Possible nursing student.

Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2012

Nursing School is definitely not a walk in the park, it takes an immense amount of self control and motivation to not only prepare for class but clinical as well. This semester I am in Nursing I and I have lecture Monday from 5-9pm, then Tuesday I have skills lab, Wednesday and Thursday I have clinical from 5-1130pm. This leaves me with 3 days for myself but in reality its prime study time.

Nurses need to have a thorough knowledge of biology and chemistry to properly practice the profession. Most schools require students to complete a full year of English, 1 semester of chemistry, 1 year of anatomy and physiology, 1 semester of microbiology, 1 year of psychology with general and developmental as focuses, and 1 semester of sociology before offering admittance into a program and that does not include a nursing entrance exam.

If your goal is to join one of the branches of the Armed Forces as an officer that are easier routes to take and you should talk to your local recruiter. Best of luck in your future endeavors.

chrisrn24 · Nov 28, 2012

Frankly, you will need to get better grades in college to even qualify for the program. Just being honest. You can do it though if you put your mind to it! I don't want to discourage you but you will need good grades. Probably above a 3.0. There are a ton of kids who want to get in that have great grades.

Nursing school was hard...not gonna lie. Lots of studying. I usually had weekends, and oftentimes, I'd hang out with friends while I did homework. I survived though. It was worth it. And I still had a fun time in college. But you have to realize your boundaries. Sometimes you have to say no to friends and study.

I think the admission tests are general knowledge. Basic algebra, science, etc. I don't think I aced mine, but I don't think I failed it. It's not about the content per se I believe, it's testing your ability to learn (someone correct me if I'm horribly wrong).

Columnist · Nov 28, 2012

Moved to General Nursing Student for more response.

Racer15, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2012

My brother is a HS senior, interested in the nursing program that I graduate from in a week. I'll tell you what I have told him.

You will need to get your GPA up. You will need to do well on the ACT (my brother got a 19 on his ACT, not going to cut it. I got a 28, got me into my program with flying colors). You will have to become accountable for your grades. Do nurses have a strong science background? Yes. I have a bachelors of science in agriculture (I was pre-vet). Lots of chemistry, lots of biology, anatomy, etc. If you are focused and self-motivated, it's doable. You'll have to take a lot of college pre-reqs to boost your GPA, you won't have anyone holding your hand, but it's doable.

Nursing school is time consuming. It's stressful. But it also is something that can be accomplished, and you don't have to be a genius. Just self-motivated.

hodgieRN · Nov 28, 2012

If you are looking into being a nurse, make sure that you want to make a career out of it. You mentioned that you want to become an officer in the Air Force. Ask yourself this.....Would I still become a nurse even if I didn't go into the military? You have to want to do it for the sole purpose of wanting to be a nurse. You can't use it as a vehicle for something else. If you don't really want it, remember that after you become an officer....you are going to be a nurse day-in and day-out, year after year. Plus, nursing school is not a walk in the park. You should read the posts on this forum of people going into nursing b/c it sounded like a good second option or their friends are doing it, so why not me? They soon learn it's not what they expected or wanted. It's a wake up call and once you get into the program, you realize how much you have sacrificed just to sit in the classroom on the first day. If you find out that you don't like doing patient care, wiping butts, wrapping foul-smelling wounds, trachs with sputum flying out of them, working long hours, working holidays, etc...then what is the point of becoming an officer in a field that you don't want? However, if you do enjoy taking care of patient, pushing yourself, and helping people that are in need of medical attention, then nursing is something that you can use to help you come an intelligent, well-respected officer that enlisted personal can use as a model for their own success. As an officer, you are going to be a leader... a person accountable for your actions and the actions of other. Nursing also falls under this idea because you are taking care of people that need help. You will become a role model for others, so you have to take pride in work work.

If you are not sure about nursing, you should see if you can shadow a nurse for a couple of nights. Follow someone in the ER, ICU, medical-surgical floor, etc. Find out what they do. Any TV show that depicts nurses are usually completely wrong with the responsibilities that they carry, so the only way to see it first hand is to shadow. That's what I did. I swore I wanted to be a doctor or a medic, but when I saw all the things nurses did, I was hooked. If you find out that nursing it something that you want to do, you will make a fine officer, but make sure it's what you want.

zoe92 · Nov 29, 2012

Have you thought about joining the Air Force as enlisted, getting your BSN while in, and then becoming an officer? It's called the Air Force Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program and it would save you a lot of money, considering they pay for your education, housing and food while also paying you a salary. My boyfriend is enlisted in the Air Force and I am amazed at his benefits.

Anbo3882 · Nov 29, 2012

I'll tell you one thing. As a current RN student who got very good grades before the program, the difficulty of nursing school can be overwhelming. It is a lot of studying. Sometimes 15-20 hours per a week for one class. That is on top of the time spent in lecture and clinical/lab classes. I am dead broke because I don't have time for a job and tuition/books are expensive. I don't see my family often, even though I live with them. And friends? Well, they are non existent at the moment. It is rewarding. But you must be dedicated to this profession. While in school, to be successful, you need to make it your first priority. Discuss this with your friends and family. Tell them the time commitment you will have to make and explain the support that you expect from them. Above all make sure this is the right job for you! If all that sounds good to you, then welcome to the madness. :)

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 30, 2012

If your sole purpose for becoming a nurse is to be an officer in the military, you are taking the wrong route. Go into nursing because you genuinely want to care for patients. Go into nursing because you genuinely are interested in science. Go into nursing because it's what you want to do for a career. Don't go into nursing because it's going to get you the salary you want, or the military rank you want. You would be doing it for all the wrong reasons.

There are plenty of other ways to become an officer in the military and other degrees that would be easier to accomplish than going into nursing. It is VERY competitive to even get into a nursing program at all. You're going to be competing against people with much higher GPAs than what you currently have. You'll need to finish all your science and other required pre-reqs before you can even apply to nursing school. Once you're in nursing school, the pace of study is faster, you're expected to read on your own time, come to class prepared and apply what you know. No one is going to hold your hand. You can't miss a class. You are constantly quizzed on your math and medical terminology in addition to your clinical knowledge. It's not easy by any means!

So, ask yourself again...is this REALLY what you want to do? Or is it just a "sure fire" way to become an officer? Don't do it for the wrong reasons!

Etarc · Dec 2, 2012

Hey guys, sorry for the confusion, I meant to put pre-nursing.

Nursing shcool is the last 2 years of the traditional 4 year bachelors degree, correct?

Thanks for the responses, although I like to think I'm not nearly as feeble willed as you seem to expect.

Yes, I do want to be an officer in the military. No, I didn't only pick Nursing because it's an easy way in.

I think I'll take that advice and volunteer at a hospital to see if it's for me, my main question was concerning if the average person went into pre-nursing/nursing school, if hard would work would be enough to get them through. As opposed to a "special" type of person I guess.

nguyency77, CNA · Dec 2, 2012

College gives you a fresh start.

Have you applied to any universities? Are you planning on going for your Bachelor's right away? You're still in high school, so that means you have a bit of time to raise that GPA a bit. The high school GPA won't affect you in college, but it will determine what schools you get into. You could also do some of your pre-requisite classes at a community college, and then transfer over. Just make sure the university agrees to grant you credit for the classes you take.

I don't start nursing school until January, but I did complete all the pre-requisites to enter my BSN program. Nursing school is the last two years of a bachelor's program. You seem pretty smart, and I think you could do it.

How good are you at chemistry and biology?