I don't know if I can do this

Ari RN, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2004

Hi there Amy! ((((Hugs))))

The transition from pre nursing to nursing is overwhelming! So much to do and so little time. Hang in there. Have you considered forming a study group? They help sooooo much!

Feel Better and DON'T lose you confidence!!!!!!

maire, ASN, RN · Sep 13, 2004

Amy

I can but echo what Ari said. Nursing can seem so overwhelming in the beginning...heck, it can sometimes feel overwhelming the last semester! You will eventually feel out what works for you as far as studying goes. Some people can get away with the night before study and others (like me) have to have a nose buried in a nursing text almost constantly. You can do it. Good luck, and visit here often - we're great for moral support. :)

Trauma Columnist · Sep 13, 2004

Amy - hand in there. Once you get a few more weeks under your belt - you'll feel more comfortable.

shel_wny · Sep 13, 2004

Hi there Amy.

I feel exactly how you feel and I'm working full-time and going to school full-time as well. I also cannot afford to work only part-time as my husband is not able to work due to medical reasons and I am bringing in all of the income. I feel overwhelmed, stressed, anxious and super freaked out but I'm hanging in there and you need to hang in there too! Don't panic. We'll do this. :)

I have the same questions that you do about the exams covering well over 300 pages of reading each. My response is just to make sure I cover my butt by reading all that is assigned to me and doing my best to remember the parts that the instructor stressed in lecture and in clinicals. I have a few friends in the program and that helps me a ton. We make sure we all know what is due for next week and we go to all of the extra computer labs and clinical lab practices together (as best as our schedules allow) so that we can be each other's partner. Just try to get your future assignments from all of your classes onto one little planner and make sure you do not fall behind more than a week. It will take more than a few late late nights and early early mornings but hang in there! I know I will.

Keep your chin up! We've already had 5 people drop out and we haven't had a single exam yet! Everyone is freaked out. My husband pointed something out to me...they don't make it easy on us nursing students because they know that nurses need to be able to deal well under lots of stress and pressure. Think of it as just another test. I know I'll be a survivor. :)

Shel

cherokeesummer · Sep 14, 2004

Amy - I'm an Amy too and I have the SAME situation. I have to work full time, I have no scholarships and have no money for school but have to pay out of pocket, thus being late on other bills. I am a type I diabetic, insulin dependent so I have to have medical insurance.

Yep, I am also in even/weekend course at local hospital based school. My program is three years though.

I'm in N210, having passed 200 with an A last term. It was HARD but this semester is HARDER but I'm more determined. It iwll happen. Just remember a few key things:

- The house/apartment/whatever will be dirtier than normal. accept it and move on

- You will probably not read for pleasure for the next 2 -3 years LOL

- Study partners can be good if you can stick to the topic

- Ask for feedback on anything you do not understand

- Listen to the teachers advice/constructive crit. and follow up on it

- Realize that while an A is possible, it is quite ok ot have a b or a c. You have to look at the full picture not just small picture.

I have more wisdom LOL but I have a big test tomorrow to study for. Email me sometime ok! [email protected]

Amy

checkers · Sep 14, 2004

Can you take out loans for school? I took out loans to cover my living expenses mainly. It's an investment!

My company let me cut my hours down to half-time, now I just pay out of pocket for 50% of my benefits, where they were covered before. If you get too overwhelmed, see if your company will work with you. Maybe you can work more hours inbetween semesters to make up time.

I think all schools offer insurance for students, though they don't readily offer that info.

Nikki730 · Sep 14, 2004

Hi Amy,

I have a similar predicament. I have to work full-time and take nine hours of nursing courses. I finished all the gen. ed. courses, but the nursing hours have to be taken concurrently and you have to pass ALL of them, or end up REPEATING ALL of them. I stock-piled vacation and personal hours (72 hours from last year, 111 hours from this current year). Do they let you take vacation hours to study for big tests/quizzes/just whenever you feel like you need more time to read? I know I haven't been working a full 40 lately (I'm in my 4th week of school).

As far as the feeling sad part--I debate every day whether to go out and get my one allowed refill for my anti-depressant. I'm hoping to only use them when it gets real bad, but that could be any day.

Don't be hard on yourself. I felt overwhelmed by all the reading too--then my teacher gave us a "test blueprint" (which was sort of a review) and they ended up taking a few questions directly out of the study guide.

I would give yourself at least one or maybe two exams in each class before you even think about dropping. (I realize at that point it's too late to get a refund, but at least you've given yourself a chance.)

Try to be good to yourself, and remember that exercise can be helpful to de-stress. You know that story about the wood-cutter who was so dilegent at work that he never left the forest to sharpen his blade? Other wood-cutters would leave to relax in town and get their blades sharpened, so when they returned, they were still able to get their work done, but more easily. (A co-worker told me that story and it made sense to me).

Stay in contact with people that build you up--your friends & family. They will give you much needed emotional support. And visit Allnurses, because people here really care!

LauraF, RN, ASN, CNA, LPN, RN · Sep 14, 2004

It can be done. First let me tell you. Nursing courses billed on what you learn the week before. So make learning a priority. Let some of the housework go. You can catch up on breaks. Thanksgiving break, christmas break, spring break. Work as few hours as you can but still have benefits. That is what I did. You will get where you can survive on 4 to 6 hours of sleep at night. You can catch up on sleep on your day off. DO NOT get behind on your studies. Once you get behind it takes a miracle to get caught up. Good luck! It can be done. Hugs to you!

I'm now trying to do it with 2 four year olds.

cherokeesummer · Sep 14, 2004

Also, you might want to ask your instructors if they test from the book publisher or if they make them up, etc. Ours come from the text publisher so we get a study group going and work on the study guide together. That really helps. Also the text has a cd rom with practice tests and some questions come from it.

:):)

hypnotic_nurse · Sep 15, 2004

Don't stress. Do your best.

I worked full time while going to nursing school full time after a yucky divorce, with 2 small children.

You can be a good enough mom, a good enough employee, and a good enough student.

If you made As before, you may need to be content with Bs. If you made Bs before, remember that Cs make degrees...as one of my instructors in nursing school told me.

Stressing out and breaking down takes time away from the things you need to be doing -- so relax as much as possible. Every morning, look yourself in the eye in your bathroom mirror and say, "I can do this. I can get through today."

You may have to let your house go for the time it takes you to get through school. If it's not a fire hazard, and you don't have bugs, is a little dust really all that bad? Do the beds really need to be made? Does the ring around the tub really matter all that much?

It won't ALWAYS be this bad -- this is time limited. You might treat yourself with some 30 hour work weeks when you graduate (some places will give you insurance with as little as 24 hours a week when you're a nurse).

jschut, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2004

Amy~

I also am working full time while in school. ANd to make matters worse, I hate my job! LOL!

But I know it's something I have to do and I intend to stick to it and NOT give up.

I work it ONE SEMESTER AT A TIME, so as not to feel crushed under "the big picture". Yea, sometimes I still feel totally overwhelmed, but I can and will succeed. I have not one single "free" day. I work on Tues, Fri, Sat and Sun, and am in school Mon-Thurs. Have 5 children at home (one with a behavior issue) and a husband who grumps and growls if the house is messy. (Although he does help with SOME things...)

On weekends, I work 12 hour shifts, so I can't study then, unless I sneak a note or two to work with me (already was reported by CNA's for taking a text book to work and reading during break~ *SIGH*), but I wake up and play on the computer for an hour or so in the early AM, then hit the books.

C'mon Kiddo~ we can and will do this together!