Shadowing a Nurse

[maltonole]

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Has anyone ever shadowed a nurse and was it beneficial? I am going to do this soon and it will be my first shadowing experience. I think it will be a good opportunity to see how nurses work with the physicians from the nurse's standpoint.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

it won't inform you terribly much about the physician world. this is coming from an rn.

 

[H2O2]

Has anyone ever shadowed a nurse and was it beneficial? I am going to do this soon and it will be my first shadowing experience. I think it will be a good opportunity to see how nurses work with the physicians from the nurse's standpoint.

Yes, that in fact was the only real shadowing I've done. I had to shadow a nurse in the ER as part of my EMT training.

I shadowed physicans for less than 20 hours, and they were not having busy days. My nurse shadowing, however, was jammed pack.

Just remember to do shadowing for your own benefit and not think it a tool to admissions. I was freaked out because I only had about 30 hours of shadowing total, while some people here on SDN have 200+ hours. I have been accepted to multiple schools, and not a singe school asked me why my shadowing was "so low".

 

[bannie22]

haha 😀


that is so randommmm
u job shadow only because u wanna learn about a job...
you dont job shadow an office worker to learn how to be a CEO rite? looolz

 

[wanderer]

Don't expect it to count for your "shadowing hours." It is probably useful to do, but you might get asked, "Why not nursing?" Just have a good answer.

 

[Tatastrophy]

haha 😀


that is so randommmm
u job shadow only because u wanna learn about a job...
you dont job shadow an office worker to learn how to be a CEO rite? looolz

I am sorry you might be a really nice person and will make a great doctor but I'd reread your post and consider whether you want to continue to sound like a tool.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

i am sorry you might be a really nice person and will make a great doctor but i'd reread your post and consider whether you want to continue to sound like a tool.

+1

 

[bannie22]

i apologize... again 🙁


i guess its the office worker->CEO part.


ill try again.


i guess u do not want to shadow a nurse to learn how to be a xray tech? something like that...
or just vice versa. u dont shadow a doc in preparation to be a nurse 🙂

is this better?

🙁

 

[RogueUnicorn]

👍

 

[Tatastrophy]

better.
these are the people you will work with every day, I'd think long and hard about how you want to treat people that cover your behind.

 

[bannie22]

😀

i promise to treat them exceptionally well 🙂

 

[randombetch]

haha 😀


that is so randommmm
u job shadow only because u wanna learn about a job...
you dont job shadow an office worker to learn how to be a CEO rite? looolz

I thought that was a GREAT analogy!

Also: you don't shadow a hooker if you want to be a pimp.

 

[bannie22]

yay 🙂

 

[maltonole]

haha 😀


that is so randommmm
u job shadow only because u wanna learn about a job...
you dont job shadow an office worker to learn how to be a CEO rite? looolz

That CEO must have been an office worker in some point in his career I would suppose. Do you agree that when both physician and nurse understand where each is coming from they can have a more productive workplace? I know that a physicians knows what nurses do, but coming from someone who is not a physician, it is beneficial for me to know.

 

[Technorino]

haha 😀


that is so randommmm
u job shadow only because u wanna learn about a job...
you dont job shadow an office worker to learn how to be a CEO rite? looolz

Explain how it's random and the disadvantages of shadowing a nurse?

 

[bannie22]

Explain how it's random and the disadvantages of shadowing a nurse?

ARE U SERIOUS? WHO ARE YOU ANYWAY?

DID U CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT ON SDN TO ASK ME THAT?

OH MY GOSH!

ure hilarious, whoever you are.

its random because if ure here, you want to become a doctor. so why would you shadow a nurse?

if u look into job shadowing at your career center, you shadow the occupation you are interested in pursuing, not some other occupation within the same building.

like my previous analogies.
do u shadow a doctor in ur pursuit to become a nurse?

do u shadow a bartender to become a waiter?
do u shadow a waiter to become a chef?
do u shadow a chef to become the farmer?
do u shadow the farmer to become the city mayor?

-.-

its not a disadvantage. nobody said it was.
it is RANDOM.

 

[Technorino]

ARE U SERIOUS? WHO ARE YOU ANYWAY?
Fairly serious AND im a student.

