I think that people trying to get into nursing school are like women trying to get pregnant. They are optimistic, idealistic, and excited. Some of them have trouble getting pregnant and become frustrated and discouraged.
Then, they get a positive pregnancy test (letter of acceptance), and they announce the joyous news to everyone! Some of them even post a happy thread on Allnurses!
Then, the ups and downs of pregnancy ensues .The first trimester they don't even look like nurses, but they feel nauseous in the mornings when they have to get up to go to clinicals. They aren't so sure about this whole thing, and they are feeling emotionally unsettled, sometimes bursting into tears at small things.
Second trimester they start to hit their stride. People can start to see that they will be nurses, they feel optimistic and have a gaining self confidence.
Third trimester, they start to feel bogged down. Everyone can definately see that they will be nurses. When will this all end so that they can get some rest?
Then, the baby is born, and the real work begins. After the initial euphoria has worn off the reality of that first year settles in. This is a lot more work and responsiblity than they ever imagined. Sometimes they question why they ever wanted to be a parent. Some of them suffer terrible post partum depression. The sleepless nights are killers for some, as they desperatly try anything to get on dayshift.
Eventually, they adapt, some better than others. The baby grows and so does the mother. A few of them don't fare well and turn to drugs or alcohol and neglect their child, or even have the child taken away by the state. Most do a decent job and a few really excel. Some of them go on to teach others the art of parenting.
Being a mother and a new RN I couldn't have put it better myself. How perfect is this analogy! As I struggling through my now 1 month experience as an RN, I find myself tearing up at the silliest and smallest things. Let me tell you - My 'honeymoon' phase of this transition didn't last very long. I am totally feeling overwhelmed (I expected it - just not THIS much!), inadequate, and stupid. There are many times that I question if becoming a nurse was the right choice - many of them happened to my during my shift today. I work in LTC and they let me 'run' my unit today - I am not sure if I will EVER catch on! All very much like motherhood!!! Sometimes it is great and some times it sucks!!!
Yep, I'm a "first trimester" nursing student and totally identify with the "morning sickness" and the other day at clinicals I had to fight back tears when my instructor started telling me I wasn't tucking the sheets under the end of the bed the correct way (my temper is hard wired to my tear ducts a la Bella Swan, incredibly embarassing)
I can see oramar's point. While there is no way to *totally* prepare a person for a transition, there are ways to make the gap smaller and the expectations a bit more realistic. Hopefully, nursing school would help lessen the gap and provide realistic expectations. Like the difference between a first-time mother-to-be who has only held a friend's happy 6-mo baby a few times versus one who has spent time with a screaming, needy newborn; the difference between a to-be-mom who hasn't dealt with kids since she herself was a kid versus one who has had chances to spend extended periods with children as an adult authority/nurturing figure. It's up to the mothers to seek out opportunities to find out more about the realities of parenting. Some do and some don't.
Nursing school, on the other hand, should provide those opportunities. As it is, many programs stop at giving the students clinical time but don't help guide the students to finding the best learning opportunities while there. In the right circumstances a student can function at the level of a graduate nurse (no having to wait til the baby's born, so to speak). Yes, it IS different when the full responsibility is yours, but again, the transition needn't be quite as stark as it currently is for many students.
Still, the analogy is a good one and made me laugh!!!
I chuckled also when I read it at first, then somehow it triggered a wave of bad memories. PTSD I guess.
Becca608
314 Posts
SO I GUESS MY DESPERATE NCLEX PREPARATION MUST BE LABOR:chuckle:banghead::chuckle