What was harder? Non-nursing bachelors or ADN? - page 3

1. 
   Nov 16, '05

   I have a BS in Psych and a MA in counseling. The BS was challenging but i was also in a different place. I was 18-21 yrs old, living in a sorority house, had no problems and still did reasonably well. (graduated w a 3.0) Now statistics and physics were 2 classes in undergrad i remember that were extremely hard. The Ma was a joke (I hate to say it) I took so many classes basically teaching (and I use the term teaching loosely) us how to twist peoples words around and play mind games with people once a week for an hour. NOT my kind of job. Now on to the ADN. I found anat (prerequ) and micro pretty hard. I do find nursing school difficult. Ihave never studied more in my life and I have never learned so much either. I think people may go on and on about how hard it is bc of the long early clinicals, etc/ and there is so much riding on it. Also, so many of us now have children, mortages, etc. so there's added stress = makes it harder.
2. 
   Nov 16, '05

   Quote from nurse1day

   Hello
   
   I have a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Spanish. I just recently graduated from a Associate Degree Nursing program. Although my first degree was no piece of cake, nursing was much harder. It is definitely more time consuming. I did not have to work full time and attend school with my first degree but I still believe that nursing school was much more demanding then my undergrad in Psyc.

   scary, that's exactly what i have (Bs in psych. mnr in spn) and I couldn't have said it better --- not easy , but not as challenging as the adn program.
3. 
   Nov 17, '05

   Quote from ZASHAGALKA

   My philosophy for my last sem of Biology: "D" = diploma.
   
   ~faith,
   Timothy.

   glad you posted this because it is another point that beginning nursing students and pre nursing students may not understand.
   
   SOME programs are more lenient with grades...and nursing is NOT one of them. Here is our grading scale
   93-100 A
   85-92 B
   77 and below Failing...no exceptions
   *for very good reason
   
   and with nursing if you fail a semester, chances are you may not be allowed to repeat and you will be forced to go to a different school or pick another major. My best friend failed a previous semester with a 72 and they did not let her come back because they were full for the next two semesters...so they directed her to the LPN program where she is doing excellent. This is a tough thing to swallow for some because like with my friend she had 2 1/2 yrs of courses, predominately going towards a nursing degree, and was *lucky* to be accepted to the LPN program which had two slots left AFTER she sat out a whole semester.
   
   My point is that it is a package deal. Not just a class here and a class there that you have the slack to do poorly in and just repeat, or take a semester off and come back and pick up where you left off.

   Last edit by nurse4theplanet on Nov 17, '05
4. 
   Nov 17, '05

   I suppose that it does depend on the degree, but I have to say that nursing school was a HECK of a lot more difficult than art school. =) (I have a BA)
5. 
   Nov 17, '05

   I can see how a science degree.......like the poster who mentioned the Kreb's cycle.........would be super complicated. I guess, to me, it is easier to study one concept forever to "get it". It took me a lot of work to get through organic chem back in the day but I just studied that ONE topic. I guess, in NS, it is not the academics that is as hard..the actual studying........but all the other crap. 12 hours for a careplan, the stress of check offs, researching all the drugs and patho, relating to pts..etc. It is all of it combined that makes me think it is so hard, like others have mentioned here. Having to study one thing..........lets say it was the human body, and know it inside and out but have to not do all the other crap would seem like a cakewalk to me right now. Organic Chem, looking back, seems now like a cakewalk compared to NS! But, like the saying goes, "the grass isn't always greener".
   
   Oh well. If nursing doesn't work out I'll likely get a Bachelors in CLS or Micro. I always liked that stuff, even if it was hard!
   
