Nursing Program Preparation

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Aug 2, 2012

pretty much. You will be learning a new language and culture. You will have to be totally focused. It is not high school. It does get easier as time goes on though.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Aug 2, 2012

It is a figure of speech. You will be using your textbook as some people use their bible. It will be your source of information, learning and resource throughout your nursing journey. It will be your go to reference for everything.

Classicdame is right ......you will be pretty much eating, sleeping, and breathing nursing. It is a culture and language unique onto itself.

LadyinScrubs, ASN, RN · Aug 2, 2012

I was admitted into the Nursing Program and attended my first orientation recently. We wee told that the text book should be our GOD (I don't know if I could make a book my GOD), and that there will be no life other than nursing for the next two years. Is that so?

Had not heard it put this way, but what you were told is true. Nursing school is a fickle entity. It demans your entire attention and does not tolerate competition from other thngs--like friends, family, work, etc.

giantumbrella · Aug 3, 2012

My advice is to not let them freak you out too much. It is hard and time consuming, but it is also incredibly rewarding, fun, and very interesting! They just want you to be prepared and to take it seriously from the start. Don't worry, just study, pay attention, and enjoy your education!!

hgrimmett · Aug 4, 2012

They were absolutely right but they missed one thing.. that should have been gods, plural. Get used to spending all your free time with your new best friends Potter & Perry, Saunders, and more that you haven't met yet.

aureliarye · Aug 4, 2012

I just finished my 1st semester of Nursing School and it is tough! You have to learn to think differently than you ever have before, and you need to plan on studying as much as possible when you are not in class. I thought I learned better with others but I actually did better studying on my own. You will learn alot about being organized. I found out for me that note cards were not the way to go. I was able to organize my learning more by typing it in to the computer as an outline. As soon as you get out of class organize your notes. If you can print the slides that your teacher will use for class before class begins make your notes on them. Listen to your teachers! They will guide you in the right direction. If you don't have to work, don't. I have to work and that takes away from my study time. I am trying to remember that C=RN.

Oh, and by the way, the books are not god in any shape, form or fashion. Lean on the real God (Jesus) and He will help light your path!

BloomNurseRN, ASN, BSN, RN · Aug 5, 2012

It's scary and overwhelming and tiring and crazy but worth it. Yes, you will be with your textbooks more than your family and friends for a while but how else are you going to learn? As others have said, you're learning a new language and way of thinking. It will be okay and you'll be shocked at how fast that first semester goes by. Good luck!

Sorin · Aug 6, 2012

Yes. Although I believe in this case that the religion that should be proposed is paganism on the basis that many textbooks will be your god lol.

I've been in my program for a year now and I think that many schools need a little revision on how to prepare students for nursing school.

- You will probably not go out and it will be hard to work. End of story.

- Know how to manage your time because there are seriously not enough hours in a day.

- Find as many resources as you can for your nursing career (textbooks, online help, online resources, etc) because everything will be useful in one way or another. In this case, also use your teachers to your advantage and students ahead of you in the program (I'm a tutor at my school and we have a plethora of nursing resources that many people do not know even exist).

- Know how to be organized in the sense that everything your teacher gives you whether they are PPTs or worksheets... I would keep them and organize them in a binder or whatever organizational strategy you use.

- My favorite piece of advice is to try to make your world full of nursing. If I wanted to watch TV I would watch something like Grey's Anatomy (I would spend half the show looking up stuff and let me tell you it has become useful in class when combining watching with research) and adding nursing news to my reading everyday.

- Another important piece of advice is to "choose your friends". Even though I may sound a little unorthodox for saying that but you learn best when you're with people of your same level. I've learned this the hard way. It is very difficult to study in groups.

- Paying particular attention to class lecture (more or less) is what can make or break your exam grades (since there is so much to cover the teachers tend to tell you what you should focus on).

- Another piece of advice I learned the hard way: nursing exams are quintessentially different from any other exam you may have taken in any other college. The goal is application of information. Don't just read... know how to apply to real life. Remember, when you take the NCLEX board, you are essentially being tested on how you would act as a nurse in a given setting. The board would not want to pick someone who always chooses to "Call the physician" as the answer choice.

As someone said earlier, "Bible" would be the correct terminology in this case. If you would like more specific tips for nursing school message me =).