Ok.....getting worried.

Published Jun 9, 2005

by JGLPN2BE

I am hearing so many horror stories on nursing school. All the drama that takes place(I don't like drama), the terrible ratio on who starts the nursing program and who actually finishes. This years LPN class started with 30....maybe 10 are graduating. WOW! :uhoh21: That is not good. Everyone keeps telling me it is soooo hard and your life is over as soon as August hits. It can't be. I have a husband and a toddler. I hope nursing school is what you make it to be. If you study and stay out of the drama you should do fine. Can someone tell me if this is true. :confused:

Roseyposey

394 Posts

Jun 9, 2005

I have no advice to give; I am here to commiserate. I feel the same as you. I hear the horror stories about the instructors and how nursing school takes away your life and am terrified. I try to reassure myself that by keeping my mouth shut, staying away from the gossip, and staying organized, I will make it. We can do this!

suzy253, RN

3,815 Posts

Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

Jun 9, 2005

Yes, nursing school is what you make it to be. People drop out for various reasons including failing but if you keep your nose to the grindstone, don't fall behind especially in your readings, you should do fine. People in my class also dropped out because they discovered that this just wasn't for them afterall. You can do it! Good luck to you both.

ZASHAGALKA, RN

3,322 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care.

Jun 9, 2005

I worked f/t during most of nursing school and was married and had kids yet pulled it off. You can too.

Remember the 2 rules of college: 1. the instructor is always right, and 2. if you want to pass, see rule 1.

This saved me in nursing school. I can't tell you how many times I regurgitated garbage on a test cause it was easier than disputing it.

The other thing I remember from my military days: STAY OFF THE RADAR!

If your instructors don't remember your name, they don't single you out (which goes back to it being easier to regurge than be disruptive).

Just like the military, alot of nursing school is about psychology. If you are going to be a good nurse, you have to be capable of tons of stress. Nursing is a very stressful job. The whole nursing school dropout scheme is devised to wash people who cannot handle stress. If you think about it in those terms, you can buck up just about anything for a few years. Think about it as a process and not a personal attack.

And besides, you know deep inside that you are among the top 20% of just about anybody if you appy yourself. So what if the drop out rate is 80%, so long as you stay where you know you're capable of being.

say this to yourself every morning of school: I can do this. I know who I am and I'm capable of this. Then go seize the day and learn something that will make you a better nurse someday when NOBODY is looking over your shoulders.

Good luck.

~faith

Sheri257

3,905 Posts

Jun 9, 2005

The instructors aren't that bad. It's just that people talk about bad instructors. If an instructor is good people don't talk about it because, well, there's no drama about that. It's like the evening news ... they don't lead off with the good things that happened that day.

Same with RN's in clinical. There might be one bad RN out of 10 but people always talk about the one bad RN.

The toughest thing about nursing school is the sheer volume of work. You really don't have any down time. That's been the biggest adjustment for me. But, eventually, you adjust to the marathon, so to speak.

If you do the work you're fine. If you don't, and put it off to the last minute, you won't make it. The people who do the work pass, the people who don't do the work fail. It's really that simple.

:coollook:

JGLPN2BE

70 Posts

Jun 9, 2005

Wow.....that helped. Thanks guys. I will do this.

HyperRNRachel

483 Posts

Jun 9, 2005

I am hearing so many horror stories on nursing school. All the drama that takes place(I don't like drama), the terrible ratio on who starts the nursing program and who actually finishes. This years LPN class started with 30....maybe 10 are graduating. WOW! :uhoh21: That is not good. Everyone keeps telling me it is soooo hard and your life is over as soon as August hits. It can't be. I have a husband and a toddler. I hope nursing school is what you make it to be. If you study and stay out of the drama you should do fine. Can someone tell me if this is true.

Yes it is. Nursing education is what you expect from it based on what you decide to put into it. GOod luck to you and I hope you do well.

