I see a lot of nursing students wanting to be spoon fed the information, wanting to do very little work to learn this information. Granted, there is A LOT of information to know, however work needs to be done to incorporate and apply this knowledge into many different settings and scenarios. I don’t see the students going that extra step to apply the knowledge. This scares me as an instructor and as a potential patient.

This is the mind set that no nurse or nursing instructor wants to see. This action tells me that the students that I am teaching are in the wrong mindset. They are not interested in learning all they can to be a great nurse. They are only interested in passing the test, scraping by and being mediocre nurses. So I pose this question to you? Do you want to be taken care of the nurse that tried their hardest to learn as much as they could or those that did as little as they could to just get by?

As a nursing instructor, it makes me cynical as to the new generation of nurses that we are breeding. Will we have a generation of nurses that can acquire the critical thinking skills needed to be a proficient and skilled nurse? Who is to blame for this next generation? Is it our fault as instructors or is it the mindset and work habits of the students?

I don’t want to see the students sitting around during lab practice or in clinicals, not taking every minute to practice their skills or soak up every opportunity to learn something new. I don’t want to see the bored faces of those that think they have practiced enough or say they know how to do it, and then come finals time, show me that they cannot do the skills and just barely pass.

I no longer want to see my nursing students with a sense of entitlement, saying “I paid my tuition, so give me my diploma”. A diploma is not just a piece of paper, it is a symbol of the education you earned. I want to tell my students that they don’t need to know this for the test and for their pencils to keep frantically writing.

I want to be a proud instructor of the students that are graduating. I want to feel safe, that if I were to open my eyes while laying in an ER and see a former student standing over me, that I can lay my head back with the confidence that I will be well taken care of. I don’t want the feeling of worry that the former student would say “that wasn’t on the test” and therefore they didn’t need to know it to take care of me.

I actually feel that a lot of nursing students that have a medical background (CNA, EMT, MA, etc) are at a disadvantage in nursing school. They have learned a different discipline in the medical field and when asked to change their way of thinking, sometimes it is a difficult task to do. Let me give you an example. Say you are a waiter for 5 years and then get promoted to manager, you have a different set of tasks that must get done, a different way of thinking and you must look at the restaurant in a different way. You are now not just concerned with getting your customers food out on time and making sure their needs are met, but you now need to make sure that the whole restaurant’s needs are met and that the restaurant is making money. Some managers can’t see past their customers food getting out on time, and therefore, they struggle to be good managers.

People with prior medical experience also have a lot of opportunity to pick up bad habits at their current medical job and sometimes that will spread into nursing school. They are constantly comparing school to “how it is done in the real world”. Just because it occurs in the real world doesn’t make it the right way of doing things. A lot of nursing students will fight the way things are done in nursing school, because they see how nurses do things at work, and want to do it that way. It becomes frustrating for the students as well as the instructors.

Some people that have prior medical experience coming into nursing school have a preconceived notion that nursing school will be easy because they see it and may even do some of the tasks that RN’s do. They can have somewhat of an attitude, if you will. This is a difficult mind set to overcome as a nursing instructor, as these students often feel and treat you like they have nothing to learn from you.

One more thing, students with prior medical experience sometimes have a harder time on written exams. This is due to their being exposed to more experiences and therefore they may read into the question more and come up with exceptions, rather than just reading and answering the question at face value.

So to sum it up, you do not need any formal medical experience prior to entering a nursing program, however, some volunteering or shadowing of an RN to see if this is the right choice for you is a good idea. You don’t want to spend a lot of time and money to realize that you don’t like nursing and all the tasks that go with it. So good luck and don’t ever feel like you are the one at a disadvantage because you don’t have medical experience, you are and will be just fine.

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 change your answer. A lot of people overlook that word and get the question wrong, when it might be an easy question of read correctly. Other qualifiers: all, none, always, never, except, including, priority, etc.

2. Don’t read too much into the question. Sometimes we over think the question and then we confuse ourselves and talk ourselves into an answer that could be right only if…Ask yourself “What is this question asking?” Don’t go deeper than that. If you need more information to mark the answer you are thinking, chances are, it is the wrong answer.

