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What are the most important non medical lessons that a nursing student must learn upon entering a professional environment of nursing and patient care? #Spring25

I will be an incoming freshman pursing a BSN. Nursing school is intended to provide you with the medical aspects and patient care components of the field. I want to be prepared for this as well as other obstacles that might come my way in order to be a more well rounded healthcare worker.

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James’s Answer

Healthcare is very complicated, and it is wonderful that you already recognize there are aspects that are not just learning anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology...
Communication is at the heart of nursing. Practicing how to actively listen to understand what patients need and how to explain things in a way that feels supportive and respectful are key. It is a great help to speak more than one language (if this interests you, it is wonderful to become a certified interpreter as it is super helpful to the team).
Ian is correct in pointing out that business aspects of healthcare are necessary evils. We all must learn best practices that optimize efficiency and quality. I am a pediatric intensivist who consults on "Lean Healthcare" based on the Toyota Management System. You may find you enjoy becoming expert in process improvement.
You could also consider getting education in hospital administration. I know some fantastic nurse researchers. So, learning research techniques and biostatistics could be of interest.
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Ian’s Answer

This is a very insightful question. The greatest stressor for practicing nurses (or any clinician) is that healthcare is more of a business than it is healthcare. There is constant conflict between the quality of patient care and the business side related to policy, regulation, and reimbursement. The goal for hospital administration and medical providers is to find the balance every day. At the end of every day, we must ask ourselves if we did what was right for the patient. Did we provide the very best care to this patient today? The answer may vary from day to day but it doesn't mean you are not a good provider if the answer is negative.
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