Four Ways to Become a Standout Nursing Student

Four Ways to Be a Standout Nursing Student
Growing demand for nurses makes it easy to believe that succeeding in nursing school and then landing a job is as simple as showing up with a pulse.
Talk about a misdiagnosis.
Yes, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics foresees the need for nearly 600,000 new nurses by 2018, but employers and patients still want standout nursing students. Here’s how you can become one of them and move to the head of your class.
Use Your Teachers’ Tough Feedback to Improve
In nursing, the stakes are high, so your instructors’ and clinical supervisors’ constructive criticism is often blunt. But it might help you save a future patient’s life.
“Your sociology professor never tells you your bedside manner stinks or your penmanship is sloppy,” says Nancy Saks, RN, DNSc, chair of the nursing department at National University in California. “Nursing instructors give this type of feedback. A great nursing student receives it and improves.”
Learn More Than What’s Required
Standout nursing students master the profession’s basic skills and actively push to learn more, says Jane Gould, president and CEO of Visiting Nurse Regional Health Care System, which employs home-health nurses throughout the New York City area.
“This student often goes beyond course requirements in their readings, raising questions, seeking to learn from their own and others’ experience, and applying new learning in their clinical experiences,” Gould says.
A great student “takes nursing education and makes it part of their life,” explains Kathryn Tart, EdD, MSN, RN, associate professor of nursing at the Houston campus of Texas Woman’s University.
Gloria Donnelly, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions at Drexel University, describes one such student: Felicia Sode.
While doing clinical work at a local hospital, Sode received rave reviews from the staff. “She was not shy about asking questions when she needed to check with a more-experienced nurse,” Donnelly says. “If she finished her work sooner than expected, she asked if there was more she could do or if she could be assigned to assist another nurse. She pitched in with the scutwork and took every advantage to converse with the staff about clinical issues and about their own careers.”
The result: Sode “raised the bar for everyone,” Donnelly says, and received two job offers months before her June 2006 graduation.
Demonstrate Responsibility and Accountability
“I have found that nursing students have a problem talking with and/or approaching a professor when they’re not doing well in a class, and, moreover, the student often doesn’t take accountability for their performance,” says Beth Kaskel, ND, RN, director of Ohio Northern University’s nursing program. Nursing students must show initiative — just as nurses should when patients’ lives are at stake.
Kaskel recently asked three students for their current grades in chemistry. None of them knew or had even asked. “A professional-practice nurse cannot behave this way,” she says.
Show You Care
The nursing student who thrives in school and at work is the one “who not only provides the appropriate care but also invests in the patient,” says Cathy Antonacci, PhD, RN, an assistant professor of nursing at Utica College in New York.
“This student is truly interested in how the patient is and wants to know what more he or she can do to promote comfort or a sense of well-being for the patient and their family,” she says.
Learn more Nursing Tips:
- Nursing Study Tips
- 5 Tips For a Pain-Free Nursing Education
- Balancing Studying With A Full Time Job | 5 Helpful Tips For Nursing Students
- Dear Zombie Nursing Students – Wake Up With These 10 Tips!
- Do Nursing School Grades Matter?