3. Don’t second guess yourself, go with your gut. Studies show that most students, when changing their initial, change it from the right answer to the wrong answer. If you marked an answer to a question, do not change it. Chances are it is correct. You spent all this time studying, and some of it you have buried deep down in your brain. Your instincts on an answer is really your knowledge coming through discreetly. Trust your instincts and don’t change that answer.

4. Visualization. When getting ready for lab check-offs or clinical skills check-offs it is important to see yourself doing the task at hand. There are a lot of steps in these skills and missing one key step could cause a failing grade, so visualizing the steps and process of a clinical skill can be helpful. First, write out the order in which you are to do the skill. Then, read through it a few times, then close your eyes and see yourself performing the skill. This will transfer the skill into your memory, so when check-off time comes, you will have it memorized.

5.Give yourself a break. Studying too much right before a test can defeat the pupose you are trying to accomplish. By the time the test comes around, you are so sick of the information you have been going over and reading, that you really cold care less about that subject and therefore, do not care about your answers. Of course this happens subconsciously, but it happens none the less. Take the night off the night before the test. Do something relaxing and fun. Stay away from activities that might interfere with concentration the next day, such as alcohol, or staying up too late. Your brain needs a break every so often and the constant studying and worrying will fatigue your brain making it less astute for the big test.

All these tips should help you on your quest to become a nurse, and that includes the BIG test…the NCLEX. I hope they make your test taking less stressful and more successful!

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 “nurse” in them. When I began my search, I had no idea the differences between them.

CNA (certified nurse aids)

They perform the basic care skills for patients.  They perform bed baths, linen changes, vital signs, positioning of patients, etc.  This is a certification, not a degree.

LPN (licensed practical nurse)

They can perform most of the skills of an RN, but cannot perform any IV skills (unless they get a post grad IV certification), give narcotics (in most facilities). They must be paired with an RN for the skills they are unable to perform on their own. This population is slowly being phased out of many hospital settings and primarily work in long term care facilities or nursing homes.

RN (registered nurse)

The skills of the RN are the same whether you graduate from an ADN program or a BSN program. However, the pay will most likely be higher for the BSN, and some facilities only hire BSN grads. Most facilities will only hire BSN’s into management roles as well.

Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN)

Most programs are 2 years in length and you learn pretty much everything a BSN does, other than some higher level classes on evidence based care and some further critical thinking courses.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

These programs are usually 4 years in length and cover the general education of a bachelor’s degree combined with the nursing portion. There are some programs out there that offer an accelerated nursing program (usually 1 year) to those who already possess a Bachelor’s degree in another area of study.

Now that you know a little more about what you are looking at, let’s go a step further.

2. Research the schools

You need to find out what schools offer the programs you are looking at. Most of these programs are not offered online, but some may be. Just realize that the convenience of online may not help you out in the real world. There are many skills to practice and being on campus can give you the advantage of being able to practice skills and also give you a group that you can rely on, as they are going through the same challenges as you.

Most schools will offer various degrees in the nursing field. Compare the length of the program, cost and  reputation of various schools in your area to make an educated decision. Also realize that many nursing schools have waiting lists, so that may be a factor also. Find out what prerequisites are necessary for admission and get them done as soon as possible.

3. Volunteer and follow

Volunteer in a hospital or other setting where nurses work. Get a feel for what they do all day and talk with them. Get their opinions about various subjects and ask if they would mind if you followed them for a day.

Volunteering is not only good to give back to the community, but it will help you gather more information about your chosen career path. It will also give you a sense of accomplishment caring and spending time with others. It will also come in handy for your personal statement on your nursing school application. Writing about being in service to others is a self-less act which nursing schools look highly upon.

4. Get support from friends and family

Realize that nursing school is a big commitment that many don’t realize until they are in the midst of it all. Many schools request or even require that you don;t work during the program. This may take some planning on your part. If you have children or a spouse, you need to ask for their support while you are going to school. It takes some decisions about finances; not only paying for school, but also possibly losing an income while attending school.

