Nursing school sucks!

netglow, ASN, RN · Sep 3, 2010

Heck yeah it sux! Join the club kiddo. You gotta admit, it sux so bad there is humor in it. Just wait, you'll get to the point where you'll share laughing attacks in the med room with fellow students and if you are lucky, at your teacher's expense with a cool RN or two! Remember, the motto is, "just do it" and be done with it.

kvdlr · Sep 3, 2010

I been through the same hell, and guess what? I made it! Just focus on what's need to be done, time management, and make sure you do your part.

As for the professors, every professor is different and unique. Plus, you really don't wanna get into their mean-side. Just deal with whatever crap there is for you to succeed. It will be all worth it in the end!

Chapis · Sep 3, 2010

i'm sorry to hear about your instructors. i'm lucky and everyone that goes to my ns b'c all of the isntructors i've dealt with are wonderful and they all help us in a very positive way.

i know those instructors you're talking about can make hell feel like a vacation, lol, just think two more semester, that's all, two more semesters. other than that just think like someone that goes to aa, 'one day at a time'

wish you the very best, keep on trucking, it's either swimm or drown.

you've made it this far, don't throw it away b'c of some bad instructors, don't let others be the factor in your decisions especially if we're talking about education.

god bless

wanderlust99 · Sep 3, 2010

Stick with it. I remember how horrible nursing school was, graduation day was one of the happiest days of my life. Really. It's worth it in the end. I have a job, while many of my friends and family don't. Flexibility. And I'm doing something important.

NooNieNursie · Sep 3, 2010

Hi everyone,
I'm looking for solid advice on a simple topic. I'm in my 3rd year of nursing school, and all my teacher are total witches. The work load is unbearable as usual, but this semester its so much worse because all of them are very apathetic and downright vicious whenever they get the chance to be. I'm a male and try to be a good student, but the semester just started and i'm so stressed. The feeling seems mutual among my classmates. My teachers this semester are all 50+ years old and have not been on the front line working as a nurse in many years. I don't know what to do because their lectures are poor, they are dishing out a truck load full of extra projects without any clear directions how to get them done. I now realize why so many people drop out of nursing school. I really want to finish this semester, but none of these instructors are willing to help outside of class. Approaching them with questions is asking to get your head bit off! I honestly don't know why people like this continue to be teachers. For all the people out there trying to get into nursing school, all I can say is find any other option if at all possible. I want to be a nurse, but nursing school will test your resolve by applying the wrenches until your bones crack!
Any advice?

I am working for 1 yr and 10 months now and I can say that when I was in nursing school I didn't have an experience like this at all. Most of my instructors were great, none of them were horrible, and yes the work was hard but this is to be expected - you are training to be a medical professional it requires a lot of study and effort. If you are finding that your teachers are poor and the work isn't clear, and if this sentiment is mutual among all classmates, might I suggest that the school you are attending is crappy? It happens, some nursing schools suck. Mine was great and all of my classmates agree.

If you are the only classmate having this problem with understanding lectures and assignments perhaps the issue is that you are simply not picking up for some reason. If this is the case, go to your professors, your advisor, and tell them your issues. THey are there to help.

But like I said, if EVERYONE is feeling the same way as you (not able to understand lectures, not able to understand projects) it might be possible your school just isn't good.

NooNieNursie · Sep 3, 2010

I would point out that the OP isn't simply griping about how hard nursing school is... the OP is specifically stating that he isn't understanding the lectures or the assignments and seems to be suggesting that all students feel this way in his class.

This is not the usual nursing school angst, this sounds like it might mean his program sucks. None of my classmates felt this way. Sure there were times when we didn't understand assigments or lectures but our instructors always seemed competent more or less and we always could get things clarified. The only time this wasn't true is when we had a ****** professor (pat, I'm looking at you , evil wench). But, other than that one crappy professor, ALL OF OUR OTHER professors were great and we could come to them and ask them stuff and get answers and clear direction and the lectures made sense etc etc etc. The only time this wasn't true is when we had a crappy professor who was crazy and didn't know anything.

SO, given that the student feels this way and all his classmates do, it might actually be the school.

The key is whether or not everyone feels this way, IMO.

Walden-Puddle, RN · Sep 3, 2010

....and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE take the time to fill out proper evaluations at the end of each class. Administrations need honest evaluations of these teachers so that future generations of nursing students may not have to suffer through the same nonsense.

I agree with some of the other posters. Take it to the administration. As a GROUP if necessary. I've seen this work successfully when no one individual was able to make headway. I've seen nasty teachers get VERY, VERY afraid when a GROUP of students got riled up.

