What do you wish you'd covered in RN school?

[RunBabyRN]

I've been in healthcare awhile, and I've seen new nurses that weren't taught certain things in school. I've also picked up on stuff while in my own program. So I thought it might make an interesting thread. I realize this will vary widely by the program.

Narrative documentation

Physical assessments- more focused

Phlebotomy, tube order

PICC line blood draws (I saw several new nurses in practice not knowing how to do this)

[THELIVINGWORST, ASN, RN]

Procedures and policies vary between institutions. As for my opinion, time management and increased exposure to pts. I feel like we spend so much of our time filling out clinical worksheets and med cards, that we don't get as much face time with the client. Also, I wish pharmacology had been more general during 101 and then more specific to each population in each semester.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

Nursing schools don't have time to touch on everything, and need to just hit the essentials. That being said, I would have appreciated it if my school had touched on IV starts and/or phlebotomy as this was not touched on at all (we were told we would all get jobs at hospitals with IV teams and lab teams), yet this is not the case as many hospitals require staff nurses to do these skills.

A better understanding of how labs are correlated to pt condition. I felt like I didn't have as good of an understanding right out of school, and have had to figure it out on my own

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Whenever I ran clinical conference, I made sure that there was at least passing reference to some financial aspect of healthcare-- what insurance does and doesn't cover, what utilization review means, how contracts are entered into and finalized, unions, clinical ladders... Students need to know this stuff because all of it directly affects work practice and policies.

[bluedove1]

I've been in healthcare awhile and I've seen new nurses that weren't taught certain things in school. I've also picked up on stuff while in my own program. So I thought it might make an interesting thread. I realize this will vary widely by the program. Narrative documentation Physical assessments- more focused Phlebotomy, tube order PICC line blood draws (I saw several new nurses in practice not knowing how to do this)[/quote']

Phlebotomy for sure....in my program we do everything but phlebotomy and wouldn't you know it all internships at the hospitals want you to have phlebotomy experience...so I will be taking a course to become a phlebotomist this summer just to get the experience and even though I won't be able to do those type things as a last semester nursing students due to contract agreements with clinical sites of what nursing students can and can not do with patients.