Is nursing school REALLY that hard?

What Members Are Saying (AI-Generated Summary)

Members are discussing the difficulty of nursing school, with some expressing that it is exhausting due to the workload, constant busywork, and testing. Some members find it challenging due to the amount of studying and prioritization required, while others believe it is not as hard as perceived. The discussion also touches on entrance exams, grammar improvement, and the importance of loving the field of nursing to succeed.

I just started the 2 year ADN program at my community college about a week ago. I am actually the youngest in my program at 18, and I have no nursing experience. Before I started, I obsessed over blogs and spent a lot of nights wondering if I could even make it through nursing school. I graduated high school in the top 5% of my class with a good ACT score, and I'm generally a hard worker. I am just wondering, was nursing school as hard as you thought it would be and if so, why?

Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.
courtneymann said:
I am just wondering, was nursing school as hard as you thought it would be and if so, why?

Well for me, yes it was just as hard as I expected... which wasn't all that difficult.

The only real challenges in nursing school were (1) the unrelenting pace and (2) the high-stakes nature of each class since my program did not permit retakes... fail a class and you're done.

A person of average intelligence with a good work ethic and solid study skills should not struggle in a well-run nursing program. That last caveat, though, is the kicker... some programs and some instructors aren't terribly competent.

I already had a bachelor's degree in english lit with a minor in education before I started nursing school. I breezed through the nursing pre-reqs, but I will say forever that nursing school was the hardest 2 years of my life. As has been previously mentioned, a lot has to do with the way the program is set up and ran. There was a lot of chaos and little organization in mine. I tell anyone that asks that my class pretty much self-taught and were determined to make it through (the 20 or so of us that made it all the way through). I was working 40 hours a week and in a night/weekend program, so I was overwhelmed and under-rested most of the time. Another thing, also mentioned, is the high stakes in nursing school. You fail, you're out, at least for a year until you can jump back in (if there's an open spot during the semester you need). Most nursing schools won't accept transfers mid-program due to the set up and requirements, so it's kind of 'do-or-die' which is intimidating!

Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.
KThurmond said:
If you don't have to work it will help with large homework assignments and studying. My school used Prep U and that took a awhile

PrepU is a great resource. We had access first semester it was awesome. Then the school didn't renew the service.

Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.
Heathermaizey said:
Actually, I heard its in the Guiness Book of World Records that the BSN is the hardest degree. I need to confirm that myself though.

It is what you make it. You are learning to think differently. If you do the work, it's not that hard. If you are one that slacks off, it is going to be harder. Just come to class prepared, take good notes, ask questions.

I'm also terrible at the SATA questions. I always get all the math right. What makes it hard is you are going to take a multiple choice test and each question will have 4 right answers. Your job is to pick the "most right" answer. It can get tricky. And you will be sitting there saying to yourself, but my answer is right too!! And it probably is, it's just not the most right answer.

Welcome to nursing school where everything is gray, not black and white, like your prereqs were.

Guinness book of world records? That's a little ridiculous. I went to a tech school for part of my first undergrad degree. Most of my classmates are legit rocket scientists (engineers, etc, that actually launch rockets and work with nasa). Nursing is hard. It is a LOT of material. It is training yourself how to think. However, I highly doubt hardest degree to obtain. Maybe the degree that a large majority want to obtain but only a small percentage actually do.

Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.
courtneymann said:
What I'm hearing is, it is hard, but the difficulty truly depends on each individual and how you learn.

Surely you already knew that, right?

I'm getting to be an old geezer (I'm a guy... we become geezers... the gals become bats... that makes me a COG, i guess) and I will share with you that your conclusion is universally applicable...

Whether to quantum physics or golf, archery or chemistry, SEAL training or water color painting...

You are likely to find some topics or aspects of nursing school to be challenging while others are quite simple.

Don't prejudge classes, topics, instructors, specialties, or patients by the experiences of others; go in with a good attitude and a great work ethic and you will be fine in whatever you choose.

Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.
Heathermaizey said:
Actually, I heard its in the Guiness Book of World Records that the BSN is the hardest degree.

That's ridiculous... for many reasons, not the least of which is the lack of any standardized definition of "hard."

Not really hard, but definitely stressful. It's far easier if you don't have to work. I work part time and have three children and it's definitely a challenge. You just have to make sure that you stay on top of assignments. There is a lot of reading involved and it just multiplies if you put it off. However, if you study a little each night - it is very manageable.

Specializes in TELE, CVU, ICU.

Nope. Tedious, not hard

Specializes in Case Management.

Nursing school is not as hard as some would have you believe. It requires a lot of dedication, commitment, and hard work. There is a lot of concepts that you must learn and gain the ability to apply your new knowledge to your developing practice. Stay focused, avoid negative nay-Sayers, study, work hard, and you will be just fine. It is a lot of work, but it will be well worth it. I have been in nursing 24 years and I still love it as much as I did on day 1. Good luck!

I know quite a few nurses, and I have decided that none of them have Stephen Hawking like super intelligence, they're just normal people, and if they can pass nursing school, then I can too!

Nursing school is very hard, harder than getting my BSN. My first class was so hard we lost half of the class, they call it the weeding out process. They have no problem failing anyone that doesn't pull their weight even in the final semesters. We are taking care of loved ones that are sick and vulnerable along with family members that are stressed and scared, there are not many jobs that are more important. Nursing school should be hard, I wouldn't want just anyone taking care of my kids and loved ones and you shouldn't either. If you work hard, study, apply yourself, and are in it for the right reasons then you should do well.

Yes. A recent study reported it was the most difficult degree to obtain. Having said that, there are a bazllion of us who have done it successfully. If you are organized, disciplined with your time and willing to.work, you'll do fine. Be aware, that most college students will earn 1 letter grade lower than they maintainef in high school. Be prepared to do.more to earn the same grades you earned in high school.

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