What do you wish you were told prior to graduating nursing school

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If you can travel back in time and tell yourself something prior to graduating, what would you tell yourself?

Do you tell yourself to continue nursing? How about telling yourself about pursuing that masters degree before having kids? Wish you could of taken that opportunity for travel nursing before settling down?

Any regrets? Tell me your thoughts...

How would you have handled this situation if you had to encounter it in the present again? Im honestly just curious.

im new to this site and do not know how to quote. This question was meant to the one who does not take crap anymore

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Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.
Kitiger, where did you end up finding your niche?

I switched to agency nursing, first as staff relief in a hospital, then - same agency - private duty home nursing. That was 30 years ago. From the first, I knew that home nursing was where I belonged!

It didn't hurt that it was a very hot summer, the hospital didn't have air conditioning, and I found myself at a swimming pool, in the shade, playing with a baby (my client) while her mother visited with her friend.

In private duty nursing, I usually have only one child in my care at a time, although sometimes there are two in the same family. The only multitasking I have to do is to be sure everything gets done for one client. No running up & down halls, no mixing up patients in my mind, no doctors changing orders, no endless tests and procedures.

My strengths are in interpersonal relations. I get along with the parents. We respect each other and learn from each other. I have time to get to know the family, to learn what's important to them. I can go with their schedule.

In the hospital, the schedule was not my friend. My one & only time to do a procedure might be the wrong time for my patient. In the home, I may need to do range of motion before getting a spastic person up, but we can agree on a time to do it, maybe after a certain TV show, for instance. Or, if the person is especially stiff this morning, I can do range more slowly, perhaps take longer than usual.

Nursing is fun. :) I may just continue for another 7 or 8 years (I'm 62). Who knows?

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Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.
How would you have handled this situation if you had to encounter it in the present again? Im honestly just curious.

im new to this site and do not know how to quote. This question was meant to the one who does not take crap anymore

There is a "quote" button to the left of the blue "like" button. Click on that, and the entire quote will show. You can remove part of the quote if you want, just be sure you don't remove either of the brackets that surround the quote.

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Specializes in Cardiovascular.

You will make mistakes, your npo pt will eat, you will forget things. However, breath and just go onto the next step, you will get through it, and never forget to to document. Also, don't for a moment think that one unit at one hospital is the same as another unit at another. While they may share the same name, the feel and the why the unit is run may not be a good mix for you, you can switch and no you are not a quitter.

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ohhh very nice perspectives, I wish more nurses would share their experience. Anything you would share for those going into nursing school now?

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