Health disparities have historically impacted multiple populations throughout the U.S. When it comes to health and access to healthcare, consider the plight of Native Americans, undocumented immigrants, people experiencing homelessness and the chronically mentally ill, and rural communities in places like Appalachia, and we see a picture of what’s broken. The undeniable disservice that continues to millions of the most vulnerable is inexcusable, yet this legacy is slow to overcome.
In terms of Black communities and people of color, the disservice is centuries-old. To this day, the legacies of structural racism live on in health disparities that would have no place in 21st-century America if we had already learned our lessons and lived up to the potential outlined in our country’s founding documents.
Nonetheless, disproportionately negative statistics don’t lie. We know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Black Americans have received short shrift in the realms of health and healthcare since the first days of the American colonies, and the work to undo these wrongs is daunting and ongoing.
Distrust, Disparities, and Deceit
The Kaiser Family Foundation website states, “While Black people have made great contributions and achievements in the United States, they continue to face many health and health care disparities that adversely impact their overall health and well-being. These disparities have been exacerbated by the uneven impacts of the COVID pandemic, ongoing racism and discrimination, and police violence against and killings of Black people. Moreover, the long history of inequitable health outcomes among Black people reflects the abuses faced during slavery, segregation, mass incarceration, and their persistent legacies.’
Kaiser’s statistics point out that Black people face more significant financial obstacles to receiving appropriate healthcare and have a higher uninsured rate than white people. And with higher rates of poverty and food insecurity, it’s clear that many factors contribute to this calculus.
“The growing gap of health disparities within the American healthcare system is resulting in the unnecessary deaths of people of color and the continued mistrust of the healthcare system,” states Jasmyn Moore, MBA, BSN, RN, co-host of the Distrust and Disparities podcast.
“If you take a deep look into most health disparities that plague communities of color,” Ms. Moore continues, “you will see that the root cause is systemic racism. The medical field was built off experimenting on Black bodies.” In this statement, Ms. Moore is referring to a legacy exemplified by the Tuskegee experiments, where Black men were misled by researchers to believe that their syphilis was being treated, but in actuality, the course of the disease could be observed by scientists from the U.S. Public Health Service.
“We have all heard the negative statistics surrounding the health of Black, Indigenous, and people of color,” Moore states. “Black mothers are three times more likely to die during childbirth. Black infant mortality is twice as high compared to white babies. African Americans are more than twice as likely to die from cancer.”
Disturbing statistics are nothing new in the world of racial minorities in the United States. Moore comments that “the life expectancy gap between marginalized ethnic groups continues to widen despite health advancements. We are constantly bombarded with those negative and disheartening statistics. The blame is often placed on individuals and families versus a health care system that was not designed to promote and protect our health and livelihood.”
Moore concludes with the following food for thought: “Behind each of those statistics, racism plays a big factor that is often ignored. A report released by the National Academy of Medicine in 2003 pointed out how, in America, race is a determinant of health quality. Their study detailed how Black people and other ethnic minorities receive lower quality of health care than white people even when age, income, insurance status, and severity of conditions are comparable.”
Heightening the Focus
“The COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide racial justice movement over the past several years have heightened the focus on health disparities and their underlying causes and contributed to the increased prioritization of health equity,” states the Kaiser Family Foundation. “These disparities are not new and reflect longstanding structural and systemic inequities rooted in racism and discrimination.”
Aggressively addressing disparities at their root — including police violence against Black citizens, maternal-infant mortality, discriminatory housing policies, income inequality, the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations, and access to care — can lead to us cooperatively working together to find multifaceted and forward-looking solutions.
As the Kaiser Foundation pointed out, these disparities are nothing new; thus, dismantling the structural and societal issues that cause them is an uphill battle. That said, many individuals and organizations have set their sights on these issues, and the 21st-century racial justice movement is an intrinsic part of that process.
Those of us in the healthcare industry must maintain awareness, examine our own biases, and demand that our workplaces do their part in decreasing disparities impacting the populations of color that we serve. We carry that responsibility; stepping up and speaking out is our individual and collective moral obligation.
As in most things, getting off to a good start as a nurse can help ensure a long, successful, and satisfying career. With nursing shortages and nurse burnout still taking a tremendous toll on the profession, hospitals must do all they can to ensure new nurses have the tools to succeed.
