Anyone regret ever having stepped foot in nursing school?

Nursing Students General Students

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I did. I ended up deciding to not come back. I switched my major. I'm happy and I'm myself again. I really do feel I was one of the brave ones to realize so soon. Too much illegal and abusive behavior goes on and nothing is done about it. I remember looking through the nursing handbook and seeing how students were pretty much set up for students to fail. I remember this one instructor failing this girl because she didnt like her and not only did she fail her but she humiliated her. I still know people trying to complete a 2 year degree and they have been there for 5 years! Most students keep their mouth closed about it. Not sure why. From what I understand much of that behavior in NS is just giving you a taste of what its really like working as a nurse. Conditioning I suppose?

At least you were smart and decided to quit because you were unhappy. Many decide to stick it out for the wrong reasons and later regret it, and I wouldn't want that nurse taking care of me or anyone in my family for that matter. Nursing school isn't supposed to be easy because guess what? Being a nurse is NOT easy. My psychology professor said it best when some of the nursing students were complaining about nursing school, she said "Listen, you aren't getting any sympathy from me, as a patient I appreciate it if the instructors are a little hard on you. I WANT them to be hard on you." Love it or leave it I guess!

Specializes in NICU Level III.

Not at all. I'm a happy RN of a few years now. Schooling sucked but it's not forever.

I did. I ended up deciding to not come back. I switched my major. I'm happy and I'm myself again. I really do feel I was one of the brave ones to realize so soon. Too much illegal and abusive behavior goes on and nothing is done about it. I remember looking through the nursing handbook and seeing how students were pretty much set up for students to fail. I remember this one instructor failing this girl because she didnt like her and not only did she fail her but she humiliated her. I still know people trying to complete a 2 year degree and they have been there for 5 years! Most students keep their mouth closed about it. Not sure why. From what I understand much of that behavior in NS is just giving you a taste of what its really like working as a nurse. Conditioning I suppose?

Geesh, I thought this was just my nursing program! ;) Seriously, though, I am learning that this is somewhat a common experience. It's a little scary to see these kinds of trends so early on. I am not sure if I want to further my education in nursing, at this point. Truthfully, I wish I would have gone for a different major, straight out of high school, and I would be finished/working at this point. Now I have a nursing degree and there aren't any jobs!

Seeing this really makes me wish peop,e were required to dabble in the medical field for awhile to make sure nursing is really the right profession for them...because with uit being as competitive as it is, those who truly find nursing a passion for them and would give anything to get in, therir spot is taken by people who just change their minds... Its saddening really. I'm sorry your experience wasn't what you thought it would be...but I feel more sorry for the students whose spot you wasted.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

No. The only thing I regret is not doing it the first time around at the "traditional" time. I'll let you know if that opinion sticks in about 2.5 years, when I've had about two years of real world nursing experience. ;)

Now, I'll go back and read everything that everyone else has said.

Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

No, I don't regret going to nursing school. I hate, hate hate the job search process though and I feel like quitting. No more sending out apps, no more cold calling, no more waiting for the phone to ring.

Specializes in Oncology.

I have my moments where I seriously don't want to picture myself doing this for the rest of my life because I'm so stressed out. But inevitably something will happen to change my mind, make me smile, and make it worth it.

If you get through a couple of semesters of nursing school, and haven't had one of those moments with a patient (and I think everyone knows what I mean - that connection with your patient, and there are many different ways it happens), then I think that it might be time to reconsider your career if you are also miserable and feel abused in your program.

Seeing this really makes me wish peop,e were required to dabble in the medical field for awhile to make sure nursing is really the right profession for them...because with uit being as competitive as it is, those who truly find nursing a passion for them and would give anything to get in, therir spot is taken by people who just change their minds... Its saddening really. I'm sorry your experience wasn't what you thought it would be...but I feel more sorry for the students whose spot you wasted.

I was passionate about nursing. My family has stuff I used to write, as a child, stating how I would grow up to be a nurse.

"Their spot is taken by people who change their minds". Uhm no, that's not quite how it works. Spots are taken by the "cream of the crop" per se. I know this is a joke, of course, after interacting with most of my nursing class.

I don't really think anyone can realize, beforehand, how miserable nursing school or the nursing field may be. I loved the actual learning, loved patients, and don't even mind the hard work. It's the abuse, disorganization, corruption, bullying, and harassment (by STAFF & classmates), that can make it horrible.

To be honest with you, the people who made the experience terrible were the ones who were there "just for the money". I know this isn't always the case, but misery loves company, and these people were MISERABLE in the program and took it out on everyone else. Staff does nothing and instructors join in on it. It's really quite sad.

"Their spot is taken by people who change their minds". Uhm no, that's not quite how it works. Spots are taken by the "cream of the crop" per se. I know this is a joke, of course, after interacting with most of my nursing class.

This is true to a certain extent, but I think the point that the person was trying to make was that people who take a spot and drop out later occupied a position that another dedicated person could have had. One of my girlfriends was offered a position as an alternate after the student who originally accepted the spot changed their mind. My friend was only a couple of points below the student who was originally accepted, so IMO that doesn't really make them the "cream of the crop." My friend is amazing in clinical and has worked as a tech for over 10 years...she will be an outstanding nurse. She gets average grades, but in the clinical setting her common sense and critical thinking skills are stellar. I get straight A's but pale in comparison to her in clinical. So, I can see how someone being ambivalent about being a nurse but still occupying a seat in nursing school could be shutting out someone who may make a fantastic RN.

I've never regretted nursing school. There are days when I am burned out and hate it, but I never regret it. I often count my blessings that I made it in, because there are so many who try and don't get accepted. I consider myself fortunate.

Nursing school was hard but since I already had a master's in another field I was prepared for that and just dug in and trudged along as well as I could.

I wasn't prepared for the ways in which it was hard, which were very different from my other degrees.

So yes, very stressful but looking back the only regret I have is that I didn't do it sooner.

I love being a nurse and the horrors of nursing schol prepared me well for the realities of the job.

Weird, I know. But the whole thing has been worth every minute of angst for me.......

Well. Check back with me next month.:rolleyes:

Some days I just want to turn around and go back home and STAY home. In these last few weeks of my FIRST quarter as a student nurse, I've been taking it day by day.

It's been so hard on my kids; my husband works evening shift, so he sees them on the weekends and isn't much help, during the week, in the way of child rearing or housekeeping and cooking. My husband did not understand the amount of time I would have to dedicate to school and he's having a very hard time adjusting. And I'm having a hard time adjusting to my families lack of adjustment.

So between the lack of support at home and the amount of studying I put into receiving low 'B's'; some days, I just don't feel nursing school is worth it.

I don't regret it yet; I'm just not in love with it.

Sometimes.

I'm only a first year nursing student, but so far I don't find the content hard. I actually enjoy the content and reading my textbooks. I just hate the way the classes are taught, the ridiculous competition between the students, and the BS group work.

I want to be a nurse desperately. I just wish I had chosen a different school.

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