Overwhelmed nursing student

Katie5 · Oct 23, 2009

Hi Karmen, the thing to remember is that all of us felt this same way one time or another in nursing school- you're not alone.

You said you were overwhelmed but not exactly in what?Is it one particular course or the whole nursing in general? Do you believe that stopping work would make all the difference and can you afford to stop work?

Fifteen hours does not seem to be a whole lot but then again, you know yourself better than most and if you think that would help and still not put you in financial straits then by all means go for it.

Another thing is this, re-evaluate yourself and see how you prioritize. What comes first in assignments?If youhad more time would you spend it wisely. It's not always a case of more time but how you actually use the time you have.

And as to your classmates all being on top of things, pls dear dont let that fool you. Things are seldom what they seem. They may be in same situation as you. Don't compare yourself to another. If changes are to be made, do it because it keeps you on top of things and makes you a better individual, That way too, the effect is long-lasting.

Goodluck in Nursing school and remember you can do this:) God Bless.

mamamerlee, LPN · Oct 23, 2009

I agree wholeheartedly w/Katie5. If you can cut back on your work hours then you must consider doing so. Hopefully, one exam will not determine your entire future. Most of us felt overwhelmed at one time or another. For me, it was during my senior year.

I went to a diploma school, and we had 4 10-week quarters, During the first 2 weeks of my Neuro/ICU rotation I was very sick, and hospitalized. These were the entirely classroom weeks, and I had a tough time trying to learn all that neuroanatomy/physiology/pathophys, etc. It is still my 'weak' spot!. But I had one professor who refused to let me give up, and she tutored me. I squeaked by, passing by the skin of my teeth. I can still remember 'On Old Olympus' Towering Tops, A Finn And German Brewed Some Hops'! (Cranial nerves!)

Best wishes!

L8RRN · Oct 23, 2009

Leaving your job would free up more time for studying (and relaxing!), so if you are financially able to quit, I say go for it!

Do you study alone or with someone? I found that discussing the material with another person made some stuff "stick" more because we were talking about it out loud and going over scenarios, etc.

Another suggestion is tape the lectures and replay them during your commute. Repetition helps with retention. Or you could even read parts of your text book to a tape recorder (concentrate on NURSING interventions...what you would do as a nurse) and replay those for your commute. You need an understanding of patho, but most nursing questions are all about what YOU as a NURSE would do. Our textbook actually has separate sections of nursing considerations (what position after liver biopsy, how to collect 24 hour urine specimen, etc) and my friend and I concentrated the most on those sections.

As for your nursing classmates being more confident, I wouldn't count on it. I was in a VERY tough program and we were expected to show confidence even when we didn't feel it. Most were able to put on a good show, but it was very stressful and we weren't near as "on top of things" as we tried to appear to be. :-)

GOOD LUCK! I understand how you feel! Don't give up and just keep trying new things until you find what works for you.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2009

Trust me on this....they are as overwhelmed as you are. It's never easy and we all felt that way, but we made it through and you will too. One day one task at a time.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Oct 23, 2009

Moved to the general student discussion forum

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2009

I started nursing school this fall and I already feel so overwhelmed... I had my first midterm, and I got a 67%. I have 2 more exams to raise up my grade, hopefully to a "B". I work about 15 hours a week part-time, and I commute to school about an hour a day back and forth. I just feel so behind. I feel intimidated by my nursing classmates, because they seem like they're on top of all the assignments/tests. I'm thinking about quitting my job, so that I can focus in school 100%. Any advice for new nursing students?

If you can afford to quit your job, quit. 15 hours might not seem like too many hours, but you are overwhelmed. You need more time to study and you need time to take full advantage of whatever resources your school has available to you.

Can you try to get in to a study group with some of your classmates? Find a student willing to tutor you or mentor you? Is there a professor you can talk to for advice? Is there a learning lab at your school?

Find out what is available and then channel those 15 hours you'll free up by quitting your job in to taking advantage of those resources.

Hopeful3 · Oct 23, 2009

If you can quite your job, quit! 15 hours dedicated to studying would be much better spent.

Also, some people just look more confident. I know people will say that to me all the time, and I am freaked out! trust me. LOL!

Hang in there!