Just WHAT is so hard about nursing?

ICRN2008, BSN, RN · Mar 29, 2006

I have been thinking about this a lot lately, and here are my thoughts on working while in nursing school (or college in general):

Working, especially if it's a lot, can be very detrimental to ones grades. First, there is the financial pressure that makes it necessary to have to work in the first place. When you're wondering where your next rent check is going to come from, it's difficult to concentrate on studying. Second, when you work a lot you have almost no free time to pursue other interests, which can quickly lead to burnout. These in addition to the obvious fact that time you're at work is time you're not spending at the library studying.

It also depends on what kind of job you have. For instance my job can be incredibly stressful some days, especially when someone codes, is sent into emergency surgery, etc. When I get home at almost 11 pm after a bad night, the last thing I want to do is study. In contrast, during my first degree I worked in a research lab with minimal, flexible hours and almost no stress. My PI was incredibly supportive and the grad students were always willing to help me with my schoolwork. That certainly made it easier to get through with decent grades.

Of course, there are many people who have proved that it is possible to get through nursing school while working. I have found that it is helpful, maybe necessary, to have a supportive family and help getting things done around the house if you work a lot.

There are some people that may argue that working as a nursing assistant, HUC or PCA is helpful because you are exposed to the health care environment. While it's true that such experience can be helpful, from what I've heard it only confers a slight advantage upon graduation. And if you end up having to repeat a semester because you're working too much, then it isn't worth it. It really depends on the person and how much studying you need to do to get the grades you want.

In the last few weeks I have been seriously considering quitting my job and not working at all until I graduate in December. It is now financially possible for me to do so, and lately my grades have not been where I want them to be. I am having a hard time making the decision, however, because my job is an important part of my life.

Like your friend said, it's not that the material in nursing school is difficult. It's just that there is a large volume of information that you have to assimilate in a short period of time. If you are doing well academically now and devote sufficient time to your schoolwork, you should have no problem passing nursing school.

Good luck!

Curious1alwys, BSN, RN · Mar 29, 2006

The material IS difficult for some to grasp. But the real killer is usually stress, time management, or finances.

You sound like atleast right now you do not have much to worry about. Sounds like you are one of the lucky ones and you should do fine!! Good Luck to you!

Nursing in 09 · Mar 30, 2006

I just got accepted for fall and have been wondering the same thing. I always hear how hard it is but it sounds like it is mostly time and stress. The DON of my program told me that many people see the short hours of nursing school (those who have all the extra classes done before starting) and do not realize it will be so time consuming. I plan to treat is as a full time job and spend all day mon-fri at the college even when not in class, reading, studying, practicing lab and assesments etc. I am also studying before starting the program and will continue to review A&P all summer. Good LUck! You sound like a great student and I'm sure you wont have a problem with it.

rhenmag9 · Mar 30, 2006

My advice is...money is not d problem in ur situation...the big problem is how u can manage the struggles and stress, time mangement,.etc.....lots of things to do, so little time...that is nursing...

...try to reflect and decide what are ur interests, likes and desires..

...goodluck and Godbless!!!

MMARN, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2006

I am a first semester nursing student and I have to say that the work in itself is really difficult. It's overwhelming b/c there is so MUCH that you have to learn. If you don't, you put your pts in danger. The work is very time consuming and you MUST find a way to manage it. You will get so many things at once: assessments, basic patient care, charting, professionalism, med administration, med calculation, and it keeps going from there. Medicine in itself, the medical field that is, is tough. The body is such a complicating and fascinating thing that one slight change could be fatal. The fact that we as nurses must know the subtle changes and s/s (signs and symptoms) that the patients present, makes the material vital and therefore more difficult. Also, the way you are tested in nursing school comes as a shock. I speak for myself, but I used to get A's and B's in school without really trying that hard; in nursing school, though, you HAVE to work hard b/c the tests aren't memorization. There is some of that, but the most is critical thinking. You learn the information (pathology and etiology) of a disease and then you have to be able to think about what you would do and how you would interpret the things that you see (i.e. lab values, signs and symptoms, etc.)

