Career and School Info for RNs (Registered Nurses) in Kentucky

I believe that going to school in a city that I hope to work in after I graduate is helpful to me. I have clinicals in the hospital that hopefully one day I will work as a Registered Nurse in. By having clinicals here, I am able to learn the different floors of the hospital, its policies, and people I may work with one day. This helps to ease the anxiety I have about graduating and working in a hospital. By having a jump start on locations, policies, and co-workers, I feel like the transition from a student to a Registered Nurse will be a little easier.

When I made my decision to attend the University of Kentucky, I knew that there would be plenty of majors to choose from. It did not take me long to chose nursing as my major. The University has quite a few well-renowned medical programs, the nursing program being one. I was aware, even before I began, that I was entering a top ranked school for the nursing profession. I was very confident in this decision.

I just wish I had been more aware of the mental, physical and emotional difficulty nursing school was going to present. I have worked extremely hard, for the past three years, to become the best nurse I can possibly be when I graduate. College is hard. I feel that nursing school is another entity entirely. There is a different grading scale, different components to one’s grade, and factors that cannot be tested in the classroom alone. Certain expectations are not explicit and must be learned, such as time management and communication skills. I wish someone would have told me before I started nursing school that I would be accountable for the same decisions I would make as their actual nurse. Currently, the fact that I will be held responsible for so many things as a medical professional does make me feel a bit uneasy. As I learn more, and I gain confidence in my skills, this uneasiness will certainly fade.

Every school offers unique and great opportunities. When one applies, every individual needs to decide what fits them best. Clinical experience and school size are two factors I looked for. I wanted a large university that focused on skills and gave their students a variety of experiences. One thing that I did not think of when applying is the hospital where your clinical rotation will take place. I now think it is important to research the hospital in which you will be working. I was lucky to be able to practice at a large high risk hospital that presents unique and challenging patients. Teaching hospitals are also better environments for students. Employees are willing to teach and demonstrate, and the patients are accepting to having a student treat them.

An important aspect, especially for second degree bachelor of nursing students, is the length of the program. When I applied I did not focus much attention on how long it will take to earn my second bachelor's degree. I did not want an extremely short program because I feared that I would not be ready to practice nursing. Now that I am midway through my program, I realize that with the knowledge that I have gained from my first degree I would be able to easily handle an eighteen month program straight through. Currently my program is two and half years with summers off. It is too long, and I find myself becoming impatient. This is specific to second degree nursing students, but I would suggest to traditional students that find a school that they are able to graduate in four years. Attend a school that will challenge you daily was some great advice I received when applying. I think this is what everyone should know before entering a school.