Student nurses learn all about the art and science of nursing while
attending school. However, two aspects of nursing exist: a textbook
world of nursing, and a real world of nursing. Sometimes these two
worlds do not coexist in harmony.
Student nurses have the awesome opportunity to learn about the art and science of nursing during the time they spend enrolled in school. Nursing students are bombarded with different theories, introduced to procedural skills, drilled on critical thinking strategies, exposed to new information, and tested constantly to determine their ability to apply and analyze the mountain of material rather than recall facts through rote memory. In other words, pupils must adapt to a new way of learning once they start attending nursing school.
Conversely, two worlds of nursing exist side by side. A textbook world of nursing exists where everything is done strictly by the book, colleagues conduct themselves with professionalism, patients have optimal outcomes, and family members are reasonable. And a real world of nursing exists that seems to contradict a great deal of what we've been taught in school. Sometimes these two distinct worlds do not mesh harmoniously. To be perfectly honest, these two worlds clash rather often.
I have compiled a random list of aspects that characterize many workplace settings in the real world of nursing. Your personal experience may vary once you secure your first job as a licensed nurse.
1. Unspoken politics exist.
In today's ultra political workplace, it's not about what you know. It's all about who you know. The floor nurse who has friends in high places typically receives preferential treatment and sometimes gets away with antics that would have resulted in firing if you had done the same things.
2. Interpersonal skills will make or break you.
I've watched as many highly skilled and proficient nurses were either fired or forced to resign. Although these people were competent, they rubbed coworkers and management the wrong way due to poor interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills are the soft 'people skills' we use to conduct ourselves acceptably and interact with others.
People with good interpersonal skills enjoy great workplace relationships. Those with poor interpersonal skills will not remain employed at any one place for very long. I've seen nurses with good interpersonal skills remain with an organization for many years, even if they lacked competence in hands-on procedural skills.
3. People with 'quiet' personalities are sometimes viewed suspiciously.
Some new nurses wonder why their employment was terminated at the end of a 90-day or 180-day training program. Even though they were learning at an appropriate pace and able to manage their own patient loads, the quiet personality was the unspoken trait that broke the camel's back.
Some established employees grow increasingly alarmed when you never have anything to say and fail to ask any questions. A few of your needy coworkers will be offended that you never eat lunch with them or take breaks together. These are the same people who will report on your progress to the unit manager, so you might want to be likeable.
4. Sometimes the best nurses are the first to be punished.
For some reason, the nurses who are idealistic and honest to a fault are often the first to be punished by management. I don't know why this is. Perhaps the idealism causes insecure coworkers and managers to cringe.
5. Sometimes the worst nurses fly under the radar undetected.
This phenomenon is slightly related to number one (politics). In some practice settings a nurse can do sloppy, absent-minded work and get away with it if he/she has friends in high places in the organization.
By Thecommutter retrieved from http://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/nursing-school-wont-890523.html
Student nurses have the awesome opportunity to learn about the art and science of nursing during the time they spend enrolled in school. Nursing students are bombarded with different theories, introduced to procedural skills, drilled on critical thinking strategies, exposed to new information, and tested constantly to determine their ability to apply and analyze the mountain of material rather than recall facts through rote memory. In other words, pupils must adapt to a new way of learning once they start attending nursing school.
Conversely, two worlds of nursing exist side by side. A textbook world of nursing exists where everything is done strictly by the book, colleagues conduct themselves with professionalism, patients have optimal outcomes, and family members are reasonable. And a real world of nursing exists that seems to contradict a great deal of what we've been taught in school. Sometimes these two distinct worlds do not mesh harmoniously. To be perfectly honest, these two worlds clash rather often.
I have compiled a random list of aspects that characterize many workplace settings in the real world of nursing. Your personal experience may vary once you secure your first job as a licensed nurse.
1. Unspoken politics exist.
In today's ultra political workplace, it's not about what you know. It's all about who you know. The floor nurse who has friends in high places typically receives preferential treatment and sometimes gets away with antics that would have resulted in firing if you had done the same things.
2. Interpersonal skills will make or break you.
I've watched as many highly skilled and proficient nurses were either fired or forced to resign. Although these people were competent, they rubbed coworkers and management the wrong way due to poor interpersonal skills. Interpersonal skills are the soft 'people skills' we use to conduct ourselves acceptably and interact with others.
People with good interpersonal skills enjoy great workplace relationships. Those with poor interpersonal skills will not remain employed at any one place for very long. I've seen nurses with good interpersonal skills remain with an organization for many years, even if they lacked competence in hands-on procedural skills.
3. People with 'quiet' personalities are sometimes viewed suspiciously.
Some new nurses wonder why their employment was terminated at the end of a 90-day or 180-day training program. Even though they were learning at an appropriate pace and able to manage their own patient loads, the quiet personality was the unspoken trait that broke the camel's back.
Some established employees grow increasingly alarmed when you never have anything to say and fail to ask any questions. A few of your needy coworkers will be offended that you never eat lunch with them or take breaks together. These are the same people who will report on your progress to the unit manager, so you might want to be likeable.
4. Sometimes the best nurses are the first to be punished.
For some reason, the nurses who are idealistic and honest to a fault are often the first to be punished by management. I don't know why this is. Perhaps the idealism causes insecure coworkers and managers to cringe.
5. Sometimes the worst nurses fly under the radar undetected.
This phenomenon is slightly related to number one (politics). In some practice settings a nurse can do sloppy, absent-minded work and get away with it if he/she has friends in high places in the organization.
By Thecommutter retrieved from http://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/nursing-school-wont-890523.html
