Did anyone hate nursing school?

[FNPhopeful]

I am in second semester and I am just sooooo tired and run down. Every week I feel like quitting. I have an hour commute and 2 small kids so thats an added difficulty. Is it normal to dislike nursing school so much? I know Im probably just not thinking clearly at this point being so exhausted, but please tell me it all pays off in the end!

I, like many others worked toward this goal for so long, just trying to get in. I have always loved school. But since becoming an actual nursing student, I can barely get B's much less A's. I guess I thought nursing school would be so fun and interesting and full of cool new things to experience. But hard instructors and hours of clinical are more the case. And I feel so dumb all the time!

Just trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I need help seeing the good in it again. Thanks.......better go study!

[MintyKorn]

LoL...oh the horrors of nursing school! Let me tell you, I cried literally every day of nursing school. Especially the first day of clinicals when the instructor singled me out and made an example of me. I had a simple white hair ribbon to match with my immaculately clean, white uniform. She said my ribbon or any other hair accesory was inappropriate and went on a lecture about how it can harbor bacteria and germs. Funny thing is she didn't tell us how are we then suppossed to put up our hair if we are not allowed to use hair accessories. (mastisol and transpore tape????)

It's not a cake-walk, that's for sure....but because of that, you have every right to feel proud and hold your head up high once you graduate. It's survival of the fittest and rightfully so. I agree though with everyone here that has said...."It is sooooo worth it in the end!" :cheers:

[RN1263]

It's not a cake-walk, that's for sure....but because of that, you have every right to feel proud and hold your head up high once you graduate. It's survival of the fittest and rightfully so.

You got that right and i am proud! Especially since we've lost soooooo many students! three weeks to go and the classroom looks bare compared to first semester.....the teacher keeps saying "is everyone here....it looks like people are missing?" and we say "they are missing... they failed, so we're all thats left!!!":uhoh3:

[abundantjoy07, RN]

I do dislike nursing school immensely. I do fear that I will never like nursing. It's a little late to backtrack as I graduate in a few days...but nursing school has been filled with irritable post-menopausal women, tears, and high rates of competition and failure. I've lost so many acquaintences through the time I've been inschool because they could not go on.

I've seen so many brilliant people be reduced to tears because they were made to feel unappreciated and low in intelligence.

It has not been a good experience and to this very moment it has not been the best. I feel like I missed out on college because of nursing school and that really stinks.

But whatever, I'm almost through.

I've just got to pass the NCLEX and then I can figure out if I want to continue in nursing or explore other options. I totally understand why there is a shortage of nurses...no one can make it through nursing school and if they do they regret ever beginning it in the first place.

[dubstar]

I agree with you guys,

I sit in a class sometimes and think "what am I doing here"

NS and clinical placements have not been the joyous occasions I though they maybe.

[SoulShine75]

As someone else said...this discussion is very therapeutic. I have a love/hate relationship with nursing school. The love part stems from my love of the subject and the fact that I will one day become a nurse. The hate part...just about everything that is nursing school. It's just so much stress that I'm surprised I haven't crawled up in the fetal and rocked back and forth many nights. Well, I take that back...I have. Good luck to everyone. We can do this and it will one day be behind us.

[suanna]

I know where you are coming from. When I was in nursing school I was working full time, newly married to a wonderfull woman with two teenage children. I averaged 2-3 hrs sleep a day. My best advise is stop looking for "a"s and learn to set priorities in school. Settle for a C in non critical courses and use the extra time for your nursing core courses and clinicals- or maybe just some much needed sleep. You are pulling a heavy load with school and family and its better to be a good nurse with a 2.5GPA than a former nursing student with nothing to show for the work you've put in so far. By the way, clinicals helped me a lot- applied learning is always more fun than theory.

[RedSox33RN]

I must be in the minority, because I really enjoyed nursing school, and can't wait to continue on in a year or so for my BSN then MSN.

I did have one bad clinical experience - Mental Health - because the instructor and I did not get along, and I truly dreaded getting up and going to clinical those days. But overall, I really liked it. I learned so much, but didn't even realize how much I learned until I looked back at my Fundamental notes. The people I met, patients and classmates and instructors, the stuff I learned - all of it together was just amazing, and really fun.

Yes, I was tired, going through a divorce and having 4 kids and moving twice. If I had to pick one thing I didn't like (okay, two), it was the commute (over 1 hour each way, which stunk because of gas prices, mostly) and the cost (private Catholic college - I have over $45k in student loans now!!).

[Chaoticdreams33, MSN, RN]

Actually I loved nursing school! I'm only a couple weeks out and I already miss it!

[loricatus]

YES. But, I didn't realize they were preparing me for many of the attitudes and nonsense I would find once I graduated.

[SN bbgrl]

Oh sooooooooooo glad i found this!!!! I just finished 1st semester of an ADN program and its definitely got its low points!!! Lesson learned here? Lets just see if anyone has a good recipe for ROASTED CROW!!!!

[1studentnurse]

I liked nursing school because I had two good friends whom I could rely on and a network of a few other good allies (not friends, but more than acquaintances).

Some of the people in my class were really mean and just hated anyone who did not agree with them. Hopefully, time will change their perspectives, or they will have a really hard time working with others, when they're not the center of attention.

I was in a one-year accelerated program, so I did not feel it was my job to worry about these people.

Take care of yourself so you can take care of your patients!

[EDnurse2009]

Thank you for this post! I strongly dislike nursing school too. I just keep praying that it will all be worth it someday. I feel like the majority of my instructors are on power trips and they are so condescending! I just keep taking it one day at a time.