Is this an exaggeration?

Future_Nurse_Natalie · Dec 15, 2005

It def. has toughened me up but not without making me want to pull my hair out! :selfbonk: My friends in the military that are in my classes always say that the fundamentals classes are like Basic Training where you get torn down to nothing and you don't even know who you are. But then, moving along each semester you learn who you are and become stronger. I have the Jekyll/Hyde personality for sure b/c of school and I know when I get out I won't be like that *AEB how I act on breaks :lol2: *, so just hang in there b/c everyone I know has done the same thing! :icon_hug:

bluesky, BSN, RN · Dec 15, 2005

you can't cut corners with nursing.....and you did a big disservice to yourself in school as you have come to realize.

Well actually school itself was pretty useless. I mean I did graduate with honors, sigma theta tau and from a top ten ranked BSN program. I still maintain that school itself was pretty pointless and even if I had studied my bum off in med-surg that wouldn't have helped in a fast paced critical care environment. My point remains that discipline, which may be cultivated in school, is an asset later on.

And furthermore I don't cut corners. I merely am a great nurse instead of an exceptional one because I don't have the discipline to know Reno like the back of my hand or subscribe to all the critical care periodicals.

not now, RN · Dec 15, 2005

I will say that it's more overwhelming than hard. I started working full-time towards the end of my LVN program and was so stressed that I was losing hair. The endless days of wake-up, go to class, head home to change clothes, go to work, come home and get a few hours of sleep before starting all over was physically taxing.

ICRN2008, BSN, RN · Dec 15, 2005

I am also in the minority, because I am not finding nurisng school to be difficult so far. I'm on track to get straight A's this semester. I read the book, follow the grading criteria when I write my papers, and prepare for my tests. For me, the challenge has been getting used to being so busy. Most days I leave for school at 8:30 am and don't get home from work until 11 pm. I have really had to learn how to budget my time and how to ask my husband for help with stuff around the house.

I recommend this book, it has been very helpful:

Applying Nursing Process: A Tool For Critical Thinking by Rosalinda Alfaro-Lefevre

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0781753783/qid=1134682351/sr=8-6/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i5_xgl14/102-4005628-3872934?n=507846&s=books&v=glance

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Dec 15, 2005

I'm amazed at the differences in programs from one school to another, and obviously that affects how each of us sees the difficulty level of nursing school as a whole. It isn't simply that school is easy for one person and hard for another; there's a huge difference in expectations between schools as well (not saying that if you found school less than difficult it must have been an easy program necessarily).

My school has a passage rate (to graduate) of less than 40%; passage rates on the boards is near 100%. I don't think anyone has called their experience here easy :) There is another school within traveling distance that takes students who have failed out of the school I'm in; they almost always pass, and with good grades. Their passage rate on the NCLEX isn't too good, however.

I guess what I'm thinking is that if someone tells you nursing school is easy and you're finding it hard, it's better to look at it as if your program is just really tough, rather than you're not "getting it". Much more positive :)

Now, I don't want to start a war on who's in a tougher school, LOL, just that it's worth keeping in mind if you're suffering and someone else tells you it was no big deal. I know someone posted that she didn't read the textbooks and didn't even buy them for the last half of the program, and obviously it didn't hurt her schooling judging by her post. But for what it's worth, one of my instructors has been known to lift questions directly from the text (one of several texts!) without having discussed the topic at all in class! Guess she wants to make SURE we do our required reading ....

rpbear · Dec 15, 2005

I agree with "not now" it is more overwhelming than hard. You need to keep your focus, take small steps. If you try to look at everything you have to do in one given week you will FREAK OUT, do one thing at a time and "just keep swimming!!!" :kiss You can do it!!!

Future_Nurse_Natalie · Dec 16, 2005

My school has a passage rate (to graduate) of less than 40%; passage rates on the boards is near 100%. I don't think anyone has called their experience here easy :) There is another school within traveling distance that takes students who have failed out of the school I'm in; they almost always pass, and with good grades. Their passage rate on the NCLEX isn't too good, however.

Yeah here that is called Mercy College (the hard one I go to), and Lourdes (the one that takes the Mercy Rejects and has lower standards). Mercy also has 100% NCLEX passing rate for BSN's and 98% for ADN's where Lourdes is in the 70's I think. Sorry to the Lourdes Students out there, I didn't mean to offend :)

nurse4theplanet, RN · Dec 16, 2005

Well actually school itself was pretty useless. I mean I did graduate with honors, sigma theta tau and from a top ten ranked BSN program. I still maintain that school itself was pretty pointless and even if I had studied my bum off in med-surg that wouldn't have helped in a fast paced critical care environment. My point remains that discipline, which may be cultivated in school, is an asset later on.
And furthermore I don't cut corners. I merely am a great nurse instead of an exceptional one because I don't have the discipline to know Reno like the back of my hand or subscribe to all the critical care periodicals.

I am sorry that you feel that school was worthless. I see that my school has provided me with a steady foundation on which to build further knowledge as I gain experience. I would never call my school, or my education worthless. If you graduated with honors, certainly you took something away from the program. It was your admission that you BS your way through certain parts of school, not mine. To me that it cutting corners, and doing yourself a disservice. You also said, you see how it has affected your nursing ability. I have no doubt that you are a great nurse, but you certainly haven't lived up to YOUR potential based on the information you gave in your own words.

Future_Nurse_Natalie · Dec 16, 2005

That's what I got out of it as well.

MIA-RN1, RN · Dec 16, 2005

I keep hearing people talking about the unbearable stress, hypertension, and general distruction of their personal/family life. Can anyone out there say they have gone through/are going through school without all the side effects? I'm not suggesting it wasn't tough, but rather was wondering if anyone was able to cope without such drastic reactions? Heck, while I'm at it, was it easy for anyone?

ITs not so bad. I am working harder than I have ever worked before in school but since it is something I am passionately interested in (and paying for!) I am enjoying the ride.

hbncns35 · Dec 17, 2005

For some reason I never really thought it was that hard. After all they only give you so much to study. Once you look around and realize you are only learning the tip of the iceberg and not the iceberg it really was simple. Yes it was challenging (the tests) but the material was not hard to grasp. I did not find myself "stressing" out like other students. I am pretty level headed and handle pressure very well. I was never influenced by other's sense of panic which seemed to be all too often. I've done well in my classes and have not failed anything. Looking forward to Grad school.................Maybe that will be harder.............It's all how you look at it and manage your time and emotions....................like anything else you put your mind to.

Heather

Nvr2Old · Dec 17, 2005

I keep hearing people talking about the unbearable stress, hypertension, and general distruction of their personal/family life. Can anyone out there say they have gone through/are going through school without all the side effects? I'm not suggesting it wasn't tough, but rather was wondering if anyone was able to cope without such drastic reactions? Heck, while I'm at it, was it easy for anyone?

Boy are we living paralel lives! :uhoh3: I ran into a girl I was in Anatomy 2 class with...she'd gone on to RN school. She said she was only doing 8 credit hours and it was kicking her ass. That after 1 semester the class had gone from 52 students to 8. My program requires 18 credit hours in the first semester. I'm scared to death. :stone . I just keep reminding myself that I'm doing great so far (alot of prayer involved). It's a big God. If He wants me here my efforts will pay off.