Is it really that bad?

Everline · Mar 29, 2014

Yes it is really that bad...sometimes. For me, nursing school has been filled with high and low points and a lot in between. There haven't been a lot of low points, but when they come, they are very, very low. Going through that right now and feel like throwing in the towel on a daily basis. I haven't cried yet but I'm the type who doesn't cry until the nightmare is over.

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · Mar 29, 2014

Yes it is really that bad...sometimes. For me, nursing school has been filled with high and low points and a lot in between. There haven't been a lot of low points, but when they come, they are very, very low. Going through that right now and feel like throwing in the towel on a daily basis. I haven't cried yet but I'm the type who doesn't cry until the nightmare is over.

Me too! I've yet to cry over nursing school. And I agree, it can be that bad...... I don't know too many other educational programs that fail you with a 79, give you one chance to miss a clinical or lecture before you get "remediation" or kicked out, and cram what should take five years to learn into a 2 year program.

MedicalPartisan · Mar 29, 2014

Please don't think I'm trying to discredit the work you must put in, by any means. But I guess because I haven't started I just don't 'get it'. I know the grade requirements are more strict but... I don't know. I guess I'll have to wait and see. :\

missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN · Mar 29, 2014

No one really "gets it" until they are actively working through a semester. Please update this thread once you are in the program, and let us know how you feel then.

RunBabyRN · Mar 29, 2014

Nursing school is unlike any other program (maybe dental hygiene or something like that can relate). People who are used to getting As in everything start getting Bs and Cs because the grading rubrics are harder. It's more time-consuming than any other school experience I've had, and that includes some pretty heavy semesters. I have had a couple of crying fits and outbursts at my husband's expense (followed by profuse apologies and making it up to him!). It's extremely stressful. I don't get to see my son a lot, I never see my friends, my fitness has gone WAY downhill... That said, I'm about to graduate, and it was all worth it. I love nursing, and I can't wait to get out there on the workforce.

saseipler528 · Mar 29, 2014

Nursing school is a beast all of its own. Before I started nursing school, I laughed when people said "kiss your life goodbye" and "it's the hardest few years of your life". And NOW I totally get it. I graduate in May (so I'm at the end of the tunnel)... but it has seriously been two years of roller coaster of some of the most extreme highs and lows. With that being said, I've only cried twice. The life of B's and C's as a previous 4.0 student was absolutely a hard pill to swallow... initially. But now I look at like this: I may not be getting the A's that I got in my pre-reqs, but I am walking out of each and every class knowing that I have given it my best effort and that I have a true understanding for the content. I'd rather KNOW what's going on and have the ability to think it through critically and apply it... that just be book smart and pull the A with very little understanding as to how it relates to 'real world'. It's time consuming and stressful... and although nursing school is hard, it has been the best experience of my life. I've made friends that are totally indispensable. And I've really embraced the experience(even with a young child at home). It really is what you make of it.

:) Get involved... and don't be afraid to reach out for help when you start feeling overwhelmed.

MountainBikeChick · Mar 29, 2014

I'm at the end of the first semester, so I definitely don't have a lot of experience to speak from, but it hasn't been as hard as I expected it to be. The second semester of my program is considered the hardest, though, so I know it's going to get harder! I'm definitely busy with schoolwork but I still manage to work out, cook 99% of my meals, do stuff with my husband and our dog, work part time (and many weeks full time), and read books for leisure! Most of the people in my program have never had jobs, don't pay for school, have meal plans etc so I think the nursing program is a lot harder for them because they aren't used to 'working'. A lot of them complain that they have to wake up before noon for classes! I'm not looking down on them, but most just don't have any real life experience so everything is new and difficult. So really, I think it just depends on the person with how hard it is.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Mar 30, 2014

I'm also about to graduate this May and I absolutely agree: Nursing School can be that bad at times. The grading is tougher than you're used to. You have to consistently get decent grades just to pass the course. The testing is very, very different than you've ever done before and that makes it even harder. When they say that "A" students become "B" students, they're speaking the truth because it happens very frequently. The "B" students often barely skate by... And the "C" students, well... they never got in and if they did, they normally don't last past the first semester.

Time management can be your bane or your best friend. Getting quality sleep can be a challenge at times.

For all those "downs" that can be had in Nursing School, and as hard as it has been, there's no way I would trade that experience for anything! I just hope to eventually be working with people I went to school with.

priorities2 · Mar 30, 2014

I go to a really good BSN program and I'm a junior. I have time to work 7 hours a week, have fun with friends, and still get straight A's in school. I study/do homework on average 15 hours a week, attend the majority of my lectures, and go to clinicals. The only time I ever cried was the first time I saw a patient in a very bad condition and one other time after dealing with a difficult instructor one-on-one. Those were just two isolated incidents though in my whole nursing school career. It's hard work just like any other science-intensive college track, but people who don't do well in nursing school or say it takes hours upon hours of grueling labor to keep up are probably not that intelligent. I hate to be so judgmental, but I got a 29 on my ACT without studying. I would say that's pretty average for my program, but for other programs it could be quite high. The majority of nurses are still associates-prepared. I think how "bad" nursing school is just depends a lot on who you are and what type of program you're in.

Jenngirl34RN · Mar 30, 2014

It can be really intense. There is so much you have to learn a very little amount of time and you have to adjust your learning to be able to answer the style of questions asked, which is different from those in most classes. I have not found it to be quite as all consuming as some people say...I have a husband and kids and make sure to spend as much time with them as I did before. I have had to cut back on some social things though. Just keep ahead of your work, study hard, and set your priorities from the start and you should be fine.

msygrnbw · Mar 30, 2014

I won't lie, I cried a number of times before clinical. Now that I have graduated and am precepting (which you think would be MORE stressful) I have found that it was a lack of structure that stressed me out during clinicals. One or two patients and no real direction from an instructor can leave you feeling like you don't have a strong base. Now that my preceptor is there for me to ask questions, but trusts my judgment, helps me think through choices, and lets me prioritize and talks through it with me I feel better. Once you are out of school it is less someone 'watching over your shoulder' and more 'someone trying to help you apply your knowledge and succeed' in my opinion.