Organizations help ensure success for new nurses through nurse residency programs, also called transition to practice or new grad programs. These structured learning experiences can be of great benefit.
readiness for practice improved significantly for nurse residents, as did nurse retention perceptions, indicating that nurse residents were more likely to be retained at the study organization. The 1- and 2-year nurse retention rates during the 3 years of the study showed notable improvement.
In this article, we’ll offer specific suggestions on what to look for in a nurse residency program so that you can find a good fit. But first, let’s look at when you should start investigating those programs.
Start Early
To discover if a nurse residency program is right for you, don’t wait until you pass your licensure exam. “Waiting until they pass their NCLEX many times is too late,” says Sheri Cosme DNP, RN, NPD-BC, director, Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP), Advanced Practice Provider Fellowship Accreditation, American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Nursing students should “use the time that they’re in school to start identifying those organizations that they want to work at sooner rather than later,” notes Cosme. Many programs start only two to three cohorts a year, so they have very specific recruitment timelines for when they accept applications from new graduate nurses, she says. “My biggest piece of advice to a new graduate nurse is not to miss that window.”
Cosme says to take advantage of your time at your clinical rotations and interview the facility. “That’s going to give them a good sense of what the organization is all about.”
In addition, Cosme suggests checking social media to learn what nurses say about the organization. Also, reach out to employees. You might also ask to speak to a nurse who has recently completed the program to find out how they balanced class time with working off-shifts, suggests Sara R. Grieshop, MHI, BSN, RN, practice excellence supervisor, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. “Don’t hesitate to interview the programs as much as they are interviewing you,” notes Grieshop.
Make sure, says Cosme, that the organization has a specific plan in place for the program. For instance, the organization should tell you how much time you will spend with a preceptor or the milestones you need to hit to reach full competence.
What to Look for in a Nurse Residency Program
As you research nurse residency programs, consider the following areas:
Accreditation. Find out if the nurse residency program carries accreditation. As of mid-November 2023, some 250 programs in 831 healthcare sites were part of the ANCC Practice Transition Accreditation Program.
Accreditation helps ensure that programs provide a rich educational experience. “Accreditation validates that the programs are consistently following evidence-based standards that support nurses in their transition to nursing practice,” according to Christine Young, MSN, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, DNP, chief of hospital-based services and chief nursing officer, Akron Children’s Hospital.
Length of time. Cosme says a nurse residency program will run between 6 and 12 months. “A majority of the time, the programming is front-loaded,” she notes so that during the first part of the program, the nurse gets more concentrated professional development and support.
Seek programs that provide at least 6 to 12 months of program support and a preceptorship, which will help you acclimate to your intended specialty with a structured orientation and clinical training at the bedside, suggests Laura Douglas, MSN-Ed, RN, NPD-BC, CCRN-K, manager of the transition to practice programs (nurse residency, fellowship, and respiratory residency) at Memorial Hermann Health System.
While clinical orientation may last only 3 to 6 months, depending on specialty, a residency program supports the new graduate first through orientation, then through the initial phases of independent practice for up to a year, according to Young. Support into the second year is also ideal, she notes.
The nurse residency program should provide opportunities for participant feedback and evaluation, including regularly scheduled formal meetings to examine strengths and areas for growth, as well as provisions for individual self-assessment/self-reflection, according to Karen T. Pardue, PhD, RN, CNE, FNAP, ANEF, associate provost for strategic initiatives and professor, School of Nursing and Population Health, University of New England. Also, the program should dedicate attention to activities and interactions that build a sense of community and provide peer support, heightening the new employee’s sense of connection and belonging, she suggests.
Preceptorship. It would help if you were working with a preceptor, and ideally, one or two preceptors through the orientation phase of your residency program, notes Cosme. You should also check if you will have a mentor. While those two roles intersect, they provide different support, notes Young. The mentor, Young notes, could be a previous nurse resident who remembers what it was like to be a new grad in the specialty area they are working in and is willing to connect with the new nurse regularly to offer support, identify resources, and so on. The preceptor must evaluate the new nurse’s ability to demonstrate competency in practice and provide feedback during orientation.
Specialty experience. Determine if the nurse residency program will provide education in your specialty area, notes Cosme. If you’re unsure which unit is best for you, look for a residency program that allows you to work in various units, notes Grieshop. “This will allow you to broaden your horizons beyond what your clinical hours achieved,” she notes.
