Nursing School vs. A&P - how much harder is it?

Shade43 · Sep 16, 2012

Well I was just like you. Did really good in a my pre classes and I heard how hard nursing school was but thought how hard could it really be. But honestly you can't even compare nursing school to any of the pre classes. It's not that the material is that hard it the amount you have.

Like just this week I have 2 chapters in skills. (which takes about 6 hours)

In process I have 2 chapters. (which takes about 6 hours)

In pharm I have 3 chapters (takes about 9 hours)

Principals I have 3 chapters (about 9 hours)

Assessment I have 6 chapters (18 hours)

Then I have clinicals two days a week.

Then after you read all of it you have to find the time to study it and actually learn it and remember it!!!

Nursing school is possible. Don't let people scare you. If you want it bad enough, you will be able to do it.

Just expect to have no life but nursing school!

Good luck!!!

allnurses Guide · Sep 16, 2012

It is considerably more challenging than your basic pre-req of A&P 1 as just about every class you will take in NS builds on it.

krcs · Sep 16, 2012

A&P(Especially the P side) was hard for different reasons. Some things it was just hard to wrap your brain around in that class for me. Nursing school so far is cut and dry. You do this for this and that for that and this is the definition of this sort of material. But there is a lot of material crammed into a short time span and that's what makes it difficult.

If I had more time I'd say nursing school isn't all that hard other than the nerves of clincals.

rubato, ASN, RN · Sep 16, 2012

For nursing school, it's the amount of content, not the content itself. We are learning so much, so fast. Then, it is all building on itself. But, I am actually less stressed out than I was when I was taking 18 credit hours of regular classes. It all makes sense in NS.

Jmiami · Sep 16, 2012

Thanks for the insight everyone! It's odd that nursing schools wouldn't want to space out the material a bit more in order to make sure that you really have the time to digest it without being so rushed. I understand the "boot camp" mentality to weed out those who don't really "want it" since there are so many who decide they want to go into this profession though. In the real world, you won't have the luxury of time since quick decision making and prioritizing are key. So I get it.

That being said, yes I want it. I'm just wondering whether PT nursing school while working FT is feasible along with my other responsibilities. I wish I could quit and go full time, but financially it is not possible. Even with loans. It is my second degree, so many other financial aid options are out for me.

When I did my CNA certification course, it all made sense. It was a lot of info., but I "got" it. I would see the skill performed once and be able to perform it myself seamlessly afterwards (thank the Lord!). My professor was very supportive of me since it was clear that I was there to soak everything up like a sponge and master the content - take no prisoners, make no excuses. I thrived on her criticism because her points were valid, although sometimes not well delivered. I knew that all she had to say would only make me a better nurse and that if she didn't care, she wouldn't waste her breath on me. She ate most of the other students alive. Maybe it's an indication I might have what it takes to survive this jungle of NS? I wonder if NS will be a continuation of that school of thought/training? Of course, with a much higher level of difficulty.

I am willing to put in the hours, if the hours in the day are there. I need to work to live. I need to feed, clothe, and bathe my little girl. I need to keep my house out of a squalor like state (sorry, it will not gleam while I'm in school). I am just worried that when I am out of this, I will have missed her early childhood due to the vicious cycle of work, school, and household responsibilities. She will be 6. I barely get to see her now, but maybe it's not the quantity of the time spent, but the quality? I need to do this for her, so that she can have a better life. I need to do this for me, so that I have a sense of realization of my full potential (good ole maslow). I need to do this for others, so that I can be someone who makes a difference (even if it is small) in their day. Sigh. I just need to do this.

eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN · Sep 16, 2012

My instructors said the first day that the lecture portion was comparable to taking both A&P 1&2 simultaneously. I agree.

AlishiaRN77 · Sep 16, 2012

I just graduated this past May from nursing school and can say that Nursing school is doable. A&P is memorization...nursing school is memorization, understanding, then applying.

rubato is correct in saying that "it is all building on itself." What you learn from semester 1 til you graduate will add on top of one another.

I worked full time (40+ hours/wk), attended nursing school, clinical rotations, and met with study groups. Although there is a lot of reading, the instructors that I had were very talented at getting the information into our brains and connecting everything.

Having a hardworking, reliable study mates is, i believe, the most important because I couldn't have made it through without them.

Good luck in your journey and enjoy every moment (bad, good, tears, laughs, all of it!) Once you start it goes by so quickly!

honey bell · Sep 16, 2012

I agree with everyone else's comments - the biggest challenge for nursing school is the volume. There is A LOT of work, and you really can't cut corners.

