How hard is LPN school?

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Hello, everyone. I am new here. I will be starting LPN school this august. Well as long as I pass the hesi test, but I been studying so im sure I will. I will be taking evening classes, 4-10. I have a few questions. How hard is it to become a LPN? Besides the paperwork, which I know will be heavy. But im sure I can handle that part, because I did really well in school. Im scared of the clinicals. Are they really, extremely hard?? Thats the main thing im scared of . And Im scared of doing bed sores, catheters, and IVS. Did you guys have problems doing those? im just a little nervous! I have a very supporting boyfriend, he was a CNA, and suggested I'd go into nursing. He said it was a really great field. But please answer my questions! Thank you =]

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, LTC.

Nursing school is hard. The paperwork and studying is amazing. Tests almost every day, papers, projects, lots of brand new information. If you are excited and interested and you vow to work hard it can be done.

The teachers are crazy hard. Clinicals are hard. But, if you are able to take criticism and learn from it, you'll be ok. It's the ones who think they know everything that fail out. True, you have to deal with all the procedures. If you are accurate in saying you are scared, then that's normal, but being scared to do something and being anxious are two different things. Having stress over the procedures should be there because a little stress makes you perform. Too much stress, or being scared, can make you mess up.

About half or more of all nursing students flunk out. My class stared with 52 and we graduated 14. That's about normal. People failed for all sorts of reasons, but mostly they didn't want it bad enough to make sacrifices, whether it was time, family, or partying.

It's a tough year, but if you want it you will do it. practice in lab and the procedures wont seem so scary.

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You def have to want it bad enough and be dedicated to the studying. Clinicals aren't the worst part at all, it's the studying and lectures.

IVs aren't hard, they can just be a real pain in the neck if you get a patient that is a difficult stick. Once you learn the procedure, they are all the same, it's just a matter of getting access. Same goes for caths. It's nothing to sweat, really. Just realize you aren't always going to get a patient with an "X" to mark the spot, but you always have more experienced nurses that are usually willing to help out.

I loved nursing school but it was a long year and lots of sleep deprivation from early clinicals!

Good luck to you!

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I just finished a part-time 18 mo program, and I think it wasnt too Hard, it was more time consuming with all the papers, PCA's, tests, and clinicals. I feels like it's never ending! But, GOOD thing it does finally end !!!! :yeah:

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I thought I was mentally prepared for LVN school, but when I actually started I was blown away. Things are always stresfull and difficult. I graduate (crossing fingers) this December 17th. I also think it depends on what sort of school you go to and the different expectations that all the different schools have for their students!!

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Specializes in Adult medicine.

nursing school is hard.I started out with 64 students 32 day class,32 evening.By the time we graduated we had total of 35 students. Folks dropped for various reasons,most of them because of lack of time to study,pregnancy,working 2 jobs. it's what you make of it. I worked part-time this school was part time 4-10pm. passed my LPN board 1st try. just have the time to study,be focused and you can do anything you put your mind to.Looking back I don't know how I did it with hardly any sleep.This course was mon-fri 4-10pm. 1600 hrs total.:nurse:

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Home Health, LTC.

My experience was challenging. It was a three semester program. There were more hours of lecture than I could ever have imagined. The clinicals...some anxiety but that depended on which professor was with us. Two of them were excellent and always encouraging yet challenged us. The third teacher was a nightmare. She eventually did not teach there anymore. But she was hard on all of us, used intimidation and really had no business teaching. Two students quit because of her harassment. When she began treating me unprofessionally I went to the DON. I am saying this as example that your clinicals will be stressful and challenging at times, satisfying at others but you should always expect to be treated with respect and in a professional manner. Encouragement is good too. Good luck and know you can do it!

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I signed up for the 2 yr LPN program was alot less stressful-i thought if i'm going to make this my career-i can afford the time to go another yr -instead of the 1 yr program-met a great friend and we're still friends to this day- i worked a part time job though-have to be very dedicated-i've been a LPN for 8 yrs now-Love it!!

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

depends on how prepared you are before you begin. Our program was 2 semesters (22 weeks) I didn't find it too hard, not saying it wasn't crazy and rough at points. But I really studied prior to getting in and had already taken A&P I & II, plus Dev Psy/ Life Span Psy. So the concepts weren't all that different. The biggest thing is adjusting to the style of questions. Get an NCLEX book and start studying even before you set foot in the classroom.

Clinicals are not all that scary. You have a lot of support and really make great friends in your clinical group. Since you practice everything in the lab before you get to do them on people you will be excited and nervous but at the same time so ready to just do one.

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