Hardest part of nursing school?

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So, is it the content itself of nursing school what makes it hard? Or is the hardest part time management? I've heard both sides. I'll be in the ADN program next month. Terrified. Thanks!

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The actually school & learning was not the hard part for me...the hard part was all the BS, hoops you have to jump thru etc - dealing with instructors & some crazy students in my class.

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The actually school & learning was not the hard part for me...the hard part was all the BS, hoops you have to jump thru etc - dealing with instructors & some crazy students in my class.

THIS 100%. The BS you have to deal with is worse than anything else. That of course doesn't mean the rest is easy mind you, it just is less stressful.

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Specializes in Pediatrics Retired.
The actually school & learning was not the hard part for me...the hard part was all the BS, hoops you have to jump thru etc - dealing with instructors & some crazy students in my class.

You BET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Throw in some dinosaur instructors that practiced nursing when there were glass IV bottles and it becomes a course of endurance. Remember, nursing school lets you get the "license." Then you'll learn real nursing.

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This is my last year.

For me, the issue is not learning the material and applying it to clinical sites. It is the types of questions asked that are so picky to the minute detail. For example, when JC comes and I have a patient who is complaining of SOB, JC is not going to be concerned about if I check their legs first or their lungs first for edema. They will care if I know what the disease is (CHF), what is affected (Right vs Left sided), and assessing any pertinent changes in the client's condition as well as describing why the treatment I am giving is appropriate or if it is inappropriate what is the next step.

School is concerned about theory. Real nursing begins when you have a license to practice and start working on the floor. The overarching question ought to be "Are you providing safe and effective patient care?"

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The actually school & learning was not the hard part for me...the hard part was all the BS, hoops you have to jump thru etc - dealing with instructors & some crazy students in my class.

exactly...i swear the faculty sat and thought up ideas to give us more work ontop of the serious load we already had. I was working with a wife that worked all the time and was gone for her work often. I had 3 y/o and newborn plus i drove 65 miles one way for lecture and 91 miles one way for clinicals. i didn't sleep at all lol. But i made it dammit!

The hoops and BS were relentless and to be honest they didn't teach me anything but to just keep my head down and get through it.

My first few semesters i was bored at clinical and my instuctor hated how independent i was and that i would ask one of the floor Nurses for guidance before i would ask her. I said " look the floor Nurse knows this pt, she practices while you preach" My instructor really didnt like that lol. As much i as i hated to instructor i learned a ton from her. She didn't teach me **** for skills but she honed my critical thinking skills and they are quite important imo. my 3rd semester my new instructor noticed how i liked to move fast and that i had an eye for the root of the problem and suggested i bounce down to the ED for "my education". The Charge Nurse took me under her wing and gave me enough rope to hang myself with and let me "be me". You wanna talk about a learning experience! I not only learned to be a Nurse but i learned about who i was at the same time...It was nothing like what we were taught! I asked that Charge Nurse to be my preceptor and then the real education began...holy cow!...the rest is history and i am now a Trauma Nurse...love it.

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The hoops and BS were relentless and to be honest they didn't teach me anything but to just keep my head down and get through it.

^^^^this! My advice to any nursing student! Study hard, get decent grades & don't draw attention to yourself.

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I think the toughest part of nursing school is the time management/organization. You have to be at the top of your game preparing for classes, studying for exams, preparing presentations, and prep for clinicals. It takes time to fine a routine that works best for you.

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The time management and organization wasn't too bad for me. I had a hard time with fellow students who were suck-ups and know-it-alls, constantly trying to impress professors and fellow classmates who obviously weren't going to be impressed by things like that.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

For me, the social aspects were challenging. Some nursing programs are permeated with unspoken, subtle politics. In addition, some personality types are favored over others.

I am somewhat reserved, very introverted, and slow to warm up to people. Some of my instructors had issues with my personality type and, as a result, they watched my every move. However, next month will mark my 10th year as a nurse and I've outlasted many of my former classmates who had perkier personalities.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.
This is my last year.

For me, the issue is not learning the material and applying it to clinical sites. It is the types of questions asked that are so picky to the minute detail. For example, when JC comes and I have a patient who is complaining of SOB, JC is not going to be concerned about if I check their legs first or their lungs first for edema. They will care if I know what the disease is (CHF), what is affected (Right vs Left sided), and assessing any pertinent changes in the client's condition as well as describing why the treatment I am giving is appropriate or if it is inappropriate what is the next step.

School is concerned about theory. Real nursing begins when you have a license to practice and start working on the floor. The overarching question ought to be "Are you providing safe and effective patient care?"

Au contraire little grasshopper. You MUST master the theory in order to become that safe and effective clinician. You WILL be assessing that central & peripheral edema (hint, central is much, much worse) and integrating your fundamental understanding of hemodynamics... in order to make clinical decisions. But you'll be expected to do it very quickly, without a multi-page care plan.

If students don't understand why something is included in the program, it is labeled as "BS". If students could see the over-arching curriculum design with all its bits and pieces, they'd see why all that 'stuff' is included. Just something to keep in mind when reviewing all those student rants.

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For me I think it was lecture and content. I'm very hands on learner so when I was in clinical I got it and understood, but in class I just got bored and zoned out. And I think a big thing is feeling like half of the stuff I could've achieved the same grades reading a book at home rather than listening in class. Lol

And time management for sure! When you have clinical Wednesday, test Thursday, test Friday and all clinical paperwork due Thursday you want to rip your hair out. Lol so I'd say more than anything if you can learn how to manage your time and how you learn/study you'll be better off!

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