That said, it sounds like you have the right attitude and it sounds like you want it. Go for it!

Luckyyou, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2012

Here is my two cents.

I did not find nursing school difficult. Really and truly, I opened ONE book my entire four years, and that was for an elective class on end of life issues, exclusively because I found the book and the subject matter interesting. What I learned came from the power points created by our professors, which were posted online and available after the lecture, as well as passed out in class. Very little (if any, come to think of it) of what we were tested on was not covered in the lecture. If you attended the lecture, or even just learned the information covered in the powerpoints on your own time, you were good to go. It probably helps that I am someone who learns best when I hear the information, so just attending the lecture and listening was enough for me. Your mileage may vary.

In terms of the workload for clinicals, I found it to be just a bunch of busywork, and hoops to jump through. Check off this skill, learn this type of assessment, do some of the care on these one to two patients. The skills aren't terribly hard to pick up, especially since you don't actually master them until you get into practice. Nursing school (and NCLEX) is about demonstrating the basic proficiency to practice safely. And if you're not interested enough to learn the skills.... what's the point of going to nursing school? That's what you're going to be doing on a daily basis in practice. Sure, the written assignments included things like completing care plans, which can stretch into double digit page counts, but they are nothing more than following the same formula for each assignment, just plugging in information that varies between patients. Additionally, not one single thing I did on a care plan has been helpful or even applicable to my current nursing practice, so the effort to payout ratio was pretty low.

I know that this is probably not the experience that everyone has, and I'm sure it is very much dependent upon what school you go to, but I see so much of "OMG NURSING SCHOOL IS SO HARD" on this forum, and people saying you'll have to give up you family, your friends, your job, and lock yourself in the library like some sort of scholarly monk for the rest of your days until graduation that I feel another viewpoint is in order. I graduated with a BSN at 22 from a four year program while working PRN as a tech and nannying twice a week (no kids though, I'm sure that makes it harder). Nursing school is very doable. And before anyone asks, no, I did not graduate with a 4.0, but I didn't care to, and my GPA is perfectly adequate to get me into graduate programs if I ever choose to take that path, and secured me a job prior to graduation. I'm sure I'll be flamed or berated for my opinion, but this is really how it was for me.

coopermke · Sep 20, 2012

I agree with Cerriwin, I feel like I read A LOT of... "Nursing school is impossible, you have to devote your life to it, etc". I am a final semester student, graduating with my BSN in December. I work 20 hours a week at a hospital as a Nurse Extern, and have worked that amount (or more) throughout nursing school. I am engaged (no kids) and I maintain a very active social life, I take time for myself, and I study for NCLEX. This is all on top of 16 hours of clinical precepting each week and 7 hours of class once a week.

What I have found is that nursing school FORCES you to maintain a busy schedule, there really is no way around it. HOWEVER, this does not mean that all you will ever have time for is school. It really gets to me because I had teachers tell me I had to quit my job or I'd never make it... and things like that are clearly not reasonable for independent adults putting themselves through college. As long as you can prioritize, you will be fine!

Also, courses throughout your core part of the program (pharm, med/surg, etc.) will absolutely be more difficult than A&P... in my opinion anybody can learn the A&P content and pass the class.... core nursing classes are not the same, and for some it takes more work than others. With that being said, as long as you put in the effort and manage your schedule to allow time for school... you should be just fine!

Take time for things you enjoy... it is important to remember that you have a life outside of nursing school! and take it from me... it is not the horror experience some people make it out to be at all.... I managed to plan my wedding, land my dream job in the ICU and enjoy some great times with friends/vacations/etc. through it all! You can do it -- get a nice, big planner and hit the ground running!

stargurl2006 · Sep 20, 2012

Let me share my experience with you so far. I'm a first semester nursing student. I'm a full time CNA. I'm also mom/wife. I got As in my prereqs with no problems. Never had to do more than show up to class. Nursing school is a whole 'nother ball game. I've got a high B in both fundamentals and pharmacology. It's do-able. But, my husband has to help me out considerably. He does a load or two of laundry for me on the weekends. I do as much as I can on my "short" day- laundry, sweep, mop, clean. I still cook and wash dishes every night. Its tough. Especially when my daughter (one year old) wants me to play with her and I need to read. I have at least 8 chapters of reading a week. Plus, learning skills and watching videos. Plus, papers and assignments. I haven't even started my clinicals and care plan making yet. It's exhausting but do-able. Be prepared to sacrifice.