Nursing school vs. Nursing

pagandeva2000, LPN · Mar 29, 2008

I am a 2nd semester nursing student and I have some questions for nurses....
On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate the stress level of nursing school, then the level of working as a nurse? Please include how long you have been out of school, what area you work in as a nurse, and if you had/have any strong outside influences that affect your rating (kids, health problems, whatever).
Just curious

Nursing school was a 9 for me, the real world is a 10 to the hundredth power on some days. Graduated and got my license in 2006, been working as an LPN in the medical clinic of my hospital since then. No real strong influences outside of recently diagnosed heel spurs and plantar fasciitis (both common nightmares for nurses) and the occasional anger that floats through my head seeing some of the incompetent, manipulative people function around me.

School gives you the basics to pass NCLEX and you can use that knowledge to make a judgement call, but, the real world consists of constantly protecting your license while dealing with wild politics. You will see that things are not really done by the books, but you had better at least know what should be done, what you can skip or do later and document well.

kxvc · Mar 29, 2008

Great question! I'm second semester too and would also love to know.

traumahawk99 · Mar 29, 2008

there is attrition in both school and the work world. much of what you're forced to do in school is utter b.s., and worthless once you hit the floor.

when you get to the floor... you'll find yourself in a situation where you're trying to keep track of too many things for your mind to handle. every time you step into a patient's room, they'll come up with need after need.. to them, it doesn't matter how busy you are. if you find yourself exasperated by this, keep in mind that the system is set up to solicit complaints from patients, and management views you as utterly expendable. you can be employee of the month in december and fired in janauary to scapegoat management's own idiotic mistake. ask yourself why there are so many people with nursing educations who refuse to work as floor nurses?

consider that there are really 2 different jobs in nursing. 7a to 7p, and 7p to 7a.

my solution is to work the nights, 7p to 7a. that's the only way i've found where i can really make any $$ nursing. you'll have a bit less stress and you can really sock away the overtime, if you're in need of money. that comes at the price of often finding yourself isolated without much (or even any) help in the very worst of situations.

one thing is for certain: i'd drop any notion of a strong employee/employer relationship. you are about to step into a dog eat dog world. are there rewards? yes. and you'll meet some really cool people along the way.

rather than a lifelong career, i'd look at floor nursing as a stepping stone.

leslie :-D · Mar 29, 2008

i'm not convinced you're comparing apples to apples.

the stress of nsg school is mainly the result of through-the-ceiling anxieties...

you know,

"how am i going to learn all this?"

"i dread doing _____ in clinical".

"why is this instructor setting me up to fail?"

these anxieties, compounded with the reality of actual studying/work, our stress levels can get out of control.

a 10.

once you become a nurse, however, the former anxieties are replaced with more concrete challenges:

pt loads, demanding and patronizing bosses;

abusive md's, coworkers, pts/families.

it's a totally different kind of stress, but still, a 10.

and so, with both being a 10, i would opt to manage the stress as a nurse vs a student.

'anxious' type of stress can escalate into panic, then paralysis/shutdown.

the hormones released during anxiety, can do more damage than being overworked and underappreciated.

also with experience, many of us learn to deal with seemingly minor crises, reserving our 'energy' for the bigger battles.

we learn to deal.

i don't know of too many nsg students, that have dealt w/their stressors the way an experienced nurse can.

so for me, i'd rather deal with the stress of being a nurse than a nsg student.

i know what i'm trying to say, but am failing in articulating my thoughts.

if it doesn't make sense, i apologize.

leslie:)

Booty Nurse, BSN · Mar 29, 2008

I found real-life nursing much less stressful than school. My orientation was very stressful, but that was partly because my preceptor and I were a poor match. After about a year on the floor (med-surg), my stress level went way down.

The stresses are very different, but there is a lot to be said for being in a familiar environment where you are part of an established team.

vashtee, RN · Mar 29, 2008

Most of the nurses I have asked this question tell me that although they are often very stressed while at work, they go home and get to do whatever they want, whereas the student has to continue studying.

diveRN · Mar 29, 2008

Nursing school was a 9/10 for me, mainly in part because our class was so competitive. Everyone strived for the best grades because not only did they want the buffer that high marks provides, our class of 74 was just naturally competitive. We HAD to pass with an 80% or better, a "C" grade meant you had to retake a semester.

