Hi all! After 3 years of applying to nursing school and either not getting accepted or wait listed, I finally just got my acceptance letter!! I am so very excited, as this is all I want to do, but very nervous. Any tips and tricks for a new nursing student? What can I expect in clinicals, as they start the first semester? I start in September. Any advice would be much appreciated...thanks in advance! -very excited soon-to-be nursing student.

Yes. Recognize that nursing school is more than a full time job. You need 40 (at least) good hours each week for devotion just for study. So clear your life of clutter and anything else that can slow you down. Make sure your car is in good order, with enough tread on the tires to get you through. If you have kids, get day-care and your support system down to a smoothly operating machine. Have back-up plans for sick kids or sick sitters... someone you can turn to in a pinch. Get your flu shot. Stay healthy. I don't know where you are in your life's journey but please consider that the next two years may not the best time for a pregnancy and plan accordingly.

Nursing school is very doable. Thousands of people do it every year. But it isn't easy and the timing for clinicals can require a lot of flexibility.

Congratulations on your acceptance!

CONGRATULATIONS!!! and Welcome!!! To AN the Largest online nursing community!

Glad to have you aboard. You will find a wealth of information here....read the Terms of Service as they guide our community! We are here for homework help...and I stress help! Show us your work and we will show you the path to the finish line!

How excited you must be! My daughter also starts in the fall!

Welcome! Congratulations!

Clinicals are fun! For our first clinical we learned how to make beds, put patients on and off the bedpan, patient positioning, bedbaths, body mechanics, and patient assessment. So basically what nursing assistants do but with a little bit extra in the form of assessment. It was an introduction to the hospital for many and was our first experience with nurse logic (aka how to think like a nurse).

Some tips:

1) Make a good first impression. Some of my instructors were very relaxed, but some were very strict. I found that the students that ran afoul of the instructor on the first day usually had a rough time. So I erred on the side of caution until they told me I could relax. White shoes, no nail polish, on time and all paperwork needed for the day.

2) If you don't know something ask or better yet look it up. You are there to learn. All of the faculty went out of their way to help someone who showed a vested interest in learning and took it upon themselves to gain insight and understanding on their own. Bounce concepts off them, clarify your understanding. There are no stupid questions, only unasked ones.

3) Get a comfy pair of shoes. You will be on your feet a lot and doing a lot of walking, so don't skimp on the footwear. Doesn't mean you have to buy the most expensive pair of shoes out there, but find something you are comfortable with and will last you through school. (Personally I went with a pair of new balance, but there is an entire thread dedicated to footwear preferences so to each his/her own)

Best of luck and congratulations on your acceptance.

Take care of yourself- eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid sick people (outside of clinicals, of course) at all costs. Make sure you give yourself a break now and then too, even if it is just for a couple of hours on the weekend.

Thanks so much for the great advice and encouragement, it really is helpful. I already informed my job that I am cutting down to part time in September, as I know nursing school is challenging and is now my priority. So excited to become a member of the nursing family!