By the time nursing students are seniors,
they should know how to do the tasks of being a nurse - assessments, medication
administration, wound and trach care, etc. However, successful nurses know that
to be a good nurse, you must also know how to connect the dots.
Connecting the dots involves completing
the tasks while finding the time to check labs, round with physicians, consider
discharge plans and actually educate patients to ensure they leave the hospital
with more knowledge than they did when they arrived. It’s about time
management and prioritization. It’s about considering the needs of the patient
beyond the shift.
Student nurses who focus on acquiring
these skills succeed.
