Nursing school IS rigorous

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I think this topic has been discussed ad nauseum but I went into this first semester thinking the horror stories were meritless and the result of lazy students, but that could not be more incorrect.

I am just about to finish my first week of the first semester in my nursing career, and I seriously have a headache from all the reading I've been doing. Today, I had my first post-lab quiz and I made a 60%, where 74.9% is required to be passing. Only 1 person out of 8 in my lab group passed. We all have individual appointments with our instructor to do it again. Our first grade stands, but we must pass it to continue on with lab.

I will be the first to admit that it is MY fault I didn't pass. I didn't do all the required readings, and the ones I did do were not thorough enough. I thought I could just look over the skill procedures for sterile technique and pass the 20 question quiz. WRONG! It doesn't help that my instructor spends the 3 hour lab session talking about her experiences as a nurse and allowing small talk between the students. I think that might have to do with our small clinical group size of 8 people. She doesn't lecture over the procedures or material, which.. let me reiterate, DOES NOT JUSTIFY MY FAILURE. It just highlights that as nursing students, we have to carry our own weight. We must be prepared to teach ourselves anything and everything.

This post isn't meant to scare or discourage anyone. Just know that the stories by other members saying how real and scary nursing school can be have validity to them. No, it isn't ENTIRELY life consuming, as I am here writing this topic. Breaks are actually needed lest you stop absorbing information from reading. But serious discipline has to be developed to sit down and read chapters at a time, and FAST. These reading assignments pile up and they do not stop.

Be prepared to tell friends NO, that you cannot hang out. This semester is the first one in forever that I won't have class or work on the weekends, but it doesn't matter. My free Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are not really 'free'. They will be spent strategically reading and studying for the ever looming tests and quizzes. From the moment I wake up, to the moment I sleep, I am constantly studying. If I'm not, I am thinking about how I should be studying. I can't afford to make time for anything but eating, showering, and going to the gym.. and that's only because I need a stress reliever of some sort.

Thanks for reading my rant and I hope it helped someone. Please refrain from comments like "Did you think nursing school was going to be easy?", "Duh. It's nursing school." because no, I did not think nursing school would be easy. I knew it would be difficult. But no one can know what it is like until they are actually experiencing it, and more students to be need to know that.

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Educator here

Just reading the material is not enough. You need to be able to recall it also. So - after reading a 'chunk' of material, take the time to do something to process it. Some people construct an outline; some create a concept map; maybe even drawing a chart or picture... this activity ensures that you are taking that 'data dump' and filing it away in your brain in a way that can be pulled out when you need it. Try a few techniques to see what works best for you. Hey, I know a few people who actually have to read aloud in order to remember what they have read.

This will not end when you graduate. In order to maintain competency, you will have to learn new things on a continuous basis throughout your career. The good news? If you managed to make it through nursing school, you'll probably be very good at learning.

Oh - and the sterile glove thing...... please keep in mind that hospital acquired infections (HAI) are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the US. Your sterile technique makes (literally) a life or death difference for your patients. Of course you will have to do this in skills lab... the only other option is using real/vulnerable patients serve as your guinea pigs while you learn to put on sterile gloves. Not gonna happen.

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Specializes in CVICU.

Oh - and the sterile glove thing...... please keep in mind that hospital acquired infections (HAI) are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the US. Your sterile technique makes (literally) a life or death difference for your patients. Of course you will have to do this in skills lab... the only other option is using real/vulnerable patients serve as your guinea pigs while you learn to put on sterile gloves. Not gonna happen.

Thanks for your post. But I don't recall anyone downplaying the importance of sterile technique/surgical asepsis. I recall reading about the severity of HAIs, so it is indeed ingrained in my head how important our technique is whether we are performing medical or surgical asepsis.

So I took the post-test again today. It was a different test but over the same material. It was 25 questions and I can miss 6 and still pass. My instructor will text me when she has it graded. Here's hoping I passed. If I didn't pass, I can take it a 3rd time but I would rather not have to do that of course.

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Specializes in Hospice.
Educator here

Just reading the material is not enough. You need to be able to recall it also. So - after reading a 'chunk' of material, take the time to do something to process it. Some people construct an outline; some create a concept map; maybe even drawing a chart or picture... this activity ensures that you are taking that 'data dump' and filing it away in your brain in a way that can be pulled out when you need it. Try a few techniques to see what works best for you. Hey, I know a few people who actually have to read aloud in order to remember what they have read.

This will not end when you graduate. In order to maintain competency, you will have to learn new things on a continuous basis throughout your career. The good news? If you managed to make it through nursing school, you'll probably be very good at learning.

Oh - and the sterile glove thing...... please keep in mind that hospital acquired infections (HAI) are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the US. Your sterile technique makes (literally) a life or death difference for your patients. Of course you will have to do this in skills lab... the only other option is using real/vulnerable patients serve as your guinea pigs while you learn to put on sterile gloves. Not gonna happen.

Good tips! I already planned on the reading aloud thing, but doing drawings, diagrams, concept maps, etc will work very well for me. I'm a right brain. :artist:

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Specializes in Long term care.

Just started my last class for my RN. I worked as an LPN for a little over a year before going back. My initial goal was to be a teacher someday when I grow up. That goal is now dead and stinky by the roadside. My school has a 5 point grading scale; as in an A is 95%. To get into a Master's program to be a teacher (where the true shortage is), I have to have a certain GPA. Guess what? I'm passing with B's and will not have that GPA I need to be a teacher. So I either pay out of pocket for a BSN (or find an employer that can help with tuition) and ROCK those classes so I can get more financial aid, or I give up on my nursing teacher dream. IT IS HARD!!! Nursing school is incredibly difficult. I'm the girl all my classmates hate; I don't have to study, I am good at tests and I can get very difficult concepts quite easily. But those test questions... they definitely are not for the faint hearted. One good thing to remember. In two years, you will look back and laugh at yourself now. This too shall pass.

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Specializes in CVICU.

Thanks, futurenursingteacher, for the advice. I was thinking about that last night. I can see myself in two years looking back at this thread and just laughing with relief how these days will be behind me. Well y'all, I again did not pass my second retake. I recognize why I did not, which is a good thing. I did not cover sterile technique well enough, yet again, so once my instructor texted me and told me I didn't pass, I read the chapters again word for word, made highlights, and did review questions. She was very understanding and encouraging, and told me before I lose hope or get upset, she wants to do a mentoring session with me before I take my third and final attempt at the test. She told me not to worry and that she was sure she could help me. I have faith in her and myself now.

I think this highlights that the most important part of nursing school is to learn from your experiences and DON'T LOSE HOPE. I just continue to remind myself.. if I can get INTO the nursing program, then I can GRADUATE the nursing program. I think the first few weeks of nursing school is to weed out individuals who don't have the drive to make it through, and to help dedicated students establish what works best for them. I'm not discouraged. I know many 2nd semester students who had to retake lab quizzes a 3rd time before they finally understood the concepts, and while it isn't preferable, it is what it is. I'm just thankful to have a supportive clinical instructor who is willing to take the time to give me a mini-lecture over the areas I am weak in and who wants to see me succeed.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
To all of you in school or soon be starting school. It is tough and VERY time consuming. But you can get through it. You just need to find the learning style that works for you and sick with it. I can remember in my orientation that a senior classmate told us that your life is over as you know it for the next few years. That wasn't entirely accurate. You just needed to shift tour lifestyle. The were times where I would lock myself in a room for 12 to 16 hours a day and study for a test. Then there were times I didn't do much studying and I was prepared for the consequences. I never failed a test but the were times I didn't get as good of a grade as I wanted. Just stay focused and remember the end goal. Trust me nursing school goes by extremely fast. Good luck!

Things are tough but please don't give up 100% of your "life" You need a break, you need time to decompress. Off time IS as important as studying. Learning to study efficiently is more important than studying more.

I'm starting my FINAL!! semester on Monday and first semester was hardest because you are relearning how to learn and study compared to previous classes. It's that "thinking like a nurse" concept.

I take time every evening to have dinner with my family and watch Jeopardy after dinner ;) I usually don't study on Sundays either, it's family time or do something with friends. If there's a test on Monday then I cut the Sunday short and study in the evening.

^I took these two posts out for emphasis, they are spot ON, for me. :yes:

The success to nursing school is understanding the "thinking like a nurse"...and understanding how to strategize how to study effectively and still decompress.

One if the things that made me successful in nursing school was:

Studying "like a nurse"...using critical thinking by utilizing the nursing process. One book I suggest is Critical Thinking and Nursing Judgement, which you can purchase on Amazon. I also used the success series to help me prepare for tests.

