Is there anyone who thinks school is not that bad?

allnurses Guide · Jan 29, 2010

I loved it, didn't think it was that hard and I am a lazy studier who relies on my memory most of the time. My strongest memories of nursing school are the socializing ones!

PS: I did do very well and went into ICU nursing.

2bnurseTV · Jan 29, 2010

I love this thread...thank you!

Two Sheds · Jan 29, 2010

I did myself a favor and spent a year and a half getting ALL of my pre-reqs out of the way BEFORE starting any nursing courses. I knew that they would be time-intensive, and I didn't want to be fooling with an English paper, humanities classes, math courses, etc. while trying to study for Med Surg and such.

There are folks in my class who are "starting from scratch" and taking the pre- and co-reqs along WITH their nursing classes, and I just don't see how they have the time--A&P and Microbiology alone were so heavy that I couldn't imagine trying to study for them along with our current course load! Plus, we talk a LOT about the A&P of systems in Med Surge, and if you haven't taken the course yet, how the heck are you going to fully understand what a glomerular filtration device or cordae tendonae are? Soooo glad I took those 2 courses first!

I came out of my pre-reqs with a 4.0, and I'm getting high Bs in my nursing classes. I have a husband of 22 years and 3 kids, I have both ADHD [on meds for it!] and some mild autistic tendencies (our youngest son has Asperger's too) so it IS doable, even with learning disabilities like mine. As frustrated and tired as I am sometimes, I do love nursing school and I've been blessed to have the most wonderful instructors! I haven't seen anyone "trying to fail" a student.

When you hear stories like that, there's usually more to them--sort of like "Whose story carries more weight: the employee who got fired "for no reason," or the boss who had to make that decision?" Yeah, I've heard some instructor nightmare stories, but I also know that the "victims" in these stories usually miss a lot of clinical and class time because their lives are one big drama episode after another, they show up to lecture late all the time, bring their phones to clinicals---it's ridiculous. Get that crap straightened out BEFORE starting nursing school!

On a funny note, my husband told me the other day, "Darlin' you know the kids and I are behind you 100% with nursing school, but I'm gonna tell you: after you graduate [only 1 year left!], we don't EVER want to see pizza or Hamburger Helper again!" LOL! Hope this helps you and any others who may read it! :-)

~~Elizabeth

HomeGrownMichiganRN, ADN · Jan 29, 2010

I am so very thankful to everyone who has posted. I have not started nursing school yet and all of the doom and gloom stories were making me a little nervous. I have also gotten all of my pre and co-reqs out of the way and am hoping that it will ease my load a little. I am also lucky enough to not work while going through school so my only concern out of school are my two elementary school kids.

I am looking at nursing school to be an informative exciting new chapter in my life and I am more excited than anything to start and absorb all I can.

Crystal

njadreamer · Jan 30, 2010

All I see, hear and read are negative things about nursing school. From endless hours of studying, never seeing your children, broken relationships, instructors that fail you the last week of school...and it goes on.
Is there anyone who is finished or almost finished who thinks it is not that bad. Not the hell it is made out to be.
I would love to hear some good news instead of gloom and doom!!!!

Thanks teresa33411. I also would love to here some encouraging stories. Great thread !

njadreamer · Jan 30, 2010

On a funny note, my husband told me the other day, "Darlin' you know the kids and I are behind you 100% with nursing school, but I'm gonna tell you: after you graduate [only 1 year left!], we don't EVER want to see pizza or Hamburger Helper again!" LOL! Hope this helps you and any others who may read it! :-)

~~Elizabeth

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: Love what your husband said !!! I just got accepted and I'm already worried about feeding them ! Not to memtion the cleaning and the clothes. HOW DO YOU DO IT ALL !!! From now until I start nursing school in the fall I'm going to TRY to get every thing organized around here. The cleaning and the clothes I think I could handle. It's the trying to figure out what I'm going to FEED THEM ! I'm sure in no time my family will sound like your family ! :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

SAHMStudent · Jan 30, 2010

Two words. Crock Pot.

Two Sheds · Jan 30, 2010

YES! The Crock Pot is a lifesaver! You just put in all your ingredients before heading out to class/clinical, and dinner is ready when you get home. It's like having a personal cook in your own home! I checked out a book from my library about Crock Pot recipes and found some that my family loves.

And yeah, there are "easy nights" where it's hot dogs and fries, or macaroni & cheese and fishsticks, or take-out pizza. But it's only temporary, and honestly, as long as my family gets SOMETHING to eat, they really aren't that picky, LOL!

Some good quick ideas for "nursing school meals" besides the aforementioned:

1. Breakfast dinners: pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Kids LOVE this treat!

2. All-in-one casserole dishes that you put together then just put in the oven, such as chicken & rice.

3. Spaghetti/pasta dishes.

4. Stouffer's lasagne

5. Baked potato night (choose your own toppings)

6. Salad night w/ precooked grilled chicken or shrimp on top

7. And, of course, the many varieties of Hamburger Helper, LOL!

I check my Wednesday newspaper grocery ads and find whatever is buy-one-get-one-free and make dinners out of those things too---MAJOR money saver! Hope this helps! :-)

~~Elizabeth

tfleuter, BSN, RN · Jan 30, 2010

I was already for the "doom and gloom" I read on AN before I started my first semester, and honestly I was almost disappointed when it didn't turn out to be that bad. I'm in my second semester and the workload has definately increased, but I'm still managing pretty well. The hardest thing for me is finding enough time to study when I've got a husband and two young children at home who deserve my time and attention as well. Lucky, I've been able to balance school and family pretty well.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Jan 30, 2010

All I see, hear and read are negative things about nursing school. From endless hours of studying, never seeing your children, broken relationships, instructors that fail you the last week of school...and it goes on.
Is there anyone who is finished or almost finished who thinks it is not that bad. Not the hell it is made out to be.
I would love to hear some good news instead of gloom and doom!!!!

Over all I haven't thought it was bad at all. I have had my periods of stress or doubt, but I don't let them last more then a day and they are very few and far between. Now second semester has been a lot more time consuming for me. Not from studying, but we have just had a much busier schedule with less down time then I had first semester, also have had all the different orientations and computer training sessions at the clinical sites as well. But over all, I really enjoy nursing school and I think your attitude truly makes or breaks your experience. If you notice, those that tend to have a negative attitude about it all, are the same ones that have a negative attitude about life in general and feel everything is everyone elses fault. I just made a huge post about how awesome my hospital are going. Again, not perfect, there was a few negative moments, but over all, it's been great.

springing · Jan 30, 2010

One thing you gotta remember is that a lot of nursing students are non-traditional. They come back to school from other professions and/or have families already. Oftentimes they have to work on the side to help support said families. If you're a single person in college for the first time, you probably won't find nursing school as challenging.

DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN · Jan 30, 2010

When you hear a nursing horror story you need to remember that you will experience nursing through your own lens. People can sit through the same experience and perceive it completely differently.

I am having problems right now but only one other person in the class seems to give a toss.

I came to the conclusion last year that one of the biggest, unwritten, objectives of nursing school was to teach you how to be flexible. If something isn't flexible it breaks. Now, on the way to becoming flexible there may be a bit of kicking and screaming -- I think that is OK.

Sometimes I learn a lot more about the kind of nurse I don't want to be. Other times I get so incredibly inspired I am completely moved. What I can tell you is I have had to lower my expectations in many respects -- if I hadn't I would have gone bonkers. Conversely I have had to meet very high expectations. That isn't so much about nursing school but about life in general.

If you are like me and this is what you really want to do -- just go ahead and do it. If you encounter problems you will learn to deal with them on the way.

Good luck.