The thing that has surprised you the most about nursing...

workinmomRN2012, BSN · Mar 7, 2015

Everything! Lol- I thought that I needed to know everything- but you don't. I still look up meds, procedures, equipment etc! How to prioritize is really big and delegation.

mama.RN · Mar 8, 2015

What I like vs. what I don't like, compared to what I expected. For example, the other day I was packing a deep, tunneling wound. I would not have imagined that I'd ever be able to really stand doing that, but I truly don't mind it one bit, in fact I get a lot of satisfaction from doing it well. On the other hand, I thought I'd love working with kids, since I love kids in general. But, as it turns out, it's not something I love. I hate to see them in pain or upset or to cause them pain, e.g.. vaccinations, etc., so not my favorite thing. I'd just say be open to letting yourself figure out what you really like to do even if it takes you on a different path than you've planned.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2015

What surprised me is the fact that floor nursing is more clerical and not as people-centric as one would believe.

Most of my shifts are spent charting, documenting, filling out assessment forms on the computer, completing the eMAR, answering phone calls, responding to emails, and so forth. I spend only a handful of minutes with each patient at the most due to arduous documentation requirements.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2015

Agreeing with the above... I thought I would spend more time with people than computers. Some days I feel like it's 50/50.

er.mere · Apr 3, 2015

Thank you for your insights! That is so interesting about wound care, especially since it's not one of my favorite things. Hopefully, I'll be able to embrace it and find satisfaction from doing it well!

er.mere · Apr 3, 2015

Prioritization & delegation seems to be a huge part of each day. Thanks for the advice.

er.mere · Apr 3, 2015

That's good to know, thank you for sharing. It is always so surprising to me how much time is really spent on the computer during a shift!

Fiona59 · Apr 3, 2015

That a healing wound is a thing of beauty. When you are able to see a patient with a wound that heals under your skills. And then gets well and goes home.

RNperdiem, RN · Apr 3, 2015

I didn't expect the high level of responsibility. In nursing school, the answer to a lot of questions was "notify the physician". In reality, the doctor is not always readily available, and a nurse has to manage a lot of difficult situations. The doctors are counting on nurses to properly assess the patients and be the ones to spot complications. Nurses have to make judgement calls is so many situations that the weight of responsibility feels heavy sometimes.

JustKeepSmiling, ADN, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2015

I never realized how much of a "safety net" nurses were. Its hard for a lay person (before nursing school) or even a nursing student to understand.

We are the last step before a treatment or med reaches the patient. Policing orders between several consultants and monitoring trends/labs - requires a lot of skill.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Apr 3, 2015

When I very first became an aide.... with zero healthcare experience, not even CNA school, cause I was uncertified... some of the direct care aspects of the job took me by surprise. Which is another advantage to being an aide prior to nursing school. Better to find these things out before your first day of clinicals.