Nursing School

I was lecturing recently, and the students are frantically writing down notes until a student raises their hand and asks this question. I give an answer indicating that it probably won’t be on the test, but it is good information to know, and what do I see? Everyone putting their pencils down…

I see a lot of nursing students wanting to be spoon fed the information, wanting to do very little…
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A lot of people ask me whether or not prior medical experience is a prerequisite for nursing school, and I summarize it in a word…no. This is the short answer, however, there is a longer answer. You don’t need formal medical training prior to entering nursing school, but spending some time in a medical facility around patients is a good idea. Why, you ask? Nursing is a highly specialized field…
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In nursing school, it can be tough taking tests. Especially questions that are in NCLEX format. These strategies can help you  get through the test and also the anxiety.

1. Read each question carefully and identify and qualifiers. A qualifier is a word that will change the answer to the question. A big qualifier is “except”. For example: All of the following are signs and symptoms of COPD, except? That will…
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Before I became a nurse, I was clueless as to how to go about becoming one. It was by pure accident that I got the degree I did. So here are some tips on the steps you can take to become a nurse and maximize your time.

1. Research the degrees

There are a lot of degrees out there that people consider “nursing school”. There are also some certifications with the word…
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I know a lot of my students tell me that they want to specialize right out of school. Rarely does anyone say that they want to be an RN on a med/surg floor their entire career. Unfortunately, this is where the true “shortage in nursing” lies. If you truly want to be highly sought after in the nursing community, you should choose med/surg. You will always have a job and…
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As an instructor at two different nursing schools in the area, I am around a lot of nursing students. I have noticed that a lot of the students get caught up in the skills of nursing. I think that students believe that a good nurse is just being good at the sum of the skills. I am here to tell you that is not true. There is so much involved…
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A lot of my students tell me they are afraid they won’t know everything when they graduate. They make this statement with a hint of question in their voice asking if they chose the right program, or if they didn’t learn as much as they should have. My answer is always “no matter what program you choose, everyone feels this way. Sometimes I still feel like I know nothing.”

As nurses…
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As nurses, we are forced to deal with some of the most intimidating and frightening topics in our society today. We deal with illness and death, letting go in an age where holding on is revered and overcoming death is strived for. In today’s technological age, we discover new treatments that can prolong life, and with this, a sense of immortality is assumed. It is a painful truth to realize…
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When I was twelve years old, I volunteered as a candystriper in a local hospital and I found my new home. I soon became friends with one of the patients, Mr. Gillespie. He was in a coma, but I still sat by his side and held his hand and talked with him. I went on vacation and when I got back, he was gone. I didn’t have the nerve to…
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