Is Nursing School Hard?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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How hard is nursing shcool? Did many of you have difficult times when you went to nursing school? What motivated you and how did you make it through?

Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

What the heck is up with this thread? It seems like I've read so so so many threads here on this board about the horrors of nursing school. You know - everyone ends up on psych meds because it's so stressful, half drop out/fail out, the stress of clinicals, etc. Then comes along this thread and it sounds like...nursing school...eh...it was fine.

What gives?!

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.
What the heck is up with this thread? It seems like I've read so so so many threads here on this board about the horrors of nursing school. You know - everyone ends up on psych meds because it's so stressful, half drop out/fail out, the stress of clinicals, etc. Then comes along this thread and it sounds like...nursing school...eh...it was fine.

What gives?!

Have you compared it to the different populations involved? As in checked out the different areas of the forum that expressed these views ;)

cheers,

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.
What the heck is up with this thread? It seems like I've read so so so many threads here on this board about the horrors of nursing school. You know - everyone ends up on psych meds because it's so stressful, half drop out/fail out, the stress of clinicals, etc. Then comes along this thread and it sounds like...nursing school...eh...it was fine.

What gives?!

I think I understand; as far as the actual bookwork/coursework itself, it was more challenging than most of the other college courses I took, but not really hard. Now stress; that's a whole 'nuther ball of wax. Overall I would say nursing school was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but coursework wasn't what made it hard. It was the stress. What was the stress from? Not having ever done a procedure then being expected to either take a performance eval in the lab or actually perform it on a patient, things like that. Most of the instruction was really correction; go do something (a procedure, write a careplan, write out drug cards), when you do it wrong; we'll tell you what you did wrong. Also I had to work 30-40hrs a week to just get by so I just didn't get much sleep. And then of course the stress of knowing that if you didn't pass the only test that really mattered (NCLEX) your whole last 3 years (ADN is NOT a 2 year proposal) are a waste.

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:uhoh21: Okay, Im feeling kind of "not so smart" right now....and I feel like somewhat of a weenie!!!! I am in my 2nd year of school for LPN. I have 3 kids 7,5,3. I dont work, my husband works from 3-11pm so at night I am home with the kids by myself....anyway, all of these people saying that nursing school isnt hard.....and Im assuming it is for their RN......OMG...I am just going for my LPN and I think its hard.....the pressure of having to keep your grade up above an 80, and getting booted out if you go below that is is kind of scary. All of the time and money you put into it, and not to mention losing what you REALLY want//// and boom...its gone...that is enough to keep my on my toes. I study study study...anyway for those of you who have juggled work, kids and school and still passed school with flying colors that is AMAZING....and you should be proud! (anyone who passes nursing school should be very proud.....):nurse:

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I am finding nursing school very challenging but I am trying to do the very best that I can in class and in clinical. I also find it stressful and emotionally taxing. But I am not regretting it at all.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Just a note to the others

Climbingnurse, 5.10 on trad gear (i can do that)

Roy F boot camp ( I did that and thought it was fun)

I am in nursing school now and it is stressful because the amount of new info that we are required to learn but it not that bad.

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:uhoh21: Okay, Im feeling kind of "not so smart" right now....and I feel like somewhat of a weenie!!!! I am in my 2nd year of school for LPN. I have 3 kids 7,5,3. I dont work, my husband works from 3-11pm so at night I am home with the kids by myself....anyway, all of these people saying that nursing school isnt hard.....and Im assuming it is for their RN......OMG...I am just going for my LPN and I think its hard.....the pressure of having to keep your grade up above an 80, and getting booted out if you go below that is is kind of scary. All of the time and money you put into it, and not to mention losing what you REALLY want//// and boom...its gone...that is enough to keep my on my toes. I study study study...anyway for those of you who have juggled work, kids and school and still passed school with flying colors that is AMAZING....and you should be proud! (anyone who passes nursing school should be very proud.....):nurse:

You are not alone. My children are 12,10, and 8. I just finished the LPN program and it was the hardest thing i've ever done. I'ts not just me though, on average about 20-25% of students graduate the program I was in. Most people I know that have gone on to get their RN tell me that the LPN program was "a lot" harder than the RN program.

My instructors are rushing everyone to take their boards because according to them we are "well prepared" to take anything that anyone can throw our way. "I'm a believer". The highest grade ever given in our program was a B. No one has ever made an A in any class, so there goes the 3.8 GPA. I'm just glad it's over:mortarboard: Well, it's on to the RN now. I'm looking forward to more torture.

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Specializes in Maternity & Well Baby Nursery.
:uhoh21: Okay, Im feeling kind of "not so smart" right now....and I feel like somewhat of a weenie!!!! I am in my 2nd year of school for LPN. I have 3 kids 7,5,3. I dont work, my husband works from 3-11pm so at night I am home with the kids by myself....anyway, all of these people saying that nursing school isnt hard.....and Im assuming it is for their RN......OMG...I am just going for my LPN and I think its hard.....the pressure of having to keep your grade up above an 80, and getting booted out if you go below that is is kind of scary. All of the time and money you put into it, and not to mention losing what you REALLY want//// and boom...its gone...that is enough to keep my on my toes. I study study study...anyway for those of you who have juggled work, kids and school and still passed school with flying colors that is AMAZING....and you should be proud! (anyone who passes nursing school should be very proud.....):nurse:

I don't think you are a weenie! I have a good friend who graduated from LPN school last year and is working on her RN. She thinks RN school is easy! (Not me, although I don't think it is super difficult either, just time management issues). I asked her why she thought that and she told me that the LPN program is more condensed. Not just one day/week for clinical more like five days/week. And her program was 40hours/week. I give kudos to anyone who can do a program like the one she described to me.

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Specializes in PP, OR, med-surg,oncology, urodynamics.

Honestly it was hard for me. As mentioned in a previous post, you must be self motivated and FOCUS. The only thing I can compare to nursing school, is my experience in basic training. However, I am a mother of seven kids:16,15,13,12,11,4,and 2 years old. (Class of May 05). If I can do it, so can you. Good Luck!

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Specializes in Emergency room, med/surg, UR/CSR.

bwahahahahahahah! Laughing hysterically....from the memory of the stress, long hours, stupid clinical instructors that wanted us to write databases that had to be at least 20 pages long and then only getting a B- on it. Studying so many hours that the information started bouncing off my skull instead of sinking in, falling asleep at night by reciting drug formulas, having dreams of not being able to find my class, showing up at clinicals naked, etc, etc. Was it hard...........nah.......was it fun.......yeah........was it worth it......definitely! Good luck in nursing school. It's the toughest school you ever love!

Pam

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Specializes in critical care transport.

It's time consuming.

I have a very manic love/hate relationship with it. I feel I am constantly reminded about how much I don't know, and I truly want to do well.

I also hate the fact that for the first time in my life, I am getting C's grades...the grading curve is much harder at my school. What was once a "b" grade is now a "c" grade. I'm thinking bedsores will be comming because I'm parked reading.

I looooove it though. Even though there are times when I just want to be left alone.

It will be worth it, I keep telling myself. I'm learning a lot.

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Everyone's experiences are going to be different, but nursing school is very challenging. I also have found that many instructors agree that LPN school is more demanding that RN school; simply because LPN's go in just one year, and RN's have 2 years in most cases. However, good luck to you!

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