What are you most worried about in regards to starting nursing school??

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I'm a junior in a university BSN program. I remember last summer I was very anxious to start and I had a lot of questions.

Post your concerns and maybe we can help!

Have you had the opportunity to shadow a nurse (or two)? Doing so will give you a good idea what happens on shift. There are so many areas of nursing. Hopefully, even if you don't like traditional types of nursing you can do something different. I happen to love psych, I did my time in med-surg, I've been a manager, and I had some 'flings' early in my career in ICU, a rehab facility, and oncology--all different, and all 'dream jobs' for someone (and detested by others!) Pay attention in your clinicals for what you like/dislike in each rotation and use that to select a field of nursing when you graduate.
Something I wish I could do prior to nursing school is shadow a nurse. I never got to bc my intention prior to wanting to become a nurse was to be a lawyer.I can only hope & pray that I will love nursing and not have doubts that it's not for me.
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1. All of the programs around here either have waiting lists, or don't accept students who are transferring into the program with already completed college credits (because they fill up with recently-graduated-from-high-school freshmen). So, I'm looking at a decent wait up here where I currently live now on top of having already done a couple years of waiting in Florida (moved for personal reasons). My first concern is not getting into my ADN. program until several years out, and having it be worth nothing (and have to go back to school---again---to get my BSN) because my state has begin to hire no one but BSN nurses.

2. But perhaps this is a good thing (number 1). I'm so conflicted about going into nursing, based upon my experiences working as a CNA in LTC and volunteering in a hospital setting. :unsure: I just keep hoping that, since nursing is such a large, diverse field, I've just yet to find my niche. I love the health care atmosphere, helping people, the science of it, the hours (I'm a total night shift person), but I hate the nastiness, lack of accountability, and lack of support nurses receive that I've seen so far.

3. I'm afraid of waiting, getting into the program, hating it, and having wasted so many years of my life waiting to get into the program that no one else in the job world will take me seriously as a "late starter" by the time I scramble, find something else I can possibly make a living at, and graduate with a different degree.

4. I'm afraid that I'll go through the expense and heartache of sticking with nursing school because it really IS something I enjoy, and then not being able to use my degree because I don't have the in-vogue degree of the time or experience as a nurse, something which I can't get unless someone is willing to hire me to begin with.

*sigh*Thank you for letting me vent, at least.

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Specializes in Oncology/hematology.

Great thread, op. When I was waiting for my application to be accepted, I was only afraid of not getting in.

Then, when I got accepted, I was only worried about having no life.

Now that I'm halfway through my first semester, I'm not worried about anything. I'm learning so much, am now sure nursing is for me, and having the time of my life. I really don't have a life, but I don't care. It's worth it.

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I just got accepted to a BSN program. I'm still in shock and overwhelmed with emotions (fear, excitement). Anyway, I have been out of school for a few years and now I have a family. I'm just worried about not being able to balance family and school. I love school so I feel like I will do well but I will need to focus on time management and being organized. Many mothers have succeeded before me so that gives me hope:)

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I just got accepted to a BSN program. I'm still in shock and overwhelmed with emotions (fear, excitement). Anyway, I have been out of school for a few years and now I have a family. I'm just worried about not being able to balance family and school. I love school so I feel like I will do well but I will need to focus on time management and being organized. Many mothers have succeeded before me so that gives me hope:)

Congrats. Good luck also

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why are you applying to a school that has a waiting list. apply to a school that ranks you based on your grades. Those types of schools are what nursing is really about. You'll be in nursing school with some of the smartest ppl that worked really hard to get in. I am not sure if the school your applying to is based on lottery. Most schools that are ranked based have no waiting list. It's all about the top grade students that get in. Also if you get good grades and b4 applying that will help you so much once you get in. You will have to work less hard and will learn so much. Many of the lottery schools at there shouldn't exist. It takes away the chance for those that worked hard but didn't get in only because they got more B's than A's. I don't think that it's fair that students that get C's get into nursing school just by luck. I think they should make all nursing colleges in American including community based on grades. They should not have any waiting list. BSN programs will fill up with A students. Community colleges should fill up with B students. C students should have the option of private education since they didn't get the A's and B's. Because I strongly believe that if you can't get an A or an B in your basic classes you will never make it out of nursing school and be able to pass the state test. Unless you magically become an A and B student in nursing school which won't happen. I have ppl in my BSN program with me that were A students in their basic science classes and are barely passing their nursing exams. Anyways sorry to make this long. Look into state programs like the BSN programs. They have no waiting list.

You typed out this long thing saying only ppl with A's and good grades should get in nursing school. Yet at the end you state ppl in your BSN program got A's in their pre reqs or science classes and are struggling. Lol guess grades DONT matter.

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You typed out this long thing saying only ppl with A's and good grades should get in nursing school. Yet at the end you state ppl in your BSN program got A's in their pre reqs or science classes and are struggling. Lol guess grades DONT matter.

The whole A-B-C thing translating to good or bad nurses, I've found on this site, is pretty much anecdotal. The B and C students claim it doesn't matter (which, it might not), whereas the A students are saying academics are everything. The point is, every person is different and you won't really know until you're in the program and see if it really applies to you. I just didn't read all of that long post, lol.

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Great thread, op. When I was waiting for my application to be accepted, I was only afraid of not getting in.Then, when I got accepted, I was only worried about having no life.Now that I'm halfway through my first semester, I'm not worried about anything. I'm learning so much, am now sure nursing is for me, and having the time of my life. I really don't have a life, but I don't care. It's worth it.
Great attitude Rubato! I need to start feeling the same lol. Are you in an ASN program or a BSN?
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Specializes in Oncology/hematology.
Great attitude Rubato! I need to start feeling the same lol. Are you in an ASN program or a BSN?

ASN. How about you?

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