Is it just me or is nursing school not as difficult as everyone makes it sound?

[Nicolecn]

I am about to finish my second term of nursing school and have completed difficult classes such as pathophysiology, pharmacology, chronic illness, etc.. and I honestly haven’t found it that hard. Idk if I was just expecting it to be a lot worse because everyone talked so negatively about it or what.. I’m in the program with people who are talking about having constant meltdowns and crying and I haven’t had one mental breakdown while in school.. am I missing something? Don’t get me wrong, it’s stressful at times and you have to put in the work, but people make it sound nearly impossible and like they’re losing their minds over it.. Whenever other students talk to me about how difficult it is I feel like I have to go along with it or they’re going to be annoyed by me not thinking it’s that hard..

[JKL33]

It isn't difficult. Even if you don't find it difficult you will likely still benefit from going beyond that which is strictly asked/required. Don't worry about whether it's hard or easy, just learn all you can.

Oh. And some of the instruction and unfortunate thought processes you might encounter and the "let's see what unthinking and convoluted things we can do to try and make this difficult" might make you cry at some point out of sheer frustration, even if you would usually only cry once per 10 years. So don't get too confident. ?

[TheAngryMan]

3 hours ago, JKL33 said:

It isn't difficult. Even if you don't find it difficult you will likely still benefit from going beyond that which is strictly asked/required. Don't worry about whether it's hard or easy, just learn all you can.

Oh. And some of the instruction and unfortunate thought processes you might encounter and the "let's see what unthinking and convoluted things we can do to try and make this difficult" might make you cry at some point out of sheer frustration, even if you would usually only cry once per 10 years. So don't get too confident. ?

Thank you both for your responses. I'll probably regret saying this a year from now, but even if there are mind games, I kind of like figuring that stuff out. The game ..and the "meta game"

[umbdude, MSN, APRN]

Depends on how you define "difficult." For my program, it was extremely difficult to get A (needs a 94) in clinical nursing courses (adult health, critical care, peds, OB, psych, community), but it wasn't hard to get B's and pass.

I've taken some tough exams in my previous career, but I have to admit that some of the nursing exams were insane. I still remember walking out of my Peds final exam feeling totally shocked and dumbfounded by how hard it was.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

14 hours ago, JKL33 said:

Oh. And some of the instruction and unfortunate thought processes you might encounter and the "let's see what unthinking and convoluted things we can do to try and make this difficult" might make you cry at some point out of sheer frustration, even if you would usually only cry once per 10 years. So don't get too confident. ?

That's what I was actually very good at. I could always tell what they WANTED me to choose or say, whether or not I would actually choose that particular response in real life. People hated me for that.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Although nursing school is time consuming it’s an education so everyone has a different spin on it. When I did it my husband was deployed and I had two small kids at home and I worked full time.

I could not let it consume me. So I did what had to be done to get thru it.

To be honest 26 years later I barely remember the name of the school let alone any classmates or instructors. It’s just a period of time.

[holisticallyminded]

It isn’t difficult compared to other BS degrees which often have more rigorous science requirements. The BSN is minimal. Nursing school is hazing. Just get through it.

[BarrelOfMonkeys, BSN, RN]

Mine was challenging. I did a BSN with optional accelerated final year. I took the accelerated. I also graduated with honors though that wasn’t my goal and it was NOT easy. The hard part for me was keeping organized with all the classes, hundreds of hours of clinical, test dates, and my life. It was more of a juggling contest to see how long I could keep it going. ?

My final year was definitely much more challenging. Also, we took exams which seemed almost daily throughout the program. When it came time to sit for the NCLEX however, it was the easiest exam I’d ever taken. That’s not to say I was smart but it attests to the strength and thoroughness of the nursing program I attended. Or was it the amount of effort I put in? I don’t know. Their pass rate was nearly perfect. We also had to maintain an A average throughout. What I’m saying is many think the “better” programs have higher pass rates. That may or may not be true (that they’re better programs) Now, that’s not true for every program or every student. I realize that. Some friends of mine went to a private college and had such a fun time during their program and I was jealous. Until they graduated and were not prepared for the boards and ended up taking the exam several times. Was it that the program was easier or their lives more difficult or their lack of prep? I have no idea. I do know the schools pass rate was significantly lower than mine and their expected gpa was lower for the program. That is a fact but not a reason. In the end what you put into whatever program you choose will reflect when you sit for the boards. The boards expect you to know a lot of things even if your program didn’t review that information.

If it’s easy for you, good. Enjoy the ride!

[TAKOO01, BSN]

I agree with those who point out that nursing school presents special hoops to jump through and peculiar hazing tactics that make it hard. Maybe not every school has this culture, but it existed in mine and made it quite difficult. My first nursing degree was my third college degree overall, and certainly the hardest.

[Superbabes]

That’s great that nursing school is treating you well! I agree with what other members have already said, i also believe it has a lot to do with what other priorities you have in life. During nursing school I worked part time (10-16 hours a week) and was heavely involved in my church (all of Sunday, and parts of Wednesday and Friday) but i still managed nursing school. Don’t get me wrong it was hard but manageable. People around me were pulling all-nighters to finish school work but thankfully I didn’t have to. I also had 3 other really great people who I shared my readings with so I didn’t have to read everything by myself. That is also my number one advice for all nursing students, find a couple of people that you trust and divide up the readings:)

[elephantlover, BSN, RN]

I am in my last semester of an accelerated BSN program. I think the hardest thing about nursing school has been balancing my priorities: work, clinical, school, staying healthy, etc. I had MANY times where I would go from clinical to work, work till midnight and leave my house the next morning for clinical at 5:15 AM. I think being in clinical adds a new layer to nursing school. Clinical is very time intensive. From the prep work to post clinical paperwork. At my school expectations were very high. I would spend 10 hours a week on clinical paperwork.

[Persephone Paige, ADN]

Nursing school was not difficult. The hardest part was getting in.

I will mention the people in my class juggling work, families, etc... I don't know how they did it. If I had all that on my plate, I'm not sure I'd be saying it was so easy.

[gere7404, BSN, RN]

Chronic, patho and pharm for your second quarter? Sounds like OCNE curriculum. I think the hardest quarter of OCNE was the last term of the first year, with acute, patho and pharm 2 -- you've got a test every week and the material is pretty complicated. It was also the most fun, though, as it was the first time we got to work in a hospital setting.

A lot of people with families, might be under a bit more stress than you, but working 30 hours while going to school stress-free is a pretty significant feat so kudos to you for keeping your cool. I've worked 40 hours a week and am about to finish my BSN and it's been really hard on my family, but in four more months it will be good and done.