So, yes. The WHOLE program is difficult, but if you put your mind and determination hard at work, you will do fine. You just have to keep in mind that whatever you may not learn, could be what could save your patients' lives at any moment.

EmilyCCRN · Mar 30, 2006

I haven't found anything in nursing school to be hard, but it is quite time-consuming. We're in class 8-16 hours per week and in clinical for another 16 hours (and I'll be doing 24 hours of clinical per week next term). You'll do fine! :)

missBelle · Mar 30, 2006

I am a first semester nursing student and I have to say that the work in itself is really difficult. It's overwhelming b/c there is so MUCH that you have to learn. If you don't, you put your pts in danger. The work is very time consuming and you MUST find a way to manage it. You will get so many things at once: assessments, basic patient care, charting, professionalism, med administration, med calculation, and it keeps going from there. Medicine in itself, the medical field that is, is tough. The body is such a complicating and fascinating thing that one slight change could be fatal. The fact that we as nurses must know the subtle changes and s/s (signs and symptoms) that the patients present, makes the material vital and therefore more difficult. Also, the way you are tested in nursing school comes as a shock. I speak for myself, but I used to get A's and B's in school without really trying that hard; in nursing school, though, you HAVE to work hard b/c the tests aren't memorization. There is some of that, but the most is critical thinking. You learn the information (pathology and etiology) of a disease and then you have to be able to think about what you would do and how you would interpret the things that you see (i.e. lab values, signs and symptoms, etc.)
So, yes. The WHOLE program is difficult, but if you put your mind and determination hard at work, you will do fine. You just have to keep in mind that whatever you may not learn, could be what could save your patients' lives at any moment.

MAN,YOU SCARED ME A LITTLE. I HAVE NOT STARTED NURSING SCHOOL YET. I PLAN ON ENTERING THIS FALL. DOES CHEM AND A&P PLAY A BIG PART IN YOUR NURSING COURSES?

NeoNurseTX, RN · Mar 30, 2006

It's a TON of information squeezed into a tiny amount of time.. I swear our stuff at at least 4 years worth of classes compacted into 2!

RNin2007 · Mar 30, 2006

I haven't found anything in nursing school to be hard, but it is quite time-consuming. We're in class 8-16 hours per week and in clinical for another 16 hours (and I'll be doing 24 hours of clinical per week next term). You'll do fine! :)

I agree with the above poster ^ ... So far, nothing has been really hard, just very time consuming. That pretty much says it!

LOTS of papers, projects, tests, quizzes, presentations, community outreach assignments, care plans etc. etc. I still have YET to see a test as hard as any one of my A&P tests. However, not all students feel the same way. I hear many feel overwhelmed. There is another girl in our class, who taught HS Chemistry...and she feels that NS is a luxury compared with teaching because she put in many, many hours prepping and staying after school. I was a SAHM before starting my pre-reqs and thank goodness I started slow and didn't walk right into NS or I woulda had a heart attack! LOL

I think it's an individual experience...and how you perceive it is 100% right on for you.

~J

I KRISCOCHO I · Mar 30, 2006

i agree with emilyerin.

MMARN, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2006

MAN,YOU SCARED ME A LITTLE. I HAVE NOT STARTED NURSING SCHOOL YET. I PLAN ON ENTERING THIS FALL. DOES CHEM AND A&P PLAY A BIG PART IN YOUR NURSING COURSES?

:) I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you or anybody. I was just talking about my own experience. To you, it might be easy, as it is the case for some of the posters here. To me, though, it has been trying, but I'm coping. You learn to. You'll be fine. Besides all the "scary" things you might hear, it's really worth all the trouble and loss of sleep. :wink2:

BTW, A&P and Chem DO play a huge part. A&P is the basics of the body (you must know these in order for you to describe exactly what's wrong with your pt and chemistry is something that is also basic in your body.) You'll do well to have these. I didn't take Chemistry, but I did take A&P. Good luck!

Mave.