Nursing school can teach the skills, but what happens when the patient is no longer a simulation?

Nursing instructor Jenny Hill, MSN-Ed, RN, joins Voices of Vital Care to explore the transition from the classroom and simulation lab to real-world nursing clinicals, where students begin learning how to think like nurses.

Drawing from 20 years as a registered nurse and 15 years at the bedside, Jenny shares what it takes for nursing students to build confidence, develop clinical judgment and recognize subtle changes in a patient's condition. She talks about students freezing under pressure, the difference between being “book smart” and being ready at the bedside, why asking questions matters, and how instructors balance giving students room to learn with protecting patient safety.

The conversation also comes full circle as Jenny reflects on seeing former nursing students become colleagues, charge nurses and Daisy Award recipients. It’s a look inside nursing clinical education and the experiences that help transform a student completing a checklist into a nurse capable of seeing and caring for the whole patient.

Voices of Vital Care explores the people, careers and experiences shaping healthcare and allied health.

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, stance, or position of Pima Medical Institute.

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