Nursing school: How did you make it? How many hours should you put in per week?

applesxoranges, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2017

I maybe put in about 6 hours a week? I was on average a B student. I don't recommend doing what I did and work for on average 48 hours a week.

verene, MSN · Feb 18, 2017

"Unusually supportive" is the keyword I look for and wonder if UNLV has that in their program. I don't think my program will have supportive staff.

I don't know for sure that my faculty are unusually supportive, compared to other schools. But they have been great for me. Why do you think your program will have unsupportive staff? If the university you want to has a reputation for being unsupportive, and support is something you value in your education process, consider applying elsewhere. I think it may matter if the university is set up to weed out students during the program, or if the application process sets the course size. My program has a crazy admissions process, but is very clear that for those that are accepted, they want to see us all graduate and succeed. I wouldn't be surprised if programs who take anyone and then weed out during the course of the program are less supportive of students in the program.

It's not like California where people are supportive.

I don't go to school in California so I can't comment and this. My guess is that there are supportive and unsupportive programs and faculty no matter where you are in the country.

I have a friend who has a friend in the program I want to get into, but, I think reasonably, they hardly talk to him because THEY'RE so busy with their school work and trying to graduate.

. I'm a little unclear here. Most faculty are not in school and trying to graduate, they have degrees, work experience and are now teaching. Some also still work in the healthcare setting or conduct research in addition to their teaching duties. I have a couple instructors who are in their last months of completing Ph.d. dissertations, however they have the time management skills that they seem to have more than adequate time to meet with students and complete their own work.

I asked him if there were some teachers that are cool and he said they said some are and some aren't. I find that to be a problem because what's the point of being a teacher if you don't want to do your job.

Not every teacher is going to be a perfect match for you, and it is unreasonable to expect them to be so. I could say some of my teachers are cool and some aren't as well. Some have amazingly interesting and fascinating backgrounds, some don't. Some are people I want to model myself and my future nursing practice on, others aren't. None of them are "bad" teachers. I have been able to learn from all of them, including the one's I don't mesh with, have little interest in their particular specialties, and whose personalities mean I would never be able to navigate the world the same way they do because I am such a different person from them. Doesn't mean I can't learn from them.

I hope it's all just a fear factor and the real reality of it is "If you want to know how to succeed, let any one of us know and we'll help you figure out how to organize what you need to do".

This is actually the point I was trying to make in my earlier post. I think you may have an unreasonable amount of fear going into this process. Try not to assume the worst before you've even gone through applications. Stay optimistic. Wait until you get there to see if your instructors are terrible or not, and make that decision for myself. I heard from a prior student that one of my clinical instructors was just terrible - and yet I loved having her as an instructor! My experience in nursing school, and talking to friends in other programs is that while instructors hold students to high standards (and rightly so) they do want to see us succeed. Are there things that are going to be annoying about schooling and some faculty who just drive you slightly bonkers through no real fault of their own? - probably, but that doesn't mean that nursing school is just going to be a terrible process filled with people out to get you and make your life miserable.

If I get accepted, I will be notorious for going to the teacher and saying,"This is my first time in nursing school and I don't know what to expect or what to do. Will you please answer my questions if I have any pertaining to the material?" And that's all I care about.

Do that! Being proactive in your own learning is important in nursing school. Faculty can't help you if they don't know you are struggling. It is perfectly acceptable to come up to an instructor after class and say "Hey, when you were lecturing about X I got totally lost, could you help me figure things out?" Sometimes they won't be able to fully answer in just a few minutes and may suggest you come to office hours, but then they really have time to sit down and explain things, help you work through the confusion, and many will take this time to also get to better know you as a person.

TriChick · Feb 19, 2017

I'm confused, are you already assuming that the faculty won't be supportive before you are even in the program?

TriChick · Feb 19, 2017

Ok, I recognize the name now. I'm going to say this with all sincerity, as a fellow pre-nursing student (starting my MSN program in August) and also as a fellow veteran.

You really need to chill out, for your own sake. I know it's been said countless times and is often written off as "the elitists" criticizing you. Many of them are telling you this for your own good, however, and it is wise to take the advice to heart. You seem to be borderline obsessed with psyching yourself out of EVERY part of nursing school and the profession in general, to an unhealthy degree. Stop making baseless assumptions or trying to piece together what the reality will be after hearing snippets of conversations here and there. Just experience it. Nursing school is going to be hard, but it is not going to kill you (or anyone). I've seen past threads regarding the millions of concerns you have about nursing school and the negative attitude regarding it. Is this really what you want?

