I hate nursing school (and it is not because it is hard)

ergs22 · Feb 1, 2016

Let me share my experiences with you. Nursing can be whatever you want it to be. I scored a 33 (out of 45 at the time, 90th percentile) on the MCAT. I took all of the med school prerequisites and aced all of them including both semesters of organic chemistry. However, I ended up not even applying to medical school because I have small children and I after shadowing enough doctors and medical students I realized that I really would have to ask my children to make significant sacrifices if I wanted to be a doctor. I wasn't willing to do that, so I did an accelerated BSN and never looked back. I love my job, and I do not envy the doctors working back-to-back 24 hr call shifts. I am happy to come home to my family when my shift is over. I find that I value the time I get to spend with my patients and that if I (like a typical doctor) only got to spend 5min with each patient during rounds that I would feel unfulfilled. Oh, and my BSN tuition was 25k, not 300k and I started earning a paycheck after 18 months, not 7+ years.

I absolutely respect the providers I work with, I just don't have any regrets about not being one of them.

Some day if I so desire I can get a doctorate in nursing and be an NP, CRNA, or CNM. I could also get an MBA and be a hospital CEO- the options are endless once you prove your clinical competency. As an added benefit, most hospitals have tuition reimbursement. I'm applying for an MSN program right now which would be 3years part time and I will only have to pay 4K out of pocket for the entire program.

A word to the wise, however: the nurses who feel that nursing is "beneath" them don't tend to be very successful. Even if nursing ends up just being a stepping stone understand that you have the opportunity to learn very valuable skills that school cannot teach you. These include delegation, prioritization, time-management, and interpersonal communication. I cannot speak to your nursing program, but I found mine to be adequately challenging requiring a similar amount of effort to the prerequisite classes. Good luck. I hope you end up in a rewarding career.

2mint · Feb 1, 2016

I wrote the mini-series on passing the California NCLEX-RN exam for Californians, and allegedly recent successes could possibly be credited to moi..... :roflmao:

That's to say, if your arrogance is a river, mine is an ocean.... :smokin:

Pharmacology is not about pharmacology...its about a few specific drugs and memorizing things about those few specific drugs.
Pathophysiology is barely about physiology at all, its about how to nurse someone with a pathology more than anything.

Your concern about Pharmacology can be remedied by opening your Pharm textbook and read its definition and then look at one of the Prototype drugs, the format generally goes: Indication, MOA, Adverse Reactions, S/E's, etc.

If this goes in one ear and out the other, try this: Explain the definition of pharmacology to a ten-year old.

Your other concern about Pathophys (basically when physio goes wrong) can be remedied by looking over your program requirements and you'll see that Physio is a pre-requisite. So learning the Patho elements take little efforts.

I know how you feel; I like to learn in depth, but somehow did not perform so well in nursing exams, yet one of my all-around pre-nursing C student classmates scored consistently higher in class exams still has not passed the NCLEX-RN.

Therefore, do take solace in the fact that although you'd probably be learning materials more in depth than your classmates without much recognition from your instructors nor "appropriate" scores from the exams, your efforts are not wasted in the NCLEX nor in the real world.

baleen · Feb 1, 2016

Some very kind and thoughtful responses to my post. I am very grateful to you all for that. It definitely makes me feel much more positive about working with people that can conduct themselves with such caring (on a forum of all places). And I take the points from many that, nursing school is the beginning of a very stimulating and rewarding and not to mention, very modular career. I just started to learn giving shots the other day and it was the first time I realy began to get excited in class. Some real skills. And, I love the idea of the depth of knoledge to be learned in the field. I have had many jobs which I quit, because they couldn't give me that sense continual of learning. I think I go through cycles, but I often come back to being very grateful to be where I am. I did work hard to get here. So, I suppose it is time to fill in the spaces with other life stuff. An opportunity. I think nursing has a lot to offer. I will stick with it. The people in my class really are wonderful people and its a pleasure to be around them. The information is interesting, if not at the accelerated pace that I was imagining. It may accelerate yet.....Thank you all for being kind and willing to help. It really does say a lot for nurses everywhere I think