DID U CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT ON SDN TO ASK ME THAT?
Can you read? It clearly says September 2009 as the registered date. Tisk tisk tisk.

OH MY GOSH!
Not a believer huh?

ure hilarious, whoever you are.
I told you who i am and thanks for the acknowledgment.

its random because if ure here, you want to become a doctor. so why would you shadow a nurse?
So if i wanted to become a doctor, are you saying that shadowing a nurse would do nothing to advance my knowledge on the medical field? So a nurse is useless when it comes to giving tips on what a physician's lifestyle is like? I mean after all...they do work with them day in and day out, don't they?

if u look into job shadowing at your career center, you shadow the occupation you are interested in pursuing, not some other occupation within the same building.
Who said he is is strictly doing the former, and won't do the latter in the future?

like my previous analogies.
do u shadow a doctor in ur pursuit to become a nurse?
If you want more info, sure, you can do what you want.

do u shadow a bartender to become a waiter?
Essentially, they are the same thing because they are serving you.
do u shadow a waiter to become a chef?
Essentially, if you look at a lot of the top chefs in the world, they were once waiters. Tisk Tisk.
do u shadow a chef to become the farmer?
No correlation.
do u shadow the farmer to become the city mayor?
Now you've just become an idiot in my mind.

-.-

its not a disadvantage. nobody said it was.
it is RANDOM.

So how is it random again? I forgot.

...

 

[bannie22]

...

 

[bannie22]

That CEO must have been an office worker in some point in his career I would suppose. Do you agree that when both physician and nurse understand where each is coming from they can have a more productive workplace? I know that a physicians knows what nurses do, but coming from someone who is not a physician, it is beneficial for me to know.

go for it. at the same time, please remember to shadow the xray tech, the ct tech, every single specialist in the hospital, the volunteer coordinator, the starbucks server, ya know... they all work in tandem to create teh positive ambiance that is the hospital.

😴

 

[bunnity]

As a cardiac technician I found myself wishing on a daily basis that the doctors had spent time learning about what the other people in a hospital do. Things look different from the bottom than they do from the top. The best cardiologists took the time to learn about our jobs and how our department ran, and this translated to the best patient care because everyone was on the same page and the communication was much smoother.

Please remember that as a doctor you are not more worthy, important, or noble than anyone else in the hospital. You get a leadership position (sometimes) but that does not make you better or more important than anyone else. Wait until you are the doctor asking me to read the EKG because you have no idea how, and then re-evaluate the highness of your horse.

Also, coming from a long-time transcriptionist, I'm not transcribing any reports with lols or unnecessary extra letters on the ends of words, so you might want to learn how to write right.

 

[jka0067]

Why not shadow a nurse?
But I will tell you, you get a "secondary exposure" to the nurse's role in a hospital while shadowing a physician, especially if you're shadowing in a trauma ER and a code is called or a critical patient comes in via EMS. They literally administer 95% of the care, with the remaining 5% coming from procedures (lac repair, conscious sedation, I&D, etc) performed by the ER doc (not an exact number but you get the idea).

 

[RogueUnicorn]

As a cardiac technician I found myself wishing on a daily basis that the doctors had spent time learning about what the other people in a hospital do. Things look different from the bottom than they do from the top. The best cardiologists took the time to learn about our jobs and how our department ran, and this translated to the best patient care because everyone was on the same page and the communication was much smoother.

Please remember that as a doctor you are not more worthy, important, or noble than anyone else in the hospital. You get a leadership position (sometimes) but that does not make you better or more important than anyone else. Wait until you are the doctor asking me to read the EKG because you have no idea how, and then re-evaluate the highness of your horse.

Also, coming from a long-time transcriptionist, I'm not transcribing any reports with lols or unnecessary extra letters on the ends of words, so you might want to learn how to write right.

i am calling BS on this

 

[KeyzerSoze]

i am calling BS on this

agreed

 

[Evergrey]

Shadowing a nurse is actual useful because it'll allow you to actually decide first-hand why you want to be a doctor rather than a nurse. It also shows maturity because you've considered healthcare beyond the sentiments of "oooooh I wanna be a doctor because doctors are, like, really cool and stuff!!" I shadowed a PA for a morning and was really able to talk to him about his job and what he was capable of, and it helped convince me that I would be happier as a physician than a PA.

