Did anyone hate nursing school?

L&DRN08, RN · Jan 26, 2008

I think a better question would be Did anyone LIKE Nursing school!!! I haven't met anyone who did....and I sure as hell didn't. Its torture, but I'm done now & its over! Keep your head in it, it never gets better but eventually it will be over. The way your feeling sounds pretty much how I felt for most of Nursing school. Don't get discouraged!!!!!

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!

4rom2bRN · Jan 30, 2008

Wow! I really thought it was just my classmates and I who are going through some very rough roads. I really enjoyed my first year, it was awesome.

Its a different story now. My instructor is awful. Malicious. Threatening. I can even comfortably say racist. Yes, racist.

She has done everything possible to fail ALL of my classmates and I.

What can you do with instructors like these? I have a thread here, also. Its about what I am recently going through with my school.

I am becoming curious about what is going on around nursing program . It is quite evident that instructors seem to have taken their power to educate for granted. Unfortunately, the only thing my instructor has taught me is power and politics. I thought we were going in the field of compassion, not itimidation.

I hope we can ALL overcome the situations we are in. There should be some student nurse support group that we can turn to help students like ourselves. We have spent alot money and sacrifice to be treated in these ways. We too, deserve some respect.

gbarrera2 · Feb 11, 2008

I felt anxious all the time, but I had a lot of support. As a young mother of a 3 year old and my husband working all the time, I felt at times overwhelmed. Remember to take some time and enjoy the things you used to do before nursing school, in the end you'll be glad you didn't put your whole life on hold!

I was the first person to finish the BSN program at my University in only 3 years. It was hard work, and I remained dedicated. If you made it this far, you can do it!

Rockhopper · Feb 16, 2008

I had some great professors who really care about their students and about developing competent nurses. It is evident that they love teaching and it is a rewarding experience for them. It was very easy to develop trust with them and to learn from them. These nurses contain a wealth of knowledge and I appreciated their time and efforts.

However, the bulk of the faculty was horrible. I never thought the saying "those that can, do; those that can't, teach" was valid until I started nursing school. The bottom line is that nurses have little financial incentive to be employed in an academic setting. Since it so difficult to find and retain competent educators, horrible teachers can wreak havoc for semesters before (if any) intervention by administration is taken.

What is most unfortunate is that this is not just limited to my program. It seems to be a consistent problem at many schools. The only way to stop this cycle is for nurses to step up and make those changes as faculty at their alma mater. However, this is easier said than done...especially with a busy work and life schedule.

Granuaile, ASN, RN · Feb 18, 2008

I am becoming curious about what is going on around nursing program . It is quite evident that instructors seem to have taken their power to educate for granted. Unfortunately, the only thing my instructor has taught me is power and politics. I thought we were going in the field of compassion, not itimidation.

I wonder that, too? I mean, wherever you go, there will be people who are there for the wrong reasons...but there does seem to be this culture about nursing school that says, "there's a shortage of nursing instructors, there's a shortage of nurses, and we're comfortable with that..." There are some amazing nursing instructors at my school, but I was failed in second qtr. clinicals by one (see my thread), so I was forced to withdraw from the rest of the program. Before things got weird with that instructor, I guess I had a naive notion that although nursing school is incredibly challenging (which I need to be challenged, that's part of why I am becoming a nurse!), the expectations were clear enough and as long as I did what was expected of me, things would proceed in a logical sequence. Are things like this in med school?

I am all about "being in the solution," and staying positive, though my experience was sure disheartening for me, I truly felt that I was set up to fail. I am moving on, but I think it's important that everyone has a voice.

Joe NightingMale, MSN, RN · Feb 20, 2008

I've had some problems with instructors, but many more with my classmates, whose attitudes strike me as distinctly "unprofessional" (rude, disorganized, whiny, etc.). I wonder how they'll make it in the workplace. I wonder if these attitudes are common. If so, no wonder there are problems in nursing...

1studentnurse · Feb 20, 2008

I wonder if these attitudes are common. If so, no wonder there are problems in nursing...

Yes, in some workplaces they are. They're also common on the internet because people feel more "anonymous". I really don't like the sniping attitude, either.