Never-Ending Learning
Nurses in a residency program, notes Cosme, should “be a sponge, soak it all up, wring themselves out, and soak up even more because they will be learning in nursing every day. I think the biggest blessing in healthcare is that things are constantly changing. We’re always learning.”
Read the January issue of Minority Nurse focusing on RN-to-BSN and Nurse Residency Programs here.
Nurses gain clinical and academic experience throughout their careers, all of which combine to form a foundation of essential skills. As the nursing industry continues its drive to have most of its workforce prepared with a baccalaureate degree or higher, many RNs are looking to RN-to-BSN programs.
Whether a nurse has been in the field for 5 or 35 years, or is a nursing student considering the best path, baccalaureate degree programs offer additional training in areas that develop critical thinking skills and are proven to bring better patient outcomes with further gains in leadership, research, and community health.
When nurses have the RN-based clinical experience to be excellent nurses, they gain the additional BS/BSN broad-scope perspective of nursing care’s impact on community health or national nursing policies, for example, their nursing changes, says McClenny. “You learn more about how to apply what you are learning to what you are doing in practice,” she says.
“Most hospitals and health departments prefer and only hire BS/BSN nurses,” says Bray. “Advancing your knowledge and skills leads to job satisfaction and career and earnings advancement.”
Attaining a BSN also aligns nurses with the industry standards that are increasingly focused on nurses who are trained with a BS/BSN or higher. However, nurses with an RN might find the thought of returning to school daunting. When they have family, work, and outside interests to juggle, applying for an RN-to-BSN program might need more support. Looking for the right program for your needs is key.
Find the Right Program
Compare programs to find one that will fit your lifestyle and financial abilities while offering a rigorous curriculum that will equip you for the nursing roles and opportunities you want to pursue, says McClenny. Work with your employer to see if educational reimbursement is offered and ask a school about potential financial aid.
Sometimes, the most challenging barrier is making time for an RN-to-BSN program, but it is possible. Many schools offer asynchronous programs in which courses are completed to fit the student’s schedule instead of being held on a specific day and time, says Bray. That helps make an RN-to-BSN program more attainable for nurses with multiple priorities, says McClenny, but online courses are no less rigorous than in-person courses. When considering the schedule that will work best for their time constraints, setting aside sufficient time for coursework is critical to success.
What should you look for in a program? Bray and McClenny say taking the time to compare programs will pay off in the end. Nurses will seek “a curriculum focused on advancing your skills and knowledge to shape you into a well-rounded, culturally competent, critically compassionate nurse, a thoughtful, skilled communicator, and enhances your leadership skills,” says Bray.
McClenny says to look for the program’s flexibility and see if a program overview or introduction is available. Look at program requirements to see if you need to take any courses and what the curriculum offers. Are there opportunities for interprofessional communication and development or real-world experiences to combine your academic knowledge with your clinical skills? McClenny, whose students complete a capstone-like project, says those real-world projects are often when nursing work and educational training help guide students to their passion.
An RN-to-BSN program is more than just what happens in a clinical experience or the classroom. Any academic program should offer nurses opportunities for personal and professional growth for building their network. Whether technical, career-based, or educational, support should be easily accessible to nursing students in the RN-to-BSN program.
Many students returning to school for a BSN are already working and have other responsibilities, so they are balancing assignments with other commitments in tight schedules. Access to someone who can help with a middle-of-the-night technical glitch could be critical to success.
Those tools are necessary because students are more likely to complete a program with support. And no matter how a degree program is delivered, establishing relationships with program advisors and faculty members will also smooth the path. These folks offer support by navigating your educational journey alongside you, says Bray, so they can guide and advise if you need to reduce or increase your course load, shift classes, or find academic support for a particularly challenging subject.
Becoming Part of National Nursing
Many nurses look to an RN-to-BSN program to advance their careers but find an unexpected benefit in promoting and improving the nursing industry. Nurses with additional education are positioned to gain advanced degrees like the MSN or DNP. These nurses represent the industry in a broader stage, can help fill the primary care provider gap, and can help alleviate the nursing faculty shortage. Because nursing makes constant progress in developing evidence-based practices, McClenny says BSN coursework often reflects real-time industry needs. “I ask students, ‘What are your managers, your administrators, your educators looking for from you?’”