 

[bunnity]

i am calling BS on this

I wish you were right. Now most docs can read an EKG fine. But I have had those that I hand the EKG to and they try to hand it back and ask me how to read it.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

I wish you were right. Now most docs can read an EKG fine. But I have had those that I hand the EKG to and they try to hand it back and ask me how to read it.

again, that's extremely hard to believe for a couple of reasons... first, the new EKG machines these days have autodiagnosis, and second, well, it's just EKG. even nurses read EKGs.

 

[iatros]

reasons to shadow a nurse:

1) it gives you perspective. you absof***kinglutely NEED to know how to interact with nurses. as a doc, if you dont know how to play on a team, you will lose.
2) if you think you can't learn anything from a nurse, you're wrong. nurses spend way more time with patients than docs do... you will have a lot of cool experiences hanging out with nurses.
3) nurses spend a lot of time working with the docs... they will be able to share objectively from what they observe. what is it like to be a doc? ask someone who knows!
4) there are lots of veteran nurses who are happy to share lots of medical knowledge. i'd bet it's easier to gain access to an old nurse than an old doc....and older nurses probably have a better idea of whats going on than new docs.

but first and foremost: reason #1 is probably the most critical. lots of nurses hate young docs cuz they dont know how to play nice. nurses play a huge role in YOUR success so it's important to understand what they do and appreciate their work.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

I think shadowing a nurse is useful to know how a hospital runs (because nurses do run the hospital) but it won't show you as much about what a doctor does. I think it could be useful, but I wouldn't recommend that it be your only shadowing experience. Be sure to shadow physicians as well.

 

[iatros]

go for it. at the same time, please remember to shadow the xray tech, the ct tech, every single specialist in the hospital, the volunteer coordinator, the starbucks server, ya know... they all work in tandem to create teh positive ambiance that is the hospital.

😴

no need to be like that. you could learn a lot from a shift or two in the rad or lab depts.... adcoms appreciate candidates who have a broad spectrum of med experience / exposure.

Things look different from the bottom than they do from the top.

absolutely true. couldnt agree more.

Wait until you are the doctor asking me to read the EKG

i doubt docs can't read an ekg...maybe if you went to the carrib 🙂

its really not hard to read an ekg BUT- the docs DO make medical judgements based on the results of the tests / procedures YOU perform and sometimes they will ask YOUR opinion.

example- ER doc discusses an xray with the rad tech. rad tech sees a lot of xrays... probably sorta knows what he's talking about.

write right.

write correctly?

 

[bannie22]

again, that's extremely hard to believe for a couple of reasons... first, the new EKG machines these days have autodiagnosis, and second, well, it's just EKG. even nurses read EKGs.

i would like to emphasize the word in bold

this coming from a rn.


anyway, the OP asked for advice on her shadowing, and i am just stating my opinion.

great to get more experience, but lets NOT be STUBBORN here. do you really shadow a waiter when you want to be a chef? do you shadow the coach when you want to be an athlete?

what i'm saying is, better off doing something more relevant with your time. better off doing something that contributes more to society.

thats my opinion, and OP asked for it. 🙄

 

[RogueUnicorn]

i would like to emphasize the word in bold

this coming from a rn.


anyway, the OP asked for advice on her shadowing, and i am just stating my opinion.

great to get more experience, but lets NOT be STUBBORN here. do you really shadow a waiter when you want to be a chef? do you shadow the coach when you want to be an athlete?

what i'm saying is, better off doing something more relevant with your time. better off doing something that contributes more to society.

thats my opinion, and OP asked for it. 🙄

i think where you're a bit off is that you're dismissing it entirely. i don't think it's useless, but i do think, as i've stated previously, that it won't be particularly helpful in seeing the MD side of things. if this is not what the OP is looking for anyway, then it should be no problem.

