Competitive Pre-Nursing Students?

[Noob_to_Nursing]

Hi! =)

Just an intro: I am a second...er, third career pre-nursing student. I'm doing pretty well in my prerequisites so far and am loving the sciences even though they are wicked hard. I wonder why I ever waited so long (mid-30s now) to start a career in the healthcare field. I'm hoping to get into an accelerated BSN or MSN program since I have my Bachelor's already and also considering applying to as many ADN RN programs in order to get into a program once I'm done with prerequisites. Even though I'm older than most of my classmates, I don't care how long it takes. My friend was a programmer and manager in computer science and became a nurse in her 50s; it's never too late to do anything if you have the ability and drive to do something. I quit my high-paying job so that I would have more time for prerequisites while taking a lower-income job that didn't require that much attention.

OKAY! Sorry for the long preface...here's my issue: I recently encountered a pre-nursing student who, upon hearing on one college I was applying to, said, "Oh, you're my competition." That sort of took me aback; I immediately tried to assure her that I probably wouldn't be applying at the same time, etc. so that we could work together as cooperative lab partners (I was kicking myself for sitting by her that first day but tried to be friends). So far, I've only encountered really encouraging, excited pre-nursing students...I've also met nurses who were really happy about their jobs!!! It wouldn't be so discouraging but she began just being really snarky to me. She was seemingly intelligent as well. I ended up dropping the class, btw, mainly because the teacher was incomprehensible.

Anyway, I never thought of other people as being my competition until this moment. And now, I feel really discouraged. _I_ was my competition because I've never been in healthcare or concentrated on science so much. I hate that now my thoughts are "tainted" by having to "beat" someone rather than trying to achieve my own set goal.

Is it bad to think that I hope this student realizes that it's not about beating someone but rather eventually helping someone in healthcare? Isn't that the main reason why people become 2nd career nurses?

Just really discouraged...

[leenak]

Don't be discouraged. In my undergrad, the biology department was huge and was mostly composed of pre-med students. I heard the worst stories where biology majors would sabotage fellow biology majors because it would improve their chances at a better grade/getting into med school.

Having said thing, from what I've read, I don't think nursing has quite the same issues but I wouldn't be surprised if you ran into someone who might think of you as a threat.

[Student4_life]

I am hypercompetitive, I want to be the top student in every class I take, but I refuse to achieve my goals at the expense of others. I prefer taking time to help other students get the grades they need, in part because it solidifies my learning, but mainly because I like helping people. That being said I have run into alot of other prenursing students that are competitive and see other prenursing students as their competition (in my experience these tend to not be the best students and aren't worth talking to). I do try to explain to these students that their competition isn't local, it's the students they do not see that they are in competition with and although they should use others grades as a measure of how they have to do to get in, they shouldn't withhold study information from their classmates due to fear that their classmates will do better.

Hopfully that makes sense, I am typing from an iPhone this am and can't really reflect on what I wrote (basically be competitive, but against the unseen and work on team work to beat the unseen)

[Justanotherday]

The prenursing students I have met so far all seem to have the "we're all in this together" mentality, which is fine with me, as really, we are all in this together. I can't imagine viewing someone as competition, my acceptance to my nursing program is entirely dependent on my GPA so I have only myself to blame if I don't keep my grades up. And as far as jobs go down the road, nursing is such a broad field, I don't think they'll all be knocking on the door of the Emergency Room for employment like I will be someday.

If I met a student like the one you described I would be polite but stay as far away as possible. I like to surround myself with supportive people so we can keep each other encouraged.

[OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN]

Okay, I do understand where you're coming from but you also have to understand that nursing school admittance has become that competitive. I would never say that to a fellow student or not try to help them but I will telkl you a secret-in my microbiology class I had three students who were not doing well and towards the end of the class the three I am talking about all changed their majors. The secret is that part of me was happy because it was three less students applying. I feel bad to say that because I would never want anyone to do bad or fail but I am competitive and of I course I want to succeed. My point is that I would never have thought I could feel that, and it really upset me. I'm not this kind of person, but I think competition for something so important to all of us just brings out a bad side in many of us. Anyhow I think this competitiveness probably dies down a lot once you get accepted and become classmates in nursing school. You shouldn't let it discourage you (although I can't believe she actually said that to you!) but look at the positive-competition sometimes is good and makes us all work extra hard and that will produce good nurses :) Well just my

[Jane Doe 1]

Your lab partner had an unusual reaction. She probably sized you up as being older, more experienced, and with another degree. She probably was intimidated and took that out on you by being snarky.