With many hospitals and organizations now requiring a BS/BSN, career options expand significantly with the degree. “The AACN and healthcare organizations with Magnet hospital status fundamentally view nurses with BS/BSN as leading to a better quality of care for patients and improved outcomes,” says Bray. “The nurse with a BS/BSN in nursing has greater opportunities to select a position from various nursing settings.”
Read the January issue of Minority Nurse focusing on RN-to-BSN and Nurse Residency Programs here.
With January 1 right around the corner, the end of the year is a prime time for many people to start thinking about change. New Year’s resolutions often focus on doing something better, so establishing good financial habits and a reliable budget is a great place to start.
Pablo Oliva, a wealth advisor with Northsight Wealth Management, LLC, says if you aren’t happy with the way your finances are going, the new year is a good time to take stock of your spending habits, and also to set some new habits in motion. “Budgeting is just a way to visualize how much money you have coming in and how much you have going out,” he says.
If the holidays drained your bank account and your budget more than you anticipated, start the new year with a different plan. “Cut out some unnecessary expenses,” Oliva advises while also using different techniques for savings. If you spent too much over the holidays, open up a separate account in January that’s devoted solely to holiday expenses. “Put in 50 or 100 dollars a month to start to save,” he says. “And then you aren’t scrambling.”
And to give your overall budget efforts a boost, use one of many budgeting tools or apps. Some tools can link to all your credit accounts and deliver a spending report that will show you where you have been spending your money. Is most of your available cash going to expenses you need to live or is it going to invisible costs like eating out?
As a professional, Oliva says he revisits his personal budget every six months or so. Without that check in, it’s easy to lose track of how you’re spending. To get started, find a budgeting tool, use a spreadsheet, or even grab a pad of paper and enter in all of your income from full-time work, side jobs, cash you receive after taxes, health care or insurances, and 401k or retirement savings have been deducted.
With that final amount, Oliva recommends dividing your available money using a 50/30/20 rule. Fifty percent is for your needs such as rent or mortgage, utilities, gas, or cell phone. The 30 percent is for wants such as a gym membership or subscriptions for streaming or music. Budget the final 20 percent is for debt and savings such as credit card debt, student loans, or an auto loan. “In general, for every one thousand after taxes, if you follow the 50/30/20 rule, no more than $300 of that amount goes to wants,” he says. If your needs amounts total more than 50 percent, you are living over your means and should look to reduce your expenses.
And as you look at the different percentages, remember that you should meet your mortgage payment before tackling something like a high credit card balance.
And before you really focus on your debt, you want to protect yourself from unexpected financial hiccups. Ideally, you want to have four to six months of basic needs costs in a savings account.
“It’s scary opening up about finances,” says Oliva, “particularly if your family or culture discourages it. But if your financial picture isn’t in a good spot and you don’t know how to fix it, it’s time to get some help.”
Taking control of your budget process takes work, but the benefits are worth it. Educate yourself or hire a professional–just start.
A legal disclosure from Northsight for this interview: Investment advisory services are offered through Northsight Wealth Management, LLC (NSMW), a Registered Investment Advisor. Northsight Wealth Management, LLC will only provide investment advisory services in jurisdictions where it is registered as an investment adviser or exempt from registration. Insurance products and services are offered and sold through individually licensed and appointed insurance agents. NSWM does not provide legal or tax advice.
Boosting its commitment to underrepresented nursing leaders, Vanderbilt University School of Nursing has secured a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for its innovative leadership program, Academy for Diverse Emerging Nurse Leaders.
The academy is a groundbreaking, five-day immersive fellowship designed to train nurses from underrepresented backgrounds in nursing leadership who are in early leader roles in health systems and nursing schools and those committed to expanding and supporting diversity in nursing leadership. It is produced in partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The program began in November 2022 with Rolanda Johnson, PhD’98, FAAN, professor of nursing and School of Nursing associate dean for equity, diversity, and inclusion, and Mamie Williams, PhD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center senior director for nurse diversity and inclusion, serving as co-directors. Johnson is named as the principal investigator for the grant.
The program—and the Moore Foundation grant—are designed to meet a very specific challenge in nursing leadership.
