Unrealistic nursing students

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Our facility was asked to host a group of soon to be graduated nursing students.

The students are taking a class in nursing leadership so they were assigned to spend the day with the nursing department's leadership. The students were provided a breakfast reception and were allowed to shadow the departments nursing managers. The chief of nursing gave a talk to the students to welcome them to the profession.

The students did not come prepared to meet potential hiring managers. Unprofessional clothes/demeanor, playing with cell phones/texting, asking about vacant positions etc.

I was asked to tour them around the facility so that they understand the complexities of the hospital. I had the opportunity to talk with them as we walked through the facility.

I was shocked how many of them were second degree nursing students had completed graduate school prior to entering nursing school. I was troubled as they did not understand that nursing positions for new grads are very difficult to obtain. They were all under the impression that if they had a BSN, the jobs they wishes for would be there for them.

I was taken aback at how these soon to be graduates did not understand what nursing was about and what the role of the nurse is.

One of the students has a degree in English and a graduate degree in Communications. She stated that she was a Journalist and a freelance writer but she could not get work so she entered nursing so that she could become a medical writer.

Another student stated that he had an undergraduate degree in Public Policy and a Law degree but could not obtain work so he went into nursing to develop knowledge about healthcare. He saw himself a the hospital's attorney.

Three other students had undergrad degrees in Business but did not find work in their field so they took nursing hoping to be a hospital manager. The other students in the group were less vocal about their backgrounds and future plans. I know it is more common today to see second career nurses but my concern is that these students really do not understand what nursing is all about.

I really could not see any of these students working as a staff nurse. Nursing is hard work and you are standing on your feet for 12-13 hours trying to complete your assigned tasks.

I know that times are tough for everywhere but I wish that the nursing schools would be more honest to the students about what nurses do. If this students came into nursing with a desire to work as a nurse, I would be excited. What I sense is that these students tried something else, did not succeed and now see nursing as a quick way to a check. Making the situation more difficult is the fact that in our area (NYC) clinical jobs are few and that management jobs are very hard to attain.

Who put the idea into our nursing student/attorney head that he will walk out of school and obtain a legal job in the hospital because he has a nursing degree? Who told the writer that a nursing degree would now make her a medical writer after she failed to succeed in her previous attempts at being a writer/journalist?

I feel bad because the school they go to charges over 80K for a 15 month accelerated BSN. That is a lot of money and these students have to put out. You would have thought they would have researched nursing before they signed up....I am shocked at how misguided these students are.

To sum up, I smiled as they spoke and gently told them that nursing positions today are competitive especially in NYC as their is presently a surplus of nurses. Do you think I did the right thing or should I have addressed their unrealistic expectations?

Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
No, I failed to see how the OP pointed that out. They assumed that the second career changers who expressed interest in pursing alternative forms of nursing thought they'd be able to get those jobs immediately after graduating. I failed to read evidence to that effect while reading their post.

Funny, it was crystal clear to me.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

Funny, it was crystal clear to me.

Me too.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
OK everybody. The OP is just following her established thread pattern. If you look at her history over the years (yes years) she pops up with this same "Gee golly, why?" thread, over and over. Usually I and casts of thousands prove her back into hiding, but hey. She's up and posted the same thread again. The encounter with 2nd career/degree students always a bit different, for flavor, I suppose. Me thinks the fear is competition. Now, OP maybe you need another degree?[/quote']

Gee, ya think some one has an ax to grind over, golly, second, 3rd, infinity Nurses and nursing students-well, why??? :cheeky:

Off to do my detective nursing...;) You post piqued my interest. :)

I'm a second career nursing student who had a very successful first career, but it was soul-less. I don't think anyone in my class is unaware of the difficulties of getting that first job post-licensure.

DNS, everything I've seen you post seems to hint that you have an extremely low opinion of new grad nurses in NYC across the board - obviously, as one, this is very worrisome ;) Given how many there are, I find it hard to believe that we can paint them all as lazy, unprofessional, etc...you would need a very wide brush.

I think one positive thing I can take from my previous job (and degree) is that I can leverage myself in this tough market should I not be able to get a floor job - I have experience beyond nursing that means if one of those coveted floor nurses doesn't come to me, I'm not going to be penniless. I have a huge administrative and management background - maybe that's where I'll end up, and if so, a job is a job to me. I have other skills, that I can use with or without my nursing degree (preferably with, but let the market dictate that, I guess). It's better to have that hustle that to put all your eggs in one basket, waiting years to get your first staff nursing job. I still freelance a little bit at my old non-healthcare job - there's elements of leadership, management and technology. Can't hurt to keep those kind of skills fresh.

