Sunday, January 18, 2009

Stuff Nursing School Forgot to Teach

There are a few nursing students on my floor and they have all figured out that I'm fairly new staff so they have taken to flocking to me for advice on how to make the transition from student nurse to staff nurse. Lacking the vocabulary to eloquently express both my rage and frustration at the many hours wasted learning about theories that I haven't used and classes on bed making, I've decided that I'm going to print out Glee's list and share it with them while peppering it with my own anecdotes. Thanks Glee for the wonderful 'teaching tool'

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm just starting nursing school and I'm nervous now. I'm a cna so the work itself I know what I'm going to be up for... call lights don't bother me and I know I can handle any situation .. I'm nervous about passing school... I'm 40 and starting over! can I lean? ::::::: very scared.

Maha said...

Hi Anon,

Nursing wasn't my first career either. After finishing my first degree and languishing about looking for a decent job, I went to nursing school. I was scared of passing the courses as well but I found that passing wasn't the problem - rather I found it difficult to apply what we were learning to our placements. I found that there was a rather large discrepancy between what nursing theories suggest and what actual practice is like. Also as a mature student, I find that you can learn better because you have a broader experience in which to frame your new learning. All the best! Nursing school will be over before you know it!

Pete Dowan said...

Hi Maha;
Pete Dowan here !
I realize that there is very little chance that this e-mail will result in anything, but that's better than the zero chance if I didn't try. I was googling for Nurse related blogs and I came across your site and thought I'd contact you. This isn't really a comment, so I hope you forgive me.
I am a medically disabled songwriter from St Catharines, Ontario, Canada, and have written many songs about many different subjects and in several different styles, but one in particular was a result of my numerous times spent in various hospitals in my area.
One of the last times I came home I decided to try and write one for those who had cared for my well being during those trying times and I focused on the ones that were fresh in my memory. The song I wrote about (and for) them is called "LADIES IN WHITE". They wore white uniforms and were all female (YES, I know that there ARE male nurses AND know that not many wear white any more... but besides how amazingly efficient and caring they were, that was what I remembered of them .. besides, since white is actually made up of all the colours of the spectrum, it therefore represents every colour). It is not rock or pop, rap or hip hop or even a ballad... it is just a happy, simple to sing-along-with, uptempo song.
I mention that I am medically disabled because various factors of my condition stop me from being able to use professional studios to record my songs, so I have to do them here, at home, in my basement, on donated equipment from musicians I used to work with. For the same reason, I also am unable to perform my music live.
I was wondering if you'd like to hear the song, since your blog is about and for nurses. I can send you an MP3, a short term link or it can be heard on my "MySpace" page ... which is myspace.com/petedowan ... the second song on the list. I'd love to hear your opinion on it.
I DO understand if you'd rather not.
Have a great day, and keep smiling.

Musically Yours,
Pete Dowan {:-) [pronounced like plowin' ]
pdowan@aol.com

viagra online said...

I'm glad to see that you were able to find a way out of that not very pretty situation. Blissfully, nowadays we have an extremely heavy tool on the net, where we can get support to issues that anyone else would do