Thorough A&P = Skilled/Competent Nurse?

Sour Lemon · Dec 2, 2017

I am about to apply to a nursing school, currently taking A&P II. There is the thought that keeps getting into my head over and over again. I consider myself a seasoned student and I happen to have done rather well in my pre-reqs.
The thought is: does one have to have profound understanding of A&P to be a good nurse?

I'd say you need a good basic understanding and the desire and ability to expand on that understanding.

kaylee. · Dec 2, 2017

Honestly you keep learning as you go. From the prerequisites alone you won't have a profound understanding, but I think good nurses keep studying as they go...

Like i have a journal where i keep learning, and its not like stuff ive never seen, but the layers of learning coupled with new understandings that you get from experience...this to me makes me a stronger nurse.

You dont have to per se, and i know alot of people who dont, but for me I have a strong desire to keep learning.

nursemike, ASN, RN · Dec 2, 2017

I'd say you need a good basic understanding and the desire and ability to expand on that understanding.

Reminds me, in a way, of Pharmacology. There's a pretty broad range of basics everyone should know, but when you begin to practice, you develop a deeper understanding of specific things you need to know well.

malenurse69, MSN, NP · Dec 2, 2017

The rabbit hole runs quite deep in the healthcare field OP. Curiosity will get you where you need to be.

Thanksforthedonuts, MSN, APRN · Dec 9, 2017

I agree with what everyone above said.

But I do not think that being awesome at A&P will make you a particularly good nurse.

There are many skills that are not taught in school that you will need to get a hang of to become a great nurse. Figuring out soft skills is just the tip of the ice berg.

purplegal · Dec 9, 2017

I would say knowing the basics, like major bones and body organs, and how they work is definitely important. It's hard to care for the human body if you know nothing about it. However, remembering all of the parts of the skull, such as the foremen spinosum or the zygomatic process, may not necessarily be all that relevant. And certainly, knowing all of that doesn't alone make a good nurse.

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Dec 9, 2017

I'd say you need a good basic understanding and the desire and ability to expand on that understanding.

Exactly. My credit was 15 years old and I still got straight A's in nursing school. The five year bull that most schools are now pulling is just a money pit. A good general understanding should be sufficient.

cleback · Dec 9, 2017

A basic understanding is necessary.

More than that is useful to put the clinical pieces together, remember side effects and complication, know which symptoms to watch for, that sort of thing. You could do that by route memorization but that's more difficult. So, maybe an excellent understanding isnt necessary per se, but definitely helpful.