Going through nursing school, I have to say that it's overwhelming. They throw a ton of information at you all at once, most of which aren't on the exams (they don't tell you what information will be on the exams, either). It's so overwhelming that sometimes I think you have to be a genius just to pass these classes.
Then I meet nurses who are... well, let's just say they're not the brightest people I've ever met. Some of them have horrible grammer (they couldn't pass a 4th grade english class for the life of them), can't do math, and just have absolutely no common sense whatsoever. I worry for the people that these nurses take care of.
I've also seen some people post on this very site, posting things that don't make any sense with horrible grammer and exhibit no intelligence whatsoever... yet they're nurses. How the hell does that happen?
No disrespect meant towards anyone whatsoever, I'm not trying to upset anyone, but let's face facts, there are some less-than-average nurses out there, so how do they do it? Admittedly, I don't see them very often, but they're out there. That just scares me and confuses me at the same time.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Going through nursing school, I have to say that it's overwhelming. They throw a ton of information at you all at once, most of which aren't on the exams (they don't tell you what information will be on the exams, either). It's so overwhelming that sometimes I think you have to be a genius just to pass these classes.
Then I meet nurses who are... well, let's just say they're not the brightest people I've ever met. Some of them have horrible grammer (they couldn't pass a 4th grade english class for the life of them), can't do math, and just have absolutely no common sense whatsoever. I worry for the people that these nurses take care of.
I've also seen some people post on this very site, posting things that don't make any sense with horrible grammer and exhibit no intelligence whatsoever... yet they're nurses. How the hell does that happen?
No disrespect meant towards anyone whatsoever, I'm not trying to upset anyone, but let's face facts, there are some less-than-average nurses out there, so how do they do it? Admittedly, I don't see them very often, but they're out there. That just scares me and confuses me at the same time.
How the hell did they get through nursing school?
This is one of my pet peeves about nursing. I discovered that while nursing school is very grueling, if you know how to play the game, you can become one, and you don't have to be bright. The same thing that goes on in other college programs goes on in nursing programs...there is creative cheating, the who you know syndrome, etc... and when they graduate, the behaviors continue. I am horrified at many of the nursing notes I read, the thought processes of many of these people and that many of them believe they are the greatest nurses walking. Where I work, I see more idiots than mentors and that is scary.
OP, I tend to agree with almost all you say. You are young, but have been able to make a very valid assessment IMO! Healthcare is a field where there are many who qualify as being one fry short of a Happy Meal.
If I had been going through nursing school at such a young age, I think I might attempt to assume that I was missing something. My teachers and certain facility staff MUST have a grand scheme, a higher purpose that I was somehow missing. Trying to trick your brain by repeating to yourself, "No, these people wouldn't be allowed to do this dangerous job if they didn't have the skills..." is impossible when you have vast professional work experience.
Adjustments must be made on your part. To stay sane, you just have to ignore the sub-par Happy Meals, and go about your business of learning at the higher level you might choose. Unfortunately you are gonna have to do some serious weeding. Allnurses is open to the world. Time goes by as you post and read posts, and you'll find those keepers. Keepers will be even harder to find in the healthcare workplace. When we find that sweet spot, we'll guard it like it's gold, just ask those nurses here who have found their gold.
As fer as spellin gos, Ahhm nut writin fur my doctor-at wen I post hear, I don giv a rats hineee.
Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
Fun post to read, made me smile and chuckle out loud several times. After 30 years in nursing I can safely say that I have worked with nurses who are much dumber than me and with nurses who are much smarter than me. I can't really do much about that. What I can do is make sure that I am well educated and deliver the BEST nursing care that I am capable of. As a manager in a PICU it was essential that I have a VERY GOOD idea of what the shift nurses were capable of, what their strengths and weaknesses were. Were all of the nurses brainiacs? Of course not. But they were all capable of doing the work asked of them...it they weren't then that was my problem because I hired them, I made them part of the team that I was responsible for. It is important that shift nurses on a unit have a sense of team. There is generally too much work for the professionals to function like human islands. Part of growing up as a nurse is learning how to be functional, effective, even successful under less than perfect circumstances. Working with "peers" who seem to fall a bit short of our standards is one of the challenges of that learning process. So my advice to the OP is this...maintain your high standards for nursing, live up to them, you will have a long and fulfilling nursing career. Don't get too caught up in stressing over other nurses', or other disciplines' abilities cuz it is not something that you can significantly impact and it will only burn you out. Good luck...
There are stupid people everywhere. Just look at these townhall meetings.
Act accordingly.
The difference between intelligence and education has been expounded upon ad nasueum so I will not go into it. Everyone has a different level of both. However, one is dependent on intrinsic factors and the other less so.
What bothers me is this pervading attitude in this country of anti-intellectualism and anti-education/knowledge. People seem to value being willfully ignorant about many things and act as if it is a virtue. In nursing, what I've found is that many go into nursing education for a vocational education - which it very much is. But then they feel like they no longer need to learn about anything else in life. Someone quoted Socrates earlier in that "the only thing I know is that I know nothing." In that true wisdom is in the desire to have a continual hunger to know more and to better oneself. I don't see this much anywhere anymore with many people.
