This May, I graduated from the University of South Florida's College of Nursing with my Bachelor of science in Nursing. Nursing school is a world of its own and comes with many obstacles. As the first nurse in my family, I was completely unaware I was getting myself into. Unfortunately, there were a lot of lessons I had to learn the hard way. Hopefully, you all can learn from my mistakes.
1. There are many hidden costs to nursing school.
After my first two years at USF, I assumed that I had a pretty good budget and that I had enough money to cover my next two years. I was completely blindsided by all the hidden costs of nursing school. My first semester I spent $1,000 out-of-pocket on books and supplies. I only bought what was necessary and shopped around for the best deals. I estimate that I spent another $2,000-$2,500 for the next four semesters and for boards.
2. It pays to invest in quality equipment.
All that said, it doesn't always pay to be cheap when it comes to purchasing essential nursing equipment. Personal story time: I had a very cheap stethoscope my first semester. I could hardly hear and I had a hard time differentiating the subtle differences in lung sounds and my education suffered. It eventually broke and I had to replace it.
Tip: I recommend investing in a quality stethoscope. Personally, I have a midrange Littmann that I love. There's no need to blow $300 on a cardiac stethoscope, one for around $50 - $80 will do just fine. Also, a manual BP cuff comes in handy because that seems to be the one thing you can never find when you need it on the floor.
Quality, well-fitting scrubs are also a must. You have to wear them for 12+ hours at a time and be able to move every which way. I purchased mine from Walmart (bad idea). They did not fit well and I was constantly adjusting them.
Tip: I recommend going to a specialty scrub store. They will be able to help you find a brand that fits your body type. When trying them on make sure you can move in every conceivable way, because I promise you, you'll have to. You might actually find a better deal at a specialty store.
3. Pursue a position as a nurse tech
This will further your education tremendously, as well as get your foot in the door. Many hospitals hire from within first. Shop around and think about where you would like to work as a nurse, and then get a tech job there. Warning, the work is hard and the patient loads are high, but the rewards are worth it. Not to mention, it will give you a job while you're studying for boards so you're not rushed or delayed due to financial concerns. On that note, PLEASE save money for the months following nursing school, you may not get a job a month out of school. I assumed I'd be working by the end of May. NOPE. So here I am blogging away at my parents because I'm too broke to stay at my apartment in Tampa.
4. Your job search starts the minute you start nursing school.
If you are like me, you probably didn't spend much time inside a hospital before starting nursing school. Once you are inside the hospital, you will realize that it's a 'whole new world'. Politics and money are the name of the game more frequently then we'd like to admit. That said, keep your ears open and read everything you can about the hospitals in the area you would like to work. Listen to what people say about what makes a good hospital, start to understand how hospitals work, how they treat their nurses and what system they belong to. It could mean the difference between working for $19 an hour in a place that treats their nurses poorly and making $30 an hour in a hospital that gives nurses free massages.
5. There are profound spiritual implications for nursing
No matter what your personal religious beliefs, there is a spiritual side to nursing. Every day as a nurse you interact with people who are dying. Exactly how do you interact with a person who is grappling with their own mortality? What do you tell grieving family members? In nursing school you are going to have to develop some kind of cohesive understanding of death that lets you sleep at night. This takes an emotional toll that other people can't see or understand, and unfortunately it really is a path you have to walk alone. There are also a hundred different ethical issues that you need to understand. What do I think about abortion? Euthanasia? DNR's? Birth control? Sex change surgeries? It's a lot to sort through, especially when you realize that patient's lives are affected by your beliefs.
6. There will be bullies
There is much that could be and has been said about this topic. Who hasn't heard the phrase "nurses eat their young"? It's true, but it doesn't stop there. You will see bullying from doctors, hospital staff and students.
Tip: Develop a zero tolerance policy regarding malicious gossip and behavior. When someone attempts to share malicious gossip with me, I look at them right in the eye and say very seriously "you can take that somewhere else, because I will not be a part of it" and if they have a problem with that I politely inform them that I have no qualms about reporting behavior to management or instructors. I do not tolerate abuse and neither should you.
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