Did you have more stress FREE TIME after you graduated? What did you do?

C-lion · Mar 10, 2013

My friends and I joked about nursing school PTSD b/c for a while it always felt like there was something we should be doing, instead of just relaxing. I had a couple of dreams where I forgot to study for a test. Finally it started to sink in that school was done, and then it was time to do interviews! I didn't start working for three mos. after graduation; it was lovely, though I did have to study for the NCLEX.

It is so nice not having homework. Congrats on your upcoming graduation!

Laurenslovely · Mar 10, 2013

Thank you!!! Ya I have those nightmares too... I wake up worried about tests and studying, I really do think it belongs in the category of PTSD! Now I just can't really believe it may soon be over!

yuzzamatuzz · Mar 10, 2013

First, congrats on graduating! Nursing school is tough and you should be proud of yourself.

I caution you though about thinking life after nursing school will be stress free. Being a nurse is also stressful and I certainly wouldn't call it freedom. You don't have to do homework or study for a test. And you have a lot more money than you did in school. You have a different kind of freedom than you had before but you also have a different kind of stress. I remember feeling free for a few months after graduating while I was still being oriented to my unit. And then I came off orientation and my patients became my own. The realization that I was primarily responsible for someones life was humbling at first. You work with the medical team but you are the primary caregiver for a patient. You will be the eyes and ears for hundreds of patients a year. The decisions you will make as a nurse could change someone's life forever. That kind of stress is a stress that people don't experience as students or at desk jobs. You have to experience it to understand. You will get better at dealing with the stress overtime but it will always still be there in some form. I just recommend being cautious in assuming that your life as a nurse will be stress free.

You should enjoy the upcoming months, graduating from nursing school is a huge accomplishment. I remember it feeling like a whirlwind of events. Graduating itself was exciting and a little sad. Passing the NCLEX is one of the best feelings in the world. After you get your first nursing job, your life will change a lot. My favorite memory was buying my car... I still treat it like its my baby since it was my first big purchase after getting a job as an RN.

MJB2010 · Mar 10, 2013

I found the first year of nursing to be way worse than nursing school. But after that it got better. I do remember the awesome feeling of passing the NCLEX. After you pass the test, do something fun and relaxing, like a nice vacation before starting your first job, You need to be refreshed and not running on empty when you start!

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Mar 10, 2013

I found it to be such a relief to be such a relief to be done with nursing school. I worked full-time and went to nursing school full-time so I never really had a day off. When I started working as a nurse I was able to breathe and relax a bit. Even when I started a RN-BSN program 6 months later it did not add that much stress to my life

Laurenslovely · Mar 10, 2013

First, congrats on graduating! Nursing school is tough and you should be proud of yourself.
I caution you though about thinking life after nursing school will be stress free. Being a nurse is also stressful and I certainly wouldn't call it freedom. You don't have to do homework or study for a test. And you have a lot more money than you did in school. You have a different kind of freedom than you had before but you also have a different kind of stress. I remember feeling free for a few months after graduating while I was still being oriented to my unit. And then I came off orientation and my patients became my own. The realization that I was primarily responsible for someones life was humbling at first. You work with the medical team but you are the primary caregiver for a patient. You will be the eyes and ears for hundreds of patients a year. The decisions you will make as a nurse could change someone's life forever. That kind of stress is a stress that people don't experience as students or at desk jobs. You have to experience it to understand. You will get better at dealing with the stress overtime but it will always still be there in some form. I just recommend being cautious in assuming that your life as a nurse will be.

Thank you!!! I definitely know it is not stress-free being a nurse, I am just so ready to be done with this program. It does seem intimidating to have patients of my own (on my own), but I will do my best and I feel so privileged to be given that responsibility.

Laurenslovely · Mar 10, 2013

Yes, I definitely will be planning a vaca!!

Laurenslovely · Mar 10, 2013

I found it to be such a relief to be such a relief to be done with nursing school. I worked full-time and went to nursing school full-time so I never really had a day off. When I started working as a nurse I was able to breathe and relax a bit. Even when I started a RN-BSN program 6 months later it did not add that much stress to my life

Hi Christine,

I haven't had a day off either, between family tragedies and nursing school. I don't believe it will be this stressful even when I do have a job. Thank you, I look forward to breathing as well. :}

champagnesupeRNova · Mar 10, 2013

Working as a nurse is no walk in the park, but I was wayyyyyy more stressed in school. You're under CONSTANT pressure in school and you have no down time because there's always something to do like care plans, studying, homework, projects, etc. At least with work you don't have any work responsibilities when you get back home. I, too, felt like a prisoner being released from jail when I graduated. It was like a huge monkey, no--gorilla-- was lifted off my back.

Life is definitely better. Enjoy it!

Laurenslovely · Mar 10, 2013

Working as a nurse is no walk in the park, but I was wayyyyyy more stressed in school. You're under CONSTANT pressure in school and you have no down time because there's always something to do like care plans, studying, homework, projects, etc. At least with work you don't have any work responsibilities when you get back home. I, too, felt like a prisoner being released from jail when I graduated. It was like a huge monkey, no--gorilla-- was lifted off my back.
Life is definitely better. Enjoy it!

Thank you! Yay... That is SO good to hear! I'm so ready to be out of this never ending program!!! I forgot what life is like w/o this stress! Praying to be done-- in a few weeks!!! :}

fmxkrazyone · Mar 11, 2013

In my own experience, I thought the same thing that the stress would be over, but after school ended and the real job began, it was a new kind of stress. My first job was in the hospital, but in a small unit with subacute patients on night shift, so after orientation and I learned to do things my own way, about 6 months in, it wasn't as stressful and I was more comfortable. I am now on a new unit about 2 months in on orientation again and I'm way stressed. This is a large unit and very fast paced, you start with 3 or 4 patients and you can have a whole new assignment before the day is over. The stress never seems to end because the learning never stops and there will always be something new to stress about. My best advice is take it as it comes and learn to deal with it and keep your patients safe. I've been a nurse almost 2 years, but I feel like a new grad. My advice would be to get on a med/surg unit and get some good experience. I told myself I never wanted to do floor nursing, but the experience I've gained is irreplaceable, I love it and see myself doing it for a long time. Good luck with the job hunt, I hope you find something great!