I'm very competitive, but whenever I met someone who was applying to the same ABSN program as I it was very exciting. Then the more I talked to them I realized they probably wouldn't get in, that makes for an awkward situation.

[Despareux]

Before I was accepted into the nursing program, I viewed all pre-nursing students as my competition. The competition can be fierce, considering the selection criteria that schools have developed, the thousands of dollars in loans that must be repaid regardless of your outcome, and the sacrifice's that have been made to earn your spot in nursing school.

There's no harm in knowing where your competition stands [or viewing other pre-nurse students as competition]; as a matter of fact, I think it's useful--it can push you to do better. On the other hand, knowing that many of your fellow students may have a higher gpa than you, or if they just seem to get the information so easily can also be discouraging, but I remind myself that everyone has different circumstances in their lives, nobody is ever perfect, and I am 100% accountable for everything I say, do, and learn.

Also, I would never do anything to sabotage another person's educational [or other] goals, but I'm also protective of my own goals, and you should be too. But I think once you make it into nursing school, the intensity of the competition dies down quite a bit, at least that's what one of my future nursing instructors told me.

[JROregon, ASN, BSN, RN]

Never allow another person to dictate how you feel about yourself; just a good life lesson. You'll find all types of people in your classes. I find that sitting in the front of the class keeps me from being distracted by others - you know, the ones who are texting on their cell phones. If you can pick a lab partner, and most of the time it is pure chance, pick one that listens and follows directions well. If someone is bragging about what great grades she is getting, ask her what her study techniques are.

I remember overhearing a group of pre-nursing students talking about how unfair it was that they were in competition with someone who already had a bachelors degree. Well, I have a bachelors degree..... but it's in business administration. I didn't take it personally because I understand the insecurity and fears of taking 1-1/2 to 2 years worth of classes just for a chance at getting into nursing school.

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

For anyone who is competitive, their behavior is dictated by how they view competition.

I am also very competitive, but competition for me is against myself. I do the very best I can because someone will get that scholarship, will get to wear a tassle at graduation, and will get that job over another person. I want it to be me!

If it isn't me, my point of view logically means that I have only have myself to blame if I don't get the reward. It also means that I can retain my confidence--even if I don't get the reward--because I knew I did my very best.

If you're truly in competition with yourself, you will support other students in being the best they can be because you are not at all interested in eliminating the "competition." The competition isn't other students to beging with!

[StayingCalm, BSN, RN]

I came across a few "ultra-competitive" students during prerequisites. Things got even worse in one particular class, when our professor declared his curve grading policy. People started making pacts and factions, sort of like reality TV shows. I guess part of it is also due to the fact, that this class is one of the last prerequisite classes one has to complete before applying (we sort of have to take them in order at this particular school). But in the end, it's like someone else stated, we're really competing against those that we can't see. And like someone else also brought up, once you're in a nursing program, competition should die down. I'm a couple weeks into a nursing program and our professors had said to us over & over again, that we're no longer competing against each other and we're in this together now.

[Meesterjojo]

The worst we have at my school is that the health professions organizations and actual honors science academy are closed for future nurses. They're very anti-nursing here.

But the group of would-be nurses are pretty tight, and we know that getting into UTHSC-SON is tight, but we don't have any sort of vibe like that. There are other options, so it's not the end of the world. In fact we're making an organization to help future nurses with the resources/information they need as they get further along in their education, including shadowing opportunities, accreditation/transfer issues out of state, even an entrance exam 'library' of study guides.

That's our idea anyway. We'll see how far we get down the track to making this a reality. I suppose being the 'underdogs' at my college (which is a 4 year institution btw) may help us band together more?

[cgravier]

wow all this from one off hand remark? Maybe she was kidding? Maybe she was serious either way who cares? I say bring it on!

Most of my classmates I had no idea what majors they were and they didnt know mine. The ones that were nursing and found I were, were more like, "Cool! Me too" and thats about it.

The only attitudes I saw were from the EMT students. They all looked like they played football in highschool, had spiked hair, wore designer jeans and polos with popped collars. One day I witnessed one carrying a backboard and he fell, so another one said, "Are you OK?" and He replied, "OH Im an EMT student, I can fix myself" To which they all laughed this really loud arrogant laugh. Me and this other nursing student just looked at each other and rolled our eyes.