Learning how to advocate can start with yourself!

Good luck...and stick with it..I'm a pretty new nurse...and any nonsense I went through in school was totally worth it now that I'm out and caring for patients. I'm loving it!

CorpsmanRN, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2010

....and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE take the time to fill out proper evaluations at the end of each class. Administrations need honest evaluations of these teachers so that future generations of nursing students may not have to suffer through the same nonsense.
I agree with some of the other posters. Take it to the administration. As a GROUP if necessary. I've seen this work successfully when no one individual was able to make headway. I've seen nasty teachers get VERY, VERY afraid when a GROUP of students got riled up.
Learning how to advocate can start with yourself!
Good luck...and stick with it..I'm a pretty new nurse...and any nonsense I went through in school was totally worth it now that I'm out and caring for patients. I'm loving it!

AGREE!! And have SPECIFICS. They want to know who, what, when, etc. along with your thoughts on possible solutions. We made our own evals and turned them in after we all graduated & transcripts were sent :) We may not be all that proud of our program (at least it's accredited), but we got our license & that's what matters.

sistasoul · Sep 3, 2010

Hi Uta,

I am sorry you are having such a hard time. Nursing school is a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Lean on your friends in school. No one understands what you are going through like your nursing school peers. Stick with your friends and take one day at a time. I can feel the anxiety and stress just reading your post. Get through this semester and know that next semester you will probably have different instructors .

I had a really bad semester my last semester in school. I had a b--ch for a CI. I cried almost every week during clinical. This woman was a bully and had the reputation of going after students she perceived as weak. I leaned on my nursing school buddies and I got through it. One of my friends sent me this article. What you are experiencing is not unusual and rather wide spread for an article like this one to be written. Here it is:

"Many nurse educators thrive on the feeling of superiority that comes from controlling students and junior faculty and their futures. This abuse of power is related to feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, discontent, and personal envy, often with a "Jekyll and Hyde" component. Individual educators are only part of the quandary. Some academic centers subscribe to the steadfast education philosophy that students need to suffer in order to learn. Nursing curricula, testing, and grading are exhausting and often based on minutiae. Clinical paperwork can be monumental, and unrealistic expectations of both students and junior faculty abound. A number of education institutions merely give "lip service" to adult

learning principles and place minimal value on students' past experiences or their right to be treated as an adult. Some educators even go as far as to brag about their program's

attrition rate as a correlation to the program's rigor and superiority."

sburkett · Sep 3, 2010

Graduating and then passing NCLEX will be two of the biggest challenges ever if you have your heart and soul poured into being a nurse. There will be other challenges but these two can be life defining. Once those have been obtained there are lots of directions to choose from but the biggest hurdles are cleared. When I was in nursing school I had issues with a couple of instructors. I felt singled out but as I started confiding in my classmates I found that several people were exposed to similiar situations. I went to my doctor over the anxiety it was causing me and he lent a good ear and provided me with valuable insight. There are some nurses that subscribe to the addage of the old eat the young and there are those who believe as nurses themselves they should nurture the young. The school program should be meeting that state's Board of Nursing requirements. If the teachers or the school itself are participating in unethical behavior or destructive practices to the embodiment of producing well educated and qualified nurses then the entire program should be reviewed. All claims should be substantiated with facts. If you are convinced that there are unfair, biased practices you should address it with the Dean. If after that you are dissatisfied with the results you could seek the advice of an attorney. In my class, there was a student who did pursue this and succeeded in making changes in the program!

Becoming a nurse is in my top five most rewarding, proudest achievements. If in your heart you KNOW this is what you are to be then you will find a way to complete the journey and if you haven't committed 100% then these challenges will help you make a decision. Sounds sappy but what can I say....Good Luck to you.

rayk1021 · Sep 3, 2010

Head down.....stay focused....eye on the prize....seek out others for tutoring.....block out the BS.....don't let the negative ruin your experience.

Be very careful what you put in your website rants, and where you post them. I have heard of students creating additional stress based on what their instructors read on their posts... remember, this is a public forum.

swirlything · Sep 3, 2010

I've always said that nursing school is nothing more than 2 years of hazing (or longer). It's just what you have to get through to get where you want to be. Focus on the goal, getting to and passing NCLEX. The semester will suck, but will be over before you know it. You can do it!

Additionally, I'm surprised that your teachers haven't worked as nurses for years. In the school I went to, most of the teachers worked both as teachers AND as nurses in the hospital. In fact, some of the former students now work side-by-side with the women who were their nursing school instructors.