Whether is it from a Nursing Instructor or classmate, I keep hearing that Nursing School is HARD, HARD, HARD!!! This is no big surprise to me that is hard, but it seems strange that this is emphasized so much; it seems like people are trying to scare people away from Nursing, or maybe there are other reasons. I've never heard people emphasize this aspect of Medical School to the extent that I hear it about Nursing School. I think medical students know they are doing something hard, and I never hear anyone emphasizing again and again how hard medical school is. Why is Nursing School treated like the most difficult thing to do on the planet? OK, sure it is hard, but to keep emphasizing this makes it almost sound like the person saying it maybe didn't get any respect for how hard they worked, so they want everyone else to be impressed with how smart they are to have made it through. I just never hear Doctors going around saying how hard Medical School was, and I think it because everyone knows it is a hard thing to do. It sounds like Nurses have an inferiority complex. What gives?
That critical thinking line that nursing programs emphasize really irks me. The example you provided is classic for nursing school, but I fail to see the critical thinking involved.
I think that some of these Med school questions are a weeeeee bit more complex than that.
The reason people talk about it more is because nursing school is too easy to get into. You also have to look at the maturity level that some people bring to a career field. It's been said before, nursing students whine 10 times more than any other student out there. Think about the essays that are STANDARD, the MCATS, the PCAT, and all these other true entrance exams required for Law school, med school, pharmacy school, etc. etc. The TEAS test is basic 8th grade level, it's nothing compared to the PCAT or MCAT(I've had friends who have taken both). Think about the schools that require physics, biochem, organic chem, etc. just to be considered The ones who require more than just basic math to get in. A lot of nursing schools don't even require basic chemistry.
Now I'm not trying to make fun of anyone here, but we have math problems that are along the lines of. Order is 10mg, u have a 5mg tab, how many tabs do you give? And the people who don't understand those basic concepts, well they just don't. It doesn't mean they're dumb or ignorant, it just means they don't grasp a concept. Yes some math questions and titration questions are more complex, BUT I've been through the organic chem, biochem, and physics..and we've had math problems that border 2 pages for ONE problem. These 2 page problems will incorporate multiple formulas and symbols you wouldn't dream of. And someone mentioned it before, think about the length and expense of medschool...my friend's dad went to school for 17 YEARS after college to become the kind of MD he is. Yet nursing you can get a degree in as little as 2 years. Now this 2 year number will attract many MANY people who think it's just an easy degree that will pay big money. Then they realize it's a little bit of work and will complain. Then those who complain will complain to others that spread the words to others and it turns into a run on sentence like the one I'm typing(your basic snowball effect).
Nursing school has it's difficult concepts and I agree there were times where I had to think things through in order to truly understand what I was doing in certain situations, and why. And as an RN today I still have situations that arise where I have to sit back, look at the patients numbers and meds, and figure out what I'm gonna do or say to the MD when I call them. If I have a patient that's not doing something I like, you gotta have a gameplan on what you wanna do and tell the doctor. Don't just call and say such and such is doing this. Tell them the trends, the problems, the drugs, the numbers, the labs, etc. and you(SBAR) recommend what YOU want to do for your patient. They may agree or they mad add to it, but you gotta know what the deal is. You also have to look at stuff and realize what you will or won't do.
There's a reason these other schools require intense interview processes, essays, many letters of recommendation, very difficult tests like the MCAT, PCAT, etc..because they are difficult schools. Just think if they let people in left and right, the drop/fail rate would be off the chart. Of course if these schools didn't have the intense process to get in, many more people would apply because they want that paycheck. If nursing schools were more difficult to get into, then the complaining would decrease.
Medical school is completely different, and yes it is much more difficult. It's not even a fair comparison. Nursing school is hard too, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here.
I happen to think that while med school to nursing school is not a fair comparison, nursing school to pre-med is. I think someone with a BSN (who manages to work in all the med-school pre-reqs too) would be an excellent candidate for med school.
I happen to think that while med school to nursing school is not a fair comparison, nursing school to pre-med is. I think someone with a BSN (who manages to work in all the med-school pre-reqs too) would be an excellent candidate for med school.
But 99% of the BSN students don't touch chemistry, physics, organic or biochem, not to mention the upper level Math courses. Not saying this about all schools, but a LOT of nursing schools don't even require the normal Micro class, a lot of schools have a "lower" level micro class for nursing majors. So I disagree, I do not think that's a good comparison to make. To the ones that DO take those courses, perhaps, but that's so rare it's still a mooing cow
Funny you ask this question...my husband is an RN and he actually had one of the physicians he works with at the hospital tell him that due to the sheer volume of information that RNs learn in such a short time frame, nursing school is actually harder than med-school. I don't think he meant the material is more difficult, but the volume is.
I have no idea if that's true because I've never been to med school, but it's what he told my husband.
ImThatGuy, BSN, RN
2,139 Posts
If we all chip in I'll be glad to go to medical school and report back in four years.
Wait, make it five. I still need organic chemistry. Dang it!