I will recommend that you do not work while going to school, at least until you know the rigors of the program and how much extra time you may be spending outside of the classroom either studying, in clinicals, etc. Once you have been in a program for a few months, you can make a more educated decision. Also realize that if you do work, choose a job that is flexible in scheduling as each quarter or semester will require different work loads or scheduling requirements.

5. Make the commitment to nursing

Realize how big of a commitment this is. You are not just choosing a job, but a career path. This is a lifetime of learning and it can be a very physically, emotionally and intellectually draining profession. However, it can also be the most rewarding profession as well. Just realize that nursing is not a good fit for everyone. I want you to have a realistic view of nursing, the pros and the cons.

The hours are not always great. Nursing is a 24 hour, 365 day job. You may have to work nights, weekends or holidays. You may have to rotate days and nights. You may have to give up some holidays with the family.

The smells and sights can be a real turn off. We deal with body fluids…of ALL types. Things you may never thought you would see. It is amazing what people do to their body. And the stuff that comes out of people’s bodies. It is amazing to me, but some people in nursing school don’t truly realize what they will be working with, so I am just preparing you.

These are just a few of things you are committing to as a nurse. There are more, and I will blog about those in future posts. However, just realize all the things that you are committing to before you go through all the work, just to realize in the first month of nursing school that this isn’t for you. Make an educated decision to go into this field and it will be rewarding…I guarantee it.

I hope this top 5 helped you get an edge on how to go about becoming a nurse. It really is a great career. Let me know if this post helped you prepare for nursing school.

As to specializing right out of school, I tell my students what I was told when closing in on graduation. I wanted to graduate and go right into labor and delivery. I was told to do at least one year in med/surg. No one actually gave me a good reason why, but knowing that they knew more than I did, I followed their advice. I am glad that I did. I worked for a little over a year on a med/surg floor at a local hospital on the night shift.

The first year is when you do a ton of learning; skills, assessments, critical thinking and most importantly, your nursing habits. I learned how to problem solve and think for myself as a nurse and rely on my instincts and assessment skills. I also learned how manage my time, generally taking up to 6 patients per shift. I mastered some of the skills that might not otherwise be done in certain specialties. I also learned how to organize information that was given to me in a meaningful way that helped me master the nursing process.

I never have regretted my first year as a nurse. I learned a ton and I think it has made me a better nurse in the long run for doing it. You have the rest of your career to pick and choose different specialties, why rush?

Yes, the skills are part of it.  The skills will make you a good nurse, but if you master the art, you will be a great nurse that is highly sought after in your field. You can study your heart out and know as much as you can about the skills, but if you don’t have the art, you will never be a great nurse.

So now you ask, what is the art of nursing? There is a lot that contributes to the art of nursing, the following are just examples. Listening to your patient and never seeming rushed (even if you are). Explaining what you are giving to your patient or what you are doing to them. Treating them with dignity and respect while you are caring for them. Being there for your patient, letting them know you are not gonna be one of those nurses that never check in on them. Giving your patient a voice in their care, not making it all about you and what you need to get done, but letting them choose if and when they can.

There are what I call the “task oriented” nurse and then there is the “goal oriented” nurse. The task oriented nurse does the required tasks of the day without much thought or care. They strive to be done with their duties early and sit at the nursing station the rest of their shift. They rely heavily on their partnering CNA’s and aren’t team players. They are the lazy ones. The goal oriented nurses check in on their patients frequently, talk with their patients, work as a team player with the other staff. They realize they are going to be on the floor for a certain period of time and do their job accordingly. They get their required tasks done as well, but usually are done better (and with less mistakes) as they were not done in a rush.

