Why is NS so hard?

nurturingkneads · Oct 23, 2007

I agree with what everyone else has said. I am in my 3rd semester out of 5 and each semester gets more difficult. The one thing I would like to add is be sure to always have a GOOD ATTITUDE. You might be having the worst day of your life but when you show up to clinical, you need to have not a care in the world except what is sitting right in front of you, your patient. (and your CI). Attitude really is everything at being successful in nursing school. Everyone around you appreciates it and feeds off of it as well. Good luck.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2007

I think that many students go into nursing classes thinking that they are still in school and treat it as school. You are, in fact, in job training and need to treat it as job training and as a full time job. If some don't have a good work ethic it shows to the instructors almost right away. Nursing is not something you go to class and just expect to get a grade in. This is serious material that you MUST learn and learn well. You are constantly being evaluated by instructors as to your potential as a worker because they are going to be giving potential employers a reference about you for your first job--that is a very serious duty that they have to perform. Also, almost all the material that you are going to learn in nursing school is all new--you've never been exposed to it before unlike most other classes you've had where you have some kind of prior base to build upon. That makes studying a little harder and more stressful. However, it can be done as thousands before have proven. You just have to put your shoulder to the wheel and do it. Which brings up another thing. Almost all the nurses I've worked with over the years had some form of a tapeworm and were constantly on the go. There's no room for laziness in the profession of nursing. They were all great multi-taskers as well. If instructors don't see these kinds of qualities in a student they will find a way to drum them out of the program.

beth66335, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2007

I agree with Daytonite, it's the toughest job you'll ever love! NS is hard because they are trying to teach every thing we could possibly need in 2 short years! They are also trying to teach us to think in a whole new way and have it become second nature to do so. NS is like nothing I have ever experienced and I love it deep down, even when instructors chastise me:bluecry1: or I'm struggling to learn how to do a sterile procedure ( ALL those steps! :eek: And those darn gloves!) It's a lot to learn and a new way to learn it and apply it, it's awesome!:smiley_aa

User123456 · Oct 24, 2007

now things you can do to relieve some of this stress and be prepared.
1. get and stay organized. utilize a calender so you can keep track of your classes, tests and other responsiblities
2. paper plates, and plastic cups and costco dinners are your friend. dish washing and cooking take up time that could be better spent in many of our cases.
3. buy tons of printer paper, ink cartridges, highlighters, black pens (no other colors because you can't use them at clinical so why accidentally show up with blue). notecards, pencils and other needed school supplies. i like to have an extra uniform top at least if you don't want a full extra uniform set.
4. buy extra underwear! this seems weird, but this way you have more time between laundry if you need it.
5. try your best to stay healthy, but have the dayquil, and other otc remedies handy at home so you can function if need be.
6. do not get involved in a study group unless you know the people and know they will help you be productive! this can be a big time waster!
7. do not argue minutia with the teacher. if something is subject to debate, do it politely and at an appropriate time with references handy from your text books to back you up. if you still get shot down, move on. you need to build a good reputation in ns. argueing rarely helps that aim.
8. have a battery backup alarm clock. this is particularly important as we head into the stormy fall and winter months. you cannot be late to clinical.
9. get involved at school in activities that will help build your reputation as a good student and will help you clinically. examples are participating in flu shot clinics (good im injection practice) or bp clinics. they key is moderation though. learn to say "not this time".
10. keep your cell phone off during class and try not to be the student who has a personal anecdote for every disease process covered in class. ask questions but if you are really struggling don't take too much class time up if you are struggling alone. this is what office hours are for. seek help immediately if you are struggling or don't understand a concept. everything builds upon previous knowledge so you need that solid foundation.
11. review your a&p when needed, but don't waste time re-learning the whole book. it usually isn't necessary and not realistic anyway.
12. read the boxes and review paragraphs at the end of each chapter.
13. if you are scared to do something in clinical, practice it until your arms fall off and tell your teacher that you need to do ____ to get over the fear of it.
14. don't be afraid to ask for help. no one (who is sane) will expect you to know everything. on the same token, be responsible for your own learning. look things up when possible instead of always asking the teacher or a clinical nurse.
15. take time out to have fun or you will burn out.
16. the practice questions on cd's are very good practice to help you get used to the type of questions that will appear on the test.
17. if you are going to buy extra books to supplement your learning, ask upper classmen what books were helpful and what were a waste of money.
18. amazon is cheap!
19. pack your backpack the night before so that you aren't in a rush and forget something.
20. if you are unsure if you are allowed to do something, don't do it until you know for sure that you can. don't nitpick licensed nurses over their non-textbook ways of doing things, but make sure you stick to the textbook way. take advantage of clinical experiences as they come, as you near graduation you will really appreciate any experience that you have.
most of all remember how hard you worked to get to ns so savor your accomplishment, get plenty of rest and get ready for quite a ride!

very well said voice of experiance!!!:monkeydance:

APBT mom, LPN, RN · Oct 24, 2007

I don't think that it's hard I think that it's very time consuming. I never make plans a week in advance because I don't know what I'll have to study or do to turn in for the next week. You have to make sure that you are very organized and that you schedule yourself free time.

