I'm loving Nursing School, how about you?

Nursing Students General Students

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.

OK, we have all the nursing school horror stories on here, lets post a few stories of the other side. I know I'm not the only one who is having a great experience at nursing school, so let's here the stories!

I'll start:

At my school, by the time you have finished your pre-reqs you have heard enough horror stories about the nursing program to make you want to go somewhere, anywhere, else for the nursing classes. :eek: I just tried to not draw any conclusion until I could see for myself, and now I am so glad I did. :wink2: I'm really enjoying the program, it's not half as bad as "they" said it was. :lol2: Yes, it is a tough program, but it's also known in the area for being the best school in the area. We have people who daily commute over 2 hours each way to get to school, bypassing other nursing schools in the process, because they want a degree from our school. I guess all the hospitals around here really like to hire graduates from our school because of its reputation. :D Plus, they told us that 100% of their LPN grads have passed the NCLEX. I guess if you can pass their classes, you can pass anything. They have about 30 people start a year, and last year they graduated 13 from the ADN program! Now, some people stopped after the first year (which you can do), and got their LPN license instead of going on for their RN, but still...

It is a tough program, classes started on a Tuesday with a four-hour lecture, and Thursday we had our first test. In five weeks of classes we have had: 7 lecture exams, 4 quizzes, 1 written assignment due, and 4 lab checkoffs. :eek: Plus, this is the "easy" part of the semester! In two weeks, one of our classes (Foundations) ends, we pick up two more classes (Med math and Professions), AND our clinicals start. We will have clinicals three days a week, then classes two days. Three classes, plus clinicals ought to keep us busy enough, don't you think? :lol2:

However, despite the hard work I'm loving the program. The material is really interesting, especially the deeper we get into it. Pathophysiology of various diseases is one of my specialties! Good thing too...

The professors are great, despite all the horror stories that go around about them. Yes, they are busy (who isn't?), but they always have enough time for a quick question. They have been great as far as office time also. If you think you aren't doing as well as you would like to (or need to) be doing, they will sit down with you and help you figure out what is going wrong. They will go over your prevous tests with you, they will help you understand the lecture material better, they will get you a private tutor, whatever they can to help you. A far cry from the horror stories I heard told about these same professors.

Plus, they have a great sense of humor that makes it all easier. In lab especially, last week we were practicing NG tube insertion on the mannikins, and the one professor kept coming to the end of the bed and making the sound effects :lol2: :roll :clown: The only problem was he was so realistic about it that one of the students kept getting that certain funny look on her face! :lol2:

We haven't started clinicals yet, but I can't wait until we do. It's going to be so much fun to actual get to do what we are learning in class and practicing in lab. I'm a hands-on learner so I think that getting into the clinical setting will hopefully help some of the concepts "click" better. :idea:

So, on top of being in class generally 4-8 hours a day, five days a week right now, I am also peer tutoring! My friends say I'm crazy, but I just tell them that it helps me too. In our school, we have a program where the students who are doing better in a class can get paid to help the students who are doing poorly in the class. You have to get a professor recommendation in order to do this. It is two hours a week per student, and right now I have 2 students. I have tutored almost every single semester I've been at school, so this is nothing new for me. It really does help me learn the material better. So, call me crazy, but it helps! :bugeyes:

Right now I am passing all my classes, which is more than many in my class are doing, so I'm very thankful for that. Yes, it does take ALL my time: I eat, breathe, and sleep nursing, but it is definately worth it. :lol_hitti As far as sleep goes, What IS that? and who has any time for it? :lol2: Certainly not me!!! But, when it is all over I will be very glad for everything I have learned. :w00t:

I did have to get a rolling backpack, carrying all those heavy books around was giving me permant scoliosis. :wink2: So, I got a rolling backpack which works for right now. However, I live in the north so when the snow hits, its back to the regular backpack as the rolling one won't roll throught the snow.

I'm in my first year of actual nursing classes, after next summer semester I can take my LPN exam if I want to. It's one year to your LPN, and then one more year to your RN. At this point I think I'm going to go right on and get my RN right away.

So, how are your classes going? Let's hear the sucess stories and cheer up the poor students who are behind us hearing all our failures and horror stories. :eek: :lol2:

I'm loving it as well...

I am as busy as I was told I would be, if not more. I have almost no time for anything else and try my best to do something with my kids (3 & 6) and husband while I can. I am going to sleep late and getting up early to make it work. My family is adjusting and is very supportive. My hard work has been paying off with good test grades and skill check-offs.

