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?
Ha, yeah, compared to "Which part of the nursing process involves gathering data regarind your client's condition prior to formulating a nursing diagnosis?"
I finished pre-med, and it was a nightmare compared to nursing.
That's what I'm saying. And that's just the pre-med part...not even the advanced stuff once you get into it. Everyone says nursing pre-reqs are much easier than NS, well pre-med is easier than med school. I'm not trying to discredit nursing(I am a nurse and love it) and yes parts of nursing are very difficult, but there are more difficult things out there.
If nursing school isn't that difficult than why the high drop out rate?
The drop out rates really aren't that high. But the reason that they seem high is because a lot of nursing schools are WAY too easy to get into. While some do it the right way and require essays, interviews, more intense classes, etc...a majority don't even require chemistry or any kind of difficult pre-req. So you have these students who scrape by in pre-reqs and get surprised when they have to put forth some effort. You hear countless stories of how ppl go to nursing school cuz their friend did, or because they want to make so much money, etc. Others think nursing school is a dream job with no hard work involved, then they get to clinical and smell some C-diff for the first time. Many drop out because it's not the job they thought it was. If you go over to the first year in nursing section you will see so many people who say "i want to quit, i hate nursing, this sucks, i hate my job, nursing isn't what i thought it would be" Others drop out because they simply just don't grasp concepts presented to them in school. Nursing school isn't impossible like many say it is, but it does require some effort to be successful.
The drop out rates really aren't that high. But the reason that they seem high is because a lot of nursing schools are WAY too easy to get into. While some do it the right way and require essays, interviews, more intense classes, etc...a majority don't even require chemistry or any kind of difficult pre-req. So you have these students who scrape by in pre-reqs and get surprised when they have to put forth some effort. You hear countless stories of how ppl go to nursing school cuz their friend did, or because they want to make so much money, etc. Others think nursing school is a dream job with no hard work involved, then they get to clinical and smell some C-diff for the first time. Many drop out because it's not the job they thought it was. If you go over to the first year in nursing section you will see so many people who say "i want to quit, i hate nursing, this sucks, i hate my job, nursing isn't what i thought it would be" Others drop out because they simply just don't grasp concepts presented to them in school. Nursing school isn't impossible like many say it is, but it does require some effort to be successful.
I gotcha. Thankfully, I worked as a CNA which inspired me to become a RN. I used to change briefs(got used to the smell of poo), make beds, give bed baths all day long. I actually enjoyed staying busy all day. I hate jobs where there is not much to do; and really liked how fast paced working in a nursing home was from having to do so many things-- so that's why I wanted to become an RN. I guess a lot of the people who go into nursing did not have prior experience working in a hospital or nursing home
That's what I'm saying. And that's just the pre-med part...not even the advanced stuff once you get into it. Everyone says nursing pre-reqs are much easier than NS, well pre-med is easier than med school. I'm not trying to discredit nursing(I am a nurse and love it) and yes parts of nursing are very difficult, but there are more difficult things out there.
True True. Remember, those who say nursing is hard are those who have never taken pre-med classes or any other science classes that nursing does not require. They are only comparing nursing school to pre-nursing or even highschool etc. Anyway, I am not saying nursing is a piece of cake, it is hard, but not the hardest major. Good luck to all of you :)
I have never been in Med School but Im in RN school and its HARDDDDD. Way harder than I ever imagined it would be. And my school was NOT easy to get into. The competition was fierce! I came in with a 3.9 GPA, not to shabby and YET I only finished my 1st semster of RN school with a 76. We have already had 1/4 of the class leave the program. I attribute alot of the failing out rates to the poor teaching. You can be the best nurse with all the knowledge and experience in the world but to be the best instructor and actually be able to teach is a whole different animal. I have found, at least at our school, that the nursing instructors are terrible at teaching.
There's no way to quantify "hard." It's pointless to try and compare what is harder than something else.
For many, nursing school is the hardest thing they've ever done before. Whether it will be hard for another person will only be discovered once they start a program.
There's no way to quantify "hard." It's pointless to try and compare what is harder than something else.
For many, nursing school is the hardest thing they've ever done before. Whether it will be hard for another person will only be discovered once they start a program.
The one thing I will add is that the more responsibilities you have in life (job, family, etc) the more difficult it 'could' be...and it's because of what's already been mentioned: it's not so much the content that's hard, but rather the quantity of material being thrown at you at once.
What if you don't have any responsibility? No job, no bills to pay or anything. Should it be easier?
Easier than if you had to manage extra responsibilities on top of school....of course.
The point though, is that comparisons of easier and harder are pointless. There's no standard to compare it to, it's a completely individual measurement.
ImThatGuy, BSN, RN
2,139 Posts
Ha, yeah, compared to "Which part of the nursing process involves gathering data regarind your client's condition prior to formulating a nursing diagnosis?"
A. Assessment
B. Diagnosis
C. Planning
D. Implementation
E. Evaluation
Geez.