new student, not what it seems.

smiley2526 · May 9, 2009

Glad you think it's so easy. Sorry, but nothing is easy about nursing school. Sorry if I come off a little on the wrong side.

k_r_ah · May 9, 2009

i think everyone has a different experience. some people never study and get a's ,some people study for 8 hrs/day and still fail. easy for some , not so easy for others. you'll learn quickly not to tell fellow nursing students that you get good grades without studying, also don't tell what test grades you get, you'll be crucified

HumptyDumpty · May 9, 2009

I felt the same way the first semester of my accelerated BSN. I heard people talking about studying 8 hours a day while I was out fishing, drinking, and having a good time. Don't worry about it, you sound very similar to me. NS is easy, just study a little bit before tests and you should maintain a 3.6+ gpa. As far as clinical, its about the same as a mannequin. Giving shots, hanging IVs, starting IVs, and all that other stuff is not hard.

As the above poster stated, do not share your experiences with other students if you care about how they think of you. Me personally though, I told them all. They talk about how hard it is, so why can't I talk about how easy it is?

ddr436 · May 9, 2009

Can you please re read my post and realize that no where in there did I say it was easy. I simply said that its not as hard as everyone makes it seem. And I think people exagerate. And just a reminder I'm not asking for lectures this isn't about right or wrong. I want opinions. Ok thanks.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · May 9, 2009

The beginning is always easy. It could be because of pre-study you put into this or knowledge you possessed beforehand. I have been an RN for 30+ years. I must tell you that good grades in skills and knowledge in nursing theory do not make an RN. I think you are very wise not to share your perceptions with your fellow students. Try thinking of nursing school as a horse race. You are all in the same race. Your positions will change dramatically as the months go on. It is rare that the winner(s) take the lead from the beginning and keep them until the end without effort especially as they get toward the end.

CRBRNCPHT · May 9, 2009

I didnt think nursing school material was exceptionally difficult either. I could study the day before the test and make A's and B's. However, I did feel that nursing school was very stressful, exhausting, and time consuming and I think that is what alot of people probably mean when they say "difficult." The farther you go along the more they will expect from you. In my program the paperwork just got more and more heavy as we went along and thats what really made it bad. First semester was stressful because everything was so new and we had to learn to a new way of thinking...to "think" like a nurse...but it was nothing compared to later semesters. Don't get too comfortable just yet...it may come around and bite you later.

ddr436 · May 9, 2009

Well thank you for all of your advice i definetly felt like something was not right. Its not like i dont study at all, after all i do realize that ill be dealing with peoples lives and thats what i focus on when i study and i guess thats what motivates me. However, i still sleep in on weekends i still work part time and i do not stay up all night i am not exhausted like everyone else says or seems to be.

And i definetly will not share that with my classmates only because I KNOW and i SEE how hard they try and still not do so well. we will see how i feel by block 4!!

Do-over, ASN, RN · May 9, 2009

I think students that pull "all-nighters" to cram do themselves a huge disservice. People need sleep to function best, especially the night before an exam or before clinical. Just my opinion, of course.

gibson0726 · May 9, 2009

I don't think that NS is impossibly difficult, rather just extremely time consuming. For me, learning the nursing process with nursing diagnosis was a hard concept to grasp in the beginning. Now, at the end of Level 3, I can look at a patient and come up with them off the top of me head. Also, the NCLEX style questions really ate my lunch first semester. I bought the Saunders review book and have had a much easier time ever since.

I think they make us jump through so many hoops in school. The fact that it can sometimes take me 12+ hours to do clinical paperwork without getting a grade for it, just pass/fail, kind of irritates me. I would much rather spend that time on my classes that actually impact my GPA.

Everyone has different aspects in their personal lives that would makes school a lot harder for them, like being a single parent, working full time, etc. This semester has been the easiest for me so far, Med-Surg 3 and Ob/Pedi. I had lots of free time and slept in a lot..and I worked between 16-24 hours per week. I attribute it to having way less paperwork due than previous semetsers.

As for clinicals, of course it's different dealing with humans rather than mannequins. But it is so rewarding to get that Foley in or start an IV successfully. Even if I'm terrified, I walk in like I know what I am doing and with confidence. Just take a deep breath, mentally go over what you will do once in the room, and treat the patient like you would like to be treated. You will do great! :specs:

Daytonite, BSN, RN · May 9, 2009

studying is a skill. it often takes most people years to master it. it is quite possible you have managed to become a master at it at such an early age. formal schooling, after all, is about doing well on tests.

actual hands on clinical nursing, however, cannot be mastered by having good study skills. it has to do with horse sense and critical thinking skill. that you have not been tested at yet.

once of the biggest problems i had as a supervisor and manager was behavioral problems with staff. one person says something about another person, and worse, it becomes gossip because other people won't keep their mouths shut. remember the "telephone game" from kindergarten where you whisper a simple phrase into someone's ear and pass it around the group and it ends up being something totally bizarre by the time it gets to the last person? when one person begins to compare their performance with another person competition is introduced into the group and things like jealousy start to rear their ugly heads. when people start to talk about grades and tests, other people don't contribute anything to these conversations. either just listen to what is said or walk away and don't repeat what you hear. if you don't, the result can end up being much more horrible and regretful than the "telephone game".

~FutureNurse~ · May 9, 2009

Ha! First semester was a piece of cake compared to second. I still have two more to go. I wish you luck, but highly doubt you will be able to keep this no studying thing up.

:)