Of course we all have our “task oriented” days, but for the goal oriented nurse, those tend to be the exception. So, to all the nursing students out there, please realize that the skills will come in time, but the art is what you will never get if you don’t practice it now and make it a habit, before it is lost to the tasks. There are too many nurses out there, set yourself apart and be a great nurse. Be the one your patients remember and request…

As nurses, we cannot expect nor be expected to know everything…especially as new grads. I had an older, very experienced nurse come up to me and say “I don’t know about these new grads. They don’t seem to know anything!” Of course they don’t. Relatively speaking, new grads will not know everything that an experienced nurse knows. New grads just have to know how to learn! All nursing school is is a place to teach aspiring nurses the tip of the iceberg in nursing, but more importantly, giving them the resources to look up and find out what they don’t know.

We need to give new grads a break. They are scared to death of making a mistake and with the added pressure of people watching their every move expecting them to make a mistake. We set them up for failure, and then we say they don’t know anything. It isn’t fair. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt, and let them show us that they know how to learn.

Although we all bring our personal experiences to our profession, we must try to set these aside, and give all options and information available to us, without bias or preference. These experiences also shape how we ourselves deal with these difficult issues, which can also shape the way in which we care for the family.

When I was seventeen years old, my grandfather died from ALS. He had had it for seven years, and when I got the phone call with the news, I cried…with relief. He had suffered for so long, watching his muscles waste away to stone, scared and alone to deal with his reality. Although he was surrounded by people who loved him, we were not equipped to offer him accurate information about his illness and were not prepared to let him go.

Family members tend to be selfish, having difficulty looking past their own needs to realize or understand the needs of their loved one. This quality is not necessarily negative, but can change the circumstances in which the patient reacts to the illness. These needs may differ, which can cause a great deal of stress on the individuals of the family, the patient and the family as a whole. This can tend to cause cracks in the unit, causing arguments and lack of communication. We as nurses must keep the focus on the patient’s needs and how those needs relate to the family. We must encourage an environment of open and honest communication within the family as well as expressing needs with the nurse. Offering unconditional support and education to both the family and patient is of utmost importance to the nurse.

The greatest strength a family has is their love and the bonds they share with each other. This love can sometimes be overlooked or clouded when faced with difficult times. We, as nurses, must help to remind families of this love and keep this theme in high regard. Families also get obscured by the difficult times they are currently faced with and forget the good times that have occurred in the past. We must encourage thoughts and memories of past experiences. These may be helpful and sometimes vital to the care of the patient and decisions made by the family.

I believe that we all come from a place of experience, being members of families. I feel we must allow people to leave this life with peace and without fear. I believe that our society fears death and therefore tries to prevent it at all costs. This trickles down to the familial level, causing desperate acts and great stress. If we, as nurses can help people realize illness and death are not failures, but inevitable events which occur over a lifetime, we can help people let go. I think this is the pinnacle priority of our job as nurses…allowing families to let go. To let go of their guilt, their feelings of failure, their fear and of their loved one.

This is a difficult task for nurses as human beings. Nurses also exhibit the qualities mentioned previously, so it is challenging to step outside those feelings and advocate for the patient and their families in the ways I have mentioned. We must explore our thoughts and feelings about these topics and come to an understanding and serenity with how we feel. This will make all the difference in how we can care for our families and patients. We are fortunate to be given the opportunity to explore these feelings outside the acuteness of grief and come to terms with the difficulty without experiencing it on such an emotional level.

Nurses play a very important role as both teacher and advocate in the family of an ill or dying person. We must take this role seriously and offer up all possible support, options and alternatives. This role makes a huge difference in the quality of care we provide. We must remind the family of their love for one another, encourage memory retrieval and open communication. We must set aside our preferences and bias to encourage the family to explore their preference and give them power within these difficult decisions. We are outsiders being asked to come within a family as both an authority figure and a supporter.

-Why should we be afraid of the possibility that we might not exist after death, given that non-existence before birth does not bother us

-Anonymous

-People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Five years later I was at a gas station and I saw a familiar face. It was Mr. Gillespie! I went up and asked him if he had been in a coma five years ago and he said yes. I told him how I knew and his eyes filled with tears. He told me that he had heard me taking and felt me holding his hand, but when he woke up there was no one like that. He thought I was an angel.

Mr. Gillespie made me an angel.

