Need Advice!!!

RunBabyRN · Feb 4, 2014

Those kinds of grades may make it difficult to get into nursing school, just FYI. If you do pursue the rest of your prereqs, you need to gets As.

What kind of job do you have? Have you considered getting a CNA license and working as a CNA for awhile? It would be a good way to expose yourself to nursing more, and see if it's the right fit for you. Better to do it as a CNA than as an RN, ya know? It's still not a guarantee, but at least working in that environment will tell you a lot of what you need to know, as far as whether this is the right field for you or not.

Good luck!

RusticSandy · Feb 4, 2014

How many prereqs does your college have? We only had one year of a four year degree in prereqs (Even then, I think it was only four classes total). It IS hard because a lot of it is not something you can memorize. It is critical thinking and common sense. You have to be able to apply the things you know. Think of it this way - when I was in A&P, I wouldn't memorize every little detail about things. I would look at the big picture and understand how it worked. That way I was able to "figure out" the answers to the questions, rather than just spitting them out in blind memorization. My friend is a hardcore memorizer and she is struggling a little more with nursing because you have to be able to use good judgement and make decisions. It also is a lot of work. I am sure it depends on the school, but I know for my school we have med sheets due, tests every other week, sometimes with no breaks because of the different class schedules, papers due, homework due. I probably do 8 things once a week just to turn in for my Lab (one portion of my main nursing class). I still have things to do for lecture and clinical! I think my school likes busy work, and I lot of it that we have to turn in at the end of the semester, but they want us to do it now so we don't put it off. /sigh. It's definitely a lot of work. I do work and go to school, but it involves a lot of scheduling. I even schedule my homework: What day I am going to do a certain assignment on. It's sad because it's like I am finally relieved on Sunday to have everything done and then I turn around and do it all over again. There is a lot of studying, but if you study smart, it's really not that bad. It's all up to you - Is this what you want? Are you willing to put in the time and energy (there are a lot of both being invested!)? Are you getting Bs and Cs because you aren't working hard enough or because you are trying and can't? If you aren't working hard enough, well you'd better start because you can't slack off in nursing school. If you can't pass the prereqs with As even with studying, nursing may be too hard for you. I don't like to say that, but it is a hard field. I can't tell you how driven you are or what you can do. Only you can do that. Best wishes!

twss2323 · Feb 4, 2014

Nursing school takes a lot of energy and work. It's definitely not something you pursue while you're still trying to figure things out. I agree with PP, it might be a good idea to get your CNA so you're exposed to nursing somewhat before going through the rigors of nursing school just to learn it isn't for you. You could also volunteer at a local hospital to get a small taste of nursing. Definitely do some more research before settling on nursing if you aren't sure. Good luck!

elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P · Feb 4, 2014

some things you should know

nursing credits dont transfer as far as i know--but your pre reqs do. so if you change degrees, look at something that your prereqs coincide with so that youre not set back another 2 years. getting an associates degree in nursing is oddly enough, usually a 3 year task.

nursing school can be demanding for something, and mildly difficult for others. it all comes down to time management and how well you understand the content material. i see people that spend hours in the books and get nothing out of it, and some of us spend a minimal time studying and do just fine on the exams. some people are wizzes when it comes to lab and clinicals, others are all booksmarts and no practical sense. you wont really know where you fall until youre in, and we cant tell you that.

evaluate what it is about nursing that appeals to you. if its something you really wanna do then theres no reason not to pursue, or at least even try. but if you just want to see the medical side of things and are open to other outlets besides nursing, there are a number of resources you can inquire about at your college to get a feel for the medical field. there are ways to build up to it too, often people take a cna class, LPN, respiratory techs, and even do EMT and paramedic courses for experience and a little gold star on their applications to get a leg up on the competition

go with your gut and good luck