P.S. If it were me, I would refrain from vocalizing baseless opinions regarding my potential future faculty on here. This site is widely utilized, and there is a good chance that some of those faculty members are active on here. Given the identifiable information you have provided in the past, it wouldn't be hard for them to figure out who it is if they cared to. That goes for admissions committee members as well. When I took a tour of the nursing campus for my program prior to acceptance, the small group of us had a sit down with the program manager after for a Q and A session. I mentioned this site when referencing a question and she politely laughed and said "I've seen my name on there a couple times" (thankfully all kind references!). It might be wise to keep things like that in mind, they may help you more than you know.

roser13, ASN, RN · Feb 19, 2017

Ok, I recognize the name now. I'm going to say this with all sincerity, as a fellow pre-nursing student (starting my MSN program in August) and also as a fellow veteran.
You really need to chill out, for your own sake. I know it's been said countless times and is often written off as "the elitists" criticizing you. Many of them are telling you this for your own good, however, and it is wise to take the advice to heart. You seem to be borderline obsessed with psyching yourself out of EVERY part of nursing school and the profession in general, to an unhealthy degree. Stop making baseless assumptions or trying to piece together what the reality will be after hearing snippets of conversations here and there. Just experience it. Nursing school is going to be hard, but it is not going to kill you (or anyone). I've seen past threads regarding the millions of concerns you have about nursing school and the negative attitude regarding it. Is this really what you want?
P.S. If it were me, I would refrain from vocalizing baseless opinions regarding my potential future faculty on here. This site is widely utilized, and there is a good chance that some of those faculty members are active on here. Given the identifiable information you have provided in the past, it wouldn't be hard for them to figure out who it is if they cared to. That goes for admissions committee members as well. When I took a tour of the nursing campus for my program prior to acceptance, the small group of us had a sit down with the program manager after for a Q and A session. I mentioned this site when referencing a question and she politely laughed and said "I've seen my name on there a couple times" (thankfully all kind references!). It might be wise to keep things like that in mind, they may help you more than you know.

Can't like this enough. OP has started threads on every aspect of nursing school except possibly the number of toilets in the student lounge.

Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA · Feb 19, 2017

Can't like this enough. OP has started threads on every aspect of nursing school except possibly the number of toilets in the student lounge.

Why would I start a thread regarding the number of toilets in the student lounge? That has nothing to do with nursing of any kind lol This website isn't about plumbing, it's about NURSING, and CNA stuff related.

Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA · Feb 19, 2017

Ok, I recognize the name now. I'm going to say this with all sincerity, as a fellow pre-nursing student (starting my MSN program in August) and also as a fellow veteran.
You really need to chill out, for your own sake. I know it's been said countless times and is often written off as "the elitists" criticizing you. Many of them are telling you this for your own good, however, and it is wise to take the advice to heart. You seem to be borderline obsessed with psyching yourself out of EVERY part of nursing school and the profession in general, to an unhealthy degree. Stop making baseless assumptions or trying to piece together what the reality will be after hearing snippets of conversations here and there. Just experience it. Nursing school is going to be hard, but it is not going to kill you (or anyone). I've seen past threads regarding the millions of concerns you have about nursing school and the negative attitude regarding it. Is this really what you want?
P.S. If it were me, I would refrain from vocalizing baseless opinions regarding my potential future faculty on here. This site is widely utilized, and there is a good chance that some of those faculty members are active on here. Given the identifiable information you have provided in the past, it wouldn't be hard for them to figure out who it is if they cared to. That goes for admissions committee members as well. When I took a tour of the nursing campus for my program prior to acceptance, the small group of us had a sit down with the program manager after for a Q and A session. I mentioned this site when referencing a question and she politely laughed and said "I've seen my name on there a couple times" (thankfully all kind references!). It might be wise to keep things like that in mind, they may help you more than you know.

I'm sorry, it's very rare to find someone from the program I'm trying to get into and talk to them about it. I'm on my own and all I have is this website with probably a majority of people who haven't graduated from the program I'm trying to get into. I won't know what to expect. I don't know the faculty. It seems like the program I'm trying to get into is like Area 51. No one knows about it. You don't see anyone from there. If you do come across someone from there, they were most likely let go because they didn't do something right, which helps no one trying to get in.

I do take people's advice on here, but I'm pretty sure it's understood that if anyone lets their guard down, failure will imminently strike when they're not looking. It's kind of like if MPs are posted at an entry gate and they're on their smartphones and terrorists sneak by, they allowed danger to come in so that's why I'm always on alert. If I knew I was getting into nursing school, I wouldn't be psyching up so much. :sarcastic:

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Feb 20, 2017

I'm sorry, it's very rare to find someone from the program I'm trying to get into and talk to them about it. I'm on my own and all I have is this website with probably a majority of people who haven't graduated from the program I'm trying to get into. I won't know what to expect. I don't know the faculty. It seems like the program I'm trying to get into is like Area 51. No one knows about it. You don't see anyone from there. If you do come across someone from there, they were most likely let go because they didn't do something right, which helps no one trying to get in.
I do take people's advice on here, but I'm pretty sure it's understood that if anyone lets their guard down, failure will imminently strike when they're not looking. It's kind of like if MPs are posted at an entry gate and they're on their smartphones and terrorists sneak by, they allowed danger to come in so that's why I'm always on alert. If I knew I was getting into nursing school, I wouldn't be psyching up so much.

