hi everyone..thanks for reading!! i am a 28 year old female living in california, but may move to new york in a couple years... due to circumstances i was unable to finish college.... i have been working..but my heart is just not into it... i have always wanted to be a nurse..but i felt either so unsure of myself when i was younger and now i finally feel ready to begin.
i want to take a 2 year course at a community college..i have some prerequisites done, but i have a couple more to go... what i reallllllllllllllllllly need to know is.... honestly..how hard is nursing school??? i was a very good student..but when it came to math...forgettaboutit lol i dont want that to hold me back..because i love all other subjects and personally dealing with many health issues..makes me passionate about healthcare.
but so i am prepared mentally.... how hard is nursing school? although i know anything is possible, would you advise working while in school??? and being i am more of a creative person vs mathematic....do you think i am in for an uphill battle..or is nursing more about the heart and passion than just numbers and formulas???
every time i think about truly being able to help others and be a nurse... i want to cry because i feel i have found my calling..but...perhaps because of some self esteem issues from the past..at times i feel....am i smart enough to do this???
soo now that i have rambled on..any thoughts about school and what to expect? thank you xo much xoxo jenn
I am working on my prerequisites now and I only need to take Intoductory Algebra. I am NOT good at math either (had cold sweats just thinking about this class). . . but it really isn't that bad. We started with a review and now we are being introduced to negatives. So far its okay. You can do it!!!! I'm worried about Anatomy and physiology. Do you know how that class is????
Good luck. Math is but a small part of the overall program. To me it was a tough program, but you can do it, especially if it's your hearts desire. Therein lies your motivation.
There are going to be many moments when your spirit is going to be tested, when you're going to be discourages, when you're going to be doubtful, when your self-esteem is going to take a beating. When those times arise, you come here and let us know. We understand, we'll help you through it.
thank you!!!! this board is awesome.... i think going into school KNOWING that there are going to be times you think you are either going to fail or become discouraged or scared...makes you look at the big picture and that its normal to feel these things!!! thanks again xo jenn
thank you..i know one prereq here is prealgebra...or algebra..and seriously..i am getting cold sweats just thinking about it!!! you know how people recommend doing prereqs first..well dont you have to do them first before they will even let you start the program?? i am a little confused? xox jenn
The school I went to didn't require all your pre-reqs to be done, but it was alot easier to get in if you did......Admission was based on a point system, you get ___ points for your GPA, and ___ points for the number of pre-reqs you've completed....The 25 people with the most points got in.......So, it was pretty rare to see somebody straight out of high school get in, although I do know of one gal that managed to do it, her senior of high school she also took some college courses......So, I think each school is different, check 'em all out and see what you find!
I am working on my prerequisites now and I only need to take Intoductory Algebra. I am NOT good at math either (had cold sweats just thinking about this class). . . but it really isn't that bad. We started with a review and now we are being introduced to negatives. So far its okay. You can do it!!!! I'm worried about Anatomy and physiology. Do you know how that class is????
A&P is alot of memorization, but its also VERY interesting, which makes it easier to digest...I really liked it.......And when you get further into your nursing classes, you get chances to actually apply what you've learned in A&P, it begins to make more sense when you really get to use it in clinicals, you have something to relate it to....does that make sense??:)
If you can afford it get a tutor for the math. In our local college they have set hours where you can get help in math from a math major. Perhaps your college offers something like this. Don't let the math stop you from becoming a nurse. You sound bright and I am positive you can do the math with maybe a little support.
Well, I'll tell you from my personal experience where there's a will there's a way. I went into nursing as a second career. I was very psyched for it, but also was really afraid of the tough courses (micro, A&P, statistics, etc.). But I was determined that this was where I needed to be in life and buckled down!
School becomes your life - many classes require several hours (at least) a week of studying. Chapters we were assigned could be in the hundreds of pages, that with projects, exams, labs, etc. it adds up to a lot! I am a perfectionist at heart so I drove myself crazy trying to get the highest grades, which is rediculous! At one point my hair started falling out everywhere !!! I am not posting to scare you, but to show you it can be done. I was never the math type, but I always kept a positive frame of mind (never thinking I can't do it, but asking "how can this be done?").
