A girl made a post about the parenting class she took, where she was given some information regarding breastfeeding that she didn't think was correct. She had asked her mom, who told her something different. So she came on to clarify. One of the other members responds to her to listen to her mother, because nurses really are not the smartest people.
I normally just try to ignore the ignorant things people say, it's the internet after all. But that just aggravated me. First off, no where in her post did she say a nurse taught the class. Secondly, way to stereotype a group of people. Here, let me give you a pretend report on one of my ICU patients, and see how much you understand. Then tell me how "not smart" nurses really are. That would be like me saying Stay at home moms are lazy and that is why they don't work. Ugh.. sorry just needed to vent to people who understand. I don't know why it bugged me so much, but it did.
Being a nurse isn't a big deal when compared against other professions. One can complete an LPN program in just over 12 months.
We're an inclusive trade. We'll let anyone in, and - surprisingly - enthusiastically encourage people to "not give up on ur dream!" as they look for support after having failed the NCLEX - arguably one of the easiest licensing exams - for the 8th time.
Having been in the "profession" for a little while now, I can say that while the public generally doesn't understand what nursing is, the idea that just about anyone could be a nurse if they wanted is pretty accurate.
Could just anyone make it through law school? Medical school? Become an engineer? Not really.
The only limiting factor in becoming a nurse is your willingness to put up with the mounds of BS and tedium that is nursing school.
Gosh, please get OUT of the profession now if that truly what you think of your colleagues. Boy, you must be a joy to work with.
I have to agree about the NCLEX. It is not difficult. More importantly though it really has no relevance to nursing school. It does not test nursing knowledge at all it test your ability to take tests. I guarantee my mother could pass it and she's never taken a day of nursing school, she's just good at tests. Which is also why it isn't necessarily a big deal if people don't pass it easily because it does not reflect nursing knowledge. Though you'd think people picked up some test taking school going through nursing school but whatever.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I tend to agree with Fribblet. Like a previous poster, I sailed through the NCLEX in about 35 minutes, it shut off in the minimum number of questions, and I was left feeling "Wow, that was it?"
Also like a previous poster mentioned, I too have had the fleeting thought of "I can't believe that person made it through nursing school."
Honestly, unless you have a learning disorder, all it takes to get through nursing school is to slog through the work and jump through the hoops. Anyone with a bit of persistence can do it, it doesn't take genius. So far, I've been finding that to be the same for graduate work as well. Hopefully it will get more challenging.
Kaplan offers a review course for the NCLEX that teaches how to take the exam. If you follow the "Kaplan Decision Tree" for answering the questions, very little medical knowledge is required to pass the exam. One of the instructors for the course proved this by giving her teenage daughter a mock NCLEX exam with the instructions on using the decision tree. The instructor said that her daughter did very well......without having attended nursing school. Kind of a slap in the face for those of us that dedicated the time and money to attend school.
If you ever get bored and have nothing better to do, here is the proposal set out by the Canadian Nurses Association outlining their take on nursing reform but beware... it is stupid long and a bit of a dry read.
Sorry, tried wading through it but ended up getting a bit cross-eyed. Couple of things I noticed though-the reference to nursing education moving away from hospital-orientated to university-orientated; anyone who has read some of my previous posts in other threads will know this is a particular hobbyhorse of mine.
I have no problem with Nursing degrees; if you feel you wish to rise higher in the hierarchy than serving at the bedside, it is your absolute right to enrol at a university and get your degree. But if you wish to remain a hands-on care provider, why learn your skills away from the bedside? Just asking-how do current nursing students feel about it?
Much has been made about the "higher standard of education" required to become a registered nurse. Now, if what I am reading is true, you go through all that university training in order to sit an exam at the end which sounds like an insult to the intelligence of those who slogged through all those semesters. Sorry, but that makes no sense!
I'm one of the old former "apprentices" who worked for three years at a training hospital, doing 5 months (split into 2 "blocks") out of every year, at college. At the end of each block we wrote exams. And did we write! Six exams at the end of block one (four one hour and two three hour) and two three hour external (national) exams at the end of block two. So it went on throughout those 3 years, with practical components to be completed in between at our base hospitals.
Taking it a bit further, I'm currently doing a certification course in anaesthetic and recovery room practice-classed as in-service training. I write my final exam on Friday, a three hour exam. I need to get 85% overall for the practical and theoretical components. That's why this entire thread has made me laugh so much, and why I poke fun at the whole premise that nurses are "stupid!"
I guarantee you, no person without intense nursing training would be capable of passing any of the exams I wrote. If the training that you guys is as hard as I believe it must be, why are you being set an exam that "anyone" could pass? I repeat, it's an insult to your intelligence and education!
Really don't know where you all hang out, but my family AND friends, and most of the Doctors I work with are always complimenting us RN's as being smart, on the ball, having the knowledge and instincts to do a good job, and will actually come to us for advise, information.
I would have a very hard time if I had to constantly defend my degree. I don't think I'd want to be around others who thought I was not very bright. In fact, I have my husband "trained" to tell others that his wife is "incredibly intelligent" and his whole reason for living. LOL....can't train everyone, but your honey and your family and friends should always back you!
I wouldn't put too much stake in that .. If that same teenage daughter had to implement what she had studied, using this "tree", I guarantee it wouldn't be as easy. We can all study and memorize from the books but to put into practice just as easily, not so much. It takes skills:nurse:
Not to sound like I'm depending the sweeping generalization from the person on the parenting forum but there are a lot of nurses who are either not knowledgeable or misinformed about breastfeeding. I've been on the receiving end of bucket loads of "information" from nurses that was based on nothing but personal opinion and myths.
Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.
Sorry, tried wading through it but ended up getting a bit cross-eyed.
I warned ya it dragged!
Regarding your previous post on number of attempts allowed to write the licensing exam; I guess I can concede with two attempts (taking into consideration stress, nerves etc.) but think three is too liberal. At that point one needs to seriously examine whether nursing is suited to their abilities and whether it is in the public's best interest to keep trying. In my opinion, the person needs to stop being selfish and choose another career.
steelydanfan
784 Posts
Gosh, please get OUT of the profession now if that truly what you think of your colleagues. Boy, you must be a joy to work with.