Many students are not concerned with critical thinking or writing and hardly any have even heard of Plato, Aristotle, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, etc, let alone read them. These teachers of how to think and contemplate about the important things of life have been thrown to the wayside in our society. And I feel that this is readily apparent in our society where people champion materialism, greed and ignorance.
but i must agree with some of the posters. just as in the real nursing world you have to be careful with the words that you use. for example in nursing i was told by the instructors that you cannot or should not use judgmental terms in your nurses notes because should the worse happens and that chart gets subpoenaed in court that will make you (the nurse look bad). for example: if you are documenting that when you were attempting to administer meds to patient x he started to slap and kick you it is not wise to put "the patient was combative" it just does not look right instead you should exactly what the patient was doing.
however i do understand what divest was trying to convey. i am currently in nursing school and there are a few classmates that constantly make me wonder. how come you have made it this far? i do not wish anyone any ill will but i just often have to wonder.
i eventually came to the conclusion that some people have book smarts and no common sense and vice versa.
i also realised that there are people who i know that act completely senseless but are so much smarter than me. everyone has their own unique thing that they can contribute throughout their everyday lives or in nursing.
-:redpinkhenina:heartbeat
- the truth is an offense but not a sin (bob marley)
- lies are sweet when the truth is bitter (louise bennett)
I got to the second page of responses to this thread and found myself thinking "this is so stupid.... why are we wasting so much time responding to this?" THIS THREAD IS NOT INTELLIGENT! Don't let this person get to you... getting through school and maintaining a job is hard work. They don't just hand out nursing diploma's... the last time I checked, nursing school and med school are very difficult! Anyone who gets in and manages to finish AND hold a job obviously has some intelligence. Don't judge a book by its cover.
A funny example: my husband, who is a very charismatic fellow, is trying to quit smoking. He just came to me and asked how he could protect his nicotine patch from getting wet while in the shower. He asked me if I had any medical tape or anything like that to cover it up. I said, "just take a bath." He replied with a perplexed look and said "but my arm will get wet." I said, "Well, don't put your arm in the water!" He had a goofy look on his face and said something like "you're so smart.. why didn't I think of that?" Is he dumb? No! Am I superior? No!
Specializes in trauma, ortho, burns, plastic surgery.
Oh, man, I needed a good laugh today! Reading the original post made me laugh on the inside, but the rest made me lol! This is a gem. Especially grammer. Haha. :chuckle
Hey Petunia, I will tell you a story about people.
Intelligent people laugh about them self always because they know how "dumb" they are, lolll. From where I come is a true REAL story how to make others to fall in front of you and step on them, are people that was growup like that, is them life style, they educated children in this style. To pick on others and to make you look PERFECT is another one. Is the same story here, good and bad people are everywhere, but the difference here is that USA is a country with so many languages spoken insiede, and the difference beetwen grammar, grammer or any other styles.... at one moment is going with the flow, as soon we don't consider ourselves THE super duper nurses, lol part of super duper classy ones, looool who DESERVE!!!
Intelligence will help a nurse always to know from where is come, where she is, to know her streight and weak parts... and to not forget to look in mirror each day to see WHO HE/SHE IS, for real not dreaming at, looool
As soon as we start to peak on others critisizing other intelligence is just a proof... how limitated intelligent we are.
A poor grammar nurse with a BALANCED personality, welling to work... ... hey... will going to work finally.... BUT a unbalanced personality and twisted character nurse you will never changed it and neither you could dream at one change and sure you will never want to work with. IS like cancer...is spread arround...you don't want to be there...to see it, to work with!
Beetwen these two and adding many others facts ... here we are are with our discussion about intelligence and nursing
While I understand your frustration while you are going through Nursing school, I have to say: Don't judge people.
You don't know where they've been in life, what they've gone through, or if they have a disability. Some people are 'book smart' and some are not. I've seen some nurses out there (and some doctors, too!) that can't spell, but are phenomenal on the floor.
I put myself through LPN school (Mon-Fri 8 hours a day) worked full time (16 hour shifts Sat and Sun) and did homework at night (usually 3-4 hours a night) for a year in my accelerated program. I've since gone on for my RN associate's degree and am now working on my BSN-but I can honestly tell you I probably had some 'Mental Hiccups' while I was going through that 1 year LPN diploma!
I do think some nurses don't sound very smart if their lanuage skills are poor. It doesn't make them a bad nurse. Some nurses are A students and some are C students. It's the same with physicians. I can't always remember lab values on certain things, but you can bet I'm going to look them up. Does that make me a bad nurse? I think a lot of it has to do with caring about doing a good job. My spelling is not that great. Does that make me a bad nurse? I have a dictionary and can look words up. I had a 3.8 GPA in nursing school, so I'm not perfect. I make mistakes just like everyone else. I'm also the first one to report my mistake when I make it. You want to know how some nurses got through nursing school? Some of them by putting in hours and hours of extra time in their books. Some of them made up for their test grades with clinical scores. It's all give and take. You might be surprised what you might learn from a nurse who's been working a few years, but doesn't have great language skills. You also have to look at the invironment they grew up in. Nursing school is tough. If you want to make it you will.
part of super duper classy ones, looool who DESERVE!!!
pagandeva2000, LPN
7,984 Posts
This is one of my pet peeves about nursing. I discovered that while nursing school is very grueling, if you know how to play the game, you can become one, and you don't have to be bright. The same thing that goes on in other college programs goes on in nursing programs...there is creative cheating, the who you know syndrome, etc... and when they graduate, the behaviors continue. I am horrified at many of the nursing notes I read, the thought processes of many of these people and that many of them believe they are the greatest nurses walking. Where I work, I see more idiots than mentors and that is scary.