Did you hate your life in nursing school??

Nurses New Nurse

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I'm in a BSN program. I was on the wait list for a year (with about 60 other transfer students), where we took basic nursing courses, nursing theory, research, pathophysiology and pharmacology. I'm starting clinicals in the fall, but I am DREADING going back!! Did anyone hate their life like I do when you were/are in nursing school? It's the stress and pressure that I am dreading. :uhoh3: Maybe it's living in NYC and nursing school (both combined). I know I will be a good nurse because I really do care about the well being of patients. I am grateful for being in the opportunity to be in the program I'm in, but I feel OVERWHELMED just thinking of the workload! I get straight A's, maybe I shouldn't strive for such high grades and that would take the pressure off?

Any advice please...

Thanks,

Lauren :o

Specializes in ER, Trauma.

Nursing is hard work. I think they purposely make nursing school hard so you'll eother be prepared for the hard work or drop out and go into an easier field. Many times I contemplated standing on a corner with a handwritten cardboard sign.

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Specializes in hospice, HH, LTC, ER,OR.

Yes I hated my life. My bf broke up with me half way through the program. It was the first time I had to budget money, do to not being able to work. I lost my social life because I moved away from family and friends. BUT it was all worth it because I gained 16 new friends that I keep in contact with and way more money. Alos I love being a nurse :)! RN school here I come!!!! WOOHOO!!!

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Im studying for my BSN too and I LOVE nursing school!!!! I get to go out on a night out most weeks because I schedule it in and I have something to look forward too...its great motivation to get my study done so that I can go out and let my hair down for a while! I love the majority of what we study such as anatomy and pharmacology and about illnesses and ways to treat them. Its just so interesting! Im from Ireland and in school I had to study 8 subjects for my leaving cert ( which is a final school exam) and biology was the only one I loved!! The rest I had to study and get good grades in each subject so that I could get into nursing school, even thought I hated them!!! I really didn't like Irish or Math but I had to do them! There isn't the same sort of pressure in NS as there was in the leaving cert in high school. Most of us started nursing school at 18 so we made friends and really good friends at that!! We help each other out and study sessions are good because we can go for lunch together or a coffee and then get our heads stuck in books again. Clinicals aren't always easy but I think they are fun. We are assigned a preceptor which is a RN and they decide if we pass or fail, not a clinical instructor. We stay with our preceptor all the time and they kind of teach and guide us and support us. All in all nursing school is good for me.The best thing to do is make

friends if you haven't already! Im sad to hear your not having such a good time :( hope things get better for u! best of luck :)

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Specializes in Ambulatory Surgery, PACU,SICU.

I absolutely hated nursing school, I have a masters' degree in another field and my nursing education was horrible.

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Im studying for my BSN too and I LOVE nursing school!!!! The rest I had to study and get good grades in each subject so that I could get into nursing school, even thought I hated them!!! I really didn't like Irish or Math but I had to do them! There isn't the same sort of pressure in NS as there was in the leaving cert in high school. Most of us started nursing school at 18 so we made friends and really good friends at that!! We help each other out and study sessions are good because we can go for lunch together or a coffee and then get our heads stuck in books again. Clinicals aren't always easy but I think they are fun. All in all nursing school is good for me.The best thing to do is make

friends if you haven't already! Im sad to hear your not having such a good time :( hope things get better for u! best of luck :)

Hi, I don't even know what sort of nursing program your in that you don't feel pressure??? That's def the first time I've heard that. I've made friends, ya it helps, we study in groups too, but your making it sound wayyyy too easy :-/ idk maybe it's where you live? I'm in NYC. I know the stress I feel now will help me deal with situations later, so it isn't all bad.

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As a 1L (a first year law student) I got the best advice from a professor EVER. "be careful who you compare yourself with" His point was that we all had different strengths and outside responsibilities.

I understand that nursing school is a stressful environment but at least you are not in direct competition with your class mates. Prospective is vital.

While attending law school full time I made sure to have a life outside the building. I volunteered in the family court across the street and worked at a science camp on the weekends. I have faith that my best will be good enough, and if it isn't then it wasn't ment to be.

I am going back to nursing school, but this time I have 2 kids and a whole different perspective. I'm not sure that it is going to work but the best I can do is still all I've got, so time will tell.

Good advice, SO TRUE! Especially when you really only know what people will reveal, never everything. I wish you the best in nursing. :nurse:

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Nursing is hard work. I think they purposely make nursing school hard so you'll eother be prepared for the hard work or drop out and go into an easier field. Many times I contemplated standing on a corner with a handwritten cardboard sign.