   Congrats to everyone who has made it through an ADN or a bachelors program. I know both are challenging, and in different ways for sure. I do agree that my new boss seems to be an ass. :chuckle
6. 
   Nov 17, '05

   Nursing school has by FAR been harder than my previous Bachelor's degree!! I definintely was one of those who "partied" my way through college the first time AND I had two part-time jobs!! I have had absolutely no social life in nursing school and I could not imagine working one job, let alone two! No one can understand the difficulty of nursing school unless they actually experience it for themselves!
7. 
   Nov 17, '05

   I have a previous degree in Psychology and I have always told other people this: In my opinion, my BA in psych was a pIECE OF CAKE compared to my nursing BSN! You don't have the stress of possibly inadvertently hurting another person's health if you do something wrong in psychology undergraduate work. You don't have clinicals and care plans on top of exams and papers to do. You also don't have the added stress of attaining all this knowledge in the face of having to study for and go through a licensing exam.
   Anyway that's my humble OPINION, and I'm sticking to it!
8. 
   Nov 17, '05

   Totally agree. During my psychology studies, there would be many times when I would skip class, and I could still get As. Wouldn't even think about it nursing school, unless I was deathly ill. The handful of times that I missed classes during nursing school was due to complete exhaustion from school itself!!
9. 
   Nov 17, '05

   My first BS is a dual major of Biology & Marine Science, and I got a minor in Chemistry. I am now getting my BSN (done in May!! :hatparty: ). My experience has been that nursing school is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Not only is it challenging academically, but also emotionally. I have been on a roller coaster of emotions since I started this program. I work my butt off (I worked FT till Tuesday too--had to quit cause I was losing my sanity) and struggle every day. My 1st degree was hard, don't get me wrong, but I think we are comparing apples to oranges here. The fish that I studied are a lot different than the people I care for now. Nursing involves a lot more emotional energy!!
10. 
    Nov 17, '05

    I have two B.S. degrees (one being a BSN). I have a Master's degree. The Master's degree was the least difficult, IMO.
    
    Nursing school was by far the hardest learning experience - right up there with "learning" to parent (and my four kids are 11, 17, 19, 29). And I am science/medicine "crazy" - meaning I LOVE medicine and have a minor in biology.
    
    I'd like to make this comment:
    
    IF nursing WERE easy - why is there a nursing shortage?
    
    Not all can hack it.
    
    I think after my nursing school experience I could sail through medical school.
11. 
    Nov 17, '05

    Hello
    
    I can tell you from my experience that I feel that getting a nursing degree is harder than getting a non-nursing bachelor's degree. I have a Bachelors in business finance and took many hard classes such as calculus and international finance to obtain my degree. I have also been enrolled in a nursing school and withdrew due to stress. I do not believe one is harder than the other just more stressful. In nursing school you literally learn you will be holding your patients lives in your hands where as if you are working in the business world the most that is at jeopardy is the bottom line.
    All degrees require learning knowledge but I feel the big difference is the level of stress involved. And then again, comparing a business degree with a nursing degree is like comparing apples and oranges. I also feel that almost anyone can obtain a degree in business, not everyone can make it through nursing school. This in of itself should say something about the degree of difficulty or stress level. But this is all subjective and everyone perceives things differently.
    I am happy to say, I will be going back to nursing school in Sept 06 and this time I will make it. Well, that is my 2 cents in the matter.
    
    Peace and Grace
    
    Heather
12. 
    Nov 17, '05

    Gads, I hope we are not scaring all those nursing students and nurse wannabees to death! Sorry ladies! You CAN do it. It just takes a "can do" and "If she/he can do it, so can I" attitude. Hang in there!:chuckle
13. 
    Nov 17, '05

    Quote from Jerico

    Gads, I hope we are not scaring all those nursing students and nurse wannabees to death! Sorry ladies! You CAN do it. It just takes a "can do" and "If she/he can do it, so can I" attitude. Hang in there!:chuckle

    And at the end of it when you have managed to make it through, you are so darned proud of yourself and ready to use your knowledge...the rewards are priceless! You never hear of nurses becoming "bored" with nursing and there are soooooo many options/ways for you to use your nursing degree...It is quite as versatile as a business degree only you normally can get paid alot better!

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