 

[bannie22]

Has anyone ever shadowed a nurse and was it beneficial? I am going to do this soon and it will be my first shadowing experience. I think it will be a good opportunity to see how nurses work with the physicians from the nurse's standpoint.

okay. perhaps its not entirely irrelevant, but i find it random because, why dont u shadow a doctor instead? there are hundreds of specialties and you can spend your entire life shadowing each variant...


beneficial? not as much as shadowing a doc...

see how nurses work from nurses's standpoint?
great! but what about seeing how physicians work with nurses from the physicians standpoint. after all, you want to be a doctor right?

 

[zebalong]

I think shadowing a nurse is useful to know how a hospital runs (because nurses do run the hospital) but it won't show you as much about what a doctor does. I think it could be useful, but I wouldn't recommend that it be your only shadowing experience. Be sure to shadow physicians as well.

Hmm... i was debating on whether or not to post on this threat but I'm hoping my opinion as a RN could be useful to this question.

My background is I'm a charge nurse (nursing supervisor) for a big teaching emergency department.

I do have people come to shadow nurses in my department, mainly from my undergrad. The reason many of them shadow is (as stated above) to get a better understanding of nurse/md roles, relationships, career, and lifestyle. Most have said the shadowing experience is extremely beneficial for many reasons.

The nurse can explain what they do and more importantly what they don't do. In simplelest terms the MD creates the general direction for the plan of care and the nurse guides and executes the plan of care. Shadowing in general, in any big healthcare system can take away a lot of misconceptions. In the ED our nurses function with a high level of autonomy. With the creation of standardized order sets, many nurses can start the plan of care w/o a physician present. We function off of order sets that allow us to administer/titrate drugs, send lab tests, order ekgs by ourselves in order to care for our patients.

Students also like seeing, visualizing a plan of care being executed and being able to see, interpret the patient response. Following a nurse is the best way to do this, since the nurse is the one who does most of the care. For example, if you order a nasogastric tube, you would want to know not only the benefits/risks, but you also would want to be able to tell your patient what they can expect to feel/experience. Ie that it is very uncomfortable, that they might get a bloody nose, that they will gag, that they should beable to speak, that their first instinct is to throw their head back, that drinking water through a straw can help pass the tube down... watching a nurse actually put a tube down is the best way to get an idea of what it is actually like.

We need our physicians and our physicians need us, we have a great working relationship (at least in my ED). The students that shadow us are amazed at how close our relationships are with our docs. Often our students talk to the nurse they are shadowing then can get hooked up with a doc for awhile to talk to them. The nicest thing about shadowing a nurse who works closely with their physician counter-parts (ie ED/ICU) is that the physicians are also assessible so that you can have a very generalized shadowing day, seeing aspects of both careers and also talking to a variety of health care professionals. I think this really can help in determining if a physician career path is the path for you (which is what shadowing is all about). Remember to ask about life style too, your career choice also some what dictates your life style.

Sorry this post is kinda all over the place, i just worked a 12hr shift and my brain is foggy.

 

[bannie22]

Has anyone ever shadowed a nurse and was it beneficial? I am going to do this soon and it will be my first shadowing experience. I think it will be a good opportunity to see how nurses work with the physicians from the nurse's standpoint.

Hmm... i was debating on whether or not to post on this threat but I'm hoping my opinion as a RN could be useful to this question.

My background is I'm a charge nurse (nursing supervisor) for a big teaching emergency department.

I do have people come to shadow nurses in my department, mainly from my undergrad. The reason many of them shadow is (as stated above) to get a better understanding of nurse/md roles, relationships, career, and lifestyle. Most have said the shadowing experience is extremely beneficial for many reasons.

The nurse can explain what they do and more importantly what they don't do. In simplelest terms the MD creates the general direction for the plan of care and the nurse guides and executes the plan of care. Watching it takes away a lot of misconceptions. In the ED our nurses function with a high level of autonomy. With the creation of standardized order sets, many nurses can start the plan of care w/o a physician present.

Students also like seeing, visualizing a plan of care being executed and being able to see, interpret the patient response. Following a nurse is the best way to do this, since the nurse is the one who does most of the care. For example, if you order a nasogastric tube, you would want to know not only the benefits/risks, but you also would want to be able to tell your patient what they can expect to feel/experience. Ie that it is very uncomfortable, that they might get a bloody nose, that they will gag, that they should beable to speak, that their first instinct is to throw their head back, that drinking water through a straw can help pass the tube down... watching a nurse actually put a tube down is the best way to get an idea of what it is actually like.

