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What They DON'T Tell You in Nursing School
Featured Author:
Brittney Wilson, RN
Brittney Wilson is a Registered Nurse with a passion for technology and innovation. As the resident nerd and nurse at TheNerdyNurse.com, she has the desire to inspire nurses to get excited about technology and the ways it can improve patient care. She is also currently a Senior Editor at MyRealityTech.com, and makes contributions to various other healthcare and technology blogs. Be sure to follow her on Twitter! A former victim of lateral violence, Brittney believes that nurses must support each other in order to progress professionally.
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Brittney Wilson | The Nerdy Nurse
5. Don’t loose touch with your non-nursing friends. You’ll need the sanity they will provide you when you’re able to relax and chat with them about matters that don’t involve bodily fluids, activities of daily living, or nursing management and administration.
6. If you do your best to do the right thing, critically think, and avoid laziness, you will be a much happier nurse and person.
7. You may not always be told if you are doing a good job. In fact, most nursing job descriptions have some line in them that states something alone the lines of ”work with minimal to no supervision” – what this line really means is don’t count one someone patting you on the back if you’re doing a good job, if you still have a job, you must be doing it good enough. What I mean by this is that just because your management doesn’t approach you to tell you they appreciate you, does not mean you are not appreciated. Your patients and your fellow nurses appreciate you. I appreciate you. Please don’t forget it.
8. The fruits of your labors will often be emotionally rewarding far more than monetarily. Nurses are paid a decent living, it could always be more, but it is decent. But I truly feel one of our greatest compensations is the reward we receive when we are able to provide good nursing care for our patients.
9. You will be the keeper of many secrets.
10. You will be with with people in their most vulnerable state and help them to transition to new phases in their life or death. – Don’t forget to be respectful of just how much trust we are given. People are letting us into their inner circle just because we are assigned to them. Respect it. Honor it. And make them proud to have you as a nurse.
What has being a nurse taught you? What would you tell other aspiring nurses?
lalababy
4 months ago
96 comments
They dont tell you that they will try and give you as many patients as possible and expect for you to check in pts q1hour give q2 pain meds and give quality care....
mandal
over 1 year ago
32 comments
My mom is a nurse.I take courses for an online nursing bachelors degree and I can't wait to work with her. Working in this field will eventually make you become a little more harsh,but that doesn't mean that they horrible persons that will make your life miserable. In fact an experienced nurse will teach you everything you have to know, even though the whole experience will be a little bumpy.
MirandaM
over 1 year ago
22 comments
I wish they told me back in nursing school about the lack of respect and interdisciplinary collaboration there exists between doctors and nurses in many health care settings. I wish I knew how much seasoned nurses undermine the development and practice of new nurses. I wish this wasn't so because it is the main reason I will never go on for an advanced degree in nursing. I would chose a different field, maybe I'll take a social work masters degree or better yet, become a chiropractor.
ahritter_rn
about 2 years ago
2 comments
I read this article and totally agree with all these points. The one that has always bugged me the most is #4 Nurses Eat Their Own. My question to all of the nurses out there, WHY?
We all have been in their shoes, we all remember how scarred, unsure and slightly timid our first job was. Why are we as a whole group are not more nuturing, kind, smile alot and very encouraging to this younger group of nurses has always baffled me.
I challenge the Nurses that have been one awhile: Mentor a New Nurse and stick up for her or him when needed. This impact will be more postive to the whole culture of your group, clinic, and or floor.