Eat, sleep, breathe nursing program???

nrselisa · Aug 12, 2002

Hi Leslie! My name is Lisa, I'm 30 yrs old & going back to school on the 26th for the LPN program! We were told in orientation that we would have little time for anything but school. I think it is pretty much the same for everyone. With class, lab, clinicals & study time, I think we will all be pretty busy :)

delirium · Aug 12, 2002

I disagree.

With decent time management skills you should be able to do well in school and still have a life. I work full time while in the RN program, and I do just fine... its just important to prioritize, manage your time, and have fun.

All work and no play makes MsPurp a dull girl.

researchrabbit · Aug 12, 2002

I disagree as well; I worked full time with 2 kids after my divorce while going to nursing school. It helps that you probably have good study skills!

Love-A-Nurse · Aug 12, 2002

leslie, as you can tell with just the few responses, it will depend much on the individual how well they do or how organized they are, but yes, it does keep you busy and sometimes drained but you can do it! all the best to you.

jschut, BSN, RN · Aug 12, 2002

You can do both (study and have a life) if you have good time management skills (Like MsPurp said...). Although school does require a lot, and you get out what you put in, I'm sure you can do it....

Good Luck!

nrselisa · Aug 12, 2002

That is such a relief! I hoped they were just trying to scare us in orientation. Thanks everyone! That makes me feel much better:)

delirium · Aug 12, 2002

They scared the bejesus out of me in orientation last year.

Unlike many of my nursing school friends, I did not have a husband to take care of me, and I had to work, full time, in order to pay my mortgage. I didn't have the leisurely time in school that a lot of other students had (and yes, I'm a little jealous), but I found that I didn't need it.

If you're motivated, you'll do well. Plain and simple.

The best piece of advice I have is to take things one day at a time, one assignment at a time. It helped me so much to have a calendar of assignments and focus on the paper that was due first, then the next... if I looked at the whole semester full of assignments I would just be totally overwhelmed and feel like quitting. It also helps to be as organized as you will ever be in your entire life.

After school, I hope never to see another notebook or colored subject divider again.

KarenAR · Aug 12, 2002

I think it also depends on your particular program. I'm two months into a 14-month BSN program for people who already have bachelor's degrees in other areas. It is a very intense, accelerated program. And yes, I do eat, sleep, breathe nursing school. However, because I have a family (married with two kids), I MAKE myself take breaks. Be careful, though. The other students in my program who have kids are like me and take breaks; but the married students without kids readily admit that they are extremely neglectful of their spouses. Be careful not to let that happen. Don't forget your priorities in the process. (Like Covey's 7 Habits thing says, focus on what's IMPORTANT, but not necessarily URGENT - sometimes a lot easier said than done, though!)

A good indicator of whether you'll really be eating, sleeping and breathing nursing school is to talk to students who went through or are going through the same program that YOU are going into. My program is intense, but if I'd gone for the 2-year program at my school, I'd have a lot more "play time." I chose to do the accelerated option so I could get done with school quickly and get back to eating, sleeping and breathing normally again that much sooner!

Good luck to you!

Ortho_RN · Aug 12, 2002

My biggest piece of advice is ... DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!! And this comes from someone who is a big procrastinator... Just do not let all that reading and studying catch up with you... We had a syllabus and knew exactly what the next lecture was on, so read it ahead of time.... If you put it off and say I will read all 13 chapters Saturday, you will stay soooooo overwhelmed... Just keep up and you will have time to have a life.. Good Luck

KarenAR · Aug 12, 2002

Oh yes - I definitely second what nurs2b said about procrastination! That's my biggest downfall, too! I have to be careful that my "breaks" are really used to spend time with my family and are not just excuses to procrastinate!

SaraRNin2003 · Aug 12, 2002

I disagree also, I did well in the first year and I have a husband and 7 year old daughter. My husband spent 2 weeks last semester in the hospital having surgery and I still misssed an A by only 1 percentage point. I only stressed right before a test other than that I did a little studying or whatever needed to be done the night before or after my little one went to bed. I will say there were some late nights and early mornings on occasions to get paperwork done before clinicals but it wasn't an everyday occasion!

I am sure you will be fine, I think people tell you that to scare you, relax and you will do great!!!

HUgs!

SARA