2 Questions?

[freestylen76]

1. If any of you could give a new grad 1 piece of advice for the future, what would it be?

2. From what background do you see the best nurses come from (CNA's, EMT, RT's etc.) or does background matter?

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

1. Don't be 100% set on a specialty too early in your nursing career. You don't have to have it all figured out on the first day of school.

2. Attitude is a lot more important than background. Previous experience in healthcare can be helpful, but only if the person realizes that nursing is a different field and he/she keeps an open mind to learning new things.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

1. School is not over when you graduate. Don't put your books and notes away for awhile. You will still be intensively learning in the next year and for a couple more years after that. Take the time to look up questions you have about diseases and how they are treated when you get home from work. You can't possibly remember everything you learned at school. The important thing is that you know where to go to read up on things again.

2. The best nurses I've seen come from all kinds of backgrounds, not necessarily from nursing. I think, however, the major thing is that they primarily have a genuine respect of people's diversities and cultures and a positive attitude about their work. A good understanding of right and wrong is also essential.