Nursing school friends = regular friends?

clee1 · Sep 9, 2007

I am sad to say.... no.

How many of your Highschool or college friends do you still see?

People come in and out of your life; throughout it. It is the nature of things. You meet people and become friends, but sooner or later, "life" itself intrudes. Time pressures and physical distances take their toll, and before you know it, you haven't seen your "friends" in a year or more.

Don't despair! You will always have the memories of your friendship: and each person you befriend will be a part of you forever.

TexasPediRN · Sep 9, 2007

I may not be the best person to respond to this but...

I had 4 best friends in nursing school. So, with me, we had a clique of the 5 of us, and we went to nursing school together for 4 years (BSN), and were all best friends for the last 2 years when we actually started nursing courses and had classes and clinical together. We hung out together, studied together, carpooled, etc.

After graduation, I think we were still close, but everyone moved their seperate ways. One girl moved 1/5 hours away for a new job, another 1hr away, one was from jersey and moved back home, and I stayed closeby for 3 months, before hubbys job transferred us to Texas.

I got married a year later and everyone came to the wedding, and it was like nothing changed. However, I barely talked to them after graduation d/t the changes in life, as well as trying to persue and learn so much with my nursing career. Same thing with another wedding that same year.

Now, I think we all just grew apart. I guess its b/c some of us are in PA, NJ, and me in TX. Everyone works at different places, and has made some new friends. I wish I still hung out with everyone, but thats obviously not feasible. There is the occasional email, but its slowed down lately. (no blame to anyone).

I have a new best friend here, and we hang out constantly as well as work together, and I love it :) I think I've grown up too - I was never a 'get drunk party til MN girl', while many of the girls I was friends with were.

Well, thats my 2 cents. Longer then I thought it was going to be, but I wanted to be honest.

I really do hope you stay friends, and I think that if you can stay in contact with her you should be fine.

Best of luck with the remainder of nursing school!!

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 9, 2007

I graduated from a BSN program 30 years ago. A group (8) of us have remained friends for all these years even though we had grown up in different states and moved to different sections of the country after graduation. Just a couple of months ago, my old roommate and her husband and grown daughter stopped in and spent the night at my house while passing through town on their summer vacation.

The key to maintaining any long term relationship is to make a committment and to work at it. We have made an effort to see each other every 2 or 3 years and call on the phone (now e-mail) for major events, birthdays, etc. We've made time for each other and invested in making new memories so that we have more to talk about than just "reliving old college days" together.

Over the many years, there have been times when I have gone to a nursing conference located near one of the group and we make an effort to get together. I went to grad school near where 2 of them lived and saw them then. We've held a few "mini-reunions" for any of the group who could make the trip to join us. Some of us even took a cruise together about 8 years after we graduated.

Friendships are what you make of them.

Good luck.

numalenurse · Sep 9, 2007

Out of our LVN class of 56, I'm keep in touch with only students. One: we've called each other approx once a week to study, ask NCLEX questions, encourage each other concerning NCLEX (who passed, who failed etc) licensing issues, employment etc. She lives in a country town up in the mountains with her family. I'm generally more open with her about personal issues than she is with me, as she almost never talks about her family/problems unless it's school/job related. Another: choose to continue studying prereqs for an RN program, but once promised to attend church with me and many weeks later after his finals, called me up to go to church with me. He's gone several times since, but has since met a 'non-churched' girl and doesn't go much anymore. We did keep in touch via email, but he waited until summer to take his NCLEX and I haven't heard from him since, so I don't know if he passed or not. One friend is a CPR instructor, so I spent a day with her at her house at a CPR renewal class out in the 'burbs and she was even nice enough to give me a ride home in the city (My trannie burnt up after graduation and I'm waiting to buy NEW car with the $$$ from my new job :-)

The are two other friends that I've been playing phone tag with trying to hook them up with employment at the hospital I work at. One interesting note: At least four LVN's on my new job are fairly recent alumni students from my nursing school, so there's a definate connection at work especially concerning learned nursing techniques, teachers etc. Just my two cents

incublissRN, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2007

I am lucky, most of my nursing school friends work in the the same city as me. We don't see each other a lot because of our crazy schedules but we do keep in touch by phone or email. I agree with llg, friendships are what you make of them. It takes some effort to keep in touch but it's definately worth it to me.

sharona97, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2007

Some of my best friends are the ones I met in nursing school. 2 have died already. So Sad, one choked on a chicken bone right out of school, the other a HHN for HIV/AIDS patients was stuck by a contaminatd needle that had punctured the red flimsy platic boxes back then. Her case took presidence in the State of Texas to mfg a better,durable sharps container.

There are 3 left that we stay in touch, send Christmas cards and I visit these 3 as much as possible and still we crack each other up. Ya gonna wanna, ya know?

Good Luck!

Bopeepinwv · Sep 9, 2007

I met both of my best friends in nursing school. One from when I went to LPN school and the other from RN school. I still talk to them both at least twice a week and see them whenever I can. We talk less now that we are all working, it does take some effort on everyones part. If you want to remain friends with this girl, just make an effort to keep in touch!!

tinderbox · Sep 9, 2007

Are any of you still friends with your nursing school friends? I am going to dinner tonight with my friend who is in nursing school with me. We started carpooling in the middle of the first semester (now in our third) and even took a summer class together. I hope to think we will stay friends even if we do not work together. Are any of you still long time friends with your "nursing school friends"?

Yes, I am good friends with two of them and still get together with a third one every once in while, as well.

RNperdiem, RN · Sep 9, 2007

No, I am not in touch with my nursing school classmates. Most of them were friendly aquaintances rather than true friends.

Sadly, lifelong friendships like my parents knew are becoming rare.

My father in law recently went to his 50th high school reunion. After 50 years, these small town people were still in touch with each other.

angel_prias · Sep 9, 2007

I just wanna share this nice quote I got from a friend.

"People come in your life for a reason. It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty; to provide you with guidance and support; to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem God-send and they are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die, sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent has been answered and now it is time to move on..."

Makes sense, doesn't it?

allevi · Sep 9, 2007

I am still good friends with one of my nursing class members. She now lives in another state, but so far am maintaining the friendship.