Just got into nursing school.. advice on how to mentally prepare?

Published

Hello all, after 2 hard years of taking and retaking the pre-requisites from nursing (as my second degree), I finally have been accepted to an ADN program- HOORAY! I'm more than excited, but equal parts scared and nervous. I begin in January of 2012 and I just wanted to get some advice on how to mentally prepare for the program. Thanks in advance! -L

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency; med-surg; mat-child.

Read for pleasure now.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Operating Room.

Relax and do things you enjoy because you may not (probably will not) have time for it during NS. Review A&P, especially cardiac and renal. Get an NCLEX book and familiarize yourself with NCLEX-style questions and techniques. Congrats to getting in!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Congrats! I just started nursing school in August. I am also getting my 2nd degree and I feel like it's taken forever to finish those extra prereqs and actually start nursing school...it feels great! You will get very busy with school very quickly, so try to be as organized as possible before school starts! Organize your life, get all the extra stuff done that you've been meaning to do lately. And jump right in before class even starts! My class was assigned reading to start weeks before the first day of school, so I had already read about everything that was taught in the first few weeks. The basic stuff in the first few weeks is pretty easy, but all of the sudden the pace picks up so quickly...I have already gotten almost 2 weeks behind and we are only 6 weeks in! There is sooo much information to learn in such a little amount of time, so the best advice I can offer is to KEEP UP WITH IT! Good luck!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Department.

Mentally prepare by doing everything you won't have time to do once you start :) Like have fun. Go to movies. Go out to dinner. Sleep.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Congrats! I'm in the same boat as you, I'll be starting an ABSN program in January! I'm planning a lot of fun stuff to do in the meantime, some relaxing, some sleeping in, and definitely some review of A&P and dimensional analysis.

Do you have a significant other or live with family? My husband and I have been having regular conversations about how life will change once school begins. I think it's important that we prepare ourselves now so that we're not caught off-guard. We've talked about division of chores, limited time together, dealing with one another after stressful days, pretty much everything we can think of that might become an issue. If you live with a partner, friend or friends, or family, maybe have similar discussions with them so that they're aware that you're about to start a very busy and taxing, albeit wonderful, time of your life.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Student.

You hear the phrase " You'll have no more life" - well it's really close to

the life you knew is OVER. You will have a life, only it will consist of massive amounts of very foreign material, presented in a seemeingly foreign language,

which you will be expected to show your knowledge of within a week.

You will have to learn to learn differently - the material is presented to Nursing Students differently from "regular" calsses, my guess is to, once again, to teach us to think like nurses. (liken it to the instructor tossing all the pieces of a puzzle up in the air, you are expected to catch, understand, and apply before it gets past you.)

The old adage "see one, do one, teach one" is the speed of which the material is presented.

Then there are the "rules" while each school is different, there will always be plenty of them. Soon you will be happy with arriving at clinical on time, little or little makeup, as long as your hair is in the prescribed syle, and you are ready to learn at that ungoldy hour.

Your instructors may or may not do the Good cop, Bad cop thing, one seeming soft and one tough and strict, but make no mistake, they are hear to teach you,

get you ready to interact with patients. They are required to cover the prescribed material in the alotted time frame. it's a tight schedule, and at least at my school, well adhered to. Your personal life, probelms....... need to be put aside each day while you are at school so you can get everything, As should any drama, you simply don't have the time of enegry for it.

The biggest piece of advice is to choose you study partners wisely- be friendly with everyone, and observe - they can help you to"get it", be your cheerleaders, boost you up (and you the same for them) OR they can drag you down, confuse you, and make things harder. They can point out the weak spots, and pat you on the back for all of the little victories that come along.

My class is on week 6 of 16, have bonded well, are laughing together, helping each other, sharing resources, and cheereing for each others successes. There is always going to be the "suck up" who wants to get ahead by being teacher pet, the class clown, etc - but the bottom line is you get out of it what you put into it, work hard, study hard, you'll be Ok -

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I wish someone had given me the same advise im about to give to you:

1. get a book on how to take the nclex test because the tests they give you will be in that form.

2. Learn the steps of the nursing process by heart

3. Learn Maslow's law to determine which needs for the patient should be addressed first.

You can thank me later when you are in your 4th week of school =0)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

jboogie617, I'm just going to go ahead and thank you now:) I'm on day 4 and I can already see the value of your advice!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Flight.

#1. congrats

#2. Sleep like you have never slept before...sleep will only be a fond memory after you start.

3. Eat delicious foods that are healthy, and balanced, work out as much as you can now... junkfood and sitting in front of a computer doing care plans & paperwork & studying will now consume your time.

above all remember to breathe..;you can do it and it isnt going to last forever! LOL

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion