So I am a first quarter nursing student, and I was talking to some of my classmates. One mentioned how, at clinical, an older nurse kept trying to talk her out of the profession, basically trashing the field. Her opinion. So we keep talking and one of the things that came up was floor nursing. EVERY SINGLE one of them said they didn't want to work on the floor/be a floor nurse!
I was shocked. ***** Why are you even trying to be a nurse if all you want to do is go straight to grad school to become a Nurse Practitioner (Peds)???? One of these girls was the same girl who talked about other students who had to be rushed into the emergency room during clinical, saying they had no place in nursing school.
Maybe it is because I work as a "sitter"/safety care associate and am use to the "dirty working" (i.e. I had to hold a man's member in a urinary because he was in restraints last week).
Am I the only one who has a bad taste in their mouths? Many of these are little girls barely out of high school who have never worked or volunteered a day in their lives at a hospital. I would hate to have a nurse who hated her job and only did it so she could get accepted into grad school.
They will be in for a rude awakening when they realize that most *decent* grad schools aren't going to bother looking at an applicant with 0 or the bare minimum floor experience, and I hope they wouldn't look at someone who has less than two years of work experience on the floor. I see most of the nursing students who say they don't want to work on the floor leaving the profession entirely within the first five years (and I'm being generous)...what do you think?
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Im Columbia grad CRNA from the 80s forced to work with their grad students now. Shame on Columbia for allowing students into grad programs with no experience. Cheapens the degree. A Columbia grad degree means NOTHING except that they took your money.
As a male one reason I got into nursing was for the entertainment value of watching alpha females go head to head....never a dull moment. WOW. Seriously ladies? Wassup? Its not so hard to play nice is it?
And again, I notice how a lot of people are getting offended and jumping on me are the ones who fit my description.
To the floor nurses who responded, thanks for your insight. It is a shame that so many students don't value experience on the floor as an RN and just want to Chase the money and prestige.
In sociology I was taught that people will operate rational to the system that they are in. What this means is that if there is a path that is easier that leads to their end goal, they will more than likely take it.
Do not punish those who follow the path, act to change the path.
In sociology I was taught that people will operate rational to the system that they are in. What this means is that if there is a path that is easier that leads to their end goal, they will more than likely take it.
Do not punish those who follow the path, act to change the path.
Specializes in Infectious Disease, Neuro, Research.
In sociology I was taught that people will operate rational to the system that they are in. What this means is that if there is a path that is easier that leads to their end goal, they will more than likely take it.
Do not punish those who follow the path, act to change the path.
The inherent and unstated truth in that assessment is that human beings are inherently ****birds, of selfish, self-indulgent and uncaring natures.
Or, to restate, it completely validates PB's point- if these individuals are unable to develop self-assessing and externally focused perspectives, they should not have primary care responsibility. Assuming that we assign advanced practice to the higher level of self-actualization(my opinion is that we must)...
I absolutely think that bedside experience is critical for an NP. Really, I dont care what Columbia or any other university is doing as they are all benefiting from the NP-cash cow. The big neglected issue is-clinical hours. NP's get arround 600 clinical hours, much less than PA because suposedly they have this bediside nursing experience that counts for something. So in all fairness how is it that a PA would do arround 1500 hours make less money and be less independent than a NP without bedside experience. This doesnt sit right with me. If we are to protect the patient we should demand higher standards. All that this will achieve is that the respect for the role of the NP will diminsh due to the high variability in education and experience between practitioners.
As a male one reason I got into nursing was for the entertainment value of watching alpha females go head to head....never a dull moment. WOW. Seriously ladies? Wassup? Its not so hard to play nice is it?
I had an instructor in nursing school who had limited floor experience. She was always disappearing to go 'confer' with other instructors. And she repeated word for word what was in our textbooks. A waste of time to get advanced degrees if there is no practical experience involved.
JMHO.
I have an instructor like this. Master's level and going for DNP right now. Absolutly no bedside/floor experience and it shows.
They just don't get it. They are teaching an ADN program and have never worked bedside and are now teaching ADN students basically how to be a floor nurse when they themselves have never even worked on a unit. :smackingf
I would rather have an ADN graduate with 10-15+ years experience on the floor than a DNP teaching me. The experience is much more valuable if you ask me. Priceless, really.
Also, I have to wonder why anyone would go into advanced nursing practice without having that "basic" nursing experience. It would be such valuable experience! Isn't that why we are nurses or becoming nurses to begin with? To be advocates for our patients, teach patients and families, provide compassion, comfort and support to our patients and so much more. Maybe I'm just all "rainbows and glitter", but this is what nursing is to me. Yes, maybe my view will be different 10 years from now, but for right now nursing is much more than a career choice.
When I think of NP's, I assume that they have had floor/bedside experience at some point in their career, that they have had that direct patient care. That's what makes me want to make an appointment with a NP over a MD. But, without that critical bedside experience, I am not interested. Why not just go to medical school. Why even have anything "nursing" associated with your title?
I would be very wary about any NP program that allows direct entry without any floor experience. They are looking for your money. I don't care if it is Columbia. Any good program would want their students to have a minimum of one year or more floor experience before ever letting them submit an application.
Why are you even trying to be a nurse if all you want to do is go straight to grad school to become a Nurse Practitioner (Peds)????
So if someone who is not a nurse decides being a Nurse Practitioner is his or her career goal, how do you suggest that individual get there? Being a RN is a prerequisite to NP school, but you think it is wrong to become a RN to become a NP? I'm not following the logic here...
I am in nursing school right now to become a RN. I know for sure I want to continue on to be a NP. Does that mean I will be a bad floor nurse? I hope not! I intend to be the best darn RN I can be and learn as much as I possibly can to help me out in NP school and in my future career as a NP.
And yes, there are programs that allow non-nurses with non-nursing bachelors degrees become NPs in 3 years. It is scary? I think so. However, I know graduates of a program in my city and they are all considered to be amazing RNs by their coworkers, so maybe there is something in it I do not know. Personally, I tend to get 1-2 years floor nursing experience as a RN first because, as I said, the concept scares me.
So if someone who is not a nurse decides being a Nurse Practitioner is his or her career goal, how do you suggest that individual get there? Being a RN is a prerequisite to NP school, but you think it is wrong to become a RN to become a NP? I'm not following the logic here...
I am in nursing school right now to become a RN. I know for sure I want to continue on to be a NP. Does that mean I will be a bad floor nurse? I hope not! I intend to be the best darn RN I can be and learn as much as I possibly can to help me out in NP school and in my future career as a NP.
And yes, there are programs that allow non-nurses with non-nursing bachelors degrees become NPs in 3 years. It is scary? I think so. However, I know graduates of a program in my city and they are all considered to be amazing RNs by their coworkers, so maybe there is something in it I do not know. Personally, I tend to get 1-2 years floor nursing experience as a RN first because, as I said, the concept scares me.
I think that's great and I also think you will be a better NP because you had valuable floor experience.
I don't know exactly what the OP was trying to get across, but my point was whether you go for a NP or any other advanced nursing degree I think its imperative someone begins with the basics of nursing and then move on to advance their nursing career.
The inherent and unstated truth in that assessment is that human beings are inherently ****birds, of selfish, self-indulgent and uncaring natures.
Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN
20,908 Posts
Touche!