Is Nursing School Like Joining A Sorority?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hello everyone! I start my accelerated nursing program on Tuesday, so I have been spending a lot of time on these boards and for some reason I am comparing nursing school to pledging a sorority.

When i graduated with my BS i was in a sorority (probably one of the most fun times of my life!) and all i hear about is nurses eating their young and picking on the weak. I'm sure this doesn't happen all the time but I feel like it's going to be like the sorority all over again, just not fun! The older have the power over the younger, blah blah.

Does anyone else feel like it was like that? I may be WAY off base, my imagination is running wild! :D

Specializes in ICU.

It may be like a sorority. We formed bonds, and even six years later if I see one of them we hug. It is wonderful to see them.

We studied a lot together, we went to school together for two years... we suffered together,, we rejoiced together...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro.

i remember after our first week i was exhausted by all the talking i had done and friendships i had made...there was just so many of them. one of my new friends, a guy, by the end of the first week of class (10 guys/110 girls), was joking but serious at the same time and said, get me away from all these women, i'm going crazy, why so much talking!"

haha

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sorority life in college was heaven, nursing school was hell!

The first day in nursing class began with the instructor telling us "Look to your right and then to your left. One of the three of you won't last the semester." Hardly a bond-building thought!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Sorority life in college was heaven, nursing school was hell!

The first day in nursing class began with the instructor telling us "Look to your right and then to your left. One of the three of you won't last the semester." Hardly a bond-building thought!

LOL:)

Overall, I think this is due to the fact that nursing school is a different ball game,different animal... that requires different training than other more "laid-back" university majors.For one nursing school is more strict than other programs and it involves more than showing up in the classroom.How can we think about partying sunday night if we have to be fresh minded up and ready for a 7 am clinical on monday and no we cant come late for lecture like anyone else with different major (and dont forget a regular C is not good enough for nursing school).Also who dares to party all weekend long knowing that the dreaded care plan is do or patho exam is coming,not me oops :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in being a Credible Source.

I've been thinking about this more. The truth is, my first major was much, much harder than nursing school. And yet, there is a certain nursing school mojo.

I think it's due to the absolute make-it or break-it nature of the beast. At least in my program, if you fail a class (meaning less than a B for the grad classes or less than a C for the undergad), you are out... out... done... no second chances, no repeat the class... just, out. Also, even if you're pulling a 4.0, the clinical instructor may decide that you're not up to snuff for whatever reason and then you're out... out... done... no second chances, no repeat the class... just, out.

I think it's the finality of each course, and really, each exam, that gives it that weird jive. The material's not particularly difficult (though it comes at a sometimes overwhelming pace); it's just the one-and-done nature of it.

Like a sorority/fraternity... nope, not at all.

Like boot camp... not in the least.

It's... pretty much its own unique, incomparable thing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER; HBOT- lots others.
like being in the army !!

I was in the Army... NOTHING like being in the Army.. srry

-H-RN

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

Well, we both have pins, and both cost a lot of money to "join," and may require cleaning of vomit, but I can't think of any other similarities right now.

It can be similar in good ways and in bad. You do have people with whom you share a common experience, and this can be helpful, as well as finding a few others with whom you really "click". I do have several really close friends in nursing. I've worked on one unit that had such great staff that I looked forward to going to work, even though it was chaotic.

The negatives: cattiness and the need to make yourself feel better by dragging someone else down. I see it a lot, and it's pretty sad behavior, especially past the age of say 7 or 8 years old.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Ambulatory Case Management, Clinic, Psychiatry.

In my opinion, NO.

I went to a community college, and most people were over 35, had families and worked other jobs. There was not a lot of time for bonding.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

If everyone was being "eaten" or getting "picked on" or the older nurses had so much power over the younger nurses, do you think there would be anyone working in this profession? Make some reasonable assumptions that this doesn't happen on a daily basis or there would be no one staying in the profession to take this abuse. In the 30+ years I have been an RN, and I started at age 24, there was one old crone who was nasty with me. She was nasty with everyone. That was her nature. She was a nasty person. Consequently, no one liked working with her, no one helped her or cooperated with her. She was a terrible nurse and made her share of stupid mistakes with patients as well which got her into trouble with the manager. Then there was one LVN who tried to pull a power trip on me when I was a new grad. She tried to get me blamed for all kinds of stuff she would find wrong. Our manager saw what she was doing, sat her down and told her to stop picking on me. After that she would just glare at me. Another case of someone who was just basically a nasty person and looked for someone to pick on when she could. These kind of people look for others to bully whether they are nurses, waitresses or bank tellers. They don't care what it is the person does. They just need a body to pick on to make themselves feel better because the needles on their self-esteem-o-meter don't work right. People that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. They are usually hiding secrets themselves, a giveaway of what they are always finding fault for in others.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

No joke... I went in for my final interview to get into nursing school and one of the professors doing the interviews told me "nursing school is like joining the army, are you sure you want to sign up for it?" :yeah:Got to love those professors whose main goal in life is to scare poor nursing students. I would not equate nursing school to either the army or a sorority, its its own usual little world that is both incredible and at times a little miserable. In the end most everyone makes it and looking back it feels like it went by in a blink.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in being a Credible Source.
one of the professors doing the interviews told me "nursing school is like joining the army, are you sure you want to sign up for it?"
Well, I was a Marine so I could be overestimating the Army but my initial reaction is, "That professor was clearly somebody who was never in the military... or went to a diploma program back in the 50's where it was kinda militaristic."
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER and Home Health.

I loved being in the Fleet Marines, I also loved nursing school but that is the only similarity. Bonding in nursing school, I never really formed close relationships, like I did with y fellow Marines. But I also had a wonderful time in each.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment