I have been recently accepted into a ADN nursing program and am very eager to get started. I attended my orientation and was throughly disappointed. It seems all of the comments and information provided was so negative. Listen, I am not blind to the fact that Nursing School is HARD work. I understand it will take a lot of studying and time away from my family. I know I can expect to probably make B's instead of the A's I have made thus far and that's okay.
It just seems that most of these posts are so negative. Is it really that bad? I feel if I manage my time correctly and study what I need to I will be okay. I didn't say I will be at the top of the dean's list but I will manage. I really feel discourgaed about the whole process at this point.
I guess I feel as though I need to be the judge of how long to spend in a skills lab or how much time to spend studying vs basing my habits on someone else's success/failure. I am my own person and know how I learn and study but it seems everyone only insists to quit your job, divorce your spouse and put your children in counseling because you will NEVER be around.
I unfortunately cannot quit my job as I need to make money. I have a small son who I know needs me and a husband that supports me. This is really just me venting so sorry if I went on a rant!
To sum this up: does anyone have any encouraging stories about nursing school? Words of positive wisdom? Anything positive?
Thank you everyone. This is uplifting. I am a "worrier" and always have been. I stress about not have anything to stress about. LOL but in time I will find my rythem and get in my own groove. If I bomb my first test I know what to do to get it right the next time. Thanks for the advice all and I appreciate it. It's nice to have people who understand my stuggles! :)
Just want to tell you that besides the stress, I love nursing school. When I go to clinical and hear my patients tell me I will be a great nurse, it is an awesome feeling.
I loved nursing school. I went full time, am a wife and have 2 young kids (they were 4 and 6 when I started). I was the vice president of the SNA for a year, plus class rep and fully involved in all SNA activities and maintained a B average in all my classes. I loved everything about nursing school. Was it hard? Yes! Was I cranky? Sometimes. Was I overwhelmed? Sometimes. It's what you make of it. I didn't let drama bother me, never got caught up in it. I cried a few times, but who doesn't?! I made great friends in school, people I know will be friends for a very, very long time!
I am in an ADN program. I hated the first year. No matter how hard I studied I still failed a test or 2 especially in the beginning. A very big adjustment. It is so darn aggravating to work your butt off studying and still get failing grades. I managed to pull in mostly Bs since that first semester, but it is still stressful. It probably does not help that the program I am in is very disorganized.
I finally began to feel that I am going to love being a nurse and enjoyed clinicals this semester. I graduate in May.
Congratulations. No one can explain it, it is different for everyone. Mainly depends on your personality and the program. Best of luck, I am sure you will be fine.
Nursing school is what you make it, and you don't have to give up everything to make it. You do have to shift your priorities, but I also have a supportive husband and a child, although I am fortunate enough to not have to work. Others in my class do, and they are doing great! So cheer up, be happy that you were accepted, celebrate that achievement, and be ready to give it everything you can when you start. You will do great!
I liked nursing school better than I like nursing, but I'm one of those people who really loves to learn. If you like to learn, you're in good shape - you will be doing a lot of that in nursing school. :)
Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
More or less, yes haha. I enjoy learning about some disease processes and interventions, while others I don't particularly care about. I do enjoy my instructors' stories though. I enjoy the company of most of my classmates, especially my close-nit group.
Funny thing is, I usually dread going to clinical almost every day and I also dread new clinical sites/instructors, but so far I have not had one terrible experience. I always get cooperative patients, cooperative nurses, and amazing clinical instructors as well as clinical classmates. All in all, I've enjoyed my entire clinical experiences wherever they were; although, I'm dreading going to clinical this next Wednesday lolz.
I made great friends in school, people I know will be friends for a very, very long time!
Mommy_RN1211
236 Posts
Thank you everyone. This is uplifting. I am a "worrier" and always have been. I stress about not have anything to stress about. LOL but in time I will find my rythem and get in my own groove. If I bomb my first test I know what to do to get it right the next time. Thanks for the advice all and I appreciate it. It's nice to have people who understand my stuggles! :)