Getting ready for nursing school

Don't psych yourself out! You can do this, and even though you may be older than your classmates, doesn't mean you can't learn all the AWESOMELY COOL stuff you will need! Good luck.

I just got accepted into NS for the fall, so i will be checking in for advice also ! My only advise would be to never give up! Good luck!

I was 32 when I began on this nursing school journey. Now I'm 38 and I'm starting in August. I don't have any real advice specific to nursing school, but I'd say don't give up... just when I thought it wouldn't ever happen for me, I got into the program (it's a lottery). It was a long road, but now I can see the light at the end. The next two years are going to be incredible, and challenging, and wonderful. I'm totally looking forward to it.

1. during lecture, please don't decide this is the time to interrupt to discuss your family member who has xyz disease, or if you work as a cna-how you do it at your facility. talk to the instructor after class if you want to.

2. don't allow yourself to get involved in petty "high school-like" drama.

3. tell your family your life belongs to nursing school until graduation. this means don't come home from school and tell mom you need 30 cupcakes or a posterboard for class tomorrow. it ain't happening.

4. keep two bags, one with your clinical supplies, and one with your lecture notebook, and books if you choose to tote them back and forth. if your school requires a pda for clinical, you make want to invest in the hard copy of the books for use at home.

5. make some time for yourself. without it you will go insane, or turn into a babbling idiot who can't remember their own name. after my last lecture on friday's (which ends around 11 or noon) i take the afternoon for me mostly. i may run a few errands, pick up a few groceries, but mostly i relax. i rarely pick up a nursing book unless my hubby is working an overnight shift.

6. a massage every once in a while helps as well. if you're at a cc check out their massage therapy program for cheap massages if you don't have one that your insurance pays for or an established relationship with a therapist.

7. find other sources for information besides your text book. i love the nursing made incredibly easy magazine a good read.

8. don't whine about your personal problems. everyone has problems whether it's money, difficulty with boyfriends and husbands from time to time, parents, children, etc. this doesn't mean you can't share them with others in your class or clinical group, just don't go on and on and on. the rest of us would like to share our stories at lunch too.

9. don't share too much information with everyone. we've got a girl with bi-polar who is a trainwreck, she shares this with her patients, the nurses, every instructor and student at the college, and blames her instructors for not liking her. she talks non-stop all day long about everything to do with her life. after having problems with four different instructors, you start to wonder whether it's them or her. (yes, i have had difficulty with one instructor, but so did half of my clinical group).

10. keep your eyes on the prize, nursing school degree and license. don't let petty things divert you from that goal.

Ditto what cursedandblessed said. And I would add, don't get behind on your reading. Its A LOT to do in a little time and if you get behind its hard to keep up.

Good Luck!!!