Am I cut out for this??

Britt711,

I definately know where you are coming from. I'm working and doing school and feel like I hardly see my family. I just spend every waking moment studying, prepping for clinical, running over some sort of skill in my head, studying flashcards, etc. I also am used to doing well in school with very little effort, but honestly, I don't mind the work. I'm keeping my eye on the prize - my RN. I've wanted this ever since I can remember! If it is something that you really want then just keep your eye on the prize and your nose to the grindstone and keep working it!

And don't worry about clinicals....you may feel like they are just throwing you into the deep end of the pool without a flotation device, but really, they aren't. You can do this!!!

Keep the faith!!!!!

I'm pretty sure everyone in nursing school questions their ability to keep going. Especially with a family at home, things can get overwhelming. However, you chose this field for a reason, and you owe it to yourself to keep moving forward to find out why. Nothing good ever came easy, and you will have to work hard. But you can do it, becauses nurses are do-ers. Keep your head up and keep lookin for the big picture. :typing

There IS much to learn in nursing school, but you don't need to learn it all. That might help take some of the pressure off. Take advantage of opportunities you have as a student, make a pest of yourself during clinicals to get as much experience as possible, do what you need to pass and be a safe practitioner... and then let it go. You're not going to retain or be tested on every last piece of information assigned in school.

Nursing school gets you familiar with a zillion different conditions but focuses more on the generalities of nursing care (safety, comfort, etc). If it's that important, you'll see it again... and again... and again. Meanwhile, I'd recommend using an NCLEX review book to help study for tests. You can have the 500 page reading assignment memorized backwards and forwards and STILL get those sometimes tricky questions wrong! Understanding the testing style can really help make your studying more effective.

Best wishes!

I understand exactly how you feel. I have always done well in school with very little effort. Nursing school is a totally different beast. lol Trust me on this though... it will get easier. Well, maybe easier isn't the best word, but you'll figure out how to adjust. First semester was the hardest for me because it was so different from anything I had ever done. You'll develop a system and figure out the best ways to study and all that. It just takes some time. Honestly, every semester takes a few weeks before I get in the groove of it. Each schedule is a little different, each instructor is different and you may have to readjust a few times, but it will get better.

Be proud of that B!! I had to learn that. Coming into nursing school, I was always disappointed with a B. Now I accept it with a smile. I've made A's, B's, and C's on tests and I learned to be happy with whatever I got because it meant that I was passing. Some topics will come easier than others too so it kind of balances out.

My family and I have made huge sacrifices for my opportunity to go to school. We all understand that it's for the best in the long run. Sure, I have had to turn down nights out before a test and sometimes my husband has to take my daughter to girl scouts, etc... but it's ok! You're not a bad mom or wife. Please remember that!! You just started last month. Give yourself some time. :heartbeat

This is coming from a nursing student getting ready to graduate in 3 months. I felt the same way you did my first semester. All I did was study, sleep and work. It did get easier however. As I started to understand the basics, the rest just started to build on top of it. Things eventually fell into place. Now much of the information makes since.

Hang in there. It will get better. Remember that nursing programs only take the top students. If you are there, you can do it. Learn to study smart. Once as you have mastered the material, move on. Only study those areas that you do not know. Practice critical thinking by doing NCLEX questions and case studies. Use your resources. And it is okay to be afraid. If you were not, the instructors would be worried about you.

Oh my gosh- I could have written your post. I practically ran from the building on that first day, and I cried all that afternoon. Wondering if I'd made a mistake by deciding to leave my job, a job that I actually liked, to go to school to become a nurse. I too was used to getting excellent grades, was an honor student the whole time I was taking my general eds and pre-req courses. Then, I started my nursing classes and had to adjust to NOT doing that well on my first few quizzes. It was hard, I felt like I wouldn't be able to get through it. Like I was a failure before I had even started. That was just a few short weeks ago, and while I do still have moments of SERIOUS doubt, they are becoming fewer and fewer. I just try to tell myself that I am still learning, and I'm not going to get everything right the first time I try it. Maybe not even the second or third time, but if I KEEP trying, and I learn from my mistakes, then I am not a failure. It is work, A LOT of work, but it will be worth it in the end. Just hang in there!