How hard is nursing school? My passion is to be an RN and I want some real answers lol. I read a post talking about someone contracting HIV.. That's SO scary to me and I feel so bad for that girl! My next question is.. How is the nursing life? What are the hardest parts about being a nurse? And how is working in the ICU? Because I am interested in that. How much is the salary in the first year of being an RN? Another question is... how many years it usually takes to become an RN.. with a BSN?