5 Common Misconceptions Held by Nursing Student Hopefuls (and the Reality)

These days, it seems as though everyone wants to get into the medical field. I've hypothesized that it's more about a stable job environment than the desire to help others, but I have done no real research on the matter. Everything you read below is based solely on my observations and real-life encounters.

5. "I've never had to study before, so I won't have to study in nursing school."

 Whoa, Nelly! I'm definitely not knocking any other courses out there, but many courses taken before nursing school are considered 'core' courses. These courses are meant to provide you with a base of knowledge that you will build on in nursing school. Many times, these courses involve a lot of memorization and a moderate amount of application. Nursing school involves a lot of memorization and a lot of application. If you read 200 pages and think you're only going to have to memorize everything, I hate to break it to you (honestly), but you're wrong. Much of what nursing is depends on how well you can prioritize, manage time, delegate, and critically think. For example, not only must you know what you can and cannot delegate, you also have to know to whom you can delegate specific tasks, what information the person you are delegating to must know, and what outcomes you want. You have to pull information from many different sources and put them all together to come up with solutions. Studying and test-taking skills are a huge asset in nursing school.

4. "Everything I need to know, I have already learned from [insert TV medical show or movie here]."

I don't hear these exact words come out of student mouths, but I do often hear, "Well, I saw this on [insert medical show here] and this is what they did." That is wonderful that you can recall specific episodes and details, but you must remember that television shows and movies are not real life. They are made for entertainment purposes only. For every real life situation depicted in a show or movie, there are 5 more situations that are very unrealistic.


3. "I don't need to know this. The doctor will tell me everything I need to do."

I can definitely relate to this one. I had this same misconception when I began nursing school. (Boy, was I wrong!!!) Some of you are shaking your head, thinking, "How could anyone ever think that?" while the rest of you are thinking, "Yeah! I don't need to know this!! The doctor tells nurses what to do!" Things couldn't be as far from the truth as this.

Yes, physicians and advanced practice nurses do give orders for nurses to follow. However, there are so many facets to nursing that are not outlined by the physician's orders that a nurse without critical thinking skills will not be able to keep his or her head above water. Nurses are the eyes, ears, and hands of the nursing profession. In hospitals, nurses provide patient care 24/7. When a problem arises, it is up to the nurse to assess the situation, figure out what is going on, implement certain nursing interventions, or actions, reassess the situation, call the physician when needed, and even provide suggestions on what should or could be done to solve the problem. There are also many times the nurse doesn't even call the doc. The nurse intervenes and gets things done so that the patient recovers faster. Go nurses!

2. "I work in a [hospital, clinical, nursing home, outpatient center, etc.] as a [CNA, scrub tech, secretary, housekeeper, etc.] so I already know most of this stuff."

I hear this one a lot, especially from new students. Don't get me wrong. The things you learned (and are still learning) from your workplace can be invaluable. But please don't underestimate what nursing is. Nursing involves so much more than people often think, some of which I've already covered in previous paragraphs. In order to learn something from nursing school, you have to open yourself up to learning. 

1. "I need to perfect my nursing skills while in school."

You are probably thinking, "Well, YEAH!" The reality is that this isn't 100% true. Nursing school provides you with a foundation of knowledge. You then build upon that knowledge with your experience. It is next to impossible to become an expert at all the skills you will need while in nursing school. However, you do learn the correct procedure in school, so that you can perfect it once you do it a million times at work. So, take a deep breath and relax. Get the basics down, and you'll get better with time and practice. I promise.

It's Been Awhile...

It's been really hectic at work lately! I had hoped to update more often, but I just couldn't get around to it. In the meantime, I have been thinking about what I should write about. Since I haven't gotten any feedback or special requests, I thought I would try to answer some frequently asked questions (by nursing students). I hope this will help out any current or future nursing students out there.

Q: Do I really have to know this?

A: YES. We wouldn't teach it to you if we didn't think it would be valuable to you for one reason or another. I often get asked this question about medications. Medications are so important to what nurses do that they are ingrained into the curriculum. We choose only the most common medications, so there is a big chance that you will see that medication repeatedly in clinical (or on tests).

Q: Do I really have to practice my skills? Can't I just get better at the ones I'm going to use in practice?

A: Yes and No. You do have to practice all the skills you are assigned because you are very likely going to need them in clinical. Nothing is more disappointing that finding a skill opportunity at a hospital and then finding out that the student cannot remember one bit about how to perform that skill. Additionally, learning one skill can help you to become better at other skills. For instance, you might not have to insert a Foley catheter much in your OB clinic position, but you may have to obtain multiple in-and-out caths. The same principles apply - sterile technique. We teach the major concepts so that you can carry them with you throughout your career. There were many skills I thought I would never have to use because I was going to work in a certain area. However, I have worked in many different places and I have used every single skill I learned in school. One example is checking dilatation. I NEVER thought I would work in labor and delivery. However, one part of my job as an ER nurse was checking dilatation on anyone coming in who thought they were in labor. Thankfully, I had paid attention in class!

Q: Why do I have to wear this uniform? Can't I just choose my own scrubs to wear?

A: Your nursing school uniform is how everyone identifies who you are in the clinical setting. Health care professionals can tell at one glance what school you are with. Also, it looks very professional.

Q: Why can't I wear more jewelry during clinical?

A: Jewelry can spread microorganisms as well as tear fragile skin during care. I recommend wearing only a plain wedding band (this means no jewels in it at all) and SMALL stud earrings. I have seen students wear large studs, and they have lost them when taking the stethoscope out of their ears. They could fall into a patient's bed, which could cause injury to the patient, or they could fall on the floor, causing someone to slip on them. Necklaces can get broken so easily, so I do not recommend them at all in the clinical environment. Remember, the priority is the patient; it's not a fashion show. You can wear your jewelry to class all you like.

Q: Will I survive this?

A: Yes...but only if you really want to survive. Nursing school is tough. I've probably said that more times than I can count, but it's so true! The school you go to for initial licensure is going to be the toughest thing. Any higher nursing degrees obtained after that will be tough, but nothing like that initial school. The reason for this is that when you come in, you must learn everything from scratch. You have to build a foundation upon which to learn. Higher degrees simply build upon what you already know. Don't get me wrong...grad school is tough, but a different kind of tough.

Q: Should I try to get a higher nursing degree?

A: YES! While there is a nursing shortage all around, the largest shortage is of nurses with higher degrees. You can still become an RN with a diploma or Associate degree, but many hospitals are looking for nurses with a Bachelor's degree or higher, especially those hospitals seeking magnet status. I fully support getting a diploma or Associate's degree first, but I really urge students to seek a higher degree. It opens up so many more job opportunities and possibilities.


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