“The number of administrators from diverse backgrounds is limited in nursing education and health care systems. Students and the nursing workforce need leaders with shared experiences and those who support diversity in nursing,” said Pam Jeffries, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, FSSH, dean of the School of Nursing. “The academy is the vision of two talented leaders and educators, Rolanda Johnson and Mamie Williams. They saw a need to create and build a pipeline for diverse leaders at Vanderbilt and throughout health care and academia nationally.”
The primary goal of ADENL is to equip nurses at the early stages of their managerial careers with education, tools, and support to navigate the challenges of being leaders committed to expanding and supporting diversity in nursing leadership.
“The academy provides a unique opportunity for a diverse group of emerging nurse leaders to come together, develop networking opportunities and peer-to-peer opportunities, and gain information from leadership experts within the nursing profession and other disciplines,” Johnson said.
ADENL’s curriculum covers key leadership skills such as strategic planning, team building, and finance. Additionally, the program prioritizes personal development, focusing on mediating biases and understanding how personal experiences influence leadership approaches. It also addresses specific topics such as health equity, racism mitigation, and productive conflict.ADENL offers fellows the opportunity to engage with leaders across diverse sectors, emphasizing that the challenges tied to justice, equity, and diversity permeate beyond just nursing.
The academy’s vision extends beyond the program, closely tracking each fellow’s project development and career progression to measure the initiative’s long-term impact.
Upon completing the academy, fellows venture into real-world leadership projects. Current projects include support initiatives for male nurses and specialized programs for international nurses in hospitals.
With the goal of extending the ADENL initiative on a national scale, particularly in collaboration with HBCUs, the program aspires to mentor and shape 80 national nursing leaders over the next two years. The Moore Foundation grant will allow Vanderbilt to offer the program twice a year, expand recruitment, and assist with various program needs, including faculty travel, scholarships for fellows, and funding for individual leadership projects.
The inaugural ADENL cohort in 2022 witnessed participation from 18 fellows spanning nine states. Their experience was enriched by insights from 31 national and regional faculty members.
Williams said that fellows count the relationships they make with other students as a significant asset of the program. “They formed very strong bonds and very strong relationships with one another,” she said. “I think that will continue throughout their careers, and these will be people that they can rely on to offer them advice, support, and encouragement.”
The fall 2023 ADENL session welcomed 16 participants from November 13-17, 2023. The new spring academy, made possible with the Moore Foundation grant, will be held March 18-22, 2024. More information is available here.
In a fitting tribute to her commitment, Johnson was recently honored with the Joseph A. Johnson, Jr. Distinguished Leadership Professor Award. The award celebrates a Vanderbilt faculty member who has proactively nurtured an academic environment where everyone feels valued, and diversity is celebrated.
Fidelindo Lim, DNP, CCRN, FAAN, a clinical associate professor at New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing, has worked as a critical care nurse for 18 years and concurrently, since 1996, has been a nursing faculty member.
In 2013, Dr. Lim conducted the seminal national study of faculty knowledge, experience, and readiness for teaching LGBTQ+ health in BSN programs across the U.S., and the groundbreaking findings of his research on LGBTQ+ health integration in nursing have been cited in six white papers and at least nine LGBTQ+ policy statements by leading stakeholders.
Dr. Lim has published over 200 articles on various topics, including clinical practice, nursing education, LGBTQ+ health, reflective practice, preceptorship, men in nursing, nursing humanities, and Florence Nightingale. He has been designated as a Nurse Influencer by the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) American Nurse Journal. Additionally, Dr. Lim is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and New York University’s Aging Incubator and an NYU Meyers Alumni Association board member.
In 2021, Dr. Lim was one of four nurses featured in the ANA-sponsored documentary film “American Nurse Heroes,” a multi-channel network television event celebrating the Year of the Nurse.
He’s the faculty advisor to various nursing student groups at NYU Meyers, including the Asian Pacific-Islander Nursing Students Association, Men Entering Nursing, the LGBT Nursing Student Association, and also a founding member of NYC American Association for Men in Nursing, which represents the goals of men in nursing and advancing men’s health. Dr. Lim frequently brings male nursing students to local New York City schools—including an all-boys school—to provide health education, introduce students to nursing as a career path, and have them see male role models. Dr. Lim has fostered salience in nursing education through high-quality extracurricular programming and active learning and is an imitable mentor and coach to countless students and nurses.
