"Oh, well that doesn't sound so hard."

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Today, one of the women I work with was askin about the nursing program. I was telling her our schedule and explaining the classes. She's taking an anatomy class and found it interesting and is thinking about applying for the nursing program. So..I proceed to tell her about our clinicals, 3 days a week, and class the other two and tell her about the stuff we learn. She's like "oh well I don't see how that can be so hard". Are ya kiddin me?!? Just makes me mad that some people under estimate what nursing students go through. :angryfire

OUCH that was a kick in the gut from the co-worker person...What you need to do is tell her "yep, anyone can do it!" then laugh at her when she fails out her first semster! I am so spiteful lol. It will bite her in the butt trust me. Nursing is no petty A&P, i am with you hun!

Specializes in CCU (Coronary Care); Clinical Research.

It is annoying to hear that something is easy from someone that hasn't been through it...but for some people, book learning is easy and that is wehre this person is drawing her experience/comments from...

Nursing school wasn't particularly hard for me...just busywork...studying and all that took time and a lot of energy but I don't look back on it and say that it was the hardest thing that I have ever done...She may get into nursing school and pass the book learning with flying colors, or mabye she will excel in the clinical portion...or mabye she will be fantastic in both areas- who knows until she tries? regardless...I would just let this one slide...Nursing school sounds easier that it really is and anyone that has gone through it knows that...

Specializes in ER.
Today, one of the women I work with was askin about the nursing program. I was telling her our schedule and explaining the classes. She's taking an anatomy class and found it interesting and is thinking about applying for the nursing program. So..I proceed to tell her about our clinicals, 3 days a week, and class the other two and tell her about the stuff we learn. She's like "oh well I don't see how that can be so hard". Are ya kiddin me?!? Just makes me mad that some people under estimate what nursing students go through. :angryfire

A lot of people have this idea - especially when they see how many graduates the ADN programs turn out. They figure a two year degree can't be hard at all, and with her only experience being A&P, she probably thinks that all the nursing classes are memorization like A&P. If she only understood how much critical thinking goes into nursing! LOL, I'm with evans - tell her it's easy and laugh when she fails out. But seriously, nursing classes seem to be a breeze for some, and nearly impossible for others. We all have different talents. She may be totally book smart, but be a terrible clinical nurse. She won't ever know until she tries.

Specializes in NICU.

She won't know what nursing school is like or what nursing students go through until she gets there. No one does.

One of the hardest parts for me at first was the critical thinking exams, totally different exam questions than I was used to. Then I started getting the hang of it. The material wasn't hard, I just had to learn how to study it, then I did fine.

I agree with what zambezi said about the busywork. That was the toughest part. Once I got the hang of the exams, it wasn't too bad. The hardest part was having to read 20 chapters for each exam, having to know all that material within a few weeks. Doing all that while doing clinicals each week ..... spending hours and hours writing up careplans.

Too much work and not enough time ..... that's what it boils down to. And no one realizes that until they're in the situation. But if she does go into nursing school with the attitude that "it'll be a cake walk", then she'll find out soon enough and it'll be a real eye-opener for her.

I didn't find nursing school to be hard myself...but that's becuase I was interested in the subject matter. It came kind of easy to me. The things I was not interested in, however, did not. And I only said nursing SCHOOL, actually getting out in the "real world" is a whole different story! I'm constantly learning new things everyday.

It does get on my nerves when people have this idea that nursing school is the ticket to an easy high paying job that anyone can do. Why do people think RN's make SOOOO much money?! That is usually the first thing people comment on when they find out I'm an RN. Then how nice it is that I get to be around sweet babies all day:rolleyes: Nursing pays well...but I'm still a reletively new nurse, so this income increase is new to me. The sad thing is in 10 years my income probably won't increase that much (barring cost of living increases). I think that is what so many veteran nurses are complaining about. Experience isn't really that well compensated. Nursing instructors make less than most staff nurses. Sorry this is kind of ranty and off the subject...just a pet peeve of mine.

Today, one of the women I work with was askin about the nursing program. I was telling her our schedule and explaining the classes. She's taking an anatomy class and found it interesting and is thinking about applying for the nursing program. So..I proceed to tell her about our clinicals, 3 days a week, and class the other two and tell her about the stuff we learn. She's like "oh well I don't see how that can be so hard". Are ya kiddin me?!? Just makes me mad that some people under estimate what nursing students go through. :angryfire

I had the same comment made to me, from one of my friends. In reality, clinicals for 3 days a week and lecture for 2 days, doesn't sound all that "hard", when the average person outside of nursing works 40 hours/5 days a week. I didn't find nursing school necessarily "hard" but it did suck the life out of me. Sure, lecture was only 2 days a week, but we had to read 15 chapters to prepare for lecture, let alone try to absorb the previous lecture to get ready for an upcoming test. And there was homework on top of that, along with research papers and those darn pesky journals that we had to write every week giving an example of how we applied critical thinking to clinicals. And don't get me started on the care plans. 3 clinical days a week are exhausting alone when you put the care plans in the mix.

Anyways, this same friend who made the similar comment, also couldn't understand why I wasn't available as much while in school. I felt like I didn't get to spend as much time with friends and family as I used to, because I really wanted to apply my studies toward nursing, plus I worked on top of school. My friend just started nursing school, last semester - and she is very overwhelmed with the amount of work that goes into the program... There are times in life where you want to say "Told you so" but you just have to bite your tongue. :rotfl:

Today, one of the women I work with was askin about the nursing program. I was telling her our schedule and explaining the classes. She's taking an anatomy class and found it interesting and is thinking about applying for the nursing program. So..I proceed to tell her about our clinicals, 3 days a week, and class the other two and tell her about the stuff we learn. She's like "oh well I don't see how that can be so hard". Are ya kiddin me?!? Just makes me mad that some people under estimate what nursing students go through. :angryfire

Yes, people do underestimate the time, commitment, and energy the program requires and I believe that is the main reason many students fail or quit in the first two semesters.

It's the busy work that I think will get me. I do well in school and I have clinical experience. As long as my clinical instructor is good and I pay attention, I will get it.

But I just know I have to get myself well and organized or all the busy work (case studies, care plans, etc) will do me in!

I don't know how you guys with kids do it!!! :p

Ah well...just let her find out the hard way! Unfortunately there are a lot of people with that attitude and this is WHY the instructors probably feel the need to give scary orientations to new students!

Some people are just amazing :uhoh3: I like how they say it's easy, when they really just have no idea. We had a secretary come and float over to our floor one night who was telling me she was in nursing school too.

She looked at me and said "I don't know why everyone says nursing school is so hard... it's really easy!"

.... I asked her what she was taking

.... to which she replied "I'm only taking my gen ed classes right now. I don't actually start with my nursing classes until next year"

:chuckle Yeah, one math class, and one English class would be pretty easy!!! (As I'm spending my summer in Physiology, Maternity, and Abnormal Psych!)

Specializes in CCU, MICU, Tele, L&D.
OUCH that was a kick in the gut from the co-worker person...What you need to do is tell her "yep, anyone can do it!" then laugh at her when she fails out her first semster! I am so spiteful lol. It will bite her in the butt trust me. Nursing is no petty A&P, i am with you hun!

sad but true!!! others do not understand what we are going thru

and we're all crazy too :roll :smiley_aa

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