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · Feb 1, 2016

Dude..then QUIT. You are spending post after post telling us how awful this school is...then quit bro. Do you understand when you are in a hospital you will have docs you don't like who will give you orders you may not like...guess what..you DO IT. This statement "My nursing professors do not think with logical detachment". Bro you are getting a bachelors in nursing..not a PhD in philosophy. Do the work or quit. I can't even imagine working with a person like that on a chaos filled night shift in the ER.

direw0lf, BSN · Feb 1, 2016

Some very kind and thoughtful responses to my post. I am very grateful to you all for that. It definitely makes me feel much more positive about working with people that can conduct themselves with such caring (on a forum of all places). And I take the points from many that, nursing school is the beginning of a very stimulating and rewarding and not to mention, very modular career. I just started to learn giving shots the other day and it was the first time I realy began to get excited in class. Some real skills. And, I love the idea of the depth of knoledge to be learned in the field. I have had many jobs which I quit, because they couldn't give me that sense continual of learning. I think I go through cycles, but I often come back to being very grateful to be where I am. I did work hard to get here. So, I suppose it is time to fill in the spaces with other life stuff. An opportunity. I think nursing has a lot to offer. I will stick with it. The people in my class really are wonderful people and its a pleasure to be around them. The information is interesting, if not at the accelerated pace that I was imagining. It may accelerate yet.....Thank you all for being kind and willing to help. It really does say a lot for nurses everywhere I think

Wow that was a 180Âº

2mint · Feb 2, 2016

Wow that was a 180Âº

2mint's presence is...that awesome..... :roflmao:

amb218, BSN, RN · Feb 3, 2016

After reading this whole thing, I'm actually super interested in where you go to school.... I attend arguably the #1 nursing school in the country and I've always felt pushed to use critical thinking on a more scientific level, especially starting in the 3rd year. I'm not going to lie, the program is extremely difficult and to be honest, none of us have time to even feel bored. We're in clinical for 24+ hours a week, have three hour lectures twice a week, simulation lab, and in addition have other requirements to fulfill outside of nursing. Like you stated, I think it would be beneficial for you to shadow in an ICU or ED setting to see some super fast-paced nursing where you must think critically on your feet and use a ton of skills.

direw0lf, BSN · Feb 4, 2016

After reading this whole thing, I'm actually super interested in where you go to school.... I attend arguably the #1 nursing school in the country and I've always felt pushed to use critical thinking on a more scientific level, especially starting in the 3rd year. I'm not going to lie, the program is extremely difficult and to be honest, none of us have time to even feel bored. We're in clinical for 24+ hours a week, have three hour lectures twice a week, simulation lab, and in addition have other requirements to fulfill outside of nursing. Like you stated, I think it would be beneficial for you to shadow in an ICU or ED setting to see some super fast-paced nursing where you must think critically on your feet and use a ton of skills.

If you go to his profile page and thread history you can see his university. :whistling:

amb218, BSN, RN · Feb 4, 2016

If you go to his profile page and thread history you can see his university.

ohhhh, very interesting...

LPNtoRNin2016OH, LPN · Feb 5, 2016

Uh I'm at a community college nursing program and we didn't learn a few meds and we had to know why a disease happens the way it does and not just how to nurse it. Its your school. Top schools can be like LTC, they may be deficiency free and 5 stars, but that's most like a result of money and predictable state surveys, not indictive of their quality of care.

direw0lf, BSN · Feb 6, 2016

I just read this different list from U.S. News of the top 10 nursing schools:

Top 10 Nursing Schools in the US | NurseBuff

amb218, BSN, RN · Feb 6, 2016

I just read this different list from U.S. News of the top 10 nursing schools:
Top 10 Nursing Schools in the US | NurseBuff

That's definitely not from U.S. News...U.S. News only ranks graduate nursing program but most of these schools have undergrad as well so it's pretty accurate either way.Best Nursing School Rankings | Nursing Program Rankings | US News