This story is why I am pursuing a career in nursing. I realized that day at the gas station that I can make a difference and I need to make a difference. This story also exhibits some of the values that I believe will make me a good nurse. These values also similar to those important in the nursing profession and those of Regis University.

My idea of health is to be free of disease in all aspects of life. I believe to be truly healthy, one must be physically strong, emotionally strong and spiritually strong. Many people suffer from physical disease, a compulsion or a mood disorder, or from lack of direction or purpose in their life. In today’s society, there are very few people that are truly healthy in my definition. Health care environments are places where all types of healing take place. This may be a hospital, doctor’s office, a place of relaxation or a church. All places are important depending on the person’s state of health, and which aspects need healing.

Patients are people needing assistance in some way. Most in the hospital will definitely need some sort of physical attention, but many also need emotional support and someone to talk to. Patient’s are vulnerable in various ways and need to be assured and validated as humans. Nurses are important health care providers necessary to carry out successful treatment plans. They also play patient advocates with the doctor and doctor’s advocate with the patient and their family. Many times, nurses are emotional support and teachers for their patients and their families. Patients and nurses are very intimately connected.

I am excited to be on this path at Regis University, and I feel my personal values run along the same line as the missions and values of the nursing program as well as the university.

Most of my personal beliefs have been strong since I was very young, but have been more directed in the recent years. I strongly believe in giving back to my community, and make a concerted effort to be involved in a volunteer organization at all times. Currently, I am working for Camp Wapiyapi, a camp for kids with cancer. I believe that in order to live my full life I must give back to others. This personal belief is directly related to the mission statement of Regis University, “Leadership in the service of others.” I will be in service to others until the day I die, for it is my calling in this life.

I believe integrity is important in all aspects of life. I have a tough time respecting people who lack integrity and therefore I couldn’t respect myself if I didn’t possess this trait. Without integrity, one’s life is lie. Integrity breeds honesty and honesty breeds trust. Truth and integrity are essential to live one’s full life.

My biggest belief in life is trying to make a difference. When anyone asks me why I think I was put on this earth I answer, “to make a difference in as many lives as I can.” I believe you should leave this world better than when you entered it, leaving footprints in as many hearts as you can. I believe as a nurse I will have ample opportunity to make a difference both in the lives of my patients and in the nursing community as a whole.

Another one of my biggest values is caring and compassion. I believe that every one of us is fighting a huge battle everyday and that we should understand that when encountering all our fellow people. I try to see everything from the other person’s perspective. For instance, if a patient were treating me with hesitation or rudeness, I would put myself in their shoes and try to understand why they might be treating me this way. If they had just received bad news or if they had a negative hospital experience previously. All these things contribute to our moods and demeanors.

Some of the things I have been struggling with that might interfere with my decision to become a nurse are my empathy and depth of involvement. I tend to get too involved emotionally with the patient and their family. I feel I’ve gotten a lot better since I have rediscovered my spiritual beliefs and my belief in an afterlife. However, it doesn’t make it any easier to let go.

I hope that this will make me a better and more caring nurse, but my fear is that I will burn out.

I am also a little scared of my ego. I have a lot of friends in medical school and have grown up with the brainwashed notion that nurses are not as important as doctors are. Although I don’t logically conform to this belief, it is hard to extinguish old thoughts and habits. I had wanted to go to medical school almost my whole life and then one day it was clear that I wanted something else…to be a nurse. But my ego keeps getting in the way. I actually feel ashamed admitting this misnomer to a staff of professional nurses, but I was asked to examine my thoughts and values. I realized that I valued human life and that every health care professional who values human life is important…not one profession over another.

My whole life has shaped my value system and all my experiences have led me to the career path that I have chosen…nursing. I believe that I have made that right choice and that my beliefs will make me a good nurse. I also believe that I chose the right program to learn the art of nursing. Regis believes in teaching me as a whole individual and I have hungered for this type of learning my whole life. I also appreciate the service learning projects for they get right at the heart of my belief about community. I hope to thrive here and soak up everything the Regis staff has to teach. I am excited to be here at long last after my journey of discovering my calling…to be a nurse.