Nursing School vs. Reality

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I am a junior in nursing school and I just ran into a nurse last night at a party who told me that theory was one thing but actually doing it is another. I am just wondering if nursing school prepares you for the reality of nursing? How well do you think nursing school prepared you? Or did you learn everything on the floor? Any feedback would be welcomed. She also told me that nursing school only prepares you to take the boards not real life nursing. HOw would you respond? Thanks for the feedback.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

From what I've heard, nursing school just gives you a basic foundation and prepares you to learn what real nursing is, in your first year on the job.

I've heard you learn more in the first year on the job than you do in two years of nursing school.

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The nurse was correct nursing school will not prepare you foe the real world. When you get hired make sure you get an adaquate orientation. Like no less than 6 weeks. Good luck.

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Specializes in TELEMETRY.

yeah its true nursing school only give you a feel for what you get into. When u are on the floor its a totally new world out there. You have deadlines and have to make quick decisions!

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I came to the conclusion long ago that about the only thing nursing school can do is maybe show you're competent to learn to be a nurse, because real world nursing is rarely like what you read in the books.

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Specializes in Acute rehab/geriatrics/cardiac rehab.

No comparison really. In nursing school, the patients are folks in need and you are the wonderful nurse coming to aid them. In real life the patients are folks in need who

-realize they are in need and appreciate your help

or

-realize they are in need and think you went through your years of education to learn to take folks to the bathroom and have no idea of the time and learning involved in getting a nursing education

or

-realize they are in need and have no idea that the reason it took you so long to get to their room is because you have 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 other patients... all who are in need....

book learning just sets a foundation...until you are a nurse, it's hard to understand what life as a nurse is like until you are out in the field working with real patients in real life situations... and doing the real life paperwork that goes along with it...

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I think this is true for all professions. In my family, I'm the first to go into health care. My dad and brothers are engineers, and they always said that college just taught them how to think, but the material is going to be job-dependent. They probably never even saw the vast majority of what they learned in school. I'm thinking of business majors, med school grads, etc. EVERYONE has to go to school to become professional, but end up relying only so much on that material, but most of what they learn is learned in practice.

Nurses just seem to love complaining about school. I hear it all the time. Really, with all that we need to learn compared to nursing students 20 or 30 years ago, we need residencies like doctors get! But, to pass up theory/knowledge of basic nursing science would really set us back, and we wouldn't be respected when we do get out and practice. It's important that we understand why we do what we do, and not just be robotic nurses following doctor's orders. The real problem is that new nurses tend to get "eaten" by the experienced ones who think we should be as proficient as them when we graduate. Again, I don't know of any other profession that does this to the extent nurses do. No wonder so many nurses leave for new careers.

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Specializes in Acute Care.

Nursing school prepared me to take the NCLEX. Not to actually work as a nurse.

It was a good foundation with theory and the basics, but I feel like I didn't really start to learn how to do my job until I started working the floor.

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Nursing school is nothing like how your job will be. In school, things exist in sort of a perfect vacuum. The term is akin that you have everything you need to practice, medicine has no influence (things are strictly about nursing), and everything is in the ideal setting.

That has to be part of the reason there is so much attrition among new grads. 25% of 1st year RNs leave the field? Maybe they weren't prepared for what's really out there

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So I hope I can ask this qustion without hijacking this thread....but if I hate nursing school, will I hate being a nurse? Because yes I hate clinicals.

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I'm in my senior and there are days that I feel like I'm not prepared for the real world but then again there are days when I work my b.e.h.i.n.d of (like days when I have more than one pt) and I really feel like I'm working out there not just learning.But you gotta be careful cause the patients can take advantage of you if you let them...I always end up attending to the needs of another patients in the room who is not assigned to me (numerous requests of bringing them water,save their foods for later,give them call light)and then I end up at the end of my physical wits.My instructor claims we really work there and keep busy,I must say I agree!

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Specializes in CT ICU, OR, Orthopedic.

Don't worry if you hate clinicals. I think every one does! There are tons of nursing jobs in different fields. For example, some hate the floor, but love OR etc. There is also more office type jobs etc. I hated floor nursing, but love critical care.

Nursing school in no way prepared you. Sorry to say. I was scared out of my mind, completely stressed out, and felt like a moron! Just get through the first 6 months...it gets better after that! Just remember. Every one felt the same way! Hang in there. Good luck.

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