I also take some issue at the fact that you basically outed the school which these students attend (it's not hard to figure out based on the details you've posted). I'm not an student there, but I'd be very hurt if I was, and upset. I would mention this post to my professors. Can you imagine if they had come here speaking poorly of your facility, of the nurse managers they'd met? I know several people who attend that program, all of them are very capable and hard working.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Oncology, Epic CT.

Hello OP,

I would like to say, I am sorry to hear about your negative experience with a cohort of nursing students. I know it really grinds my gears when people in a professional setting do not act or dress appropriately.

In saying that, please know not all cohorts of nursing students are not like this.

I too, go to a private nursing school that is on the expensive side and in my cohort, there are second degree nurses who have ambitions beyond bedside nursing.

Our school always pushes us to be ambitious(such as continue our education beyond the BSN) but they also have given awareness that the first job of a new grad might be the most difficult one to accept as it might not be a dream job right off the bat. I know personally, some of my preceptors have told them this as well (including me). I should note, our school has a rigorous dressing code and if we do not adhere to it, not only will be written up, but we will be asked to leave the clinical site (a lot of our professors are old school, which is great to have because it shows us discipline in the professional world).

Not all private schools (or nursing schools in general) are created equal. The ones that truly want you to succeed will be honest with you, set your foundation, and then lead you in the right direction (with job aid and/or resume help).

As a nursing student of my school, I can say, I am well aware of the challenge for new grads and even though I wish to go into a specialized field one day, that I will not be picky with my first job nor will I be quick to leave it after the 1-2 year hump.

I should also note, that even though my school have given information, it has been basic. Any unanswered questions I needed, I researched on my own...which is what I believe every adult pursuing nursing school should do, as it is their responsibility to do so (they are paying the bills after all)!

Again, I think the OP's problem is with nursing students who expect to immediately attain a leadership position without ever having stepped near the bedside.

I read that - but my counter-argument is that OP simply has no way of knowing that - I felt it was quite judgmental to assume that. And I think it's kind of a little obvious that you simply cannot jump from student nurse to a leadership position post-grad or any of the clinical nursing specialties for that matter without actually stepping near the bedside first...

It is their personal goal no matter how unrealistic it is. However they should act professional and dress professional when in a setting for tour or clinical

I read that - but my counter-argument is that OP simply has no way of knowing that - I felt it was quite judgmental to assume that. And I think it's kind of a little obvious that you simply cannot jump from student nurse to a leadership position post-grad or any of the clinical nursing specialties for that matter without actually stepping near the bedside first...

No, not really. I remember working alongside an instructor with an RN student who was in our version of the post degree education course. I asked her if this was an area that would interest her upon graduation. I'll never forget her answer "No, I'm going to be a manager".

It's not that rare. We hear it at least once a year when we have these students on the units. I've met one who decided ENT/Opthamology was the unit she wanted to go to because there is "no pericare involved".

These students aren't stupid just very naïve.

I hope there are a bunch of these students in my ABSN program. They will make me look like a friggen' rock star because I love patient care.

Specializes in FNP, ONP.

My son is studying aerospace engineering and wants nothing more than to be an astronaut. He has had lasik surgery already, at age 20, and blew out his knee playing rugby. I doubt he's going to pass a NASA physical. Are we supposed to tell him to hang it up and be a plumber instead because his dreams are "unrealistic?" Why should we be spending a zillion dollars a year for him to go to Cal Tech if he can't go to the Space Station? By some people's logic he should have just gone to a community college, right? He may or may not ever live on the Internat'l Space Station, but he may build the next shuttle that goes there. I think that's a pretty good 2nd place finish.

I don't grasp the notion of being offended by ambitious students. Who would even think of trying to discourage them just because you think their aspirations are "unrealistic?" That is so petty and small, I can't even imagine why one would consider trying to "set them straight." The world is what it is, and very few of us are going to grow up and be Paul Farmer or Marie Curie, but if we didn't think we could do anything, no one would try and then nothing great would ever get accomplished. Stop raining on other people's parades people. Give them the tour; show them the cafeteria, the john, the coat closet, keep your mouth shut and let them live their dream. Keep your pessimism to yourself. Good grief.

Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, PCU.

BlueDevil just won the thread.

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