The series highlights healthcare leaders who are prominent figures in their organizations and are making transformational impacts in nursing.
Meet Dr. Fidel Lim, DNP, CCRN, FAAN, a New York University Meyers College of Nursing clinical associate professor.
Talk about your role in nursing and how long you have worked in the nursing field.
I have been a nurse for 36 years—nineteen years as a staff nurse on the night shift in the critical care unit. I have been simultaneously teaching at New York University Meyers College of Nursing since 1996.
Why did you become a nurse?
I got into nursing quite serendipitously. When I was 15 and a half years old, I was sent to Manila by my parents to get a college education. I didn’t know what career to take. I was going with the flow. My sister, who took me to the university to apply for college, was in her last trimester of pregnancy. In those days, college applications had to be done in person. She told me she couldn’t stand in line for long because of her swollen feet. So, I suggested that we go to the shortest line – which was the nursing program’s line.
What are the most important attributes of today’s nursing leaders?
Inspiring others (subordinates, peers, colleagues, students) to achieve their level best is one of the true marks of a leader. It seems rare to find this attribute these days. We have plenty of managers and taskmasters but only some true leaders.
What does being a nursing leader mean to you, and what are you most proud of?
I am proud to have mentored many students over the past two decades. Being a leader means modeling the behaviors you want others to manifest or emulate. A leader must be sincere and intentional in making authentic relationships, not fake camaraderie.
Tell us about your career path and how you ascended to that role.
My first job out of nursing school was as a public health nurse for the Philippine National Red Cross. The bulk of my role was conducting health education training for local villagers. I was particularly amazed to discover that I was comfortable standing in front of an audience, having fun connecting with people, and enhancing their health literacy. This inspired me to pursue my master’s in nursing education at New York University. I was fortunate to be taught by leaders in nursing education and practice. I was like a sponge. I soaked up every bit of inspiration, wisdom, technical and relational skills, emulated my betters, and made these my own. When I graduated from NYU in 1996, I was offered a job as an adjunct faculty member, and in 2008, I transitioned to a clinical assistant professor. Currently, my title is Clinical Associate Professor.
What is the most significant challenge facing nursing today?
The nursing profession’s most significant challenge is keeping nurses at the bedside where they are most needed. The staff nurse turnover is very high. Bedside work has now become a short stop for many new grads on their way to a career as advanced practice nurses and nurse practitioners. There was a time when there were much fewer career choices for nurses. So, nurses stayed on their jobs much longer or held the same job until they retired. Nursing has become the most flexible and dynamic role; the work choices are endless. There is an internal brain drain within the profession.
As an educator, one of the most significant challenges for me is the burgeoning technology, the latest of which is ChatGPT. Appraising students’ learning is much more complicated nowadays if we rely too much on writing assignments. There is also a big disconnect between how we train nurses and the real-time demands of the job. The nursing school focuses on layering facts on the student’s already full plate but is very lean on providing clinical experiences with actual patients. Competency is more important than comprehension.
As a nursing leader, how are you working to overcome this challenge?
Like any complex issue, the challenges in the nursing profession require collaborative solutions from various stakeholders. For example, hospitals should invest (financial and material) in enhancing the clinical experience of student nurses to transition them into therole. Providing opportunities for advancement within the institution is another solution.
As a nursing faculty, I am constantly reading and teaching myself how to hone my skills in teaching, managing large classes, crucial conversations with students, and mentoring others. I remind myself that nursing education should not only teach how to save lives but also how to live.
What nursing leader inspires you the most and why?
I am an avid fan of Florence Nightingale. I have read her most famous book, Notes on Nursing, many times. Nightingale’s erudition and no-nonsense approach to the challenges she faced is what I try to emulate. Her stamina for hard work was a wonder. She was the first and true nurse influencer. She did not depend on how many “likes” she got; she wanted to do what was right for the patient.
What inspirational message would you like to share with the next generation of nurses?
In nursing school, you get the lessons first and then get tested. In real life, you get the test first; then, you learn the lesson. In and out of nursing, you will discover many tedious things you will forget. But it is better to have learned and lost than never to have learned at all.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Have a growth mindset and be patient. Nursing education is different from what it used to be. But then, again, what is?
