Is becoming a Nurse hard?

Palliative Care, DNP · Dec 4, 2011

No you do not need the same education as a physician or you would be a physician. I would recommend going straight into a BSN program. Many places are beginning to only look at BSN applicants. My facility no longer hires RNs with 2 yr degrees. This will also make it easier for you if you decide to continue on to a MSN or Doctorate.

AJPV · Dec 4, 2011

The schooling is hard, but don't think of "hard" in the sense of calculus or physics (highly analytical and intellectually challenging). Think of "hard" in the sense of a very high volume of easy to understand information in a short amount of time. It takes a lot of hard work an commitment, but you definitely can do it if you're determined.

gatoraims RN · Dec 4, 2011

I do not think becoming a nurse was hard. I however am not an RN yet. I think being a nurse is harder. :) The education part was interesting so I wanted to read and study. Putting what you learned into real life for me has been harder.

Like the PP said, go for your BSN. I am older. Did things backwards and I wish I would have just gotten my degree right out of high school. Most jobs want you to have your BSN. Study, study, study and it is not hard. Just a bunch of work and you might have to have less of a social life than some of your friends.

Cuddleswithpuddles · Dec 4, 2011

Hi :) I'm new and I'm 15 years old. I've always wanted to become a nurse but I've recently heard you have to get the same degrees as a doctor? Is that true? How many years would it take to become a nurse? And, if this isn't too off topic, what are the best schools for becoming a nurse? I've always planned to apply to UCLA and UC Berkley because I can't afford any schools out of state, and these are (from what I've read about and heard about) the best UC's. Thank you! And I'm sorry for all these questions that aren't quite pertinent to the original question. :)

Hello Tesslyn,

No, you do not need to earn the same degrees as a doctor to become a nurse. There may be a lot of overlap in the science requirements like biology, anatomy, physiology etc. but nurses and doctors follow distinct educational paths.

As with all college education, how long you complete your education is up to you. You can earn an associate's degree in nursing (ADN or ASN) and a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) to become a RN. The former is commonly referred to as a 2 year program, the latter is called a 4 year program. However, the prerequisites and application process make these programs longer than that. Exactly how long depends on a lot of factors like how many college credits you get in high school and how fast you complete your college classes.

US News has a list of the top BSN programs in the country but what constitutes a good nursing school is up for debate. http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/nursing-rankings

UCLA does have a bachelors and masters program. UC Berkeley does not. UCSF and UC Davis have nursing programs as well, but I think they are all masters level. Many of the Cal states have nursing programs as well.

Cuddleswithpuddles · Dec 4, 2011

And to answer the original question----

Becoming a nurse is challenging in many ways but how challenging it is exactly is up to you. Even if you are a brilliant student who picks up the theory and skills quickly, becoming a nurse requires a considerable time commitment and there will always be emotional stress with witnessing the pain and suffering of others.

In my experience, nursing is also vastly different from the academic challenges of high school. I was 17 when I started, entered a vocational nursing program at 18 and became a nurse at 19. I used to be a honors student and, boy, did I get my butt handed to me. The kind of self-directed learning, critical thinking and work ethic required in nursing school is above and beyond what I had encountered before. The responsibilities are immense and I grew up much quicker than I ever would have pursuing a fancy pants liberal arts degree. (Sorry for any liberal arts majors lol)

P51Mike1980 · Dec 4, 2011

Depends on the program you want to get into. If you want a BSN, a lot of the requirements are "hard." The program I want to get into requires:

-Chemistry

-Microbiology

-Psychology

-Sociology

-Nutrition

-Statistics

-Critical Thinking

-Writing and Reading comprehension

-Developmental psychology

-Anatomy

-Physiology

Built into those classes are the prerequesites for those classes such as general biology and the such. In another post, some were lamenting the fact that general and organic chemistry aren't required and I would have to agree. Some schools offer watered down courses such as chemistry for health, but I think students get the best educational experience by having to take the full version of the course...and being the huge science nerd I am I just find it more interesting and fun.

DixieRedHead, ASN, RN · Dec 4, 2011

I like the post that said:

Becoming a nurse is not hard.

Being a nurse is hard.

Brilliant!

AddisonLawrence03 · Dec 4, 2011

It's becoming more competitive and hard to get in because of all the applicants and additional courses that are being added to the curriculum

Merlyn · Dec 4, 2011

Becoming a Nurse is a piece of cake compared to being a Nurse. Lots of frustration and tears, heartache and heart brake. Trying to see the good in people that have no good.

Why then do it because once in a while you help change or even save one person's life. The feeling is like hitting that game winning home run. You won't get cheers but your walk will be a little straighter. Good Luck, Sweet Soul

brokenn · Dec 5, 2011

Becoming a RN is easy but being a nurse is super hard. I suggest, to tough'n you up, you let all of your friends punch you in the heart a thousand times. Then, you'll be prepared. (This is a very bad joke of course! Do not really do that please.)

But seriously, if you really want to be a nurse, go straight to BSN and immediately enter into a masters program. Don't even stop to work as a bedside nurse. But, if you have to, do not do it for more than one year. That is my advice.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Dec 5, 2011

Becoming a nurse has been pretty easy so far. If I wasn't ready to take in such a large volume of information, I'd have been hosed on that end. Fortunately, I got used to drinking from the instructional fire-hose a long time ago so it's not that difficult for me now.

To the OP: you're 15. You still have a ways to go before you really are ready to become a Nurse. Get very good at basic math. Med math is not that hard... it's basic stuff (basic algebra for the most part) but very crucial so that mistakes aren't made. Learn the basic sciences well. It'll make learning the prerequisite course material that much easier for you. Be curious about what makes things work and why, including the biological stuff.

Look at the Colleges and Universities that have 4 year degrees, find out what they require for admission and adjust your studies to get accepted to them. By doing that, you should also meet admission requirements for Junior Colleges as well. If you can, and Nursing still is appealing for you, try to get into a BSN program. You'll have some greater employment opportunities than ADN students, though both of you will be RNs and you'll be set up for MSN coursework as well. When I'm done with my ADN program, I'll only have to take another 4-6 courses for entry to an MSN program or get a BSN, but that's because I already have a Bachelor's degree.

The biggest advice I ever got was this: Do what you love to do and you'll never work a day in your life. You are not your job and your job doesn't define you. I am a unique person who happens to be a parent, spouse, a nursing student, and a whole host of other things. And most of all, even though each day can be boring as all get-out, strive to learn something new every day.