Exaggerations about nursing school

Nursing Students General Students

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Hey guys:

I'm curious about everyone's experience. Was there anything you heard/were told about NS that now looking back, you feel were

exaggerations?

Is there anything about NS that you wish WAS exaggerated?

Thanks

I love chocolate.

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You can't work full time

My mom actually told me that! BTW she's a new nurse and she worked during school. I was like Huh? Oh Mom god love ya.

I worked two full time jobs at one point while going to school full time. However, not everyone can do that I know people who had a hard time just working part time. However it's not impossible.

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boils down to perspective and what your home life is and what your program is about....for some learning comes easier than for others..people, programs and family life are all variables........

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Specializes in CNA, RN Student.
" Nursing instructors are uncaring and won't help you." Our instructors are very kind and while they won't do it all for us they tells us all the time,"Come talk to me and I'll help if I can."

The people who said that probably had my lecture instructor LOL

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I heard from a lot of ppl that I wouldn't have a life at all, and that nurses at your clinical area wouldn't help, and I would surely fail if I didn't read the text book---ALL LIES! I definitely still have my life...I don't go out partying every wknd or anything like that, but I can go out and have fun if I want. My instructor and the nurses on our floor are a pleasure to work with. They're always willing to answer any questions, and they weren't "eating" us! As far as reading the book is concerned, I opened it the very first week of school to read about nursing history, other than that, it's been collecting dust in the corner of my room and I'm passing with no problems whatsoever. I do just fine by reading over my notes. Good luck everyone, and I hope this has helped someone.

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Please tell me what your secret is. I spend at least 15 hours a week on pre-clinical planning for my patients and on careplans and on all the other miscellaneous paperwork that goes along with our clinical objectives (i.e., complete functional health patterns, process recordings, explaining how we met our clinical objectives, etc). Then we usually have between 100-200 pages a week to read for theory plus various papers to write. This does not include study time for the test. Sometimes I can not get all of the reading done. Please tell me your secret because I obviously am doing something wrong if I am spending at least 30 hrs a week at a minimum on schoolwork. This does not include clinical or theory time or time to actually study for the test. It is like a constant game of catch up where you have to claw your way across the finish line to graduation day. It is crazy stressful but maybe it depends on where you go to school.

God Bless

My suggestion is to not "read" the material, but to skim it for important parts before the lecture... then after lecture go back over the areas that are still unclear to you... by the way its sounds like your requirements for clinical paperwork are quite a load. Perhaps there is a committee or something at your school that you can join (like student senate) to work to reduce the amount of paperwork required.

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Specializes in Acute Care.

People kept telling me that first semester was the hardest. So much new stuff, a new way of thinking, everything else is downhill blah, blah, blah. And I believed it! Well, they were freaking wrong! :trout: (Then all that stuff about my school being awesome, but we won't go there.)

I almost miss the blind panic of ignorance for the crushing fear of bombing out in 3rd semester. Ahhhh, the days of not having to know the differences between 2nd degree heart block, types 1 and 2. :eek:

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While nursing school is definitely very difficult and time consuming, everyone who said, "No one gets As," "Kiss your spouse/family goodbye until graduation," and "You will eat, sleep, and breathe nursing school" was exaggerating just a bit. I get As (so far, knock wood), and while my free time is limited, I do make sure my husband and I do something together one or two nights a week. I just need to schedule it a little and make sure my work is done. Now, when I got my first degree, I spent about 6 nights a week on a barstool/at a frat party and still made As and Bs - I don't think that's possible in nursing school.

I'm nervous about finding time for my dh and 2 kids when I start NS in January. This post gave me hope that it may not be as bad as it seems to be. Thank you.

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Be careful of advising people not to read their books. I go with the skimming advice. Some programs, like mine, have assigned reading as an addition to lecture/powerpoint material and is not covered as a part of classtime. As for saying that free time is gone is a lie, well, THAT is the exaggeration. If you are single, no kids..you quite possibly do have flex time to hang out..if you have a family(I have hubby, 4 kids), then you have a family to cook for, kids to run around to sporting events, school conferences, house to clean, and free time is pretty much limited to those who live with you! ..all programs are different and all lives are different too.when you have a family, your time was limited before nursing school, more so now that we are in nursing school..but it is all worth it!!!! If you can, breaking down study time is a great idea, best advise here..if you are like me(and many are)..you take you study time in whatever bits and pieces, or chunks that you can!!! Good Luck everyone!!!

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