OMG, is it only the second day of nursing school????

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I feel like I've been going for a year, with the reading a mountain of material online and off for the week before the first class, the horrendous commute, the additional exercises and materials in class and just the general overwhelm and disorientation.

Then again, every tribe has its rites of passage.

How were YOUR first days of nursing school? What did you do to thrive?

Specializes in None yet..
I was on the "do not play" list, also, but I think part of it is BECAUSE of my background (first responder, hospital corpsman, lactation specialist and phlebotomist) and that I am older than many of my classmates were (I was 32 when I started).

SeattleJess, the few times I was with a study group in the beginning (I did finally find people I connected with), it was 75% gossip and catching up on social stuff, and maybe 25% material, and even then, a lot of it was covering stuff that I didn't need covered. Don't stress too much. It's early yet, and I know that I got close to people as time went on, and now that we've graduated, we're very close. :)

Wow, now I feel like I'm in an elite group! If RunBabyRN made the "do not play" list, then jeepers, that's a pretty fine list! Also good to hear that the reality of a study group is sometimes not near as good as the fantasy of one.

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Specializes in None yet..
Aiming to thrive is an admirable goal, for sure. You might be less overwhelmed if you aim to survive, and worry about thriving once you're in the swing of things. ;) I never 'thrived' in nurising school, it was an uphill battle from day one until right up until the day before pinning (when we got our final grades). I did end up with a 3.2 GPA, so I didn't do to terrible once was all said and done, but thrive, I can't say I ever came close. :)

I'll take that as a thrive! Congratulations on your accomplishments. And I like your suggestion. Here's to surviving.

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Specializes in None yet..
I'm getting ready to start week 7 and you will definitely find your own routine. I realized around week 4 that I wasn't running around constantly in a panic that I wasn't going to get XYZ done.

I have a lot of weekly assignments due on certain days of the week, so I have scheduled days that I'll do them.

My medications and diagnostic test sheets (usually 3-5 each) are due at clinical at 0600 on Monday, they get done on Friday. I spend my Sundays working on my care plans for Monday clinical. My case study that is due every Thursday morning at 0800, I typically do Wednesday afternoons (last minute because I have an exam every Wednesday morning and I'd rather focus on that). ATI videos....I do one a night until they are done (this week I have 6, ugh!) I am also taking A&P simultaneously, so I squeeze in that whenever I can. I see a nursing tutor every Monday afternoon. I highly, highly recommend this if your school has one. My grades aren't in trouble, I've had some pretty good tests thus far, it's just great to have someone there to walk you through certain concepts or to quiz you on the stuff you need a little more help with.

If your class hasn't done so, it's really nice to have a private facebook group just for you guys -- no teachers. You can help each other with assignments or ask, "Hey, when xyz due?" It can help break the ice with your classmates, too.

"Nursing tutor"??? That sounds better than a study group right now. I will certainly check this out. THANK YOU, Backwardo!

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Specializes in None yet..
I just finished my 3rd week of school in a 2-yr accelerated program. Today I had my first clinical shift working in a hospital within an acute care for elderly unit. This was a very difficult day for me...I really had to go out of my comfort zone with the bed baths and other hygienic care. Admittedly, I cried a lot and am feeling quite down and unsure about what I've also gotten myself into. Yes the class work is a lot with the many readings, but that is something I am used to and embrace. The labs plus clinical are new additions that I have to get used to.

I'm concerned because I have been dreading the hygiene care and am not fully interested in working with an ageing population...and that is exactly what I had to do today. I feel like the only one who is in this position as everyone I've spoken to seems to embrace things more naturally. My original idea was to pursue a masters to become an NP or maybe do some other non-bedside nursing care. It's just hard after this first day, I feel like the satisfaction has yet to come. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself since it is still early.

I'd like to hear what everyone else felt upon their first clinical experience.

Also on a side note, I have an hour and a half commute one way every day, and for clinical I had to be awake for 4:00 AM to get to the hospital by 7 AM. This definitely adds to the stress the life as a nursing student.

Razz, you make me feel pampered. I can sleep in until 4:30 am and my commute is only 2 hours round trip (if there are no accidents or construction slowdowns.)

Nursing is such a broad area, it would be more surprising if you didn't find areas you dislike. I don't think anyone enjoys poo but learning to deal with it is giving me skills to deal with other kinds of "poo." One thing that helps me is to shift my focus from the crap to the clean. I assess and then think only about how clean, fresh and comfortable my patient is going to be. I watch the stains disappear from skin and wipe/washcloth and that's my focus. I do admit, it's tough to get those really epic bowel movements out of my mind. Like the large, liquid one that soaked my catheter-wearing resident's clothing and all of her bedding. Felt like I got to practice half the CNA skills just on that one event. But even that vision faded.

