Too high of expectations

moia · Feb 23, 2004

At this point adapting is the only possible way to go because if you don't you will be unhappy. It will be hard and harder but in a couple of years you will be better at organizing your time and care and your team will be a querrilla taskforce. If you adapt and join in with your team you can and will work as one and things will get done. Effeciency and organization is what is going to make time to do the fun stuff like patient eduacation and cool procedures. It takes a few years but you will figure out how to work very hard very quickly.

agoddess · Mar 6, 2004

I'm currently a second year nursing student in BC and I have some issues I would like to bring to the table. It has been told to us time and time again in the media that there is a nursing shortage in our province. Actually, there is a nursing shortage in our country. At first when I heard this information as a first year student I was elated because I thought that meant more jobs for us new graduates. However, as I explore the information on nursing websites, I become more frightened about what is expected of us as new graduates. I am not frightened about applying my knowledge. Nor am I frightened about caring for acutely ill people. What scares me most is that a huge portion of our nursing education is based around understanding the patient experience. However, as I read into this nursing shortage that Canada is experiencing, I begin to worry about all of this valuable education going to waste. If we are expected to care for 8 patients thoroughly, then how are we ever expected to actually understand our patients and their history? I am also afraid that with this huge workload comes room for errors. This job is already high pressure just working with three patients. How is it then that we can provide safe, effective, HOLISTIC care to our patients if we don't even have time to care for ourselves? I read on the RNABC website (www.rnabc.bc.ca) a brochure that provides nurses with information on how to handle working under pressure. I also found information on the website www.cna-nurses.ca on the current nursing shortage. What I found most amusing is that these brochures weren't looking at how to solve the problem, they were attempting to explain how nurses should adapt. I found this very distressing! Please respond if you have any opinion on this issue. I would love to hear your side.
NIC Student

First of all let me welcome you to the profession. Nursing has been a wonderful career for me, the opportunities are endless. After graduation look for a new grad preceptorship program. If you cannot find one in Canada it might be worth your while to apply to the US for one. I did and got a one year internship in 4 crirical care areas. I was paid full wages and was assigned to a preceptor for the full year. It was a great learning experience and prepared me for the "real world". Good Luck with your studies.