Things you wish nursing school would have taught you?

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Hello! Any nurses want to share some things you wish nursing school would have taught you, tips for nursing students, tricks you've learned on the job, etc?

This year will be my first year in nursing school & I thought it would be cool to hear some words of advice beforehand! ?

Specializes in ER OR LTC Code Blue Trauma Dog.

What many people seem to forget is that graduating nursing school is only intended to prepare you for starting at the beginning. It's not intended to be the final conclusion.

❤️

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I'd like to see schools doing a better job of coaching students that once they graduate, they will no longer be a high achieving student, they will be a novice nurse. Learning to accept the humility of that position is often half the battle. So much of what people post here are mistakes happening due to a new nurse not wanting to appear incompetent. I'd rather they accept they are incompetent and take moves to become so.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
1 hour ago, not.done.yet said:

I'd like to see schools doing a better job of coaching students that once they graduate, they will no longer be a high achieving student, they will be a novice nurse. Learning to accept the humility of that position is often half the battle. So much of what people post here are mistakes happening due to a new nurse not wanting to appear incompetent. I'd rather they accept they aren't competent and take moves to become so.

^^^^^^ This x 1,000,000

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I went to a 3 year Diploma program in the late 80s and felt reasonably prepared at graduation to enter the field. I'm not sure how other nurses feel but it seems to me that all of the time devoted to learning nursing diagnoses (NANDA) and care planning, could have been better spent on other subjects. I have worked 4 very different nursing specialties all over the country and only see nursing diagnoses used almost as an afterthought and never to guide practice.

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I wish I had learnt more about managing agitated and confused patients. I always felt so useless managing them, so ineffective.

Making time to sit down and talk with a patient and their family. I still really enjoy that after nearly 30 years doing nursing. But work is usually so busy, so many tasks and demands. That basic element of nursing is not really filtering down to our younger staff.

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Specializes in Cardiac & Medical ICU.

Going back for your advanced education will make you realize how little emphasis many registered nursing programs put on helping you KNOW and LEARN things rather than MEMORIZING them for their school exam.

Clinical practice is something to solidify, clarify and expand your knowledge. Always ask questions and never be afraid to say “I don’t know this but please explain it to me.”

A good impenetrable pair of shoes, (despite maybe looking kind of ugly like mine), go a long way.

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On 7/29/2019 at 8:26 PM, bitter_betsy said:

So I'm still a student but.... sorry its long

1. Don't buy all the crap that Pinterest says you need. You need a notebook, a pencil (or 10), good shoes and a good backpack, earplugs and headphones. My backpack has: a pencil bag, a CHARGED battery charger with appropriate cords, iPad (and iPad pencil), notebook, bottled water, debit card. This is exactly what I take to clinical also. You don't need all that crap they say you do (except maybe extra scrubs - you do need those).

2. Buy every dang book - new - with the computer stickers inside so you can use all the resources from the book to do the nclex style questions (or buy the ebooks because they are lighter and easier to carry around!!). AND DO NCLEX questions until you speak sentences nclex style. The rationales for what is wrong is just as important for what is right. Read them all.

3. Don't expect to perform skills you learn in class in clinicals. I have now met a bunch of nurses that have told me their first human stick was actually after they earned their RN.

4. Don't memorize anything - LEARN it. Learn how systems work and how they work together (dude has ascites and is now having trouble breathing - why?? well his abdomen is filling with fluid, pressing on his diaphragm making the space for his lungs smaller so he can't fully expand his lungs and now its harder to breathe.) Don't study for the test - study for being a nurse. Really learn and understand how stuff works. When you get to clinical - you can then apply what you are learning and REALLY understand how stuff works. Plus you don't have to study as hard as you go along because you actually understand and can reason through the situations and questions and its easier to pick the best right answer when they are all right.

