A few thoughts on Nursing School.

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A few thoughts or maybe warning for anyone getting ready for Nursing School.

1. You will not sleep until the nursing program is over.

2. You will have anywhere from one to two tests per week (sometimes more) including quizzes in all classes.

3. You can pretty much think of nothing else but school and yes you can kiss you personal life goodbye.

4. You are under contstant stress and pressure.

5. Housework is a joke (good luck at keeping up).

6. Working during nursing school is not a good idea.

7. Even with that said I LOVE IT! LOL!!!

I have only been in Nursing School a month. I have finally found my groove and I am staying on top of things as much as possible. I have seriously never studied so much in my life. But, I am so freaking happy right now. I am so grateful for these experiences and getting to fullfull my dream. Anyone else feel this way? Frazzled but happy?:yes:

I freaked out a little bit this morning because it was my first clinical, but other than that I haven't let nursing school take over my life. And I absolutely refuse to let it.

I'm really interested in medicine, so studying doesn't feel like a chore for me. I also read a lot of things medical on my own for my own entertainment? pleasure? I'm very curious, so I'm always thinking of odd questions related to the subject and looking it up or occasionally stumping my instructors. Luckily, they are curious too and also like to research the answer.

Yes, nursing school is a lot of work, but if the work is your pleasure, you are very fortunate!

I feel just like that... and I too love it! I love learning new things and am really enjoying my nursing school experience. My first day of clinicals was def stressful but it's already gotten so much better. Hope your excitement continues, good luck! :up:

Well if you love it then it's all worth it! Even the no sleep and lots of pressure

Specializes in Oncology/hematology.

Something must be wrong with me. I'm sleeping great, still have a social life, spend tons of time with my family and am not even remotely stressed about nursing school. Of course, the house isn't very clean, but I was happy to give up dusting for studying.

i agree with rubato. i am in my 2nd year of nursing school. i maintain a social life with friends, family, etc and i get adequate amt of sleep each night. im a little stressed, but nothing i cant handle. surely i have been more stressed over other things rather than school. i honestly feel you need to maintain a social life in order to stay sain. i dont want to BURN OUT before i even become a nurse ;)

I may be a little crazy too.....

I am not really stressed. I am married with 3 kids. I worked 30 hours a week, go to school to full time, I take my girls to dance lessons, my son to baseball. I cook, clean, sleep and have a social life. Am I busy, yes! Do I do it all in one day, no. My husband is a big help and my kids have chores. But it is not overwhelming. It is just life.

I know the original poster said they were loving life, but I hate it when people say that nursing school is so tough and you have no life while you are in school, because that is just not true at all. It seems everyone in my cohort that maintains a balance between family/school/work is doing well and not stressing.

I agree with the others, I am in my first semester too and yeah its a lot of work and stressful before a test or validation....but I have a social life, sleep, and friends. Yeah not as much as before but its definitely still pretty normal!

I think its a problem with nursing students or new grad RNs trying to intimidate others out of applying or even remotely thinking they will be able to be successful in nursing school. I met a girl at the gym who was in nursing school and her only words of advice were "GOOD LUCK youll be miserable."

I promised myself that I will NOT be that nurse grad when I meet a future nursing student one day.

i'm sorry, talk like this just rubs me the complete wrong way. When i started grad school, a panel of 2nd year students stood in front of us 1st years and scared everyone to death with the same stuff. It wasn't helpful. They didn't offer helpful adivce. They had suffered through their 1st year and they needed everyone to know how terrible it would be for them as well. When I started nursing school, we again had a panel of 2nd years stand in the front of the room and just terrify and intimidate us. Sadly, two of the people spouting off about how much they had been through ended up failing a semester and graduating with the same class they were lecturing to. Funny, I never failed a semester even though they told me I would not sleep, I would not see my family, etc. Thankfully, one girl's purpose appeared to be to ease our nerves and let us know that nursing school isn't impossible, it doesn't need to be terrifying, and your life doesn't end for 2 years.

Admittedly, I suffer from anxiety/depression and had some tough times in school. But I made it through. I slept, I saw my wife, I saw my friends. If I could give any advice, it would be to remain calm. Nursing school is a game, you just have to play it. If you can calm down for a minute and realize that it's not life or death (and, if you want to make that argument, probably the worst thing you can do for your patients during clinicals is not get any sleep). You will get through it. Or you won't, and you move on. That's how life works.

Sorry, just had to jump in with a counter-opinion - hoping to help some of those who might actually buy in to these intimidation tactics and let it affect their performance in school.

Wow! There are some seriously hateful people here. I in NO WAY intended to scare people out of nursing school with my post. Those were just MY feelings and I had no cruel intentions by posting this. This is just what I had experienced my first month into nursing school as I was adjusting to the changes. I was overwhelmed in the beginning but I was still happy and that is all I really meant by posting this.

i know you say they were "my" feelings but you clearly warn others that "you will not sleep", etc.

sorry, i honestly didn't mean it as an attack on you. As I said at the end, my only hope was to maybe be a counter-point for those who, when hearing things like this, let it get to them and affect their schooling.

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