My advice to you is just do your best and don't ever be afraid to ask a teacher to clarify a point, or a question. Pick good lab partners! Speaking as a nerd I advise you to make friends with the nerds! If your friends are all studying it makes it much easier to work in groups!! One of my teachers told us that she would rather have a nursing student who tried her hardest but earned a "C" taking care of her rather than a nursing student who half-heartedly earned an "A" . I took several prereqs at a local community college and found the atmosphere excellent for learning. Smaller class sizes, the teachers know you by name, etc.
I think you will do very well, and wish you the best of luck!!!!:)
I totally understand how you feel about algebra. I was scared to death of math and to this day I hate it but I am good at drug calculations. I suggest you take only algebra for a semester, go to the math labs for help, really do nothing but math, and you will pass, it is very hard but it is possible especially if that is the only class you take that semester. Good luck to you.
As for wanting to help people -yes nurses can help people a little. However, be advised that most of your job will be paperwork. Most of the people actually helping the patients are the nurses aides. The nurses have to do constant paperwork or they get fired
While I understand that this is how some folks experience nursing (unfortunately), I would like to say that this has not been my personal experience. I love being a nurse & I love being an FNP. While I do spend a lot of time documenting, I also feel like I really have helped people & made a difference in their lives, and I have witnessed my colleagues doing the same for years. Paperwork can be burdensome; I am not disagreeing w/ that point. However, I don't feel like paperwork has destroyed my ability to help people, nor do I feel like it completely dictates the way that I practice nursing. Also, amount & type of paperwork varies from setting to setting, as do things like nurse/patient ratios, support staff, administrative support, etc. So I suggest seeking a workplace where you sense contented employees & high morale....you are more likely to be happy there yourself.
Regarding the math...I am no math whiz myself, yet I have made it through my BSN and FNP programs & have practiced emergency nursing safely for many years. It CAN be done!! Try not to create barriers in your mind that aren't actually there in reality. I think a tutor is a great idea- there are also easy-to-follow 'math-for-dummies' type review books & computer programs out there- find something that appeals to you & use it. You CAN do it.
I worked all the way through my BSN & FNP programs- sometimes full-time, sometimes part-time, always in the medical field in some capacity. Was it hard & stressful? You bet it was. But for me, the work experience was as essential as the $$. I really learned how to integrate what we were doing in the classroom by being out there hands-on w/ patients. That approach may not work for everyone, but I wouldn't have wanted to do it any other way, personally. Besides, lots of people HAVE to work through school for financial reasons. If you are in that position, I would suggest getting a nursing assistant/ med tech type of job to make it relevant as well as a way to earn $$. You'd be surprised how much you'll learn that way.
Thanks Big Babs regarding info about A&P. Hopefully, I'll be able to take first semester in summer and second in fall. Then I'm on to Nursing school. This is all new to me! I am so excited being I have found my calling. I know it will be hard (especially with 3 small kids) but this is something my heart is in!!
I think in whatever course or profession, difficulties/hardships are possibilities....
and they're beyond our control. But having the likeness and interests would really be factors in dealing with it....academically, educationally, and professionally. So if you really have that concern in health care, just go for it! And be one of the millions who really care for the needy. Mathematics per se should not be a hindrance, because in nursing, mathematics is not that really difficult. Though we are really dealing with NUMBERS.
I hate math, cannot add 2 and 2 and get 4 on a consistent basis, but I managed. Most schools have what I call "stupid" math, which is the basics of pre algebra all over, sometimes two steps down. I took both of the pre algebras before I went to regular algebra. It CAN be done. I don't remember one iota of it now, but I did pass it!!!!
One of my teachers told us that she would rather have a nursing student who tried her hardest but earned a "C" taking care of her rather than a nursing student who half-heartedly earned an "A" . I took several prereqs at a local community college and found the atmosphere excellent for learning. Smaller class sizes, the teachers know you by name, etc. 
which is the basics of pre algebra all over, sometimes two steps down. I took both of the pre algebras before I went to regular algebra. It CAN be done. I don't remember one iota of it now, but I did pass it!!!!
momof38160
52 Posts
I am working on my prerequisites now and I only need to take Intoductory Algebra. I am NOT good at math either (had cold sweats just thinking about this class). . . but it really isn't that bad. We started with a review and now we are being introduced to negatives. So far its okay. You can do it!!!! I'm worried about Anatomy and physiology. Do you know how that class is????