5. BE A SPONGE. When you get to clinical, be early, know your stuff, make notes and do not leave your nurse until you are to report back to your group. Know your patient and make sure you know a few basics about your nurses other patients - at least what rooms they are in and what their admitting diagnosis is so that you can help out easier. Make your clinical instructor find you because you are like a band aid on your nurses shoe. Do every skill you are checked off to do and go see every test you can go see. Keep your phone somewhere other than on your body and don't bother looking at it until after you leave. Always thank your nurse after your shift (don't forget to let them know what time post conference is at before you ever take report). Remember these nurses don't get paid for you to follow them around - sometimes we make their job harder and we certainly slow them down. Listen to everything they say and watch everything they do. I've found nurses that I want to be like and I've found nurses that I don't want to be like. When you graduate you never know if you will run into someone that you have worked in clinicals with - always make a good impression. It isn't about your friends in clinicals - this is just about you and your future.

6. Learn your meds early. Pharm tests suck. Just learn the meds like you learn systems. Now these - you do have to just memorize. Names, MOA, side effects, contraindications.... learn it all. Get a little notebook, write every med you hear and start learning them on day 1. Not even joking...

7. Nursing school is not nursing. When you get out of nursing school, you will learn to be a nurse. Nursing school is nursing school and being a nurse is being a nurse. They are in fact VERY different. We get told all the time "this is what the book says, this is what you do". Don't think for one minute that you are actually prepared to come out of school ready to be a nurse on your own.

8. Sleep now.

9. I make my own planner and I use my iCal and iStudiez to keep track of my schedule. I use iCloud to keep all my documents accessible from any device any where.

10. You will often wonder when you get to the point where you learn to be a nurse. Truthfully it is when you pass your NCLEX. Before that you will question yourself often as to why you are doing half of the stuff you are doing. I promise though - it all comes together.

Good Luck.

Next time you blink - you will be half way through!

I'm currently in my final year of nursing school and I pretty much agree with everything in this post! You don't need to buy the books, try renting them or buying them from an upper level student. I bought every book and I've probably spent close to $1000-1500 and now i have books that i don't need anymore, but i'm giving them to people in the class behind me.

DEFINITELY BUY THE CLINICAL SKILLS BOOK. It'll come in so handy and you'll use it in lab and some of my professors used this book to make questions for the test.

Also, definitely do a ton of questions. I bought the Success books for the subjects we were learning and I did the questions in them and I explained why I thought each answer was right/wrong.

Professor are going to ask you questions that may seem tricky but think things through and rationalize each answer choice. Don't be discouraged, you'll have good days and bad days, but try and always remember why you are doing it.

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Specializes in ICU.
34 minutes ago, TheLiberation said:

A good impenetrable pair of shoes, (despite maybe looking kind of ugly like mine), go a long way.

Yes! Those white nursemaid looking things they want you to wear in school do nothing for your feet and back.?

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.

Buy extra socks and underwear. And have enough scrubs to get you through the week without having to do laundry.

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Specializes in Neuro.

Working in a somewhat challenging previous career & being slightly older than most of the students, I did not need this lesson as much as I saw many of my former classmates did.

****If you have an issue or conflict with someone, address it with them FIRST. DO NOT go above their head without first addressing the issue with them**** If the issue does not improve or worsens, then you can follow the chain of command.

I saw a somewhat entitled & naive student do this with one of my former instructors...the student was in the wrong & the fall out was not good. Don't do that in the professional world.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
On 7/29/2019 at 5:26 PM, bitter_betsy said:

Don't buy all the crap that Pinterest says you need

On 7/29/2019 at 5:42 PM, DahliaDaisy said:

Sleep now.

True!!

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1 hour ago, MiladyMalarkey said:

Working in a somewhat challenging previous career & being slightly older than most of the students, I did not need this lesson as much as I saw many of my former classmates did.

****If you have an issue or conflict with someone, address it with them FIRST. DO NOT go above their head without first addressing the issue with them**** If the issue does not improve or worsens, then you can follow the chain of command.

I saw a somewhat entitled & naive student do this with one of my former instructors...the student was in the wrong & the fall out was not good. Don't do that in the professional world.

I’m in the same boat. This is my second degree and I’m turning 26. There is so much drama in nursing school (which I knew would happen but always wondered how anyone has the time for it). Don’t get caught up in any drama or BS. Avoid the people who like drama and cause trouble.

Also one thing I’ll point out, don’t talk about your grades. I’m the only person in my class that’s never failed a test or gotten below a 88 on anything and people find out. It’s fine to be smart but when people ask you about your grade, just say you did well. For some reason, people hate when others do well.

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