We need our physicians and our physicians need us, we have a great working relationship (at least in my ED). The students that shadow us are amazed at how close our relationships are with our docs. Often our students talk to the nurse they are shadowing then can get hooked up with a doc for awhile to talk to them. The nicest thing about shadowing a nurse who works closely with their physician counter-parts (ie ED/ICU) is that the physicians are also assessible so that you can have a very generalized shadowing day, seeing aspects of both careers and also talking to a variety of health care professionals. I think this really can help in determining if a physician career path is the path for you (which is what shadowing is all about). Remember to ask about life style too, your career choice also some what dictates your life style.

Sorry this post is kinda all over the place, i just worked a 12hr shift and my brain is foggy.

good stuff. like you said, it helps u determine your career path. but if u already want to be a doctor, shadowing a nurse, hopefully, will not drastically change your intentions for life.

but yes, i do not think shadowing nurses are a bad idea AT ALL! I just think for OP, who have made up her mind to be a physician, that there are better options for her that will not only help her learn much more, but also make her a stronger candidate for medical schools!


i love nurses alright. especially the one who always takes my blood when i get my blood tested. well she's more of a tech, but shes really good at drawing blood. no pain. and im done 😉

some physicians have a lot to learn in that respect 🙄

 

[LizzyM]

You know that "why medicine" is a standard interview question. How do you answer that question? Does it help to be able to say, "I've considered other careers in health care. I shadowed a.... and I worked as a .... and while I respect and admire what they do, I keep coming back to medicine because...."

believe me, that is such a better answer than, "I've always wanted to be a doctor because I like science and I want to help people."

A doc I know wrote, "Doctors save patients. Nurses save doctors."

If you've seen the world from their viewpoint, you may conduct yourself in a way that makes their lives, and your life, more pleasant and productive.

 

[Rawls87]

Oh weird Bannie is trolling around AGAIN.

 

[bannie22]

Oh weird Bannie is trolling around AGAIN.

🙄
people who hold grudges dont make good doctors. tsktsk

need to go out to the real world and learn that everyone has differing opinions 🙄

 

[maltonole]

OP is a guy and I am glad many agree that it is important to shadow a nurse while on the path to becoming a physician. Shadowing physicians is even more important but why not spend time learning about who the physician works with. It cannot hurt and time is well spent if it pertains to medicine.

 

[Tatastrophy]

You know that "why medicine" is a standard interview question. How do you answer that question? Does it help to be able to say, "I've considered other careers in health care. I shadowed a.... and I worked as a .... and while I respect and admire what they do, I keep coming back to medicine because...."

believe me, that is such a better answer than, "I've always wanted to be a doctor because I like science and I want to help people."

A doc I know wrote, "Doctors save patients. Nurses save doctors."

If you've seen the world from their viewpoint, you may conduct yourself in a way that makes their lives, and your life, more pleasant and productive.

Thanks LizzyM.
You always bring sanity and maturity when adolescent behavior threatens to turn this forum into a childish brawl.

 

[turkeyjerky]

You know that "why medicine" is a standard interview question. How do you answer that question? Does it help to be able to say, "I've considered other careers in health care. I shadowed a.... and I worked as a .... and while I respect and admire what they do, I keep coming back to medicine because...."

believe me, that is such a better answer than, "I've always wanted to be a doctor because I like science and I want to help people."

A doc I know wrote, "Doctors save patients. Nurses save doctors."

If you've seen the world from their viewpoint, you may conduct yourself in a way that makes their lives, and your life, more pleasant and productive.

Our dean was recently interviewed in the campus paper and they asked her why she decided to become a doctor. She said something along the lines of, "Well, I'd always loved science, and I wanted to help people."

 

[LizzyM]

Our dean was recently interviewed in the campus paper and they asked her why she decided to become a doctor. She said something along the lines of, "Well, I'd always loved science, and I wanted to help people."

And like most Deans, she'd be likely to say, "If I were applying today, I don't know if I'd be admitted."