The point you seem to miss in all this is that NO ONE can tell you what it's like, because it's a very different experience for everyone. The teachers I love might be teachers you don't like. The test that was easy for me might have been a real challenge for you. No two people are going to have the exact same experience.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Feb 20, 2017

Oh using your original post as an example, to assist your understanding: people have told you to spend 10-20 hours a week studying A&P I. I spent maybe 4 hours a week and I got a 94. It was a really easy class for me. My teacher was great, the information was interesting and I've got excellent study habits.

Beldar_the_Cenobite, CNA · Feb 20, 2017

Oh using your original post as an example, to assist your understanding: people have told you to spend 10-20 hours a week studying A&P I. I spent maybe 4 hours a week and I got a 94. It was a really easy class for me. My teacher was great, the information was interesting and I've got excellent study habits.

My teacher, I believe, tests from the powerpoints. Is that how yours was? There's some who have powerpoints but it's like a list, no pictures. Mine has powerpoints slides with pictures. She said if you want to help yourself learn A&P, print powerpoint slides in color (if they need them like pictures) because color helps the brain read the information compared to black and white where you're not getting a very good detail. I've been printing mine in color ever since. I also thought about buying my own color printer so I can have control over my stuff instead of using the schools which there's only one per campus. It's baffling. I wonder if nursing schools utilize powerpoint presentations.

TriChick · Feb 20, 2017

The best thing you can do for any academic setting is to figure out what methods work best for YOU, and go from there. If you learn best visually, take the time to figure out how to take spoken lectures and transfer them to something visually that you can study from. If you learn best by listening, look over the things you are supposed to read in the textbook and find online lectures (Khan Academy, YouTube, etc.) that solidify the information. Look up "nursing school studying" on YouTube and you will find a million nursing students who have vlogged about it. Instead of focusing on trying to obtain as much information about the particular program you are applying for and their methods of teaching, spend time trying to find what methods work for you personally and how covert any method thrown at you into something that will be effective. I can almost promise that the nursing program will utilize Power Point to one extent or another, but they will likely use a variety of different methods. Just focus on what works for you and it won't matter what they throw your way.

On a different note, I would like to mention something that you don't need to take to heart if you don't want to. Beforehand, I will once again remind you that I am not a healthcare professional and by no means do I mean for this to be taken as any sort of medical advice. It is simply one person sharing their experience with another. You mentioned in a previous post "if anyone lets their guard down, failure will imminently strike when they're not looking. It's kind of like if MPs are posted at an entry gate and they're on their smartphones and terrorists sneak by, they allowed danger to come in so that's why I'm always on alert. " I spent a good deal of time on deployment during my decade in the military, and am fully aware of how often it was beaten into us to always maintain a state of increased situational awareness and to ALWAYS be vigilant of our surroundings. After a while, that becomes our new norm. For me, it took me a long time after I returned from my last deployment to realize that I never really shut that off. There was always a nervous energy running in me, regardless of how much I noticed it, and I was always operating in a state of hyper-vigilance. It took a while for me (with the help of a medical professional) to see that what I considered being "over-prepared for anything and everything" was actually a legitimate anxiety issue that was exacerbated by long periods in which such hyper-focus was necessary and downright applauded. I viewed many situations back in the states with the same attitude you expressed, treating them all as a "potential threat that must be recognized and mitigated" through the same risk analysis process that we utilized overseas. The problem was, these situations were nothing like deployment. I wasn't standing watch while insurgents attempted to gain access to do harm. I was a normal person who might have things thrown at them that they can't control, and they must deal with them in a reasonable and effective manner. As I'm 100% sure we will learn as nurses, there is a time and place to operate with such intensity, but it is necessary to learn how and when to shut that off. Our minds weren't built to operate as gate MPs 24/7, and the threats we face in our day to day lives are not as severe as those we face in a war zone. Your situation could be greatly different than mine was, but I thought I would mention it nonetheless in case it was something that might be worth considering. In looking through your past posts and how much in the weeds you get with seemingly small details, I am very much reminded of how I used to operate. "Assess any and all risks, then counteract". As I began to see what was going on, I realized how EXHAUSTED I was mentally and physically from always being on alert, and how much my stress and anxiety were ruining otherwise great experiences. I am very grateful that I made the realization when I did and took steps to overcome it, because from what I've learned about nursing school, I have a feeling my next 2 years would be a nightmare if I were still stuck in my former mindset.

SchoolNurse91, BSN, RN · Feb 21, 2017

I graduate in a few weeks. I have 16 hours of clinical of week. I spend probably 3 hours on my care plan that is due weekly. About 5-6 hours a week studying. So in total about 8 if you don't include clinical. I'm online so I don't attend lecture. It's mostly self taught. I studied less last semester because the content was easier. I did so well on my first exam this semester than I can fail the final 4 exams and still pass the class. On the other hand, some of my classmates put double and triple the amount I did and failed. It's different for everyone.