Bridging the Gap: What Nurses Are Taught vs. What They Face
- Tubi O
- Oct 24
- 2 min read
Are We Setting Up New Nurses to Fail?
Let’s be honest: looking at nursing workforce data feels a bit like pouring water into a leaky bucket. We keep adding new nurses, but so many leave. Why?
Sure, people talk about “resilience” or “respect for hierarchy,” and “learning how to suck it up”, especially when it comes to younger generations. But maybe it’s time to stop blaming and start understanding what’s really going on.
The Real Disconnect
Robin Youngson, in his book Time to Care, describes the unwritten rules that shape how nurses work: keep your head down, tick off your tasks, finish the paperwork, and move on. Once, you might have paused to hold a patient’s hand—but it only takes one colleague snapping at you for “wasting time” to learn what’s really valued.
Research backs this up. Maben, Latter, and Clark’s longitudinal study found that the ideals and values taught to nursing students—like holistic, patient-centered care, high-quality care, and evidence-based practice—often don’t survive the transition to the real world. Instead, new nurses are thrown into environments where care is organised around staff needs, not patient needs, and where routines and time pressures rule.
The Four “Covert Rules” Nobody Talks About
Maben and colleagues uncovered four unspoken rules that keep nursing stuck in the past:
Rush through physical care—even if psychological care suffers.
Don’t shirk—everyone must be seen doing their share of the “dirty work.”
Keep your distance—don’t get emotionally involved with patients.
Fit in—don’t challenge the way things are done.
No wonder so many new nurses feel disillusioned. We’re preparing them for an ideal that doesn’t match reality, and then we’re surprised when they leave.
So, What Can We Do?
First, let’s acknowledge the problem. Both research and lived experience tell us that the gap between what’s taught and what’s practiced is real—and it’s hurting retention and morale.
Here’s how we can start to “do better”:
Check in with your team. What do your colleagues really think? Understanding the current state is the first step to change.
Have honest conversations. Make space for team discussions—maybe just 10 minutes in a meeting—to talk about the assumed yet unspoken rules. Which ones resonate? Which ones do we want to challenge?
Imagine a better way. Pick one covert rule to overturn. How could you reword it as a positive commitment? What would you see and hear from nurses who practice it?
If you’re a nurse educator, leader, or just someone who cares about the future of nursing, try this approach. It’s not about blaming anyone—it’s about building a culture where new nurses can thrive, not just survive.
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