Nursing school does get harder, right?

smk1, LPN · Dec 26, 2006

My nursing fundamentals class wasn't really a cake class or anything, but for the most part it was pretty easy. Aside from the first theory test I didn't really study that much for class. The lab part of class was stressful at times because we were learning skills all the time, but I think a lot of the stress came from the unknown rather than what was really going on.
I know that's a vauge paragraph but does that look familiar to anyone? Please tell me that this gets tougher because I really want it to. The tougher it is the more I learn and the better I do so I can't stand these easier classes. I know it has to get tougher but when? Next semester I take OB and Peds, plus a non-nursing microbiology class. I know I'll be putting way more time into nursing, but I'm not afraid of that, I just want it to be more involving. There's too many of my classmates thinking we've already done so much "nursing" stuff but I know we've barely scratched the surface (some fundamental skills, the nursing process, the other crap in theory that you'll never use again).
Oh, and I'm in an ADN program and I have three semesters left: OB/Peds, Med-Surg I, Med-Surg II (general class names but we'll study different areas within each "Med-Surg" class). Then after this I plan to get my BSN at another school. Can anyone help me out on figuring out what I should expect from here on out? Becuase I seriously expect it to be more challenging but my fundamentals class didn't really offer it. It does get tougher from here on out though, right? What can I expect based on your all's experiences?

I found fundamentals busy, but not academically "hard". Medsurg I/perioperative intro was far more difficult, but still doable. I'm heading to OB/Peds next!

Jelli_Belli · Dec 26, 2006

I can totally relate to what you said about fundamentals being easy. I work full-time nights (3 12's) and all the folks in my class are so amazed that I can work and make all A's. But I didn't study much at all! I would fill out the study guide a few days before the test at work and I would read through it a couple of times the day of the test. That's it. I never read a single chapter in the book. In fact, I only think I used the text once and that was just to double check the flow of blood through the heart (and I could have looked that up on the internet, I'm kinda pissed I bought the $200 piece of crap:uhoh3: ).

Other people in my class talk about spending 6-7 hours the day before the test reading and re-reading the text and all the notes and they still only came out of the class with C's. I think that was their main problem. I say just study what you know is essential. The rest was mostly Anatomy review and common sense.

I imagine things will get a little harder down the road, but I'm not worried about having to quit work like I was when this semester started. Even if I triple my study time I'll still have plenty of time to work.

Maverick80 · Dec 26, 2006

So far my hardest classes have been Interventions and Adults in Acute settings, aka medsurg and advanced med-surg. I have also taken assessment which is like fundamentals and Gero. Assessment was hard because it was the first nursing class and it was difficult learning good test taking skills and Gero was a joke, really didn't learn much. But Adults is known to get a lot of people, it's way passable but you really have to learn good study skills to do it, in no way can i say it was easy, i think most of my class was suicidal before the final!!!!

My problem wasn't passing like a lot of peoples it was keeping a B. Which i did. Good luck!!

now i'm off to OB and then peeds. I can't wait unitl may of 2008!!!

Scrubz · Dec 26, 2006

It's just that our dean kept telling us that we'd have to "eat, drink, and live" nursing for the next two years, and honestly, the first semester was almost a joke to what she said. Sure it was a little difficult from time to time, but nothing like I expected. Of course I'm not speaking for everyone on this, but for me it wasn't hard at all, rather time consuming. Some parts were fun, but a lot of it was just boring. :uhoh3:

The main reason I hope it to be harder is so it become more stimulating for me. If I get bored then I don't want to try as hard and I usually do enough to get a B or something. That's why the harder something is the more I study and the better I do. I've already told myself I'm getting A's regardless of what classes are like this next semester, I just hope it's tougher.

Another reason I hope it's harder (this might seem mean) is because some of the students in my class don't really need to be in nursing school (in my opinion). Such as, when asked why they want to be nurses they really don't give a concrete answer and it borders a "I just decided right before school started" kind of thing. I want it to be harder for them to make them make a decision if it's really what they want to do or not. Because most of them don't work in hospitals, or any healthcare setting for that matter, so all they know to this point is what they've learned in fundamentals. And so far what we've learned in fundamentals doesn't come close to touching what's out there. And I work at a hopsital as a CNA and I've gotten to witness some of the real world situations and all I can say right now is most of them are going to be in for a rude suprise. Because from what I can tell and from what I've heard from other RNs, the real world is way different than what you learn in school. I just thought I'd throw this rant in there .

... If anyone feels the same way about their class please share..

Sheri257 · Dec 26, 2006

Fundamentals in first semester was relatively easy (although from what I've heard from the students that followed us it isn't so easy anymore ... )

But ... we really got slammed with Med Surg, OB and Peds in 2nd. So yes ... if you want it to get harder, it probably will.

