Need input from some RNs please

[AR_RN]

I've got an assignment for my Professional Role Development class and it requires "interviewing" 3 RNs with different educational backgrounds. I think it would be interesting to see the responses and see if they differ based on degree pathway. (I personally suspect it would be based more on school than degree, but I guess we'll see.) If you'd rather keep your answers private you can message me the responses and I'll pick them up that way. My assignment is due tomorrow and I've just not got the access to nurses in person right now as we're not in clinicals at this time.

Thanks to all willing to help. Here's what I need:

Your initials

Your nursing degree/pathway

1. How adequately you feel you were prepared for practice upon entering the profession.

2. How your work has changed over the years.

3. If you feel the need for more education.

[megananne7]

I can't really help you because I"m a new grad RN so I can't quit answer your questions r/t "over the years".

(Was this assignment assigned recently? You seem a little stressed since it's due tomorrow and you haven't even started)

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

One down. I hope this helps.

DC

Associate Degree

1. I felt I was adequately prepared to enter into a program of orientation. I learned quite a bit during this 3-month orientation where I was one-on-one with a nurse. I really learned a lot about being a nurse that first year. I feel school is just the first stepping stone to pracitce, that school's job isn't to prepare ready-to-roll nurses, that the process continues in a preceptorship/orientation on the job.

2. Two changes have driven my work over the years: an increase in RN to patient ratio along with the use of unlicensed personal (nurse techs) and an increase in paperwork brought on by JCAHCO standards. For example pain control documentation has changed, "hand off of care" paperwork as been added, patient education docuementation has changed. It feels like I'm drowning in a sea of paperwork and trying to reach impossible standards that compromise time away from the patient.

3. Fourteen years into my nursing career, I decided to get my BSN in order to have more job opportunities as I age in nursing and graduated in August 2007. Prior to that I have attended countless workshops and education inservices, have beecome certified in Med-Surg Nursing, ACLS, taken courses in ventilators, telemetry monitoring etc. A practicing nurse can never get enough education in my opinion.

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

I think it would be interesting to see the responses and see if they differ based on degree pathway. (I personally suspect it would be based more on school than degree, but I guess we'll see.) If you'd rather keep your answers private you can message me the responses and I'll pick them up that way.

I sent you a PM. But I forgot to include that I'm an ADN nurse and I am taking my first class (pre-req) for BSN tomorrow!

[AR_RN]

Thanks, Tweety and CardiacRN. Megananne, I don't really mean to sound stressed. I'm not really. But as to whether it was a recent assignment, this is for a May interim online class which began on Thursday. I worked 8a-4p on Thursday, then 7p-7a Friday night. I assumed that I'd be able to talk to some of the nurses there, but for a variety of reasons it didn't work out that way. So I was thinking about where I'd have access to nurses that would talk to me and I knew I could find them here. I work again tomorrow, but getting the paper turned in by midnight tomorrow shouldn't be too hard, especially with all these wonderful folks willing to help out. I appreciate you guys!

[AR_RN]

BTW, cardiacRN, I saw your PM and sent you a reply asking for your degree. You can ignore it, since I see you replied here. :-)

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

okay, here's another one:

jad

adn

1. how adequately you feel you were prepared for practice upon entering the profession. very well prepared. i had been an lpn before the adn so i had some idea of what to expect.

2. how your work has changed over the years.after i had been an rn for 8 years, i decided that it was necessary to go back to school so that as i age, i will have more choices. so....i went back to school, did a bsn, then an msn and then decided i needed a clinical focus, so i did a post-msn adult health cns.

3. if you feel the need for more education.

i am actually considering going back to school for an fnp (family nurse practitioner) or dnp (doctorate of nursing practice.

[AR_RN]

Great, TraumaRUs. Thanks a lot. Can I ask what made you choose to go back for a higher degree each time? I know you said you went for the BSN to have more choices. What made you go on up to the MSN, and what makes you want to go on higher?

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Sorry - I should have been more specific. My original idea was to pursue the MSN and I had to get the BSN in order to do it the way I needed to. As to going farther, the FNP would give me the ability to see kids and the DNP would be just for me.