I love clinical, even though I have no desire to work in long term care. The pateints are great and I am getting down my basic skills.

My program also has a very good reputation and I feel very fortunate to be doing this.

Time to get back to work...I have lots of things I should be doing for school, even though it is Friday!

Specializes in Neurology and Med/Surg.

OMG I am sooo loving clinicals. My classmates think im being sarcastic but im serious. I took all pre-req's and co-req's so I just have to do my clinicals. We have lecture one day a week and the rest is lab and clinical hours. I love that from now on its mostly hands on.

Even though we're in a nursing home and doing the basics, its really gratifiying being able to help people. It's such a high. I mean I don't think I could work in a nursing home forever.. wouldn't want to get burnt out. But so far its really rewarding.

Next week were going to the hospital for the first time and we'll be there until we graduate...

Its going by so fast, we already had out first test. If it keeps going at this pace, the two yrs will fly by.

Specializes in med/surg, ortho/neuro, ambulatory surg.

Other than one bad experience so far I am loving it!!! I LOVE my teachers and am so happy to finally be here!! After this semester I am half way done with school!! YEAH 1 1/2 more yaers and I will be an RN!!!

Specializes in Med-Surge.

School is GREAT!!! It's better than I could have ever imagined. I'm learning so much and I can see myself as a nurse. It's so amazing! It's a lot of hard work and I'm sure it will only get harder but it's worth it! We just started clinicals and I love that too. It's really one of the best decisions I've ever made. :lol2:

I'm SOO SOOO happy to hear these great stories! I've been scaring myself reading everything negative on here, forgetting that there was a reason I volunteered before even applying to nursing school--to see if I loved what nurses did!

I'm taking all my pre-req's so I can concentrate only on nursing classes when I'm in.

My program is like the OP's, long wait list (2.5-3 years) high, high pass rate, everyone knows when you graduate from there you are WELL TRAINED.

I'm so glad some people are having positive experiences! Keep it up ladies!

:icon_hug:

Specializes in Medical, Paeds, Ob gyn, NICU.

I think that starting my nursing degree is the best thing that i ever did!!!!!

I am in my first year (nearly over only 4 weeks till exams :uhoh3: ) and enjoying it even more than when i started. It is hard though, I am a single mum with four kids, so time management is a must!

It all sounds so different there in the USA than it is here in Australia. My degree goes for 3 years, and we only go to nursing homes for our clinicals in the first year. I think that we do hospitals next year. We did one week in first semester and are doing two weeks this semester. Was great fun and helped to remind me why i am putting myself through all of this. We also don't have waiting lists to get into the degrees (at least not at my Uni, or any others that i know of).

Hope you all continue to enjoy your time at school, as i know that i will.

Tina

Specializes in ER.

Well, I share your enthusiasm, all.....FINALLY! :chuckle

In my case, it took me until my senior year, but I finally LOVE it.

I'm doing my senior practicum now in PACU and am smokin' right along, soooo glad that I am having that magic moment I have heard about (that I thought would never come)...all the stuff that has been crammed into my head is finally coming together to form the big picture :yelclap:

I have never been so excited to be a nurse as I am right now (hope the feeling lasts after graduation :lol2: ).

Great Post! I, too, am doing okay in the program. A lot of others are having trouble. I think it helps me in that I don't feel the need to push everything else aside to get that God-almighty "A". I am more than satisfied to take the time to spend with my son and husband and keep my "B's" coming!!

I , too, am loving nursing school. The more I learn, the more I want to go on. I have three children and a husband who works 6 or 7 days a week. And it is hard sometimes to fit everything in. But I manage. I quit my job just before classes started this fall, and haven't regretted it one bit. Sure money is tight, but for some reason we manage and it isn't that big a deal. My family is very supportive and that is nice to have, because I know many who don't have the support that I do. I just feel very blessed to have this oppurtunity. Sure it is tough. I knew it would be. But it is worth every minute. I love clinicals. I have no desire to work in long term care either. But I love the people and try to suck up every bit of knowledge I can. My school also has a very good reputation, so a lot is expected out of us. I welcome any challenges brought my way. I came up with a saying that helps me get through the hard times. I say this to myself when ever I get so overwhelmed and want to just break down and cry (because even thou I love it, I still have my moments): "Nursing school is not my life, but it is what allows me to do with my life what I want. It is not what defines me, but rather what drives me."

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