What is the one thing you wish you were told before starting nursing school

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I finished my orientation a few days ago, and I start my nursing classes in less than 2 months. During orientation, there was one question that popped in my head and I figured I would ask it here. What is the one thing you wish someone told you before you started nursing school?

Thanks,

CyberVulpine

Specializes in Correctional and MRDD.

That the clinical sites were going to be not so great and that there were not going to be a lot of hands on, unles you were doing CNA work.

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Specializes in ICU.
Originally Posted by CrufflerJJ viewpost.gif

Try to be "one of the crowd."
By this, try not to be a know-it-all in class, or the poor person at the bottom of the grade sheet. If either of these happen, you may get some unwanted attention from your profs or fellow classmates.!

Seriously??? Sorry, that is a very high-schoolish type response.

Yes, seriously. We might need to "agree to disagree" if my response doesn't quite agree with your perception of reality. Oh well...

Just so you know where I'm coming from, I'm far from a slacker, and am about 30 years post-high school. I am driven, aggressive in pursuing my goals while supporting my friends, and don't ever like giving "less than my best." In the last 10 or so years I've spent on this planet, however, I've had the time to reflect on how I've interacted with others, and how others have reacted to me during & after the course of those interactions.

In my first undergrad degree in chemical engineering, I WAS a "slacker", just trying to pass my courses, not excel. My less-than-stellar GPA (2.59) reflected that immature attitude.

In my paramedic & pre-nursing coursework (done 8-15 years after my first degree), I was definitely driven to excel. I pushed myself & busted my butt to earn a 4.0 GPA in those courses. I wasn't into back-stabbing or anything like that, but I was not at all shy about raising my hand with a correct answer. While I wasn't a know-it-all, my tendency to offer the correct answer when others in class were not able to apparently caused some hard feelings among my fellow classmates (oh well...such is life!) This behavior may have been a side-effect of the automotive supplier industry in which I was employed.

In my nursing program, while I was near the top of the class (Sigma Theta Tau, 3.95 GPA, blahblahblah), I tried to be more conscious of how I was perceived. I worked hard to help my fellow classmates (& future cohorts), without being the person who would consistently raise his hand to answer questions.

My written test & clinical performance showed the profs that I had my excrement together. I participated in lectures, without being a know-it-all. It was not all about me, but it was about being part of the group. I did very well, but remained a part of my group. This is what I meant by my comment about "try to be one of the crowd."

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Several things:

Try to be "one of the crowd." By this, try not to be a know-it-all in class, or the poor person at the bottom of the grade sheet. If either of these happen, you may get some unwanted attention from your profs or fellow classmates.

Stay on top of your assignments - you will need to be organized.

Your first clinicals with real patients will be scary - you'll do fine!

I'm not a know it all, but for sure not just one of the crowd. I like to get to know the teachers and have them look at me like I'm a competent student. Plus it's a better feeling when they say hey and call you by name rather than,"ok and your name". Just go by their office sometime and say hey and talk about whatever. Goes a long way. I guess you might want to re-word that "being one of the crowd"

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Specializes in Case Mgmt, Anesthesia, ICU, ER, Dialysis.

I have to agree with Cruffler, and I'll tell y'all why:

While I am perfectly content to march to my own drummer, and do, most of the time, the fact is that people are generally lemmings. Not to mention immature and when you put a pack of women together (and most nursing classes are women), you get a pack mentality of a bunch of female dogs. Y'all know what I mean.

I am in a graduate program currently, and the gossiping, backbiting, immaturity and pure MEANNESS I have seen coming out of people who are already licensed professional nurses in their own right is astounding.

I've been the target of some of their ugliness, I'm sure, because I have not chosen to go drinking, talk ugly about people, and am willing to do whatever it takes to make things happen, instead of kvetching about "We shouldn't have to do this! This is ridiculous!"

(Yeah, it is ridiculous, but it's been this way for 30 years, and your whining isn't going to change things. Suck it up, do it, and you just might learn something.)

Now, I can take their crap. But I'm 36-years old, married, and have a tremendous support system in my family and church. I've been a nurse for 15 years, and backed down screaming neurosurgeons at 2 am when I knew I was right. I've stared Satan, my ex, in the face when he had beaten the crap out of me and was threatening to kill me.

In other words, I know who I am and what I'm about.

No offense to any of the ladies starting NS, but some (not all, so don't flame) of you haven't gotten there yet. And that's not to say you're not wonderful people, with tremendous, rich, promising careers ahead of you. You will be there, someday soon...but not there yet.

I'm not telling you not to be smart and work your butt off - being smart is the best thing you can be at this point.

I just want you to not be surprised if it turns into a "high-school" mentality, where it's not cool to be the smart kid. It was that way in my LPN, undergraduate and now, in my graduate program.

And be very cognizant not to do anything to be obnoxious about it. Not so much "don't rock the boat" as "be mindful of the boat's equilibrium".

Keep your mouth shut, your head low, DO NOT GOSSIP, and very VERY mindful that you DO NOT know who knows whom, who's related to whom, and who's best friend's momma is that battle-ax of a nurse on the floor in clinicals who made your life such hell.

Make friends, of course, but remember in the end, many will sell your butt up the river if it furthers their own cause. I pray you find the ones who won't, and they do exist, but carefully think about this possibility before you accept someone into your "inner circle".

The intensity of nursing school promotes a sense of intimacy among those who have the shared experience, but it can often be a false sense of intimacy. You feel so much commiseration with someone who's living through hell with you, it's hard not to think you don't share more - values, goals, morals and standards.

