Just how difficult is nursing school?

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Hi all! :)

I am applying to the nursing program for Jan. FSCJ 2012. I was just curious as to just how difficult the nursing program normally is. I'm not scared of the time I would have to put in because I have three children (7, 4, and 2...I'm used to studying with screaming, bickering, and chaos surrounding me...lol), work full time, and recently finished Microbiology and Chemistry with "A's" (I basically don't have a social life and that's fine with me because I have goals I'm working on). I work full time at home as a medical transcriptionist and would drastically reduce my hours if accepted in a program...basically, school would replace my full-time work and I would just work when I can.

I guess difficulty is subjective from person to person...but would love to hear from you gals/guys on what you find most difficult about the program. There was a time (before children) when I was taking 5 classes at one time, working two jobs...graduated with a general AA degree and GPA 3.98. Could it be more difficult/time consuming than that? or would it be comparable to that type of schedule? Look forward to hearing your stories and what type of situation you all are in. Thank you!

Well, I don't have three kids. I have two. But, they are 14 months apart and my oldest is 26 months, so I can relate! I just started my 3rd semester of nursing school (OB/PEDS, Med-Surg II) and I will give you as much insight as I can. Like another poster mentioned, nursing school is all about time management. The material is NOT hard. That being said, the amount of material you are expected to know and understand is overwhelming. A few tips: if you are shaky on your anatomy AND physiology, review it NOW! I underlined physiology because this is of the utmost importance. Sure, anyone can memorize landmarks and regurgitate them on a diagram and fill in the blanks. It is the process of each system and its function that is essential to understanding and building on your fundamentals of nursing. Everything affects everything.

It's very hard to have to leave my kids. I feel guilty a lot of the time, but honestly, after the first couple of weeks of nursing school, you'll want them to be with a babysitter or playing with other kids. I am far too exhausted to entertain them when I get home, and I end up feeling more guilty. This will benefit them in the long run and I'd rather do it now and get it over with. There is NO right time to go through nursing school. You just have to bite the bullet and push forward. I can't study until my kids go to sleep, so I average about 3 hours of sleep a night and at LEAST one night I week I don't sleep at all (the night before clinical). Sure, I've been exhausted to the point where I can't get up on time and my kids wanna throw a fit in the mornings and I walk into class 3 minutes late and catch a lot of hell from my instructors. But I don't make excuses. I say, "I'll do better. I'm sorry." It's difficult, but to me it's one of those situations where you don't think about how hard it is at the moment, then when you're finished and you look back on it all you're like "How in the WORLD did I survive that?!" You are a lot stronger than you've ever imagined yourself to be if you really want something! Best advice I have ever heard is to take it one day at a time.

Well, I have to hit the books again. Hope I gave you some insight on nursing school (from my perspective at least). GOOD LUCK!

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Another medical transcriptionist here! :yeah:

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm still doing pre-reqs but worry constantly that I won't be able to handle the stress of nursing school after reading some posts around here. It was nice to read the responses on this thread.

Best of luck to you!

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It's HARD work!!!!! Good luck to you. Time management is the key.

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Specializes in Psych, LTC/SNF, Rehab, Corrections.

It's not difficult...at all. But, the level of work involved can be overwhelming. Do NOT underestimate and slack off. I had to cut back on my hours b/c I couldn't study properly.

If you have children? You can do it. Dont' let that stop you. We have moms and dads in our class working FT jobs. Sheer willpower...keeps them going.

ANYWAY - to give you a little perspective:

EVERY WEEK:

- There's a 4-5 chapter lecture exam

- A lab skills check-off

- 2 lab quizzes every other day and pop lecture quizzes...whenever the mood takes them.

EVERY WEEK:

- We must read 4-10 chapters for lab.

- We must read anywhere from 2-11 chapters in the ATI book for lecture (small chapters, though)...I'm still a little behind). When we have clinicals, the # to be read is about 2 per week. Pops back up when we don't.

- We study 4-5 chapters (5 avg) for our lecture exam.

- We have homework. It's basically about 4 or 5 pages (front-back) of worksheets over the chapters we're being tested over. Due on exam day. Wouldn't be so bad, but, the questions are somewhat...'complex'. You have to really engage yourself in your reading to get the correct answer. Good thing? You'll have read that chapter 'letter to letter' by the time that you complete it.

We also have to complete two 60 question ATI practice assessments (until we rec'v passable grades...preferably 100's). We'll take the ATI proctor exam at the end of this semester - and that's, like, 20-30% of our final grade.

Yet, another opportunity to weed us out...

My school wants to ensure that their NCLEX passrate stays above 90%. *laugh*

I don't mind the ATI, though. It helps.