IMO the reason that alot of students fail/drop out due to poor grades is because they don't schedule time to study, they have other things in their lives that interfere, they think that they know everything, or they are to worried about partying and think that they can just skate by. The instructors have a way of "weeding" out the ones who aren't to serious about it because when you graduate you're dealing with someone's life. Those are the students that the instructors are always asking questions to or asking them why they did this or that. It's not picking, it's forcing them to think about what they are doing instead of just doing it.

future L&Dnurse · Oct 25, 2007

I think it's hard because there is SO much information. The body of knowledge we're acquiring in a couple of years is pretty amazing, really, and it's hard to cram it all into your brain in so little time. I also think it's hard because as was mentioned on the first page, you can't just memorize and regurgitate. That's not how tests are written, that's not how the NCLEX works. You actually have to know it well enough to use it. And ultimately, I think it's hard because if we don't have this body of knowledge, we're in a position every day where a mistake might kill someone.

NeoNurseTX, RN · Oct 25, 2007

It's a LOT of work and knowledge crammed into a short period of time.

Also, you can't just memorize stuff and be okay. You'll need most everything again in another class. You have to remember and UNDERSTAND everything for the NCLEX. Understanding everything you learn is vital to success in nursing school.

Plus, clinicals can be intimidating.

NeoNurseTX, RN · Oct 25, 2007

I think that many students go into nursing classes thinking that they are still in school and treat it as school. You are, in fact, in job training and need to treat it as job training and as a full time job. If some don't have a good work ethic it shows to the instructors almost right away. Nursing is not something you go to class and just expect to get a grade in. This is serious material that you MUST learn and learn well. You are constantly being evaluated by instructors as to your potential as a worker because they are going to be giving potential employers a reference about you for your first job--that is a very serious duty that they have to perform. Also, almost all the material that you are going to learn in nursing school is all new--you've never been exposed to it before unlike most other classes you've had where you have some kind of prior base to build upon. That makes studying a little harder and more stressful. However, it can be done as thousands before have proven. You just have to put your shoulder to the wheel and do it. Which brings up another thing. Almost all the nurses I've worked with over the years had some form of a tapeworm and were constantly on the go. There's no room for laziness in the profession of nursing. They were all great multi-taskers as well. If instructors don't see these kinds of qualities in a student they will find a way to drum them out of the program.

Definitely NOT like school. Most majors don't require as much of you as nursing does. (Most majors don't require a drug screen, fingerprint, bg check etc, either!) You are in life or death situations in nursing.

Ms Kylee · Oct 25, 2007

Love nursing school.... with all of the ups and downs... Daytonite is right.. it is the toughest job you will ever love.... Love taking care of patients, but I hate the politics... the b****y nurses who are always on your butt when you've got 4 patients out for tests and they want their patient to get bathed, patient needs fed and you're cleaning another one up.... Wish I would have done this 25 years ago...

zaggar · Oct 26, 2007

1. Why is nursing school hard? Choose the BEST answer:

A. Because it is difficult

B. Because it is a French class

C. Because it is not easy

D. Because it is arduous

2. Which of the following is a shade of red?

A. Red

B. Light Red

C. Dark Red

D. Blue

3. An 83 year old female Australian-American client with lienomalacia asks, "Can you get me something for my hypoposia?" Which of the following actions is inappropriate for the nursing student to always never not do?

A. Not check the client for allergies

B. Ensure you have the right client by checking two forms of ID

C. Not get the client a glass of water

D. Ensure the client does not have a patent airway without stridor, crackles, wheezes or pleural friction rub

4. Complete the following sentence. A nurse must remember to ALWAYS _______.

5. To pass a nursing exam, a nurse must remember that:

A. The ABC's come FIRST!

B. Client safety comes FIRST!

C. Assessment comes FIRST!

D. Use critical thinking

E. Not overthink the problem

You scored a 60%. :madface: See your clinical instructor for counseling immediately after you complete your mandatory head to toe assessment return demo. :uhoh3:

Reminder! Care plans are due on my desk by 2PM! :uhoh21:

future L&Dnurse · Oct 26, 2007

pelsmith, that was awesome. Thanks for the laugh!

(do you, by chance, write the exams for some of my classes? Some of the questions are remarkably similar!)

mysterious_one, ASN, RN · Oct 27, 2007

1. Why is nursing school hard? Choose the BEST answer:
A. Because it is difficult
B. Because it is a French class
C. Because it is not easy
D. Because it is arduous
2. Which of the following is a shade of red?
A. Red
B. Light Red
C. Dark Red
D. Blue
3. An 83 year old female Australian-American client with lienomalacia asks, "Can you get me something for my hypoposia?" Which of the following actions is inappropriate for the nursing student to always never not do?
A. Not check the client for allergies
B. Ensure you have the right client by checking two forms of ID
C. Not get the client a glass of water
D. Ensure the client does not have a patent airway without stridor, crackles, wheezes or pleural friction rub
4. Complete the following sentence. A nurse must remember to ALWAYS _______.
5. To pass a nursing exam, a nurse must remember that:
A. The ABC's come FIRST!
B. Client safety comes FIRST!
C. Assessment comes FIRST!
D. Use critical thinking
E. Not overthink the problem
You scored a 60%. See your clinical instructor for counseling immediately after you complete your mandatory head to toe assessment return demo.
Reminder! Care plans are due on my desk by 2PM! :uhoh21:

This is great!!!!!!!! :lol2: