Is Nursing as Stressful as Nursing School?

leeleebeeRN · Sep 17, 2012

Well, im a pretty green newbie. I graduated 5 months ago, and so I feel I have very good insight into that question as the experience of nursing school still brings on episodes of PTSD (i jest, i jest) and the aspects of building a (hopefully) tremendous career loom in the future.

The answer to your question is different for everyone. Nursing school and professional nursing are just different. I've run into both good and bad experiences that I didn't expect in both situations. The weight of responsibility to patients is certainly heavier on one's shoulders. However, you have more room to breathe, and think for yourself. Generally, no one one is hanging over your shoulder inspecting your every move. So, there's less pressure, yet perhaps some would think that leaves more room for mistakes. I have found that I have more support at work through supervisors, co-workers, and even technology than I had anticipated. As a nurse, working, the general attitude I've encountered is to double check, double check again and then ask anyone if you have questions. There are fail safes in technology as well as inherent risks but you are literally surrounded by resources to avoid those mistakes. You'd almost have to go out of your way to make a momentous mistake! Point made? Well, I felt differently in nursing school. Instructors want you to provide answers off the cuff, but that's not the case in the real world. After all, there's no left click short cut access to a medication reference manual when you're taking a test in school. And let's not forget the difficulties of balancing jobs and school, whilst both demand your primary attention. Not even getting into the balancing act at home with family and loved ones.

So, the short answer is, you'll find out when you get there! Good luck to you, it's a worthwhile adventure and it does pay off! Tips: set some personal priorities for yourself and never waver, this will reduce stress for you and help keep your life balanced. Also...Never. Ever. compromise quality care for your patients, and you will leave at the end of the day or night knowing you did everything you could and no one-especially you-can hold you at fault for that.

elprup, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2012

After Nursing School has been so stressful for me too! It is no joke, nursing school was very hard for me because in addition to school I was also raising two small kids, with no help, and fighting for sole custody of my kids against an abusive husband and acting as my own lawyer (which I won BTW :) Sorry I digress. And even through all that, I would be back in school in a heartbeat, which I just might.

cthomas1459 · Sep 17, 2012

im already feeling stressed with anatomy 1 ...just now preparing for 2nd test lol...but my passion is to be a RN so with hard work and prarir i hope i surrvive to then what will probally be more stressful!! (actually applying my knowledge).

anotherone, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2012

I am glad I am finished with school but work is more stressful . What do you find stressful about school?

Things that are stressful about work are: being mandated, working short even though someone else was mandated but , you are expected to get your now INCREASED workload done on time 100% of the time and 100% accurately. The responsibilities are more and the negative outcomes are more severe...

anotherone, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2012

That's okay, HQ, I understand why you said "easy". Here is the deal. I am 45 years old. I worked in the ministry and in domestic violence before. I know stress and although I need a challenging job that keeps my mind busy and on it's toes, I also need a job that is not too physically challenging and I can't handle crisis type situations too much anymore. I want a nursing job that is pretty routine. I almost cringe to say that because I know someone will probably jump on me for even saying it. But I know those jobs are out there. That said, I would probably rather work as a clinic nurse than a hospital one. I will not thrive in the ICU or emergency. My days of the adrenaline rush working in crisis are over. I am willing to work part-time or doing whatever in order to find my way into something that is a good fit. I like medication. I like paperwork. I like interacting with people on a limited basis meaning I want some people interaction but I really would enjoy charting and paperwork too. I would probably enjoy a 50/50 mix. I would love any input. (But please don't yell at me for saying my days of major crisis type stress are pretty much over......I believe there is a place for me.) :)

Hmm. Let me think. The problem is that many people want this and are sick of the "crisis situations" and they have 20 years of expereince so are at a much greater advantage than you. The other issue is that say you do get a job in a less likely to encounter a crisis situation area but that still has patients, those situations do arise anywhere there are patients, and you and everyone else who is there will be less likely to handle it. The good news is that these situations will probably occur a lot less. Maybe insurance companies depending on exactly what type of work you did before.

anotherone, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2012

How much do you get yelled at by people and doctors for not being perfect?

I have seen doctors yell a few times. Usually when orders are not followed corectly. Even if you are not the one who did anything wrong. Could have been the aide or the previous nurse who didn't document how much he/she emptied a drain for etc. However, family and patients are almost a daily occurance and most often it is for things you can not control anyway . For things like, food the hospital serves, not getting chairs for visitors fast enough while I WAS BUSY SUCTIONING A TRACH ( airway breathing chairs visitors), the doctors not ordering the prefered pain medication/amount, on and on and on. )

jporte16 · Sep 17, 2012

I have to agree and say that actually being in the hospital is quite a bit more stressful. School only prepares you with 1-2 patients max, and even then you aren't doing EVERYTHING for that patient like you do in the work place. I work on a busy med-surg floor 7p to 7a, and i've learned 10,000x more than when I was in nursing school, and I have only been here 8 months. You will do great though, I love being on the floor, and also love learning so much day in and day out. GOOD LUCK!!! :woot:

CLC172 · Sep 17, 2012

I'm work in a pediatric hospital in the medical/surgical arena. I've been a nurse for just over two years. I'll tell you, for me, it's a different kind of stress. Nursing school is stressful because you feel like you've always got someone on your back, watching you, critiquing you and you have all sorts of care plans and assignments due, tests, etc.

Nursing in real life, well that's extremely stressful, but in a different way. I still have deadlines to make, such as inservice training and qualifications, on top of my normal schedule. When decisions need to be made, it's all on my shoulders. If I make the wrong choice, or if I miss something critical, I could harm someone, lose my license, and all that I've worked hard for. I feel like I have a billion things to remember, and forgetting something may mean that I seriously alter someone's life. We have to chart EVERYTHING we do, and on time. There's so much computer and paper work. I also feel like I'm constantly learning something new. This is good and all, but it just reminds me of how much I don't know. I'd say the first 6-8mos of nursing was even more stressful because I felt like I didn't know ANYTHING about my specialty and I constantly felt lost and was looking things up. Learning to manage care is a lot of stress too, getting meds and procdures done on time, handling difficult or "chatty" patients that can suck up time, getting patients to and from procedures, etc. That takes time to develp the skill. It's still stressful two years later, but I feel like I've got a grip on it now, whereas there was a time when I wondered whether I could really ever make it as a nurse, it was so difficult. There's just a lot that nursing school doesn't teach you or prepare you for.

Nursing is a high-stress job. It's worth it if you love it. I truly believe nursing is a calling. I don't do it because it's easy. I don't do it to be rich. It's just who I am. It can be a lot of fun and very rewarding a lot of the time, even when it's stressful. :nurse:

NightNurse876 · Sep 17, 2012

MORE STRESSFUL!!! Nursing school did not prepare me for all the things I would face in the real world of nursing. I am not sure if I knew it was like this if I would have accepted a job an hour plus from my family. If you have a great support system then it helps. Having someone who is a nurse that is close to you helps...that means at least one person understands your problems. I worked Medsurg my first year in nursing....8 patients was the norm, 9 a good amount of the time, 10 once. Even remote telemetry patients with phone calls from the tele monitor tech about SVT, etc. (what to do! call the doc? give IVP meds that we arent supposed to give on MedSurg, but you can on tele?) I now work ICU, 2 patients, 3 once. Been here in critical care since October, productve in ICU since May. I run just as much as if I had 8 though....just rough sometimes but getting the bed experience for the same kind of slave labor...iho. But if you love it, go for it...

imjustme123 · Sep 17, 2012

It's hard to know what you love if you've never done it. That's why I think this forum is so invaluable and hearing from all of you is so invaluable.

OCNRN63, RN · Sep 17, 2012

Way more stressful. I remember years ago, one of our instructors said that after we'd graduated we would find ourselves yearning for our days as students. I thought she was nuts at the time ("At least we'll get paid for the stress!"), but I had no idea just how stressful it could be. She was right; I've had many days that I wished I could go back to the good old days.

821178 · Sep 17, 2012

Does working with others in the nursing(as in nursing)make your job easier.