How hard/how much time is LPN/RN school?

[azurq123]

Hi, I constantly hear people talk about how hard RN/LPN school. Why do people say it is so hard? Studying 3 hours a day is nothing for me. I would like to hear about real people's experiences and why it was "hard". Learning alot of information is not problem for me. Right now I go to one of the best high schools in the country where I study & do homework for at least 5 hours a day while working a part time job. Tests and material are college level and my math, English and science are in the top 90% percentile in the country. I took a look at the nursing admissions test and it was really easy. I could have gotten at least an 85 right then and there. Other than pure studying, what other aspects are hard? Perhaps clinical stuff? (what kind of clinical classes, ie. administering shots, cpr etc). In addition, how much time does one usually stay in school a day. For example in high school, one stays in school for about 8 hours. How many hours a day for LPN or RN school? Thank you in advance for your feedback.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Nursing school being "hard" is purely subjective; I will say it is rigorous.

Nursing is about understanding and application of concepts; it is not rote memorization; if one understands application and critical thinking concepts, then nursing school may not be as "hard"; however, one must be able to choose the best critical answer based on scenarios and understand the rationale.

As far as programs are concerned-that varies if whether it is part time or full time; as far as RN programs, pre-req's are required BEFORE the nursing courses; and that depends on how long prior to the program and application were the pre-req's completed, as well as if there is a seat in the program as well; so total time can be very variable.

My PN education was a total of 13 months; my BSN education was 3 years of pre-req's and 2 .5 years of actual program time, but because of life and circumstances my total nursing education combined was about 12 years, but that's my journey. :)

[BellaRose4281, RN]

I'm currently in LVN school and it's not hard for me. Yet, there are a lot of people who really struggle. I guess it depends on the person. From what I gather from your post, nursing school will probably be very manageable for you.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

It sounds like you are a good student and learn quickly, that is a big part of nursing school.

It also requires being humble, adapting quickly and excellent personal communication skills.

Many students are also juggling family and work responsibilities.

You will have many hours of study, along with the class time and later on, clinical experience. I would estimate 50 hours a week.

I was also an excellent student.. nursing school took everything I had.

[DaniLPN2RN]

I concur with the other posts. It depends on how much time you are willing (and able) to devote to it. If you are in high school, going to college immediately following would most likely be the easiest for you without the other responsibilities and obligations that come up as older students go back to school. Nursing school is time extensive and as Been There Done That pointed out, you will be spending about 50+ hours per week between classes and studying if going to school full time. If you have the ability to move forward with a nursing program right out of high school, and it's want you want for your career move; I say go for it. Also, if you are already taking college level courses in high school you will likely be able to decrease your amount of time and pre-reqs needed for nursing school.

The level of difficulty is subjective. Not everyone goes into nursing for the love of the field. Those that love the medical field and nursing do not find nursing school as difficult as those who are going into the field for other reasons.

Good luck to you!

[andreasmom02]

I agree with BellaRose. It depends on the person. What was hard for me when I was in school, was that our instructors were all over the place when they would teach the material. They would cover material from about 5 chapters & give us two weeks to learn it. We had about 60 questions over 5 chapters of material, and had to have at least a 78/C on every test to pass! I studied roughly 30-35 hrs a week, and passed nursing school with a 78/C average. If I had been one point lower, I would have failed.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Everyone comes to nursing school with different intellect, educational backgrounds and previous preparation. People who were never that academically inclined in the first place might be the ones who constantly chirp about nursing school being the hardest thing they've ever done.

On the other hand, people who have already been exposed to a rigorous curriculum in either high school, college or some other training program might be less likely to regard nursing school as hard. For me, nursing school involved plenty of busy work, reading and other time-consuming tasks, but it was not the hardest mission I've come across.

Good luck to you! You'll do fine.