Nursing school stress

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I'm in my 2nd semester of an ADN program, and I am so overwhelmed. I feel like I barely have time to get my homework done these days let alone study, I do work part time (about 15 hours a week) also. I'm extremely stressed out and overwhelmed and starting to feel depressed. Is there any advice from nurses that have completed their program to help me get through?

Thank you!

Everyone is my class is so stressed out. It's just insane. We're in the second semester of an ADN program by the way. Med-surg is much harder than the fundamental stuff (it just couldn't compare!!). So many people failed the first 3 quizzes and some got disturbingly low scores (I'm talking about 45% here). :sad: We had a meeting with the dean and let me tell you, there was a lot of crying going on. It was just intense and depressing. I never thought it would get this difficult. As of now, half of my class is still not passing and we only have 1 quiz and 1 final left. Sigh, I'm stressed out just thinking about it.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
In the words of the best animated movie ever: Just keep swimming, just keep swimming. It sucks, we are all there, trust me on that one. Just know there is an end to it all and try to have fun.

Seriously, I wish you were in my class, my class needs more students like you! Today has been hell week at school, clinicals started Monday, we had 3 exams, and returns (skills tests and you can't move on to the next skills unless you passed these ones) and 4 assignments due. We were so spent, so today we got done early and I talked a handful of people that I enjoy into going out to lunch to just kick back and wind down and stuff. It was great to just sit back, eat our food and chit chat about random BS and let go of the stress!

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Specializes in Pediatric Hem/Onc.

The Dorry line is the best advice, ever. I actually have it doodled in the margins of my fundamentals notes....my skills lab sheets....pretty much anywhere I've been writing. It's more a lifestyle for me:yeah:

I just finished week 2 of clinicals, and despite the lack of sleep, worrying, and general feelings of being overwhelmed (none of my damn syllabi/packets have due dates on them! I seriously flipped out once I realized that!) I think.....I'm starting to tread water, instead of sinking slowly towards the bottom LOL

Organization is your friend. Seriously. I'm going to finish writing out all my due dates in my planner...um tomorrow. Shan is going to bed now, and it is going to be glorious!

....yeah that's a sign that I'm tired. Nothing good can come from speaking about yourself in third person:selfbonk:

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You probably feel like there is no end in sight. When you feel that way, just remind yourself it won't be like this forever!

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
Seriously, I wish you were in my class, my class needs more students like you! Today has been hell week at school, clinicals started Monday, we had 3 exams, and returns (skills tests and you can't move on to the next skills unless you passed these ones) and 4 assignments due. We were so spent, so today we got done early and I talked a handful of people that I enjoy into going out to lunch to just kick back and wind down and stuff. It was great to just sit back, eat our food and chit chat about random BS and let go of the stress!

This is what we do too. We have a bar here that has the best food at it that all the nurses go to when the SHTF. Its funny because you will walk in and see people from all the different levels of the program. But that is what it takes sometimes is to just get back and relax for a bit.

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.
We have a bar here that has the best food at it that all the nurses go to when the SHTF.

haha, thats what my cohort does. A beer and some good pub fare plus a vent session after class or clinicals can do wonders for your morale.

My cohort is so so so tight...we are like one big family. I love it and I am happy I have these people to lean on.

back to the OP. Make sure you take some time off for yourself. Heck, give yourself at least one day a week for "you" time! There is no reason to study 24/7. There comes a point where you are no longer able to retain any more info matter how many times you read and re-read. Only so much will fit into your head at once. So take a well deserved break every now and again!

That and I find it easier to just study over the material where I feel or am weak in. Why waste valuable time studying what you already know? Focus in on your weak areas, study that, and then gloss over everything before an exam.

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Specializes in None.

Thank you so much, this makes me feel better. I'm trying not to be so stressed out... I've often realized when I end up thinking I've done bad on a test, I even get really depressed about it. It's bad, really bad... all of your comments have helped me feel better. Thank you!

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I know exactly what you are going through, I've gone through it in the past and now again. It's like dejavu. I recently took an exam and have had 2 nervous breakdowns in the past 24 hrs before and after the exam. Stress is physically deteriorating me. It did it last time and it's doing it again. I'm seeking proffessional help. lol. I thought I could make it with out medication, but now I KNOW I can't! :no:... It has done the same to me as you, first the stress then the depression. If you could manage with out medication, more power to you! I wish I could. I want to say I've tried everything. I feel like it's my only way to get through all of this. I'm wondering if I'll have to be on medication till I graduate....and I haven't even started fundamentals. Yep, starting all over again, bc my credits didn't transfer to my other school. Yay, me. :yawn: Anywho, don't let my story scare you, this was more of a vent. lol

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Specializes in mental health.

To be honest, I don't remember another time in my life when I have been this exhausted, anxious and just plain miserable. The 3rd semester workload is killing me with both Psych and Med-Surg I simultaneously. I'm averaging about 3-5 hours of sleep a night. Tonight I'll be lucky if I get even one hour. And I need to be at Med Surg clinical at 5:45 a.m. (which means leaving the house at 5:00 a.m.) with a huge 14-part care plan which was actually due today...

Is this more than usual for a care plan? Or is it just me not coping?

This is addition to the exam and journal entries and process recordings and nursing dx for Psych and the quiz for MedSurg that we had to do this week. And of course the classes and clinicals.

My grades so far have all been in the 90's, so people think I'm fine and don't have anything to stress about, but all these writing assignments are killing me and I'm in danger of failing clinical because I didn't hand the care plan in today. I'd rather take an exam any day.

Today I was so exhausted and sleep deprived and my clinical instructor was being so irrational and saying I was late with a progress note when I wasn't (I had actually asked her to look over TWICE and had waited for 25 minutes for her to approve it so that I could go ahead and chart it since we're not allowed to write in the chart without her okaying it.) that I actually ended up crying (didn't let her see that though!).

I feel like I'm going to break apart.

Sorry, probably not helpful at all, I'm just venting. But at least, if it's any consolation at all, you're not alone in being overwhelmed.

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There's no such thing as nursing school stress...really, it doesn't bother me to not get sleep, not have time with family (even when they are in the hospital), not be able to go to a friend's funeral in another state because I have a test...to have patient's be abusive...and instructor's be on powertrips. Really there is no nursing school stress.

(and I am not a complete blithering idiot right now, doing the finger between the lip thing either!)

Just keep dancing!

:dancgrp:

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kudos to that animation.

on topic: as stated by a poster in the first page, 'just keep swimming'.

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I know exactly how you are feeling! I am a first semester nursing student (full time) and am not working right now. And to think I feel stressed! I couldn't possibly imagine having to work!

One of the things really helping me get through this is getting stuff done early. The earlier you start preparing for a paper, or a midterm the better. I find it best if I study off of index cards, so right after we finish a chapter in A&P I will do the index cards up that week. Then when its time to study, they are all laid out.

Another thing to keep me on track (and I'm sorry, this may sound so silly!) is literally writing in my agenda "One week until midterm." and then "Two weeks until midterm." etc, etc. I do this for probably about a month before anything is due, that way I'm always in game mode. (lol!)

If nothing else works just remember that you aren't the only one to do this and you aren't the last. It's helping me get through this semester!

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