I think this is a real impetus of why people get out of certain aspects of nursing, like bedside. If your team at work is like that, the job can really be long and arduous.

gypsygrlisu · Mar 8, 2009

I am in my first semester--actually only half way through and i already DESPISE the crap they are putting us through. I agree with the other posts. We spend half of our time writing concept maps and copying lab values and coming to campus over and over to do silly little things that could be done during classtime. I am sure some of it will start to make sense by next year..I see little value in doing most of it at this point. I have been told that I should deal with it and that's the way nursing instructors are--they want to see you run circles the way they did. I hope I never become jaded that way when I actually start in the field.

I think my major issue has little to do with the studying part and more to do with the amount of time I spend sitting in class--I work full time and do this and find that as long as I study for a few hours a week I do okay on the tests. It's just that If things were organized a little better we could get things done in a timely manner and be on our way! Can i get an AMEN!?

GIRN · Mar 8, 2009

I have to disagree with the people who have said that Nursing School isn't any different than any other undergrad program. I went through an undergrad program for my first Bachelor's and Nursing School was completely different....in a bad way! In my program of study the first time, as well as my husband's and our friend's programs, the programs were NOT like Nursing School. I was appalled at the subjectivity and egos of a few of the instructors. I was prepared for another few years of school and knew nursing would be harder than my first degree, but wasn't at all prepared for how unjust and unreasonable some of the instructors could be. At first I tried to fight it with a calm, rational approach but then realized that these instructors held all the power and it was better to just accept the fact that they held all the cards and just do what they asked. I told my husband after the first six months that no matter what they said or did about my work, they weren't going to stop me from earning my license, so I would learn what I could from their classes, get the bulk of my education from the floor nurses during my clinicals, and move on. It just wasn't worth getting stressed trying to achieve all A's with teachers that were trying to make it as unattainable as possible. (Although not ALL the instructors were that way...there were some wonderful instructors in there, too.) But it was so frustrating wanting to spend time in clinicals, working with the patients and doing hands-on skills but not being allowed because we had to spend so much time copying charts and doing busy paper work. (I'm an experienced nurse now and I do know the importance of mapping and care plans but believe me, what we were asked to do WAS just busy work.)

So anyway, please don't tell these students that they're just being negative and they should leave the profession if they don't like it...there's definitely something wrong with our training programs in this country if so many nurses across the country are singing the same tune. Instead we should listen to their complaints with an open mind and ask the administrators to pay attention to the student evaluations and then let the instructors know they need to remain professional and unbiased and COMPASSIONATE...if they want to continue to teach. Teaching is an art and not everyone can do it. Let's bring up the teaching standards and get rid of the bad apples that are giving nursing school such a bad name.

willitblend? · Mar 10, 2009

I would like to thank all the traditional nursing students for venting. I now know there is not an ice cubes chances in Hades I would be caught dead in a normal nursing school. If I need the degree I can get it distance. My heart goes out to those trapped. I begin to understand why the Navy nurses I knew were such horrible people.. they'd been to nursing school... you beat a good dog enough.. it will snarl at even a friendly person.

believeallispossible · Mar 20, 2009

what you exactly wrote...is what i'm exactly going through right at this moment. you just made my day more positive because i know i'm not the only one.... even made me a lil teary eyed because i know i try try try so hard, but then i feel so down on myself. thank you for the message:)

nurse2b2010 · Mar 20, 2009

I wouldn't say that I hate nursing school, but I will say it's been hard and a real struggle, and I can understand how others feel when they say their self-esteem has been affected by some of the nursing insructors and others encountered while in nursing school and clinicals. It is a very difficult program and the egos are VERY LARGE! I thought that being an "older non-traditional student" would prevent me from feeling so insecure at times, but no . . . . that hasn't been the case. I still feel insecure sometimes while pursuing this degree and I think it's because of the attitudes and environment we are subjected to as nursing students. Many times instead of being "lifted up" and praised for your efforts and hard work, you are being subjected to negativity and belittlement of your ideas, thoughts and questions, which can only lead to less confidence of one's abilities. I think the nursing instructors and RN's need to remember that they too were "once nursing students" and that you are still learning and as a nursing student you want to be able to do the best you can and learn the most you can in the short amount of time that is allotted. There's so much information to learn, so many experiences that are unfamiliar, and you need that instructor and RN who has compassion and understanding of your struggles and insecurities. None of us are perfect and the answers aren't always obvious. Yes, as potential nurses we need to learn to be strong, how to be resourceful . . . but we also need a friendly smile and a gentle pat on the back to say "you're doing alright, just hang in there"!