Is Nursing School more difficult than working?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Greetings all,

A little more than half a year, and I'm done with nursing school. Nurses often tell me, "Don't worry, school is much much harder than working." Is this true? Please tell me your experiences. Nursing school is one of the most challenging things I've ever done.

Diahni

Specializes in NICU, High-Risk L&D, IBCLC.

Oh man.....after all this talk about how I can't wait to get the heck out of school and become a nurse, I just had to read this thread. Now I'm really depressed! :lol_hitti

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

I think the first year in nursing is harder than nursing school on a relative scale. All the rest is not in my book.

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Specializes in ED.

Can somone expand on why working is harder than school?? I am interested in this topic as I am a new nursing student and really look forward to graduation and making money and starting my new career. School is such a constant business, and I can see that the job is very challenging as well, stressful etc.. I don't see how it is harder than school. With a job, you can go home and not have to study, write papers, work on presentations, worry about upcoming tests etc. So, I'd like to hear some examples of why the working world is so much worse than school. I think the posts that just say working is so much harder need to expand on why, for us that are really hoping to enjoy our careers as nurses. Thanks!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

In my experience, school was many times harder than working.

In school I often dealt with petty, immaturely competitive classmates and scumbag instructors. At clinical rotation sites the nurses were frequently rude to students. Nursing is many times better now that I am a nurse because I have more autonomy and am surrounded by higher-quality coworkers. Also, I love my patients! :)

Then again, I work in a laid-back nursing home.

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Nursing school was so much easier than working as an RN.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

You guys who are saying school is easier need to say how long you have been working.

The first year out of nursing school *IS* harder, maybe even the first two years. And of course anytime you move to a new unit or new specialty it's hard all over again.

But you at least get to have a life outside of work when you are working - it doesn't consume every hour of every day and every moment of your family life.

Yes you have to think and make decisions, but you have the tools to do it - you aren't having to dig as deep or as far to connect the dots, even if you are having to do it more often.

Ok - so it is physically more demanding. 12 hour shifts are longer, you have more patients to lift and turn and run around for. More trips to the supply room and the med room...

I don't know - kind of a wash - but just different, I found working easier once I got through that first year or so.

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Specializes in ED.

I can see the point of view that it is more stressful as you have more responsibility, but I also would like examples of why overall people think it is harder. I find that school has taken over my life sometimes, and don't forsee work doing that. Plus, I will be doing something I have always wanted to do, and getting paid for it. The nurses I know that have been doing it a while, love their jobs. I have not met a nurse ( I live in MN) that does not like their job. Not that i know too many but to me it seems everyone I know in the field is very happy.

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What leads you to believe that school is over when you start working??? There are still CE requirements and to be truely good nurse, you must continue to learn new and challenging skills.

I must say tho', I would not trade my job to go back to school.

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Specializes in ED.

I think we all know being a nurse is will be a continuous learning process. I have never assumed that getting an RN would be the end of my schooling. I plan to get my bachelors and someday a masters. I already have one degree and have been in school for almost 7 years when I total it up! Obviously I don't mind being a student but I also look forward to not having so much school work to do. I know there will always be more learning to do, but I think that I still look forward to working!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I think we have to remember that the first 1-2 years of practice are really an extention of school... where the "real" learning begins if you will. I mean think about other specialties that go out and have an externship for a year (ie radiology techs) before they officially graduate.

I'm in my first year and I would say that on some levels it is harder than nursing school... it's the responsibility hanging on your shoulders when you often feel unsure of your clinical judgment and you're still learning/practicing new skills that you haven't done enough to get down completely. All of those situations require that you stop and think or look something up or ask a question... that takes time and it's anxiety provoking as well... On top of all this you have that fear within you that you may not be able to get it all down or get it all together or just flat be good at what you're doing...

That being said... with each day things do get a little bit better, you remember previous situations and how they were handled and you respond more quickly accordingly. You've done a certain skill twice now and you may still be slower at it, but you don't need anyone standing by now... progress.

Nursing school is about round the clock mind-numbing work and ulcer-inducing anxiety for two LOOONNNNNNGGGG years... and we PAY a lot of money for that hell. So I can honestly say that as challenging and sometimes overwhelming as things are right now being a new grad, I wouldn't go back to that world for anything.

Here is probably the bottom line: you're in nursing school and you're miserable and you're wondering if you're still going to be miserable when you graduate and begin to work. That answer varies according to individual circumstances but I would say on average the answer will be YES for a certain period of time... until you've got some experience under your belt and then the answer will be NO...

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Specializes in ER.

While school was more time consuming, my job is harder....at least here at the beginning. When I come home I am fried physically and mentally. But talk about LEARNING....can't believe how much!

Also, someone mentioned that, once out of school, at least the studying is done....well...not really. When I started I got handed a nice thick binder full of case studies to work on, an ekg class to study for... I've been to 6 continuing ed. classes/inservices in the 3.5 months I've been at work....nurses are always learning, even if the pace of "study" is not as bad as school...tomorrow is a mandatory competecncy day (on my day off of course).

Even so, I would definitely rather be working than in school,, and with some experience under my belt I believe it will be much easier than school was.

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Nursing school is a picnic compared with real life.

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