick enough to keep up with my classmates.

shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 10, 2017

Thank you so much for reading my post (or the TLDR version!). If you reply - which I sincerely hope you decide to do because each of us possesses a unique perspective shaped by our own lives' experiences, then it would probably be helpful if you told me that you read the entire post or that you just read the TLDR. Don't be afraid of offending me, because you likely won't do so no matter what you say!

I'm not aware of an IQ requirement to be a nurse. You are close to graduating nursing school. It is normal for students to be a bit frightened and lacking in confidence at this point. As long as you did ok in school and in clinicals, you are prepared to be a new RN.

You appear to have good communication skills (if too verbose) and to care about doing a good job for your patients. Those are important qualities for an RN. However, another important quality is self-confidence. That does take time to develop in a new RN grad.

You appear to have issues and concerns around the concept of intelligence. Based on your post, I strongly advise you to get some counseling about this.

Should you take the NCLEX? Yes. You've come this far, so might as well get your RN license.

Should you be an RN? Only you can answer that. If you don't feel comfortable with direct patient care, there are other RN career options: case management, clinical research (RNs are often employed to help in clinical trials of new drugs and treatments), weight loss clinics, or you could get another degree like an MBA or Healthcare Administration or even a law degree (law + RN can be a very powerful combination - healthcare law is a good field). Some RNs continue on to get a Master's in Public Health and focus on healthcare policy.

Good luck and please get some counseling.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Aug 10, 2017

This is something I've struggled with, too. I make excellent grades and generally do very well in school. That leads people to make comments about my intelligence and abilities - things I don't believe I have.

There's nothing wrong with having average intelligence, or below average intelligence.

That said, as my therapist told me when I confessed that people exalting me was starting to really bother me was this: you need to allow room for the possibility that these people are right. Is it so bad that maybe you are more intelligent that you let yourself believe? If several people are echoing the same thoughts, then perhaps there is truth to the things that they are saying.

So, when people tell me how smart I am, I just smile and allow some room in the way I view myself for that intelligence. Because perhaps I am underestimating myself and doing myself a disservice by immediately dismissing the thoughts of other people. If 99 people say that a flower is red, and you see it as blue, wouldn't you allow the possibility that you're wrong?

You may also want to read up on something called Imposter Syndrome. It may shed some light on how you view yourself/the world around you.

As far as continuing on the path of nursing - where are you at in your schooling? How are you doing in your classes? Do you feel as though you're grasping the material being presented? My answer will change depending on the answers to those questions.

The_Muffintime · Aug 10, 2017

I'm in my penultimate quarter - advanced med surg. I've done well through the program but honestly I always feel like I know almost nothing. It's hard to accurately gauge how true that actually is.

@shibaoowner, you're totally right. I do undervalue myself sometimes and have a hard time maintaining proper perspective in some cases. I really need to give myself the same kind of slack that I allow others.

I meant it when I said that I don't need or want the validation of others. The problem is that I require it of myself and I'm very stingy. I've felt that being a great caregiver requires above average intelligence and problem solving skills and I stand by that. I'm not an idiot but I am not ok with being anything but great because I would want nothing less of the people taking care of my loved ones.

shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 10, 2017

I'm in my penultimate quarter - advanced med surg. I've done well through the program but honestly I always feel like I know almost nothing. It's hard to accurately gauge how true that actually is.
@shibaoowner, you're totally right. I do undervalue myself sometimes and have a hard time maintaining proper perspective in some cases. I really need to give myself the same kind of slack that I allow others.
I meant it when I said that I don't need or want the validation of others. The problem is that I require it of myself and I'm very stingy. I've felt that being a great caregiver requires above average intelligence and problem solving skills and I stand by that. I'm not an idiot but I am not ok with being anything but great because I would want nothing less of the people taking care of my loved ones.

There are also many types of "intelligence:" emotional intelligence, spatial, creative, etc. Being book smart does not necessarily make someone a good nurse. Being a good caregiver doesn't require above average intelligence. I do agree it requires good problem-solving skills, but there are plenty of Harvard grads that have no common sense or daily problem-solving skills!

emmjayy, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2017

What proof do you have to support your idea about having a low level of intelligence? From your post, I gathered that you are a good communicator/writer. You have a good grasp of the English language and proper grammar, which is a lot more than can be said for many posters on this site alone. You have successfully completed several semesters of nursing school and are preparing to graduate - another indication of at least an average level of intelligence. It sounds like you're feeling insecure and scared about being on your own as a nurse. Lots of people tell me I'm very smart/intelligent, so maybe it will help you feel better to know that despite my own perceived level of intelligence, I'm also terrified of screwing up and killing a patient because of forgetting something or not applying my knowledge correctly. And so are all of my classmates, many of whom I see as being smarter than I am. I'm fairly certain this is a common and normal attitude to have as a brand new nurse, that probably gives rise to a healthy level of caution and an avoidance of reckless behavior.

You say you feel like you know nothing, here at the end of nursing school. I've always heard that nursing school gives you the bare minimum needed not to kill people, and that the real learning comes on the job, with competency/proficiency taking a couple of years of work to achieve.

Apples&Oranges · Aug 10, 2017

OP, there was a young woman in my class who could have written what you did verbatim (except that she could not have, she wasn't as articulate, or a strong writer.) She was constantly plagued by the knowledge that she was not as "intelligent" or "smart" as some of the rest of us.

