What valuable experiences did you take away from Nursing School

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Specializes in Allergy/Immunology.

aside from the skills you were learning? Was there something unexpected that stuck with you? Anything you learned that might not have been "taught"? Do you have something you could share for future and soon-to-be students. (Ex: I learned I'd need _______. I learned ______.) :nurse: :twocents:

I love hearing advice from those of you that have been there. I have had such wonderful experiences with nurses and I just am so excited to give back what you all give to patients every day.

Thanks so much, I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say. :)

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

In nursing school, I learned that:

1. Unspoken politics exist.

2. Interpersonal skills will make or break you.

3. People with 'quiet' personalities are viewed with a suspicious eye.

4. Sometimes the best nurses are the first to be punished.

5. Sometimes the worst nurses fly under the radar undetected.

6. Some doctors can be unprofessional and immature.

7. Family members and visitors can be menacing and get away with it.

8. For every nurse who loves his/her job, there's a nurse who hates his/her job.

9. Not every patient wants to be helped.

10. Not every nurse has the desire to help.

11. A person can be here today and gone tomorrow, forever.

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Wow a "quiet" personality can be viewed suspiciously? How so? Now I'm worried because I would definitely consider myself very reserved.

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Wow a "quiet" personality can be viewed suspiciously? How so? Now I'm worried because I would definitely consider myself very reserved.

Quiet people are also looked at as socially awkward, and some people go out of their way to bully perceived quiet people. In nursing school, I've learnt to be a little less quiet, but I still have work to do, especially to avoid getting eaten vicious people again.

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Specializes in Allergy/Immunology.

lol, I'm not generally quiet, especially once I get to know you, but now I'll especially be cognisant about that.Thanks TheCommuter, for your reply!

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Adult women still hang out in cliques. The high school mean girl mentality doesn't go away.

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Adult women still hang out in cliques. The high school mean girl mentality doesn't go away.

Completely agree. And it's even worse if didactic or clinical instructors think they are part of the "group".

I also learned never to CYA. Admit to your mistakes. Ask questions when unsure. And, believe it or not, I learned a LOT from doing care plans.

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I'm quite, but I feel that is necessary most of the time to keep from saying something that will get me in trouble, lol. I think the biggest thing I learned was, if I could handle nursing school, I could handle anything. Nursing school for me was brutal.

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Big things my professors drilled into me were:

Do right to be right - follow evidenced based practice and institutional policy to keep your pateint alive and yourself out of court

You can't take care of others if you neglect taking care of yourself first

If you signed up for nursing because of the money find another career since the world doesn't need another bad nurse

Admit when you are wrong or make a mistake - the consequences are usually much worse if you try to hide

Nursing school is a temporary inconvenience so buckle down and remember it's only temporary

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this is a great ted on the power of introverts. it does explain how introverts are often discounted and why this isn't a functional way to go.

susan cain: the power of introverts - youtube

otherwise, i'm all over #4. some can probably guess why. :D but in our family, with many mariners, we know that if you're not making waves, you're not moving forward.

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Specializes in Allergy/Immunology.
Adult women still hang out in cliques. The high school mean girl mentality doesn't go away.

Yep, this I know from real life.:rolleyes:

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Specializes in Allergy/Immunology.
I'm quite, but I feel that is necessary most of the time to keep from saying something that will get me in trouble, lol. I think the biggest thing I learned was, if I could handle nursing school, I could handle anything. Nursing school for me was brutal.

lol one of my closest friends says she has PTSD from nursing school, but she'd do it all over again. lol

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