Nursing School Horror Stories

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I'm sure we've all experienced something that shocked us from nursing school. I think I was fortunate that none of them put me in an ethical dilemma, but I could share one story to start.

On my way to school I suffered some car trouble and I ended up being late to a test. I was allowed to take the exam and I finished it no problem and nothing excited happened here. Well after the exam the students had to drive back to the satellite campus where our program was held. When I walked into the building (mind you the hallways of the building) I was confronted by a teacher who gave me a "write-up" for disrupting the class. She said that my being late was the cause for the disruption. Shocked, that I was being written up for disrupting, when the entire time other student's phones went off and others showed up late even after me, I asked her if other students received the same write-up.

Immediately this teacher started shouting at me calling me disrespectful and saying that I was unprofessional and began walking away shouting down the halls. I stood there dumbfounded because I asked a simple question. The entire class heard the commotion inside the halls and wondered what happened. In the end I talked to the dean about the teacher's behavior and she dismissed the write-up. I still have no idea why the teacher didn't just discuss things with me calmly and privately.

Anyone else have any interesting horror stories?

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Welcome to nursing. You'll get written up for being late and you will get fussed at for asking if other people are written up for the same thing. It's none of your business and your boss won't like you asking.

I actually think your lucky that you got to take your test. When I was in school, our policy was if you were late, you didn't get to take the test. You may have been allowed to take a short answer, fill in the blank make up test.

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

I really think that sharing "horror" stories at a forum full to the top with nursing and pre-nursing students, most of whom are already nervous, is like telling about chances of bleeding to death and see one's baby dying on the online forum of expecting mothers. It all can be the truth, but telling them here is not exactly cool In My Humble Opinion.

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This thread just terrifies me :( I know that Nursing School is extremely emotionally and intellectually challenging.... But I hear so many drastic horror stories that I'm scared all nursing schools are like this

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I did not have any "horror story" experiences in nursing school. My hospital-based diploma program was hard (my BSN completion program years later, significantly less so), but I wasn't abused or even mistreated by school personnel in any way, nor thrust into any dramatic ethical dilemmas in clinical.

I will say, though, that, with the tremendous proliferation of nursing programs in the last few decades, I get the impression that schools are not able to be as particular about who they hire as faculty as they used to be.

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Specializes in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.
This thread just terrifies me :( I know that Nursing School is extremely emotionally and intellectually challenging.... But I hear so many drastic horror stories that I'm scared all nursing schools are like this

They aren't. I'm sometimes really just in awe of how horrific some people have it with being in school. My experience and for all of my cohort peers, this has not been the same. We have very reasonable, understanding instructors who care that they are teaching us in a way that ensures we are going to be safe, sane and competent nurses who will treat future new grads in the same manner.

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They aren't. I'm sometimes really just in awe of how horrific some people have it with being in school. My experience and for all of my cohort peers, this has not been the same. We have very reasonable, understanding instructors who care that they are teaching us in a way that ensures we are going to be safe, sane and competent nurses who will treat future new grads in the same manner.

I agree with this. And happyinmyheart, you have to look at it this way as well: OP got in trouble. She was late for a test she was lucky to get to take. You heard her side of the story. Did her instructor yell and scream and cause a scene in the hall? Maybe. Maybe not.

A lot of these "horror" stories are people who aren't getting their way or just expect things to be easy for the. Nursing school is HARD WORK. It take sacrifice and dedication. You will have teachers that are harder to deal with than others but you'll have bosses and coworkers that are the same way. There are thousands of nurses here who graduated nursing school and passed boards. Don't let one post scare you off.

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I agree with this. And happyinmyheart, you have to look at it this way as well: OP got in trouble. She was late for a test she was lucky to get to take. You heard her side of the story. Did her instructor yell and scream and cause a scene in the hall? Maybe. Maybe not.

A lot of these "horror" stories are people who aren't getting their way or just expect things to be easy for the. Nursing school is HARD WORK. It take sacrifice and dedication. You will have teachers that are harder to deal with than others but you'll have bosses and coworkers that are the same way. There are thousands of nurses here who graduated nursing school and passed boards. Don't let one post scare you off.

Thanks springchick1 :) I definitely understand what you mean!!

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

When I went to nursing school it wasn't that bad. Most of my instructors all cared. I mean we went through a time when we had instructors leaving & it was weird. I'd say the worst thing that happened was one professor left in the middle of the semester. We had a test, she gave us a review & nothing that was on the review was actually on the test. It messed everyone up. But nothing as bad as the OP.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Another diploma program grad without any horror stories.

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My horror story was the anxiety I felt about starting nursing school because of all the things people had said, "you won't have a life" "you'll fail" etc.

Then what do you know. I start nursing school and all those stories were just that, stories.

Be organized, be diligent and manage your time and you won't experience the "horrors" of nursing school.

Get adequate amounts of rest and exercise too. 👍

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Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

That is a "horror story"? Sounds like life. Stuff happens. If that is the worst then you are good to go.

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