RN School is tough !!

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello Everyone. Now I am 6 weeks into RN classes. I am forced to be succesful at: clinicals, lecture and labs. The other students are all nervous, like me, and it's tense. Often I feel sad myself because no one is smiling enough. Labs are tough and they expect us to know how to give an injection on the first or second try. People are so nervous I don't know if they would let me do them. The lectures are hard, followed by bigger and bigger waves of required reading from super-thick books. It's like an airport because everyone has those portable bookbags on wheels things. The meds are killer. There are so many meds and so much to know about meds, its overwhelming. Clinicals are two days a week at adult care facility which is not as acute as med-surg cna work I do. No one knows me, and I get lonely and feel lonely for the people who live there. My first PT died, and my second didn't want any visitors after a few hours. Trying to watch all the videos are hard...did i mention that. Instruction videos on Lab skills....there is about 5-6 hours worth of video Lab. Grasping the concept of nursing diagnosis and planning and relating it to a medical diagnosis...these are huge concepts my brain is stretching wide and hard for. And the tests so far are all tricky theory questions which forces you to have to read all the text and remember it for specifics.

My nutrition has dimished because my exercise has went out the window. I'm lucky to have time to exercise once a week, compared to the 5 times a week before I started nursing school. I don't have enough time to cook for myself, and I don't have the desire to take the time to eat right. I still have a 24 hour a week job at the hospital, but you can't study on a med-surg floor as a cna. Work is the most relaxed time because everyone there is supportive of me so much. If only they knew how tough going to nursing school is. :-) I have no more free time for myself...some days are very long.

RN school is no walk in the park, and it downright changes your life.

(Send me an angel, right now!)

I intend to give you an angel, but the website has something wrong.

keep trying, life will smile to you.

Specializes in OB.

Mario - Do your instructors allow taping of their lectures, or are some of your study materials available on tape in the library? If so, you could combine study time with exercise time by using a walkman. I did this with lectures while commuting - it does help.

Specializes in OB.

Mario - Do your instructors allow taping of their lectures, or are some of your study materials available on tape in the library? If so, you could combine study time with exercise time by using a walkman. I did this with lectures while commuting - it does help.

Specializes in cardiac ICU.

One thing I noticed about some classmates was that they seemed to use much of their brain power to make new material as complex and difficult and intimidating as possible. As a result, quite a few people were total bundles of nerves. IMHO, it is a valuable skill in itself to be able to look at new material and simplify, simplify, simplify. Rather than attempting to grasp ALL the details AT ONE TIME, look at the gist of the thing and ask yourself, "How does this fit with what I already know?" If you think about it in those terms, the stuff really does make sense, and is much easier. If you keep telling yourself how tremendously difficult it all is, and that you may never really understand, you're creating your own destiny. At best, you will never feel completely confident in your skills and new knowledge. Make it easy on yourself!

Specializes in cardiac ICU.

One thing I noticed about some classmates was that they seemed to use much of their brain power to make new material as complex and difficult and intimidating as possible. As a result, quite a few people were total bundles of nerves. IMHO, it is a valuable skill in itself to be able to look at new material and simplify, simplify, simplify. Rather than attempting to grasp ALL the details AT ONE TIME, look at the gist of the thing and ask yourself, "How does this fit with what I already know?" If you think about it in those terms, the stuff really does make sense, and is much easier. If you keep telling yourself how tremendously difficult it all is, and that you may never really understand, you're creating your own destiny. At best, you will never feel completely confident in your skills and new knowledge. Make it easy on yourself!

Nursing school curriculum is challenging. My best advise is get organized in your studies. Make a checklist of the to-do's and prioritize them. And always- If an instructor assigns homework, even if you think it won't be graded or collected, complete the assisgnment (and to the best of your ability). Even if it's not for a grade, the professor is probably hinting that you will see the material again on a test.

Good luck to you!

Nursing school curriculum is challenging. My best advise is get organized in your studies. Make a checklist of the to-do's and prioritize them. And always- If an instructor assigns homework, even if you think it won't be graded or collected, complete the assisgnment (and to the best of your ability). Even if it's not for a grade, the professor is probably hinting that you will see the material again on a test.

Good luck to you!

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Don't have much to add that hasn't already been said, except that I definately feel your pain. You brought back memories of ten years ago. But if you can live through nursing school, you can live through anything your demanding/rewarding career is going to throw out you. Hang in there and best of luck!

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Don't have much to add that hasn't already been said, except that I definately feel your pain. You brought back memories of ten years ago. But if you can live through nursing school, you can live through anything your demanding/rewarding career is going to throw out you. Hang in there and best of luck!

One more jem:

Nursing school is tough, but then again, nurses need to be tough people.

One more jem:

Nursing school is tough, but then again, nurses need to be tough people.

Mario:

I'm happy that you are joining the profession. Sure, nursing school is tough, but you're tougher. As an RN with 20+ years experience I still remember those early school days, even though I would have wished to forget some of it. I was my own worst enemy.

I grew up in a family of overachievers who always got As on everything (If they wanted to). I had to work for mine...and boy did I work! I finally realized that I felt better, did better and enjoyed myself more when I recognized that al I needed to do was to pass to be able to sit an take boards at the end of school. Once I wasn't shooting for the As and just trying to learn I got Bs without much trouble.

The key is to learn the prime objectives and concepts and be able to apply from one concept to another. Memorization really wasn't the answer. Really learn and understand the A&P. It will help to explain almost everything in the long run. You are a step ahead of many by being a CNA. I bet some of the RNs you work with would be able to help you by sharing some of their expertise.

Good Luck-we're all rooting for you!

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