Meet Nadine Parise, MS, RNC-OB, CNE. She has not only been in your shoes as a nursing student, although she admits it has been a long time since then, Nadine has also worked as both a registered nurse and a nurse educator. With her extensive background in the nursing and healthcare world, Nadine has some of the most pertinent advice for students that we have heard. No matter where you are at in your nursing school journey, we guarantee that you will find plenty take away. Enjoy part two of this two-part interview!
In case you missed it: Part 1: Advice for Student Nurses from a Nurse Educator.
What steps can a nursing student take during school to become a great nurse after school?
- Learn! Do not think you can memorize everything that you need to know to be a great nurse. You need to learn and understand. In this age of rapidly developing technology, great nurses need to identify what they do not know and find solid, reputable sources of information to gain knowledge.
- Value the resources that are available to you and use them! Your faculty, advisors, tutors, librarians, and even books and tutorial programs can help every student learn. Take advantage of all your school has to offer.
- Focus! Constantly be watching. Nursing School should be your playground. You can choose to grip the fence and watch or you can jump in, get dirty, and learn! Even bad experiences can be great learning tools. Seeing a nurse behave inappropriately or unprofessionally demonstrates to you how not to behave or be perceived! Making mistakes in a lab or a simulated environment is way better than making that mistake in a real patient environment.
- Demonstrate good sound judgment and ethics. If you are willing to practice unethical behaviors in a learning environment, what will you be willing to do in an actual patient care environment? Nursing is one of the most trusted professions. Trustworthiness is essential. We are all human and we all make mistakes. A great nurse avoids them at all cost, but will admit to and works towards resolution when these types of situations arise.
What is one thing that you wish every new nursing student knew?
Being a nurse is truly a privilege. What other profession allows you to be present at such intimate moments of patients and families lives? My greatest joy was working in Labor and Delivery and being part of a grand birthday celebration! But it was not always a happy unit, especially when a pregnancy outcome was less than favorable and birth meant having to say good bye. Even in those saddest situations, nurses can make it bearable, just being present and sharing in the parent’s and family’s sorrow and grief.
Related Read: Inside Look – The Day-to-Day of a Labor and Delivery Nurse
Nursing is both an art and science. Artfully provide care and scientifically impart your knowledge through your assessments, critical thinking and care planning. As nurses, your patients deserve the very best care that you have to give. They are counting on your education, knowledge, experience and empathy to see them through. The nursing profession is a virtual buffet of opportunities for clinical practice. There is no reason to be bored in this profession. You are the professional registered nurses of tomorrow. You are the nurses who will be taking care of me and my love ones. Do your very best! I am counting on you!
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