You don't, and you won't. This is a lesson for nursing school and the nursing profession at large.

Good luck, y'all, and much love. It's not easy, but it is worth it. :heartbeat

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Specializes in ICU.

In clinical, focus on always being THOROUGH and always being SAFE.

Good luck!

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I have to agree with Cruffler, and I'll tell y'all why:

While I am perfectly content to march to my own drummer, and do, most of the time, the fact is that people are generally lemmings. Not to mention immature and when you put a pack of women together (and most nursing classes are women), you get a pack mentality of a bunch of female dogs. Y'all know what I mean.

I am in a graduate program currently, and the gossiping, backbiting, immaturity and pure MEANNESS I have seen coming out of people who are already licensed professional nurses in their own right is astounding.

I've been the target of some of their ugliness, I'm sure, because I have not chosen to go drinking, talk ugly about people, and am willing to do whatever it takes to make things happen, instead of kvetching about "We shouldn't have to do this! This is ridiculous!"

(Yeah, it is ridiculous, but it's been this way for 30 years, and your whining isn't going to change things. Suck it up, do it, and you just might learn something.)

Now, I can take their crap. But I'm 36-years old, married, and have a tremendous support system in my family and church. I've been a nurse for 15 years, and backed down screaming neurosurgeons at 2 am when I knew I was right. I've stared Satan, my ex, in the face when he had beaten the crap out of me and was threatening to kill me.

In other words, I know who I am and what I'm about.

No offense to any of the ladies starting NS, but some (not all, so don't flame) of you haven't gotten there yet. And that's not to say you're not wonderful people, with tremendous, rich, promising careers ahead of you. You will be there, someday soon...but not there yet.

I'm not telling you not to be smart and work your butt off - being smart is the best thing you can be at this point.

I just want you to not be surprised if it turns into a "high-school" mentality, where it's not cool to be the smart kid. It was that way in my LPN, undergraduate and now, in my graduate program.

And be very cognizant not to do anything to be obnoxious about it. Not so much "don't rock the boat" as "be mindful of the boat's equilibrium".

Keep your mouth shut, your head low, DO NOT GOSSIP, and very VERY mindful that you DO NOT know who knows whom, who's related to whom, and who's best friend's momma is that battle-ax of a nurse on the floor in clinicals who made your life such hell.

Make friends, of course, but remember in the end, many will sell your butt up the river if it furthers their own cause. I pray you find the ones who won't, and they do exist, but carefully think about this possibility before you accept someone into your "inner circle".

The intensity of nursing school promotes a sense of intimacy among those who have the shared experience, but it can often be a false sense of intimacy. You feel so much commiseration with someone who's living through hell with you, it's hard not to think you don't share more - values, goals, morals and standards.

You don't, and you won't. This is a lesson for nursing school and the nursing profession at large.

Good luck, y'all, and much love. It's not easy, but it is worth it. :heartbeat

Wow, the more I read All Nurses, the more thankful I am for my class and my program.

My experience couldn't be more opposite of what you described. My class works together, supports each other and folks, more often than not, go out of their way to be helpful to each other. I haven't experienced any meanness, or backbiting at all.

My approach to nursing school was not the same as some of the suggestions. This is far to important, and I'm paying far to much money to "keep my head down." I'm going to get every ounce out of this experience that I can. If folks are upset that I know an answer that they didn't? Well, they're welcome to come and study with me.

Peace,

CuriousMe

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Specializes in Correctional Nursing, Orthopediacs.

I found that at my school you need to not listen to the rumors of how hard it is in one class or another. Just do your best. Patients are generally not as bad as you think in first day of clinicals and some instructors are good on the floor but terrible lecturers and others are good lecturers and a bear on the floor. I feel the experience as a whole is not fun but bearable and I have 3 small children. You have to get your priorities figured out some things need to go just because you do not have the time at this point my house is it.

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get your house in order before you start. i mean:

finances (automatic billpay is wonderful.)

laundry(do it all, slipcovers, curtains, etc.)

housecleaning (clean everything before you start fall semester-it may not see it again until december)

automatic feeders/waterers for the pets

stock up the freezer-stouffer's family meals got us through many dinners last semester.

pap smears, mammograms, dental cleanings, now!

set aside an afternoon each week for you, no school, no family, i either get a massage or take a long bubble bath, something, for me. (i forgot to do this during the last 8 weeks rotation of spring, and it showed.)

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Specializes in Alzheimers and geriatric patients.

This is a great thread. I just got my acceptance letter for Spring 2010 and I am so thankful for all the tips!

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Thank you for all the advice, I am starting school in Aug. and can't wait!!

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I fortunately am one of the few that got a job out of all my classmates. But I wish some one would have NOT told me "oh, you will always have a job when you become a nurse"

Also, no social life, and if you want good grades because you want to go on for your masters; say good-bye to any free time and be willing to give up all vacations to do extra clinical hours...it was worth it though, again I am on of the few to get a job.

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medgirl I agree w/ you on the critical thinking skills comment. I believe that every nursing program should require a student take a CriticalThinking course before entering the nursing program!!!! I just had my first semester of junior RNcourses & WOW totally different from my sophomore RNclasses...alot more critical thinking. And what really bummed me out was that I didn't even realize that that is what I needed to be doing while studying & taking the exam (thinking critically). I felt as if I can use the same strategies I used in my soph. classes, but nope.

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