- How Do you Network in Nursing? | Different Types of Professional Networks in Nursing
- Mentorship: Growing the Leader Within
- 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nursing Students
- Seven Highly Effective Habits for Nursing Students
- How to Study in Nursing School
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Tiffany
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Tiffany is a recent PN grad. She shares her story, "Working as a phlebotomist at a plasma…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Heartwarming Stories of Nurses Who Went Beyond Their Call of Duty
Article and Image Content shared from Readers Digest. When it comes to kindness, compassion, and caring for others, nurses have us all beat. They work…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Heartwarming Stories of Nurses Who Went Beyond Their Call of Duty
Article and Image Content shared from Readers Digest. When it comes to kindness, compassion, and caring for others, nurses have us all beat. They work…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Heartwarming Stories of Nurses Who Went Beyond Their Call of Duty
Article and Image Content shared from Readers Digest. Image credit: COURTESY MARK SHIPMAN When it comes to kindness, compassion, and caring for others, nurses have…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Heartwarming Stories of Nurses Who Went Beyond Their Call of Duty
Article and Image Content shared from Readers Digest. When it comes to kindness, compassion, and caring for others, nurses have us all beat. They work…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Heartwarming Stories of Nurses Who Went Above and Beyond Their Call of Duty
Article and Image Content shared from Readers Digest. When it comes to kindness, compassion, and caring for others, nurses have us all beat. They work…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Personal Finance – Here’s How Much Money Phlebotomists Make In Every State In 2022
Phlebotomists perform an invaluable role in the medical world and beyond. They draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, and research, not to mention explaining to…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Sumner College Blood Drive
Last week Sumner College held a blood drive. Here are some photos from the day.…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Sharon
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Sharon is a recent Medical Assisting grad. She shares her story, "Before enrolling in Sumner College’s…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Patrick
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Patrick is a recent LPN grad. He shares his story, "Prior to enrolling at Sumner College,…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
ALL IN: Johnson&Johnson WellBeing for Healthcare Campaign
ALL IN: WellBeing First for Healthcare is a call to action by #FirstRespondersFirst and The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation as a coalition of leading…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Lyric
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Lyric is a recent LPN grad. She shares her story, "Prior to attending Sumner College, I…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
#Hiring a Clinical Coordinator – Nursing Programs
JOB DESCRIPTION Position: Clinical Coordinator for Nursing Programs Supervisor: College President Job Description of Clinical Coordinator: The Clinical Coordinator is responsible for acquiring and maintaining clinical sites…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Sunday, May 7th is Mother’s Day
Happy Mother's Day from Sumner College!…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Kaitlyn
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Kaitlyn is a recent LPN grad. She shares her story, "Wanting to expand my skills as…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Julie
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Julie is a recent RN grad. She shares her story, "Prior to enrolling in Sumner College’s…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Now Hiring! Nurse Educator Associate Labs & Clinicals
Job Summary: The Nurse Educator Associate will teach, guide students in their labs and clinicals, along with enhancing the design of the curriculum. This person…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Hannah
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Hannah is a recent LPN grad. She shares her story, "Before I started the Practical Nursing…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Derek
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Derek is a recent Medical Assisting grad. He shares his story, "Before enrolling at Sumner College,…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
5 Careers You Can Start with Short-Term Training
Content Shared from CareerOneStop.org Phlebotomist What Phlebotomists Do: Phlebotomists draw blood for tests, transfusions, research, or blood donations. Work Environment: Phlebotomists work mainly in hospitals, medical and…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Options After High School
Article shared from CareerOneStop.org. Wondering about what your options are once you complete high school – besides a 4-year degree? School counselors want students and…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
The Pulse | Spring 2022 Newsletter
Newsletter Spring 2022…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Sumner College ABHES and CCNE Accreditations
Sumner College is proud to be accredited with ABHES and the CCNE. Why is this important to you as a student? Because it gives you…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Sumner College | A Niche Partner School
Sumner College is a proud partner with online college search engine, Niche. Visit our Oregon Campus or our Arizona Campus.…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
#Hiring Administrative Assistant, Nursing Program
Sumner College is hiring an Administrative Assistant for the Nursing Program. Submit your qualifications and resume to employment@sumnercollege.edu Position: Administrative Assistant, Nursing Program Supervisor: Senior…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Crystal
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Crystal is a recent LPN grad. She shares her story, "Before enrolling in Sumner’s Practical Nursing…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Celebrating Sumner Graduates | Meet Amber
At Sumner College, we like to celebrate our graduates. Amber is a recent LPN grad. She shares her story, "Before enrolling in Sumner College’s Practical…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
National Nurses Week – May 6-12, 2022
From assisting with life-threatening ER crises to delivering babies and caring for the elderly in their last moments, nurses perform some of the most difficult…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Working as a Phlebotomist – What to expect
According to WebMD, Phlebotomy is when someone uses a needle to take blood from a vein, usually in your arm. Also called a blood draw or…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn
Crushing Male Nurses Stigmas and Stereotypes
Men become Nurses for the same reason women do, to take care of people. And even though Male Nurses are becoming more common, they still…
Share at FacebookShare at TwitterShare at PinterestShare at LinkedIn