In your opinion...

Oh'Ello, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2014

The hardest part of nursing school (as a 2nd career individual) was totally rearranging my life and turning it on its head (rather smacking it up side the head) and being a full-time student. All of this only to have to struggle to go back to having a regular life again Now that I've graduated!

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Jul 28, 2014

So far, it's been jumping through all of the hoops they need. Background checks, drug screenings, immunizations, CPR cert, the list goes on and on. Finding the right color of scrubs and getting patches sewn on. The right shoes, lol. I feel like I need a storage unit for all of the stuff I have accumulated the last 2 weeks. I think sitting down and studying will feel good compared to all of this running and getting paperwork in!

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2014

I've said this many, many times: The hardest part about learning to be a nurse is learning how to think like one.

You will be held responsible for maintaining a good working knowledge of everything you learned in all your prerequisites AND the previous nursing semesters, unlike your high school classmates who are majoring in English-- they finish the course, take the exam, sell the book, and move on. You will never be able to do that.

You will learn to think like someone who can take in a situation using a good assessment strategy, then bring to bear all that you know to plan how someone will receive nursing care (not just deliver medical care), from you and others to whom you will delegate some aspects of care. This critical thinking is not dependent on any other specialty, although we work collaboratively with all of them. You will not be able to rely on physicians for every bit of your direction; only a part of everything you'll do will be delegated in that way. Physicians have a medical plan of care, and we are responsible for implementing some of it (not all-- dietary, therapy, radiology, pharmacy...) The rest will be nursing, nursing, nursing: assessment, diagnosis, planning, delivering/delegating, reevaluating, and reassessing... making (not choosing) nursing diagnoses and planning to deliver the nursing plan of care.

YOU will be responsible for owning and growing your own nursing practice by using your wits and knowledge and skill. Remember, if caring were enough, anyone could be a nurse. It isn't. Welcome.

Jenniferocious · Jul 28, 2014

I've said this many, many times: The hardest part about learning to be a nurse is learning how to think like one.
Totally agree! It's such a different (but very cool) way of thinking. I analyze everything now...

Stephalump · Jul 28, 2014

I think everyone had a different demon in NS.

Some people could never quite get the hang of NCLEX questions and struggled with testing through boards.

Some people had difficulty taking the book knowledge and applying it in the real world.

Some people just could not get the hang of critical thinking and will probably never become nurses. Others struggled with critical thinking but got it in their own time.

Some people struggled to understand the concepts and also will probably never get that far with a LOT of help. Some people battled with time managements, and almost everyone had a time when they had to figure out how to balance stress outside school (death, divorce, childbirth, etc) with school.

It's hard for me to narrow it down, because for everything I found the harder, someone else had zero problem.