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HomeHealth5 Things They Don’t Teach You in Nursing School

5 Things They Don’t Teach You in Nursing School

Are you thinking about going to nursing school? If so, we commend you. It’s a highly-respectable job, one that comes with the daily benefit of knowing that you’re helping sick people get better. And when it comes to your personally, there are some added advantages: it’s a competitive position, the money is good and there’s plenty of job security so that you can work just about anywhere in the world.

However, before you enroll into a nursing program, we did want to share with you some advice from other former nursing students about what nursing school won’t teach you; not so that you’ll feel discouraged but so that you will be extra-prepared.

Nursing school doesn’t teach you to manage your time. Although some people would say that nursing school doesn’t teach you how to manage your time, the more accurate statement is that nursing school teaches you about time management the hard way. Basically, if you don’t have a schedule and keep up, you’ll be left behind. So, if you’re a procrastinator, that’s a habit that you’ll want to break as soon as possible.

Nursing school doesn’t teach you how to deal with stress. There’s not one nurse who will tell you that while they were in school, they didn’t have days when they simply wanted to quit because the class load was so demanding. Nursing school is not concerned with how stressed out you feel, simply that you turn your work in on time and pass your tests. For this reason, it’s up to you to eat right, sleep well and get plenty of exercise.

Nursing school doesn’t teach you how to deal with medical staff. Although some of your professors may touch on the fact that you need to be prepared for dealing with all kinds of people at work, there isn’t a specific course on how to deal with medical staff. And sometimes, working with people you clash with can make doing your job extremely difficult. Some character traits that all nurses need include patience, kindness and flexibility. This is definitely something to think about before starting nursing school.

Nursing school doesn’t teach you about how to deal with death. Whether you’re working in order to get your CNA certification training or you ultimately want to become a nurse practitioner, something that you’re going to have to prepare yourself for is that there will come a time when a patient of yours will die. And unlike their family members and friends, you will not have the same kind of time and space to grieve because you will still have to work with other patients. For this reason, it’s a good idea to read up on grief and even consider seeing a grief counselor when the time comes. Just so you’ll know how to deal with the situation better the next time.

Nursing school doesn’t teach you how much it will change the way you see yourself and the world. After spending so much time studying sicknesses and the various ways to care for those around you, it will definitely change your perception of yourself and others. So, if you’re expecting to leave nursing school in the same way that you came in, make sure to let that perspective go. Nursing school is going to change you, but the good news is we suspect that ultimately it will be for the better.

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