What I didn’t learn in nursing school
Why, hello! I write to you now as a JHUSON alumni and real, full-fledged nurse! I’ve had some ups and downs in my first few months, but overall, I couldn’t be happier. I’ve learned a thing or two here in the real nursing world that they just don’t teach you in school, so I thought I would pass along some of my new-found kernels of wisdom.
- You are always going to be sick–well, maybe not ALWAYS, but I have definitely been sicker in the past 6 months than I have been in the last ten years, thank you very much, hospital germs.
- Your shoe budget increases exponentially–good, comfortable shoes make a WORLD of difference between sore, aching legs, feet, and backs. Invest in good, quality shoes, even if they cost you $100
- Prepping patients for heart catheters can be awkward–especially if they start giggling during the prep
- Poop–Poop everywhere, in every crevice, in every color, in every form, in every possible consistency. It lingers and follows you around all shift
- 12 hour shifts do not exist–This is a myth. Sure, your schedule says that you work from 7A-7P, but it’s really more like 630-8 or 830 by the time you get all of your charting done.
- Scrubs–If you’re lucky enough to work in a hospital without a set uniform, dark colored patterned scrubs are the way to go. Why? It can save you ironing time because you can’t really see wrinkles. This might make me sound lazy, but when I work 5-12 hour shifts in a row, I barely have the time or energy to get my clothes in the washer, let alone iron them.
- 8 days off in a row? INCONCEIVABLE!–It’s true, and I don’t even have to use vacation time in most cases. My schedule is flexible enough that I can work Sun-Tues one week, and not work again until Thursday the following week. And you know, sometimes you need that downtime to really re-charge and re-energize yourself. Nursing takes quite a physical and emotional toll on you.
That’s all for now, I hope that I can continue writing as an alum and share the crazy things that happen to me on the floor.
~Kari
Hi Kari,
I graduated with a BA in Chinese in ’12 and am currently working in China, but considering nursing school when I get back to the States. I saw in your profile that you spent two years in China with the Peace Corps before returning to school for nursing. If possible, I’d love to hear more about how you made the decision to return to school, as well as your ideas on nursing as a global career. I’m near fluent in Chinese and it would be incredible if there is some way to fuse the hands on caring profession of nursing with the language skills. Loved reading your post, and I hope to hear from you!
Best,
Kate
Hi Kari,
I graduated with a BA in Chinese in ’12 and am currently working in China, but considering nursing school when I get back to the States. I saw in your profile that you spent two years in China with the Peace Corps before returning to school for nursing. If possible, I’d love to hear more about how you made the decision to return to school, as well as your ideas on nursing as a global career. I’m near fluent in Chinese and it would be incredible if there is some way to fuse the hands on caring profession of nursing with the language skills. Loved reading your post, and I hope to hear from you!
Best,
Kate
Kari – Thanks for this great article. I have friends who are nurses and they always talk about good shoes and how pricey they can be! I am planning on going back to finish my RN to BSN this spring! I look forward to hearing more about your life experiences!
-JL
This is a very interesting post. Well, it’s interesting to me because I am in college and my major is nursing. I guess it’s something like when people have babies. Someone can tell you how it’s going to be as much as they want but you’ll never really know until you have to experience it yourself.
This is a very interesting post. Well, it’s interesting to me because I am in college and my major is nursing. I guess it’s something like when people have babies. Someone can tell you how it’s going to be as much as they want but you’ll never really know until you have to experience it yourself.