Rachel

HyperRNRachel

483 Posts

Jun 9, 2005

I worked f/t during most of nursing school and was married and had kids yet pulled it off. You can too.
Remember the 2 rules of college: 1. the instructor is always right, and 2. if you want to pass, see rule 1.
This saved me in nursing school. I can't tell you how many times I regurgitated garbage on a test cause it was easier than disputing it.
The other thing I remember from my military days: STAY OFF THE RADAR!
If your instructors don't remember your name, they don't single you out (which goes back to it being easier to regurge than be disruptive).
Just like the military, alot of nursing school is about psychology. If you are going to be a good nurse, you have to be capable of tons of stress. Nursing is a very stressful job. The whole nursing school dropout scheme is devised to wash people who cannot handle stress. If you think about it in those terms, you can buck up just about anything for a few years. Think about it as a process and not a personal attack.
And besides, you know deep inside that you are among the top 20% of just about anybody if you appy yourself. So what if the drop out rate is 80%, so long as you stay where you know you're capable of being.
say this to yourself every morning of school: I can do this. I know who I am and I'm capable of this. Then go seize the day and learn something that will make you a better nurse someday when NOBODY is looking over your shoulders.
Good luck.
~faith

Remember the 2 rules of college: 1. the instructor is always right, and 2. if you want to pass, see rule 1.

Actually this is not always true. Instructors, just like you and I, do not appreciate being confronted in front of numerous people. If you have a question, concern, or need advice then make an appointment and speak privately with that instructor. Remember this is an introduction into a profession and your behavior at all times should be just that, professional. And I will say, yet again, nursing school and/or nursing instructors do not weed out students, students weed themselves out.

JenNJFLCA

447 Posts

Jun 9, 2005

Just don't get behind and keep a low profile and you'll be fine. It's very hard, don't get me wrong, but you'll get through it!

Imafloat, BSN, RN

1 Article; 1,289 Posts

Jun 9, 2005

I have noticed that negative things are always amplified and passed around as true. Just like if you walk into a store pregnant everyone has a horror story about their labor or messed up doctor etc....

Nursing school is hard, but totally doable. We are caring for people during their most vulnerable times, we need to know our stuff.

I have 4 kids, I tutor, my husband is out of town 4 days a week, and I have a job outside of the home. I manage just fine. Some days I am stressed further than I thought possible, but it will all be worth it soon.

You can do it, I come here often when I need a pick me up. There are some funny threads.

MIA-RN1, RN

1,329 Posts

Jun 9, 2005

I am hearing so many horror stories on nursing school. All the drama that takes place(I don't like drama), the terrible ratio on who starts the nursing program and who actually finishes. This years LPN class started with 30....maybe 10 are graduating. WOW! :uhoh21: That is not good. Everyone keeps telling me it is soooo hard and your life is over as soon as August hits. It can't be. I have a husband and a toddler. I hope nursing school is what you make it to be. If you study and stay out of the drama you should do fine. Can someone tell me if this is true.

School is school and nursing is more intense than other majors, thats a fact. But really, its what you make of it. Its the ride of a life for me. yes I am busy, and yes I feel overwhelmed sometimes. But you know what? These two years that I am in school are going to pass in the same amount of time whether I go to school or not. Why not go to school and get something really big out of the two years? That's the way I look at it.

Drama is what you make of things. Every clinical is a dramatic experience because every clinical presents new learning experiences for us. Scary as you-know-what the first time you have to "..fill in the blank.." but again, the same amount of time will pass whether you are home chasing your kids, watching tv, or in school. Why not be in school to use the time to its best advantage? Life is an adventure anyway. I like to pack mine. I have two kids and husband who has cancer (remission holding for 3 years now!) and I work part time and I am a girl scout leader too. And I am going to volunteer at a hospice this summer and start a new job. And I still feel bored with school being out for the summer lol. The point is that there is really more time in the day than you think and getting a little past your comfort zone is not a bad thing because you will find that you really can do it.

Budget your time, you will have plenty of it to spend w/ your family and your child will benefit from the long-term advantage of having a mom who is a nurse.