She was right.

She struggled with concepts, with exams, she had trouble with math, papers, every aspect of nursing school. I'll be honest, while she was a sweet girl, and my good friend, I did not expect her to graduate. Guess what? She did. And she passed NCLEX in 125 questions.

When she got her first job, she struggled. With critical thinking, with time management (who wouldn't, on a med surg floor with 10 freaking patients??) and was convinced that she would either kill someone, or get fired, whichever came first. She was counselled and had her orientation extended more than once. I must admit, I had the same fears. I wasn't sure she would cut it as an acute care nurse.

Fast forward 3 years. She is a charge nurse on the unit, getting ready to transition into the CICU. She has proven herself to be a strong nurse, a mentor to new nurses who are struggling. I'm not saying anything will be easy for you. It is difficult and scary for EVERY new nurse, even those who are super students...but please don't let your fears dictate your decisions, especially when you are so close, when you have come so far. I'm trying to learn this lesson right now, as I contemplate taking my first travel assignment, after finally just becoming comfortable in my charge nurse role.

I was a late bloomer. Took much longer than others to "get it." Sometimes I'm still not sure I get it. I make mistakes EVERY SINGLE DAY. Sometimes small ones, but sometimes big HONKING mistakes...on, like, a regular Tuesday... that's why I have other nurses there to help me. You will too.

Ask questions, ask for help. You'll figure it out. I have faith in you.

matcha-cat · Aug 10, 2017

Perhaps you won't want to hear this, I don't mean to be "patronizing", but I do think you sound intelligent. Like others have said, you have excellent communication skills, and although you're quick to dismiss that as something that doesn't really show your intelligence, I think otherwise. In order for you to write well and to create an argument, you have to have critical thinking skills, which overall, is what's typically looked at when measuring intelligence. As a previous poster stated, there are many different types of intelligence but the makings of an intelligent person are a bit of an enigma. I've seen people who understand everything they read from a book and sound like absolute geniuses when teaching it to other people, but they can't relate that information to real life, like they don't know how to connect it to issues. If it doesn't follow the pattern they were taught on paper, they're lost. There was also a guy I knew from high school who took all advanced classes with all As and scored high on an exam for the military (he had like an almost perfect score) but he would say the stupidest things, and leave the rest of the class scratching their heads as to how he could have such good grades. I think intelligence is definitely multifaceted.

Speaking about you, specifically... Look at yourself. You have a great deal of self-awareness. You're sitting here, picking at yourself, and you're actually putting that information to use by seeing how any negatives could affect patient safety and you're realizing your areas of weakness. I think that's a hallmark of intelligence. Not enough people are introspective, and not enough people think about where not just their actions will take them, but their personality and mental nuances, as well. You know what occupation needs people like this? Nursing.

You have to be analytical in your thinking and you have to know what things to look out for in order to look out for a patient. In your post you've demonstrated self-awareness and critical thinking skills. I think what you need is a boost in self confidence.

EDIT: PS, I've seen many seemingly "air-headed bimbos" become nurses and they excel.

PSS- I can't believe you have the gall to say you don't think you're intelligent after writing all of these arguments and analyzing yourself to such an extent.

kaylee. · Aug 11, 2017

I echo the above post that what i read was a post from someone with an analytical mind, someone who thinks about ideas. You may be analyzing the world around a fixed point, that being you are not intelligent. This -- may be evidence of room for growth -- because believe it or not no fixed fact about you exists. You can be liberated by dropping this "truth" notion of yourself. Do it and see where your analytical mind can take you.

Heylove, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Aug 11, 2017

I think that the key is finding your place within the nursing profession to apply your unique skills and abilities.

I consider myself to have above average intelligence, and let me tell you, I struggled in nursing school. If you are already in a program, you got there with some minimum amount of intelligence. Just getting into a program proves that you have a lot more going for you than you give yourself credit for. I also questioned my ability to do the job without compromising patient safety. I also considered not taking my licensing exam and becoming an Uber driver! (I'm not kidding!) My instructors in nursing school, although they encouraged me to trust my intuition and have confidence with my decision making, I felt like they didn't trust me, and I second guessed myself. We are not supposed to know everything there is to know about everything when we finish nursing school. Our ability to learn, seek out new and developing research and apply this new knowledge to our nursing practice is what makes nurses special.

Simply put, I think differently and problem solved much differently than my classmates. I was, and still am, focused on psychosocial aspects of illness, hospitalization, recovery and relationships. While caring for patients with everything from a new cancer diagnosis to acute kidney injury, I was focused on psychosocial interventions. Of course I recognize the medical diagnosis, treatments, lab results and can apply nursing interventions while managing patient care.

What drew you to nursing school? Are there any specific units that you like more than others?

Stick with it. You've worked very hard to get where you are.

The_Muffintime · Aug 16, 2017

Guys, a lot of you are right - I'm too hard on myself and I'll focus on things that don't matter unless I give them credence. The proof is in the pudding, however, and the fact that I was obsessing about this is enough evidence that I'm not so smart XD

Thank you for all your wonderful contributions and wise words. They were required at that time when they were offered and I appreciate every keystroke. I understand that it doesn't matter much how smart someone is - their work ethic and stubbornness to stick to things are so much more important. I'm not going to waste my time and energy anymore obsessing over nonsense.