 

[E24Gose]

Im not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but some doctors are truly rude and overbearing on nurses. I think everyone should shadow a nurse or PA to see what his/her day actually looks like. Hopefully, as a pre-med or med student it will give you a great appreciation for the people you work with. Remember, doctors may be the "captains" of the team, but no team can work if the captain is a jerk. Nurses are the people who make the hospital run, if you dont believe me, shadow a busy nurse.

 

[filhodeinferno]

I thought that was a GREAT analogy!

Also: you don't shadow a hooker if you want to be a pimp.

I second this.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Shadowing other allied health staff can be extremely helpful directly relating to becoming a doctor even if you've already made your mind up that that's what you want to do.

A few years ago, I wanted to do shadowing at the local hospital, but there wasn't a way to shadow just physicians. I wound up shadowing several nurses, rad. techs, dosimetrists, histology techs, a some others. I think it will be really beneficial for me to have had a closer look at these other areas. It's a lot easier to work effectively as a team and coordinate care when you know what the rest of the team really does.

It can also open other doors. I'd never heard of radiation oncologists but when I was talking to nurses in the rad/onc. clinic I got introduced to one of the doctors who sat and talk to me for quite awhile about what he does and I wound up getting to shadow him. Same thing in the pathology dept shadowing the histology techs, got to spend time going over the day to day stuff with the pathologists from listening to him transcribe his notes, to going over biopsy slides on the two headed scope.

Yes, shadowing physicians will probably be the most valuable as an applicant, but having the other perspectives will help you professionally.

P.S. as for calling B.S. on some Docs not knowing how to read EKG's, I totally believe it. I'm a clinical lab scientist working at a very reputable hospital and you would be amazed at some of the basic questions I get asked by doctors... sometimes it's downright scary. MOST have an impressive knowledge bank. There's a lot of information to know and for a scary few, it just seems to disappear along the way. Like the time we had a doctor call and ask if he could have his patient's med Peak and Trough tests drawn at the same time to save him stick....😕

 

[turkeyjerky]

And like most Deans, she'd be likely to say, "If I were applying today, I don't know if I'd be admitted."

False modesty doesn't negate hypocrisy.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Im not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but some doctors are truly rude and overbearing on nurses. I think everyone should shadow a nurse or PA to see what his/her day actually looks like. Hopefully, as a pre-med or med student it will give you a great appreciation for the people you work with. Remember, doctors may be the "captains" of the team, but no team can work if the captain is a jerk. Nurses are the people who make the hospital run, if you dont believe me, shadow a busy nurse.

there are some nurses that are truly rude and overbearing on doctors too.

 

[jvesco22]

you don't shadow a hooker if you want to be a pimp.

lmao, golden!

 

[mzztiffany]

As a cardiac technician I found myself wishing on a daily basis that the doctors had spent time learning about what the other people in a hospital do. Things look different from the bottom than they do from the top. The best cardiologists took the time to learn about our jobs and how our department ran, and this translated to the best patient care because everyone was on the same page and the communication was much smoother.

Please remember that as a doctor you are not more worthy, important, or noble than anyone else in the hospital. You get a leadership position (sometimes) but that does not make you better or more important than anyone else. Wait until you are the doctor asking me to read the EKG because you have no idea how, and then re-evaluate the highness of your horse.

Also, coming from a long-time transcriptionist, I'm not transcribing any reports with lols or unnecessary extra letters on the ends of words, so you might want to learn how to write right.

I'm not exactly sure what hospital you work at. But I'll be SURE never to go there. Every single doctors should be able to read a basic EKG. I've never heard of a dr asking a tech how to read one. Personally, if anything I'd ask one of my colleagues.

and Bannie - you seem to lack a lot of experience. I think you should actually get into medical school first before making judgments about other people's jobs and how much or little it contributes to another person on the team.

Besides - nurses sometimes have the down and dirty about jobs/hospitals/patients/ AND doctors.

 

[causalinference]

i thought that was a great analogy!

Also: You don't shadow a hooker if you want to be a pimp.

LOL, wow.

 

[EddieL]

Only if it's a Doctor Nurse 😀

Just kidding. I shadowed a nurse and felt like I learned a lot. Ask yourself this - what will it hurt to follow around a nurse for a day?