Should the hospitals be comming to the nursing schools?

[angelchick]

I have been pondering this subject for some time now, and finally decided to put it to paper.

As a 2year Nursing Student in New Zealand, I wonder how much communication goes on between the hospitals that students attend to do their practicum, and how much, if any, District Health Boards (DHB's) input there is? Do they ever all get together as a collective and discuss the changes and needs in the new and up comming future nurses? I wanted to do a survey and put out some questions to health boards, and individual experience RN's and get their opinion on what they want and need from new nurses/students. (Time has hindered this idea at this stage). The few RN's I have spoken to have all commented that "we" should go back to the "old" way of nursing, where most of the learning done was practical. Are we too bookwise? and not "hands on" smart? Does the Nursing Organisations, in our case NZNO get together with the different schools of nursing and different hospitals and discuss what needs changing ? what's working? what's not? what help's? Have we become to complacent? I hear alot of whinning and disagreement with how nursing students are being taught today, but is anyone doing anything about it? Shouldn't the Hospitals be a huge influence of the learning expectations of the schools? So that when a student does become a RN she/he knows the expectations and demands of the job and the hospitals get what they want? Instead of a new nurse going to a job where she/he is perhaps not appreciated and underskilled, wouldn't it be better for the hospitals to let the nusing schools KNOW what they want!? Then everyone will be happy, the schools, the RN's, the hospitals, the students/new nurses, and most importantly the PATIENT. Perhaps I havent done my homework well enough, and maybe there is communication happening at this level... but if so, why all the negativity from old school nurses towards new school nurses? Just my thoughts.

[Becca608]

Thank you for posting AngelChick. Maybe things are not so different in Australia/New Zealand than they are in the United States.

I have just graduated and need to take my NCLEX in South Eastern US (Gerorgia). There are 45 of us graduating with our ADNs and we are just as lost as you are.

I asked a close friend when it would feel like we had really graduated. She told me that we would not understand our graduation UNTIL we were on the floor and had no one to ask for help.

She is so right.

Fight for the opportunity to have a precepter for 6-12 weeks. This is standard in the US. Fight for the right to have a guide until you feel comfortable managing patients on your own.

This is not a job, but a practice that you are learning. Do not let anyone throw you to the wolves.

Peace to My Sister Graduate!

[snazzy-jazzy, BSN, RN]

Hi Angelchick, I think it depends on the University as well. The one I'm attending starts pracs in the first semester. Fifteen hours a week are clinical pracs, 1 day of problem based learning and 1 day of lectures. So most of our time is done in the hospital. Third year is almost all clinical pracs, 4 days a week for 5th semester and 5 days a week for 6th semester.

I really like this set up as I think prac (hospital based learning) and University learning are both just as important as each other. I've noticed that the R.N's on the ward I'm doing prac in are always having education sessions as well, so its obviously just as important once we have graduated.

I hope you manage to get your survey out.

[CABG patch kid, BSN, RN]

I'm thinking it may also have something to do with the regulatory Board of Nursing; they are the people who decide what future nurses must learn and know to practice safely. If hospitals were the ones to decide what nursing students learned, there may be less continuity; I hate to say it but there may be ulterior motives having to do with financial gain as well. I do see where you're coming from, and as a new grad I am seeing the discrepancies between school and real life in full force right now, but I'm just throwing out another angle to consider :)