Be cognizant that people have the tendency to place more emphasis on negative incidents, especially when discussing nursing school. In fact, the term 'negative bias' describe the trend by which people concentrate more on negative experiences while paying less attention to positive or neutral experiences. This article is a reminder to focus on the positive.
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People in society generally focus on the negative gloom and doom, even in the presence of positivity, good news or favorable statistics. In fact, professionals in the field of psychology have coined the term 'negative bias' to describe the trend by which people concentrate more on negative experiences while paying less attention to positive or neutral experiences.
For instance, a highly skilled clinical instructor may generate a small handful of positive references from students when she demonstrates how to start a peripheral IV on a patient during clinical rotations in a local acute care hospital. However, the same instructor will generate negative feedback from almost every student during a particularly stressful clinical shift because she snapped at one of their classmates who had made a mistake. For some reason, the negative stuff quickly becomes a part of our long term memories while the positive stuff is tossed aside.
Or, to flip the coin, an excellent student who usually receives 'A' grades is well-regarded by her professors until, one day, she storms into an instructor's office screaming about a poor test grade. This student has probably done 1,000+ positive things in the two years she has been in the nursing program, but this one negative incident is what faculty members will remember her for.
I have comprised a list of negative myths surrounding the nursing school experience. Although each person's experience is unique, I would say that people routinely overdo the level of difficulty regarding specific tests, exams, skills and proficiencies.
1. Nursing school is the hardest thing in life itself!
In reality, nursing school is not as bad as many people make it out to be. I am cognizant that we all come to the table with different types of academic preparation. For example, the person who took college prep, honors, and advanced placement courses in high school might have a sturdier foundation and better study skills than the individual who dropped out in ninth grade, earned a GED at age 40, and has not attended school in more than 20 years. Even though nursing school involves plenty of reading, acquisition of new skills, multiple tests, and lots of work, I would not say that it is the hardest thing ever.
2. NCLEX is hard!
The statistics indicate that 85 percent of US-educated nurses pass the NCLEX on the first attempt. In other words, four out of five test takers pass NCLEX on their first try. The vast majority of nursing school graduates pass without having to repeatedly take it. Contrary to popular belief, this test is not as difficult as many people would lead you to believe. With good test taking skills, solid preparation, and techniques to reduce test anxiety, the NCLEX is conquerable.
3. Nursing school leads to breakups and divorce.
Some students have split apart from their significant others while in nursing school due to stress that exacerbated an already fragile relationship. In reality, school is not going to lead to separation or divorce if the relationship is strong to begin with. Moreover, if a couple breaks up, one or both parties might unfairly blame the stressors of nursing school when the root cause was something else (infidelity, lack of communication, emotional detachment, unsupportive spouse, et cetera).
As you continue through school, be aware that people have the tendency to place more emphasis on negative incidents. Do your part by placing equal emphasis on positive and equal experiences and, most importantly, do not believe everything you hear. Good luck to you.
