How does Nursing rank in comparison to other majors in difficulty?

[CRNAhopefulguy]

I was wondering when u tell someone, "Im a nursing major" Do they give u a weird look and tell u, oh thats easy, or like, oh thats difficult. Do u think that nursing is one of the most difficult majors at ur school? Is nursing at the level of being in medical school, or like pre-med? I know all the things we deal with from reading all the threads like.. "oh my life is over" .. "how am i gonna ever pass." When i think of other majors, psychology, business, philosophy, and education, i dont think they have it that hard. Does nursing have that prestige like saying, oh im gonna be a doctor, and we all go, "wow, thats real difficult". Do people go, oh a nurse, wow thats difficult compared to other majors.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

marissa81579 said:

I do not have the intellectual advantages many of my classmates had, who pissed away 4 years of undergrad in some liberal arts major. Believe it or not.

Are you referring to majors such as philosophy, sociology, criminal justice, political science, liberal studies, English, history, and government? :chuckle

[LydiaNN]

marissa81579 said:

Nursing is not hard; it is a lot of work - busy work. I am in law school now. I find people do not respect the fact that I am a nurse. The most common question asked is "why not medical school?" Even though in reality, most of my law school classmates came from majors in undergrad that are incredibly easy. It's frustrating. At any rate, nursing school DID NOT adequately prepare me for grad school. Having the license is valuable to capitalize on, but I really wish I had just majored in some easy liberal arts major because nursing does not teach you to think in college, only to memorize. I do not have the intellectual advantages many of my classmates had, who pissed away 4 years of undergrad in some liberal arts major. Believe it or not.

If you feel they have intellectual advantages over you, I am wondering why you feel like they pissed away 4 years of undergrad. Clearly, they were preparing themselves for law school, which, if you want to be a lawyer, doesn't seem to me like a waste of time at all.

[marissa81579]

OK, I have not been clear here. Basically, liberal arts majors have it easier - less time constraints, no rote memorization of things, no clinicals. But one advantage I notice they have is that they have learned how to think. I don't think my particular nursing program taught that. So even though I think liberal arts majors have it easier in most respects, their programs better prepared them to think like lawyers. That is all.

[NaomieRN]

With a degree in Nutrition and Education, I think nursing is more challenging because of the grading scale and critical thinking. The college I am attending 77 is a the lowest for passing. I undertand there are other colleges where 80 is passing. Other courses, 73 is consider a C.

[NYERNURSE]

I found nursing to be very busy with memorizing copious amounts of information in ridiculously short amounts of time and lots of time wasted making beds and giving bedbaths. My A&P Prof attended med school at Harvard and actually compared our initial requirements as very close to comparable. Somehow I don't quite believe him....:uhoh21: Who the hell knows.

It really wasn't intellectually challenging until I started working but that was almost squashed by MD gods. I learned to think at work. Sometimes that gets me into trouble but that's life.

[cad4296]

For me personally the courses I have no interest in are so much harder than my science and nursing related courses. I went through the MA program (which I know is not nearly as hard as nursing) and aced it. There was no challenge for me in the MA route. For me being an economics major would kick my butt basically because I have absolutely no interest there. I love my science courses and A & P was a breeze for me while some of my classmates seriously struggled. I would just do what you love to do. That is how you are going to excel in a program. I think alot of my classmates go into nursing for the wrong reasons and they end up struggling alot more.

[Fraggle]

I'd say Nursing is more difficult than the BS Engineering. But a different type of difficult. Most of my nursing classmates probably couldn't do Differential Equations or Calculus above level 2. A lot would struggle with Organic Chem (which our program doesn't require.) BUT, Nursing requires a whole other way of thinking that is very difficult. And it defeintely requires more reading in school In general, I've had to do more work for it.

[MMARN, BSN, RN]

I haven't started nursing school yet, but my aunt, who has a BSN and works in an OR, has told me that though it may not have the prestige as being an MD, you get much more fulfillment. (Sorry if I offend, but...) doctors only care about "clearing the board". In other words, they barely see the patients let alone spend time with them. I understand that they are busy and they may see them more than I think, but nursing seems to me like it should have ALL of the prestige, if not more. We deal with poop, people!!!!! That's more than enough reason for my career to be recognized as something of importance.

Nursing is very difficult. I'm sure medical school is difficult, but nursing deals much more with the patient and how to keep them as the number one priority at all times. You must think critically at all times, and let's face it, without nurses, a hospital would cease to work. Sorry, but it's true.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Mave said:

You must think critically at all times, and let's face it, without nurses, a hospital would cease to work. Sorry, but it's true.

That was wonderfully worded and succinctly to the point.

It is very true, and there is no need to say you're sorry for telling the truth. Without nurses, all hospitals would cease to work. :wink2:

[manofletters]

I have a BA in elementary education. What a joke!! Education majors (at the elementary level) have very low scholastic abilities. I spent some time in grad school studying theology/counseling in seminary too. There certainly is a difference between learning to think and technical training. Learning to think is great, but it doesn't increase you're employability much. But in all, nursing school is one of the toughest majors. The ability to think, as John Dewey would describe, is mostly a gift. Nursing students deserve a pat on the back because it depends on the individuals decision to work hard and persevere.

[LeesieBug]

When I tell people my major I get sympathetic looks followed by "ooohhhh"'s. It has a reputation as being one of the more difficult majors. What I think sets it apart is the VAST difference in time put into it.

Most majors have three or four credit hour classes, which amount to three or four hours per week in class, respectively. In nursing, of course, we take a 5 credit hour class that equals about 20 hours a week in class or clinical in addition to study/assignment time. One five credit hour class has a 2 hour seminar, 14 hour clinical, 3 hour lecture, and 2 hour lab each week. Add general ed stuff to that and you've got a heck of a schedule compared to most other majors. Half the time we can't even fit the darn gen eds in and have to take them on weekends or over the summer.

[studentnurserachel]

I think the perception of the nursing program depends on who you talk to. I have a previous Legal Assistant degree which was much easier than nursing, however I do not think nursing is as hard as you might think from talking to my classmates, they gripe constantly about how difficult the classes and exams are to the point where I'm actually ashamed of them, but many of them have never taken a science course at university level as opposed to community college (which I have, and they are infinitely harder).