Now out on the floor, you're not competing for high marks against other RNs so that factor is instantly gone. That said, you still have to manage patients. The first two years you're out there, the learning curve is huge. You'll be looking up meds, learning policies and procedures, figuring out priorities, and learning to deal with families. My first two years were spent in a progressive care unit with a 3:1 ratio. Sounds nice, but we often managed total care, trach/vent/peg patients who were too heavy for the floors. Heavy, heavy.

I've never been core to a floor where we had to manage more than 3 patients ... just not my cup of tea. I have floated to tele floors where the acuity is lower and "busy" factor goes way up, but it's a juggling game, one that you'll learn to get good at.

Just know this, school gives you a foundation for what's coming but the Ivory Tower nursing you're practicing now will change considerably. You'll learn ways to safely shortcut things to save time and minimize stress. Some days will be better than others. I've found that if I have a really slow night, I tend to forget stuff and overlook patient's needs. A certain level of stress is good, if you work in a place where there's solid precepting and support, you'll learn to manage it and then let it go once you're off the floor.

Don't sweat it. If you're stressed about school it's probably because you want to do well. That's a good attitude to have going in our profession.

Piki · Mar 29, 2008

I'm a 2007 spring grad, and the stress is very different. Nursing school can be so stressful, I remember literally just breaking down and crying certain nights when you have hours of clinical paperwork to do for the next day's clinical, plus studying... 10/10 at times. I would say there really wasn't a point that wasn't stressful for just about everyone in our class.

Real world, keep in mind I've only been a floor nurse for about 7 mos, stress is different. There are some shifts I want to pull out my hair and that are so hectic.... but like someone else mentioned, I clock out and I go home. I don't take home work and I don't stress about work when I'm home. Maybe I'm lucky but the hospital I work is a great atmosphere for nurses and the unit too. I'm on one of the very busiest units too (I've been told by many, including MDs and RNs - if you can hack it on our unit, you can work anywhere in the hospital). And some shifts are not stressful at all.

What's different and helps me cope with the crappy patients and workloads, is that I just tell myself - Hey, now I'm getting PAID for this (vs. paying for it while you are a student - b/c you are paying for all those lovely clinical experiences) and hey, I can clock out of here in x amount of hours...

Overall, the nurses that graduated with me last year - the ones I keep in touch with - all of us agree that the real world is much, much, much better than going to nursing school and that it really isn't much at all like nursing school. Nothing at all can really prepare you for what it's like, except really just doing it. No matter how fabulous your clinicals or how your last term/internship/leadership rotation or whatever - it is just not the same when you are the one ultimately responsible for your team of patients and calling the docs, and getting orders, etc. etc.

Good luck. Hang in there, the hell of nursing school will be over before you know it. After you pass your NCLEX, man, does your stress load EVER dissipate....!!!

MelodyRNurse · Mar 30, 2008

So if nursing school is a 10 out of 10, and actually working as a nurse is a 10 out of 10. Which I have found both to be true, as some people stated earlier.

Then would working as a new nurse while continuing to go to school qualify as a 20 out of 10?? :banghead:

Yup

heavenly14313 · Mar 30, 2008

So if nursing school is a 10 out of 10, and actually working as a nurse is a 10 out of 10. Which I have found both to be true, as some people stated earlier.
Then would working as a new nurse while continuing to go to school qualify as a 20 out of 10??
Yup

:yeah: :lol2: I am sorry for your obvious stress level, but thank you for the much needed laugh! :chuckle :yeah:

Midwest4me · Mar 30, 2008

I am a 2nd semester nursing student and I have some questions for nurses....
On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate the stress level of nursing school, then the level of working as a nurse? Please include how long you have been out of school, what area you work in as a nurse, and if you had/have any strong outside influences that affect your rating (kids, health problems, whatever).
Just curious

1)Nursing school stress level was a 8.

2)Real-world nursing stress level depends on the kind of nursing job I had: it's ranged from an 8 to a 10.

3)Family members' health issues HAVE played a role in the stress level.