:typing

Clarise · Dec 26, 2006

My nursing fundamentals class wasn't really a cake class or anything, but for the most part it was pretty easy. Aside from the first theory test I didn't really study that much for class. The lab part of class was stressful at times because we were learning skills all the time, but I think a lot of the stress came from the unknown rather than what was really going on.
I know that's a vauge paragraph but does that look familiar to anyone? Please tell me that this gets tougher because I really want it to. The tougher it is the more I learn and the better I do so I can't stand these easier classes. I know it has to get tougher but when? Next semester I take OB and Peds, plus a non-nursing microbiology class. I know I'll be putting way more time into nursing, but I'm not afraid of that, I just want it to be more involving. There's too many of my classmates thinking we've already done so much "nursing" stuff but I know we've barely scratched the surface (some fundamental skills, the nursing process, the other crap in theory that you'll never use again).
Oh, and I'm in an ADN program and I have three semesters left: OB/Peds, Med-Surg I, Med-Surg II (general class names but we'll study different areas within each "Med-Surg" class). Then after this I plan to get my BSN at another school. Can anyone help me out on figuring out what I should expect from here on out? Becuase I seriously expect it to be more challenging but my fundamentals class didn't really offer it. It does get tougher from here on out though, right? What can I expect based on your all's experiences?

I am also in an ASN program and will be graduating in May of 2007 - 6 months! :) Anyway, I felt the same way as you. Fundamentals was easy, I think the most difficult part was trying to learn how to take a nursing exam and getting used to the nursing school questions. After that, no big deal. Med-surge I wasn't too bad, mostly the disease process but the test questions were more straight forward - usually there is only one right answer in med-surge. OB/Peds was easy for me, as I have a lot of children and love OB. But most of my fellow students found it difficult, especially if they haven't had children or if they were male. I am heading into Med-surge II in January and will hopefully find it much like Med-surge I. I have all the basics down, cardiac, fluid and electrolytes - so hopefully I can apply the basics to more difficult questions/diagnoses and still get the correct answer.

I don't live and breathe nursing school. A few hours a week and I have been successful. I definitely don't spend more than 5-10 hours per week studying/preparing.

Good luck!

WickedRedRN, BSN, RN · Dec 26, 2006

I second what everyone has said. Fundamentals was easy for me, along with Pharm. In med-surg I started to have to really work at things, and OB/Peds I thought would be the death of me! I busted butt and walked out with an A, but it was a LOT of hard work to do that.

mysterious_one, ASN, RN · Dec 26, 2006

I agree that Fundamentals is not hard material, what makes it hard, is when you go to class and feel like it was a waste of time. Then you have to go home and basically teach or read everything for yourself (our teachers do not cover half what is on the tests) to make sure that you have everything covered for the upcoming tests. For one of our tests we had at one time 28 chapters, unreal, and it is just so time consuming. This and the endless care plans, clinicals and lab practices, is what makes it hard, to me.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 26, 2006

I find it really interesting that you would say something like "the other crap in theory that you'll never use again". How would you, as a greenhorn with no RN experience, possibly know that?

Maybe your instructors have just been nice and gone easier on tests in order to develop everyone's self-esteem and keep everyone moving along together. Some teachers' feel that getting an understanding of the material is more important than worrying about the grade you make.

NaomieRN · Dec 26, 2006

I would not say fundamentals nursing was easy eventhough I make an A-. I work my butt off for that grade. I did read every chapter too. I talked to a few seniors and I was told, fundamentals was the toughest for them, because they got hit from different directions. They also said med surg was more focus on the phathophysiology aspects. I do not know what school you guys are going, but fundamental nursing at my school is no joke. That is one class where many people dont make it. I remember one week where I had to read 17 chapters. The information was not difficult to comprehend, but was alot of it. I was using 6 books, fundamental of nursing, dosage calculations, medical surgical nursing, pharmacology, davis drug book and nursing diagnosis by ackley. I read 49 chapters in fundamental, 15 chapters from medical surgical and 10 chapters from the pharmacology book. So far, looking at the reading assignments for meg surg it does not look too bad. I will be spending 3 weeks on diabetes, which is only one chapter from the medical surgical book and 1 chapter from the pharmacology book. That is better than 20 plus chapters last semester. I hope you all the best of luck with the rest of the semesters.

mysterious_one, ASN, RN · Dec 26, 2006

When I say that going to class feels like a waste of time, I am talking about that I feel that I am not prepared enough for the test, that I am not taught enough. Our teacher basically reads something of a power point that is just an outline of the material , but the tests go way deeper into the stuff. So I have to make sure that I read every single page in the book and so I feel like I am teaching myself and this takes up a lot of time and that is why think it is hard, and yes I knew this is part of nursing school and I am not complaining about it being hard , just responding to the thread.