Student Nurse and Real Nuse.

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Does anyone who is has BSN think that there is a difference between being a student nurse and an practicing nurse? I mean minus the money part? I feel like i try SO hard to please my clinical instructor and get straight A's that I'm now sleep deprived and just doing what i need to do to get by. I want to practice good patient care but after getting 4 hours of sleep and studying, i just want to get through it.

Anyways, does anyone out there think there is a difference and the "nursing" aspect of school will come with time when i'm not wasting all my time on prep and care plans?

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

not sure I understand your question - of course there is a difference in being a student and being a licensed nurse. The license is a huge difference. If you mean will working as a nurse be as difficult as being a student - could be that first year or so, but eventually it all kicks in and you roll with the flow.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Well, I'm only an ASN, so not sure I'm qualified to answer your question. "Does anyone who is has BSN..."

But of course, there is a world of difference between being a student nurse and a licensed, practicing RN. Accountability being one very large difference. As a student nurse, you have an RN backing you up with his/her license, taking responsibility for all of your actions/inactions. All of which you will take responsibility for when/if you get your license.

And then there's the reality of patient-nurse ratio. As a student, you have how many patients? One? Two? As a practicing RN, you will have how many? 3? 5? More? Plus potential oversight of an LPN and his/her patients.

So yes, you are working toward your goal. And if/when you obtain it, your responsibilities will increase. Whether you're an ASN or a BSN.

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I guess what i mean is, i feel like being a student nurse inhibits me from being a good nurse. because i'm more worried about giving everyone what they want versus learning? It's confusing. I know!

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Some say having earned a nursing license is akin to earning a driver's license in that it only assures a minimum level of knowledge and safety, but the *real* learning doesn't really start until AFTER you've got the license.

But I hear ya. I hated being told to "use your nursing judgement" after just one or two quarters. Judgement is something that you can only gain through experience. Perhaps it would've been more accurate to say "think about what you already now and how that applies to this situation, does that help answer your question?"

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I'm a new grad nurse and for my last rotation of RN school my instructor required no written work. You had to know what you were doing before you did it, but not spend tons of time writing things out. I took so much pressure off and gave us time to practice being a "real" nurse while we still had the security of having a nurse supervise us. It was really helpful. Once you get a job you'll only need the skill set that you need for the particular type of pt that you care for. No more one day on this floor and another somewhere totally different.

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Personally, I find working as an RN way easier than being a student nurse. Sure there is more accountability and high stress situations, but I have developed my own style and time management skills, I don't spend my time off doing homework, I sleep at night, and I make pretty good money doing it.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

Do what you need to do to get through school.

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thanks! you guys are awesome! that's exactly what i needed to hear! :)

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Specializes in MED/SURG STROKE UNIT, LTC SUPER., IMU.

In some ways being a "real nurse" is a lot easier. You can leave the job at the job and have family time instead of careplans and homework. On the floor, I find it a lot more stressful and I am amazed at how much I do actually get done in a day. I just got my licence in October. I tried all of the hospitals around my area without any luck, but found a job at a LTC facility. It is totally different from what you are trained to do as an RN, since the most patients I had during school was 5-6 and now I have 20-30 with all of the meds, wound care, labs, orders, and charting. I thought that I was going to have a break down for the first month, but now it has become more manageable. I think being a student nurse and a "real nurse" are very stressful in very different ways. As a student nurse you are trying so hard to get that licence, but as a "real nurse" you are trying very hard to KEEP that licence.:nurse:

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i have met people who felt they just need to get through school and once they get through and start practicing they can "slack off" because the professor is not breathing down their neck anymore.... in a sense there is more freedom, but at the same time there will be far more LIABILITY that falls on your shoulders. i would encourage you to not feel like you've "served time" in a sense, so when you do get your license you do not become a careless nurse.

good luck.

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I'm not a real nurse yet, but I just got my BSN and if your school is anything like mine, I promise you clinicals will get way better :) less paperwork, and you feel more like you know what you're doing. My first semester of clinicals was extremely stressful, I felt exactly how you're describing, and by the last couple of semesters I actually looked forward to clinical and actually felt like I was making a difference in my patient's lives!

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