The Steps to My Stethoscope: Evidence Based Resources for BSN Students During and After their Degree

Evidence has shown that new graduate nurses have a lot to learn when they begin working (Moore, Sublett, Leahy, & Bradley, 2017). Some of the common themes related to what new graduates are lacking when they move into their new roles include communication skills, problem solving, and critical thinking (Missen, McKenna, Beauchamp, & Larkins, 2016). However, there is also a large gap involving information that new graduates need in order to make the transition into nursing practice. Nursing managers have stated that students are prepared for the hospital setting instead of how to get into the hospital setting (Missen et al., 2016). After two years of extensive education, I have found that other students and I have unanswered questions and concerns involving what to do after our nursing education ends. Little to no time was spent in formal coursework discussing topics like resumes, test anxiety, or what to wear for interviews. To address this need, I constructed a blog to not only reflect on my own experiences and get my own questions answered, but to also answer the questions of other nursing students, both present and future, and consolidate that information into one place. This blog goes into more depth and logistical detail using the Keele Curriculum Model developed by Humphreys, Wood, Johnson, Walsh, Witton, Green, and Corkhill (2013) as a conceptual framework. Even though scholarly blogging is a new form of communication, this is a useful way to exchange and discuss different ideas and facilitate collaboration (Puschmann & Mahrt, 2014). Blogs permit students to have access to a lot of information in one place and reduces the need to search through libraries and other resrouces. Blogs also allow for communication between professors and students who may not be geographically connected. Because blogs allow for editing after they are written, I will be able to update information in this scholarly blog as new research comes out, making the blog current and applicable for future nursing students.