A nursing student can come from any background and set of experiences. But as soon as you get into nursing school, you become united with all your fellow students in the pursuit of knowledge, where studies can range from easy to exhausting. Everyone who has been to nursing school can relate to the specific challenges and joys that come with entering the nursing profession.
You Know You're in Nursing School When...
- You know you will never wash your hands the same way again.
- Your friends ask you about various medical conditions and you know just enough about it tell them it's no big deal, or that they should go see their doctor.
- You find yourself asking detailed, personal questions to acquaintances with interesting medical conditions and treatments.
- You tend to qualify your statements using the phrase, "as evidenced by." For example, "I am tired, as evidenced by my lack of motivation, desire for caffeinated beverage, and excessive yawning."
- If a patient needs a dressing change, an IV started, or an IV bag hung, you are first in line to do it!
- Nursing care plans and concept maps are the bane of your existence.
- You appreciate the value of a high-quality hand lotion, as well as a hand sanitizer that smells good.
- Sleep is optional. Studying is not.
- Every day is an opportunity to discover that there is an unlimited amount of things that you don't know. And you need to know them by next week.
- You answered the test question right, but got it wrong because it wasn't the "most right" choice.
- You can't wait to get a real job and finally get paid for what you've been doing all along in school.
- You roll your eyes or yell in frustration at medical TV shows. Newsflash: Doctors aren't there to do the patient care and all the emotional hand-holding. That's the nurse's job!
- You confidently say, "Oh yeah, I've done this before," and omit the fact that it was in the lab. On a fake arm.
- Taking blood sugar? Measuring intake and output? Repositioning patients? Vital signs? You got this.
- You can't believe how much you've learned in such a short amount of time.
Being a nursing student isn't easy, but nursing school is a valuable experience. And no matter what you do afterwards, you will always have the memories and knowledge that you acquired as a nursing student.
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons
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