This is my 2nd semester. I've been told that we will read way more next semester. Slowly, but, surely...they're taking the training wheels off.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Honestly? I don't think it's nearly as challenging as most of my other classes. Anatomy, Chemistry, Pathophysiology were all incredibly challenging to me. Finding time for open lab, studying, class, my two kids, and my husband was not easy. But it was ENJOYABLE, because I felt as though I were being challenged academically. The coursework that has been laid out for me this semester has me worried because it is so UNchallenging. I'm finding myself frustrated that I'm spending time away from my children for coursework that doesn't challenge me intellectually.

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Specializes in OR.

Great information!!! Thanks ladies and gents :) I'm kind of doing what I did when I was pregnant with my first child...read as many horror stories as possible to desensitize myself so that when the day arrived I wasn't as freaked out by it all. :) I'm hoping this strategy works for nursing school too. haha. However, I must say, reading some of the things I have read about school on these threads has put me in a bit of a tizzy...nursing school seems pretty scary! :)

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Specializes in OR.
Another medical transcriptionist here! :yeah:

Thanks for starting this thread. I'm still doing pre-reqs but worry constantly that I won't be able to handle the stress of nursing school after reading some posts around here. It was nice to read the responses on this thread.

Best of luck to you!

Oh how fun!! A fellow medical transcriptionist :) Well, hello there! What area do you specialize in? I started with ER (history and physicals), postoperative notes, clinic notes, physical therapy, etc...but for the past 7 years I have specialized in radiology. I transcribe CTs, MRIs, Ultrasounds, cardiac scores, x-rays, CTAs and MRAs, etc...everything from spines to aneurysms to OB. It's been fun, but after 7 years of transcribing, I want to get in the trenches, ya know? I don't know how much it will help me in nursing school (probably not too much).

I know when I hear Kager's fat pad it's to do with the ankle or Hoffa's fat pad has to do with the knee...syringohydromyelia has to do with spine, etc, but that's about the extent of my training. Give me a word/landmark/condition and I can tell you a general body area...so, probably won't be too beneficial to me (hopefully a tiny bit). I hear/type anterior, posterior, lateral, medial, anteroposterior (yes that is a word...lol), distal, dorsal, etc all day long...but honestly, I probably wouldn't be able to point out the correct anatomical location on a diagram of the body (how sad is that). I have Stedman's dictionaries out the wazoo and yet I'm pretty sure this whole nursing school experience will knock me off my rocker :) Good luck to you too!

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Nursing school is crazy at times but you need to prioritize. I'm in my 3rd clinical semester part time program (8 semesters) and I have 4 children : 13,8,6,5. I have a loving husband that pushes me every day to get through school. You need to have a strong support system and truly want to be a nurse. I love it but it is hard! You can do anything you put your mind to. I tell myself that everyday. I do feel guilty sometimes spending so much time studying and going to school, especially when my kids tell me everyday "why do u have to go again" :-(. I know soon I'll be done and can secure a better future for my children. You can do it!

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

This thread is refreshing to read. I've read many over the past few years and most had more horror stories than constructive feedback. I also have three kids, returned to pre-reqs when they were 1,3 and 5, and when I finish my ADN in May, they'll be 4, 7 and 9. I work full time, and have throughout school, and I'm a B student. I don't study every day. I haven't completely lost touch with my family, I sometimes take a few days off from studying completely when I feel I've missed out for a while. I'm fortunate that I seem to retain information reasonably easily, and I also have no drive to be an A student anymore. So I'm not incredibly stressed about the whole thing, because it really does just take some time management and determination. You'll hear people say "I don't know how you're doing it?!" and my answer is usually "There's no other choice, so I do." I think that attitude in school is huge! The ones that want to play the miserable life game, and try to prove daily how their life is so much more difficult than everyone else's, yes, they're miserable and say it's hard. Is there a lot of material? Sure. Could you easily get behind and get swamped? Yes. Just do your best. And then someday, it will be over.

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Nursing school is hard. Period. It's all about time management like others have mentioned. And it's also a different way of thinking. It's critical thinking always, all the time. There is rarely any black and white. Most people have to develop their critical thinking skills and it's hard, doable, but hard. You'll be fine I'm sure. :)

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It's critical thinking always, all the time. There is rarely any black and white.

So true!

I entered a LVN program almost immediately after high school. It was difficult to adjust to the idea that a test can have more than one right answer.

And that there is only one answer you will get credit for.

But that depends on who you ask and what textbook you use.

And that you can be proven dead wrong by the time you practice as a nurse.

:lol2:

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