Anyone made it through Nsg school WITHOUT caffeine , Adderall, or Red Bull??

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Specializes in Critical Care (ICU/CVICU).

just curious... i think i am one of the few (if not the only) student in my class who isn't dependent on getting their "necessary" coffee to be awake or to help jump start their morning, whether it be class or clinicals. well, i guess since i don't like coffee, that kind of makes a difference too. :rolleyes: and i know many people who rely on pills, coke, red bulls and other "uppers" to keep them focused when it comes to those late study nights... is there anyone like me out there who doesn't use all those chemicals to keep them going and are still doing really well??

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.

if so, i'd like to know what thy are doing also! are u in LPN program or RN?

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Specializes in Critical Care (ICU/CVICU).

I'm in the last semester of my BSN program! Yep, made it through my entire college career with NO chemicals... I never thought it was a big deal until people were like "WOW, I don't know how you did it!" or "I gotta have my coffee".

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Just a correction. Adderall is not a "pick me up" used to get through a night of studying like coffee or Red Bull. It is a prescribed medicine used in the treatment of ADHD or narcolepsy.

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Specializes in Telemetry, OB, NICU.

Me. I am graduating in 4 weeks. I stayed up late studying during my nsg school. I remember sitting on my desk at night to study and getting up from the chair to go to school in the morning. I don't have habit of drinking any caffeine, energy drinks and such to stay awake.

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Specializes in gyn.

Nursing school without RedBull, coffee, etc?! I shudder at the thought.

As someone else posted, nursing school isn't hard per se; the challenge is learning the outrageous amounts of material in a very short time. While I try and get in bed no later than 10:30pm each night (all nighters are NOT my thing!), I rely on the 6am coffee to get me going again and my 2-3pm RedBull for study time.

Redbull is one of my most favorite things at the moment.

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Specializes in Critical Care (ICU/CVICU).
Just a correction. Adderall is not a "pick me up" used to get through a night of studying like coffee or Red Bull. It is a prescribed medicine used in the treatment of ADHD or narcolepsy.

Maybe my way of writing it wasn't correct, thanks for the correction. But a lot of college students use Adderall to help them focus in their schoolwork. I'm simply asking if anyone doesn't use any chemicals as a "crutch" to get them through Nursing School

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In the beginning I would have a crystal light with energy mixed with a 20 oz bottle of water to get me through my clinicals, but never used it during the week for studying or anything. About half way through nursing school I gave up that drink and no longer need anything to keep me awake at clinicals. I like coffee but do not normally drink it because the caffeine really gets to me. I stick to my non-caffinate tea.

Good for you for not needing anything, but I don't feel that it's abnormal to use coffee or soda to wake up in the morning. Every person has their own needs. Pills are a different matter however, I don't think that is a good idea!

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.

congrats to everyone!

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Maybe my way of writing it wasn't correct, thanks for the correction. But a lot of college students use Adderall to help them focus in their schoolwork. I'm simply asking if anyone doesn't use any chemicals as a "crutch" to get them through Nursing School

If they're using it legally, they're using it to help them focus because they have ADHD and don't focus well without it.

Using it in this fashion is as much of a crutch as insulin is to a diabetic, since folks with ADHD have a decrease of dopamine in the pre-frontal cortex and stimulants like Adderall increase the amount of dopamine in this area of the brain.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

I'm a night person, and I've used caffeine to wake me up in the morning for the past 20 years, not just for nursing school. :)

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Specializes in Critical Care (ICU/CVICU).
If they're using it legally, they're using it to help them focus because they have ADHD and don't focus well without it.

Using it in this fashion is as much of a crutch as insulin is to a diabetic, since folks with ADHD have a decrease of dopamine in the pre-frontal cortex and stimulants like Adderall increase the amount of dopamine in this area of the brain.

I understand what you are saying. But this thread isn't about people legally taking their prescribed medications. I'm referring to people who buy it "under the table" and use/need them to study and cram a lot of information. There are quite a lot. Of people who use them, who don't have ADHD. Same thing with Ritalin.

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