Another strategy is to look into the chapter objectives, highlight focus and table diagrams, etc. in chapters, as well as nursing diagnoses, interventions, and goals. I usually typed up a concept map and had notes placed together and made my own review guide, referred to my reading sources if I needed more info, asked questions in class, after class, and by email. I prepared for tests by doing practice questions.

For skills, I utilized You tube and used my nursing kit to make sure I was comfortable before skills testing.

If you have "recommended reading" books, utilize them; they have a ton of great resources that helped with grasping the material, as well as a great resources during class clinicals and beyond.

Once you developed a study strategy, at least take 1-2 days out if the week to do something enjoyable. Taking a step back and retuning to the material can help in understanding the concepts, so don't forget to at least take a 10-15 minute break between studying as well.

I worked 30+ hours per week and went to school during the week and every other weekend; weekdays if available. During mid semester break on if I didn't have clinicals or class, I at least made sure I made time for myself; I use yoga as a means to de stress, as well as it helped with my test anxiety.

Nursing school, to me, is the boot camp of all professional preparation...it has and can be done.

Sending possible vibes in your success in nursing school student posters!!!

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Looks like you got slapped in the face by the reality of nursing school.

I do not mean it in an offensive way, by all means, that is just what happened to me ass well. Or at least that is how I took it.

The good think is that now you know that briefly scanning the chapters will not get you buy. I'm sure you have heard of the term "a C is the new A in nursing school"?

I had the same reality check two years ago when if first started nursing school. ALways got good grades didn't really have to study, but boy did that chance once I started.

Keep motivated you will make it! I just graduated this June, and when it really gets hard remind your self that if all the other nurses before you went through this same experience and now are out there in the field, you can make it as well. If nursing school was impossible, we would have no nurses. By nursing school is survival of the fittest, don't get left behind!

As far as your instructors go, there are instructors out there that are that way. I did not enjoy my OB lectures for that matter, 75% of class time spent on how hard she had it as a minority in the field, the rest of the time of some solid content coverage, then we would get our exams on different chapters. Ugh.... I thinks that's a reason why I do not care much for OB, but managed to pass that semester.

Wishing you the best! Stay motivated, avoid, by all means, AVOID the negative people that always make the entire class doubt their skills, and not the instructors, but your fellow classmates. You will need all the positiveness in the world to get by. And trust me, time will go by soo fast, before you know it it will e winter break!

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I forgot to mention, by any means, are your books from Elsevier? If the are, make an account with them, its free, has a lot of more resources, questions, case studies.

https://evolve.elsevier.com/cs/store?role=student

That is the link, find your textbooks, and use their additional resources. My book for fundamentals was Fundamentals of Nursing by Potter and Perry, and our med/surg book was from Lewis, while the fundamentals text did not have a lot of resources, the med/surg does, it has a lot of practice questions, interactive case studies, and my favorite was the chapter summaries, I would print hose out and take notes on those, and you can also download audio files for the chapter summaries, so I would have them in my ipod to listen to them at the gym, or where ever. Hope this helps!

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Specializes in CVICU.

Actually, yes, my Fundamentals book is by Potter/Perry, and we have access to the Evolve website. I had forgotten all about it but I will definitely check it out. I am sure it will supplement my studies. Looks like a good resource to apply information I've learned by reading.

EDIT: Is the material/review information not on the website itself? I see we can get a book called 'Resources for Fundamentals' etc for free, is that it?

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I have the same book.

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I did not read all the posts.....just wait until you get out of school, nursing school was easy and fun compared to that first job!

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I am taking the entire week next week to prepare myself mentally for this. I got through my prerequisites with As and Bs-- mainly As-- without much studying. I would go to class, listen, do the homework. Study like a madwoman about an hour before the test and ace it. I am anticipating that NS will be nothing like that so I am scheduling study time like work and I know it's going to take discipline and grit to make it through.

I have a family and I will not fail them or become discouraged because (ALERT!!! cliche coming!) failure is NOT an option for me at all. I've got one shot at this and dammit I'm going to do this thing to the best of my ability and, by FAITH, I am WELL ABLE. I have worked my tushie off to get here and now that I'm here... I'M READY TO PARTY!!!!:roflmao:

And by party I mean study, work, and learn my *** off!!!!:bookworm:

Thanks for the reality check. We need that. I'm sure I don't have to tell you, but keep on going boy, you go this!

WE ALL GOT THIS!!!

WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOO!

#stillpumped

Love it lol

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