O-M-G I am with you. That job at least there isn't the stress, just hold a sign for hours and wear sunscreen! No, but really I can't wait either to be a nurse, it's my dream!!!:)

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Ok this is not going to garner me lots of admirers:), but to be totally honest, I thought nursing school was an exciting time. I worked well under the pressure- it spurred me on, plus I still did the things that I wanted to do.( again it was me)

Granted, there are those panic filled moments when you second guess yourself...a lot!

I think one of the keys is goal setting and challenging yourself, if the passing grade is 85%, aim to exceed it abundantly and so you have a cushion. Master the material as much as you can. Sometimes it's not about who studies the longest but rather, who studies the smartest.

News flash, the true skill acquiring starts when you get a job and start on-hand training. Until you do it yourself or critical think your way out of it, you haven't given yourself a chance to grow.

Stand strong OP, you've got this:)

Same: I loved the challenge, loved what I was learning, made wonderful friends. I had bad days, and by the end of my accelerated program I was exhausted, but I felt ready to take on the world after getting through and getting through well. Many of my classmates would say it was h e double hockey sticks though.

I think having a good school life balance is essential though. Take time to relax and do mindless things. See a movie, spend time outdoors.

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I understand that nursing school is a stressful environment but at least you are not in direct competition with your class mates. My law school grades were determined by the final exam alone and if everyone wrote the same exam someone would have to fail because of the forced curve!! The day grades came out was a social experiment like I had never seen. People were crushed by their B's while I was dancing in the street that I would never have to take property law again!! Prospective is vital.

While attending law school full time I made sure to have a life outside the building. I volunteered in the family court across the street and worked at a science camp on the weekends. I have faith that my best will be good enough, and if it isn't then it wasn't ment to be.

I am going back to nursing school, but this time I have 2 kids and a whole different perspective. I'm not sure that it is going to work but the best I can do is still all I've got, so time will tell.

I'm going into my last year of a Bsn program and I'm just going to let you know you are in direct competition with your classmates while in nursing school and when you graduate to find a job. I know people who finished nursing school last may and still don't have jobs as nurses. Many facilities are only hiring a handful of new grads every semester these days. Good luck!

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Hi, I don't even know what sort of nursing program your in that you don't feel pressure??? That's def the first time I've heard that. I've made friends, ya it helps, we study in groups too, but your making it sound wayyyy too easy :-/ idk maybe it's where you live? I'm in NYC. I know the stress I feel now will help me deal with situations later, so it isn't all bad.

ok sorry i didnt mean to make it sound like its too easy because its not but it is do able! just im really interested in it and I think that makes it easier, for the first time in my life I get to study something I enjoy. I also didnt say I felt no pressure...I said that it wasnt as much pressure as the leaving cert exam that I sat. The leaving cert is an awful exam that 17 and 18 year olds take to get into college in Ireland and it is really REALLY stressful! Like an average evening of an 18 year old is returning from school at around 4pm and studying/doing homework for about 4 or 5 hours, EVERY day (apart from weekends, where you catch up on anything u didnt get to do! lol) I dont have thaaat much pressure in nursing school but of course theres still exams and essays and I have been stressed at times, its normal :) Well, no where in Ireland is like NYC so that could have something to do with so I dont know!! lol :) And its true what you say, tough times generally make you stronger, anything we find tough in nursing school will help us cope better later :)

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Specializes in TCU, LTC/Rehab.

I didn't hate my life, I just missed having a social life. I was MIA for 2 years, but it was so worth it.

Hang in there, because soon you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. I thought the torture of reading a million chapters and everything else was never going to end, but it does. What kept me going was my daughter and knowing that our lives would be better sooner than later. I remember a co-worker telling me to take it day by day and that each day I was one day closer to reaching my goal. She was right. There is nothing more rewarding than reaching your goal.

Keep studying hard and keep your grades up, just don't go crazy. Pray to God for strength and guidance each day and he will give it to you.

Best of luck!!

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
Thank you :) I've gotten used to NO social life. My friends who are not in the field don't understand why school is my whole life. My social life is IN SCHOOL. I can't wait to be a nurse though!! ;)

That sounds nice, working with candles. I think you have to do something to get your mind off just 'nursing' and people in the field.

It was. There are some days I still wished I worked there.:D

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