Other people have given great advice on this thread about remembering that it's just for a short time. Hang in there and don't kick yourself for being you.

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Specializes in ICU, neuro ICU.
I knew that was part of nursing but I did not know my reaction would be this way. Oddly enough, I am ok with dealing with blood and other aspects like that but to enter someone's personal space when it comes to peri-care is where my difficulty lies. I also am looking forward to performing the more technical side to nursing and interested in educating the community about preventative measures in health. That is why I wanted to become a nurse. But of course I understand that in order to provide that community care I need to understand the profession from the front line. I'm just hoping that I am able to handle things more easily in time.

You definitely will! That's all I meant by my post. My first day of CNA training I seriously couldn't believe all the disgusting and seemingly invasive things I was going to have to do. It very quickly became second nature, though, and I am very young and have never had experience with "gross" things (such as having to change babies or take care of an older parent.) If I could get over it, anyone can!;)

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Specializes in None yet..
You definitely will! That's all I meant by my post. My first day of CNA training I seriously couldn't believe all the disgusting and seemingly invasive things I was going to have to do. It very quickly became second nature, though, and I am very young and have never had experience with "gross" things (such as having to change babies or take care of an older parent.) If I could get over it, anyone can!;)

The son of a nurse I knew described his father's job as "doing disgusting painful things to helpless people."

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Specializes in School Nursing.
I knew that was part of nursing but I did not know my reaction would be this way. Oddly enough, I am ok with dealing with blood and other aspects like that but to enter someone's personal space when it comes to peri-care is where my difficulty lies. I also am looking forward to performing the more technical side to nursing and interested in educating the community about preventative measures in health. That is why I wanted to become a nurse. But of course I understand that in order to provide that community care I need to understand the profession from the front line. I'm just hoping that I am able to handle things more easily in time.

You get used to this stuff with time. I remember first semester them talking about digital exams and removing fecal impaction. I thought, "no way I'll ever be comfortable doing that"... ha! Bowel and peri care are a fundamental part of nursing, you get used to it really quickly.

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Hell... My first 3 weeks were hell. I cried, had panic attacks and wanted to quit nearly every single day. But it gradually got better and better. Now, 7 weeks in, I've finally got into a routine and I can actually say I love it so far. I hope it gets easier for you all too! Good luck :)

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Wow. I am waiting acceptance (should know in 30 days) to start in an accelerated program in January. I am not a traditional student (44yo) and I already have a bachelors degree.

I'm finishing my last pre-nursing classes this semester, and when I hear that I'll have pharm, patho, adult care, etc. in my first semester.....I'm already having anxiety. HOW do you survive? :down:

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1/2 way done with 2nd Semester Baby!!!

Readings.....Never going to happen. Skim over the powerpoints and use the book for reference and clarification.

Use Saunders NCLEX prep, ATI books if you have them, And Med-Surg (ect) Success books. All your test questions are going to be NCLEX style so study NCLEX questions for your tests, period.

Celebrate every week. I do it with sparkling Cider.

Manage your time. If you think 1st semester is hard (and it is) then 2nd semester will kill you if you let it. Manage, Manage, Manage. If you don't need a job, then don't have one.

And remember, this is only for 2 years (traditional). Accelerated 15 months (I think).

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@Livinnursing

Great points! Thanks! I was worried about the reading. I don't read that fast b/c I read to comprehend. Second semester is worse than first? Oh Lawd!

I don't have a job. The only things for me is that during first semester, by son will go to State Swimming Championship in Austin, will have prom, will graduate from high school, and my daughter will graduate from college. Barring any unforeseen catostrophes, I will have nothing to worry about but school. (And the usual things that a mom/wife worries about...)

Congrats and keep on trucking along!

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Specializes in None yet..
Wow. I am waiting acceptance (should know in 30 days) to start in an accelerated program in January. I am not a traditional student (44yo) and I already have a bachelors degree.

I'm finishing my last pre-nursing classes this semester, and when I hear that I'll have pharm, patho, adult care, etc. in my first semester.....I'm already having anxiety. HOW do you survive? :down:

Well... I haven't survived to the end of the quarter but I've survived so far and though it isn't easy and I am not on top of everything by a long shot, it is getting a teensy, tinsy bit more manageable. I am starting to think that the overwhelm is part of our training, teaching us to sort out and focus on the important points in an ocean of info and stimulation-which may we our work lives-and to find our own ways to manage stress.

My three-weeks-in advice to you would be to get your fundamentals text as soon as you know what it is and then practice reading it with the SQ3R method. I wish I'd done that instead of learning more effective study techniques now. (Kind of like starting to build your rowboat on Day Two of Katrina.) Don't let yourself have all the time in the world to read and understand everything. Spend your time before school starts really working on your study techniques.

And even if you flub it, everyone says that you just need to pass. Some comfort in that.

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