Something that I'm so SICK of hearing...

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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is all about how HARD nursing school is. And Yes, I do understand that it is hard, BUT people are so negative! I told one women the other day that I was starting Nursing school soon and her response was "how daunting" What is that all about???

I have found people who have been so positive and think that it's wonderful but then there are so many people who are just so negative. I'm just sick of hearing it.

So for the universe to know.."I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE HARD! I DON'T CARE! I STILL WANT TO BE A NURSE AND NO..I'M NOT GROSSED OUT BY BLOOD!"

Thank you..vent is over now ;)

Specializes in PCU Regional Heart Unit.

One of the things I have noticed since I started was the respect I'm getting from my family members. There is nothing more rewarding than to hear my parents say how proud they are of me. Yes at 36, it still matters what my parents think of me. I guess having dropped out of school 15 years ago my senior year in college always daunted me, having that constant feeling of being a quitter was always riding on my shoulders. Even my children are proud, I feel I like I'm setting a good example for them although at times they do get frustrated when my nose is in the books instead of playing outside.

When I tell others I'm in nursing school, I also get the "I could never do that, or Wow nursing school is tough" but I thrive on that, knowing I can do it.

Yeah - I get a mix of positive and negative comments when I tell people I'm about to start nursing school - anywhere from "NS is hard! How are you going to do it?" to "Why do you want to do that? I can't understand how people want to be in that job?". Whatever - I just let it slide off my back now - I don't really care anymore - this is my decision and I am happy with it. But I think everyones perception is different once in school - and it does have a lot to do with what else besides school you have on your plate. I know it's going to be difficult for me because I've been out of school for 3 years plus I'm working part-time during school - but others may not find that hard, or may have less on their plate. It's all an individual thing. And I think it's better that people (i.e. non nurses/students) are telling me how hard it is rather than being condescending (as some have been) and telling me how easy it will be.

I'm in nursing school now and I am not so much tired of others complaints as I don't understand them.

I have never took a test and thought "I don't know it I passed".

I don't stress out over school and I haven't found it that hard.

I have two kids who NEVER let me study and so far, I have not failed one individual test nor have I made anything less than a B in nursing classes.

Some tests, I don't think I barely studied or that I knew anything, but I always pass. During the test and in clinicals things just make sense to me.

I feel blessed to be doing well and to understand everything so well.

Some people disagree, but I think being a CNA before school helped A LOT.

Anyway, everyone is different and maybe nursing school is hard, but so far I haven't found it that difficult.

I haven't thought it's been all that hard either. I tend to procrastinate doing stuff - it's the way I've always been - and a lot of times I find myself pulling late nights that I wouldn't have to do if I'd get it a bit more together, but I've got a high solid GPA and I'm doing fine.

I could make things a lot easier on myself, though, so I consider a good part of it my fault and I don't complain about it too much.

One of the things I have noticed since I started was the respect I'm getting from my family members. There is nothing more rewarding than to hear my parents say how proud they are of me. Yes at 36, it still matters what my parents think of me. I guess having dropped out of school 15 years ago my senior year in college always daunted me, having that constant feeling of being a quitter was always riding on my shoulders. Even my children are proud, I feel I like I'm setting a good example for them although at times they do get frustrated when my nose is in the books instead of playing outside.

When I tell others I'm in nursing school, I also get the "I could never do that, or Wow nursing school is tough" but I thrive on that, knowing I can do it.

My husband called me from overseas yesterday and when I told him the final grades I know about at this point, he told me how proud he is of me and I cried. My mom may not say it, but I can tell she is by how she talks about when she was in nursing school - at Norfolk General Hospital in 1953! I wish my dad was here - he'd get a kick out of this. He passed away two years ago and is the prime reason I decided to go this route.

When others find out I'm in nursing school, they either look impressed or say, "Wow" as well.

Your kids are proud of you, even if they don't really know it yet. My dad went back to school when I was little and got an associates degree and then his bachelor's, both part time with three and then two kids at home, back during a time when people were just starting to do it (this was the last 1970s and early 1980s). He was the first one in both his family and our family to graduate from college, and even back then I knew that was a big deal. When I decided to go back to school to start prereqs (I didn't really know what I wanted to do - I was thinking pharmacy) four years ago, he told me that he remembered when he did it, that he'd been afraid of keeping up with all those "kids". He said it took about two weeks to figure out they'd have to keep up with HIM. :lol2:

I remember him sitting at the dining room table, studying; I was about five. He'd let me sit with him and look at his big art history book (I wish I still had that book; I remember it well). I was a pretty rambunctious kid, but I would sit there quiet as a mouse, looking at the art book. I thought it was neat to do whatever Daddy did (I was the baby and definitely a Daddy's girl). He worked his behind off and now I know that he also taught me a lot in the process.

Your kids are proud, and they're watching. They may not know it now, but they're learning something very valuable from you. Trust me.

Thank you missymarie. I feel the same way and I know whay u mean. I have a friend who flunked out and she is discouraging me. Now I support her, but don't try to discourage me because things did not work out for u. Keep a positive head and things will work out for you.

Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

Nursing school is a LOT of FUN! I just finished my first year, made all A's and B's and certainly didn't kill myself to get them. I have a great group of friends and we all had a blast and learned a lot!

Nursing school is FUN---remember that! Your going to have a great time :)

The one thing that annoys me is when people say "Eeeewww. How can you handle all that blood?" What??? They must think we go for a swim in it daily...!

I just laugh and tell people that I am actually a vampire at heart and need to be around lots of blood to function. :lol2: It USUALLY makes people laugh at their own statement. I have gotten some strange looks however. BTW- I AM kidding!:)

I'm not in the nursing program yet nor am I finished with prereq's but I have already heard it. So far family has been really encouraging but had one friend who had friends going through the nursing program and tell me "It's really hard- harder then they thought. Maybe you should try lpn first". Well nevermind that the first two months of the adn program IS the lpn portion.

But I got a lot of negative comments when I first went back to school. On one message board, I posted a message for anyone who had been in my position and for any tips of balancing everything. I got a rush of responses of how my schedule was impossible (married with two kids, worked 25 hours per week and had 13 credits) and I was throwing money away because I would end up dropping out in the middle of the semester and just when did I expect to sleep? One of those women was a college advisor supposedly. Another woman told me I sorely underestimated what I was getting myself into- something I found really offensive because it made me sound like a little high school girl who was naive. I have been to college before, I KNEW the amount of time it took for studying and such.

Even worse was when a friend, who knew I was fed up with the negative comments, immed me when I was trying to decide if I should drop one class for another. He asked my class schedule, I told him and he tore into me and told me I needed to drop some classes because I could never do it. Gee. Thanks.

Anyway, I just keep quiet about my classes now and if anyone asks how it's going I tell them fine. Because I'm doing great and am glad I never listened to those who told me I couldn't do it. It doesn't mean I have tons of time on my hands, but I'm not the sleep deprived, run down, snappy-constantlyrelyingondrivethuforsupper- person they made me out to be!

Ia Country girl.....Remember that there are lots of people that do it, so you can too. You seem to have the right attitude about it. Life throws all kinds of people your way, you just have to stay clear of the ones that don't support you. Good luck!

Oh, the first 2 months is NOT the LVN program. Contrary to popular belief, the LVN program is not easier than the RN program, it is just shorter. Peace and love.

Specializes in CNA, RN Student.
My husband called me from overseas yesterday and when I told him the final grades I know about at this point, he told me how proud he is of me and I cried. My mom may not say it, but I can tell she is by how she talks about when she was in nursing school - at Norfolk General Hospital in 1953! I wish my dad was here - he'd get a kick out of this. He passed away two years ago and is the prime reason I decided to go this route.

When others find out I'm in nursing school, they either look impressed or say, "Wow" as well.

Your kids are proud of you, even if they don't really know it yet. My dad went back to school when I was little and got an associates degree and then his bachelor's, both part time with three and then two kids at home, back during a time when people were just starting to do it (this was the last 1970s and early 1980s). He was the first one in both his family and our family to graduate from college, and even back then I knew that was a big deal. When I decided to go back to school to start prereqs (I didn't really know what I wanted to do - I was thinking pharmacy) four years ago, he told me that he remembered when he did it, that he'd been afraid of keeping up with all those "kids". He said it took about two weeks to figure out they'd have to keep up with HIM. :lol2:

I remember him sitting at the dining room table, studying; I was about five. He'd let me sit with him and look at his big art history book (I wish I still had that book; I remember it well). I was a pretty rambunctious kid, but I would sit there quiet as a mouse, looking at the art book. I thought it was neat to do whatever Daddy did (I was the baby and definitely a Daddy's girl). He worked his behind off and now I know that he also taught me a lot in the process.

Your kids are proud, and they're watching. They may not know it now, but they're learning something very valuable from you. Trust me.

This post really touched me. I swear I can relate to your every word!

The one piece of advice that I pass along to people who are just starting prereqs and thinking about NS is this, always take what people are saying and store it in a mental filing cabinet for future use, should you need it. Everyone is unique so how can your experience be identical to someone elses? I could have spared myself the terror of worrying about failing the classes that I have passed with flying colors if only I hadn't listened to all the people who had taken the classes before me. "Bla bla bla is sooooooooo hard you will kill yourself studying, don't every put your book down, you will have no life" hmmmm, although I have contributed way more time into school than anything else before, I have also mastered a new art called "balance" and although I wish I did have more time for kids and family, I am sure any parent in any field does.

I think that people that are saying things to daunt people in a negative way might simply be envious at others and their ability (financially and mentally) to go to school and do something such as nursing. I am glad people are now reacting the same way they would to someone saying they were going to Med school. This just makes me proud and makes me realize that the recognition for those who become nurses is looked highly upon. And WE are the ones pursuing it.

I too am so glad that people are amazed that I am doing this and that people who care about me are proud of me. The one person who I am waiting to proud of me for is me, and I can't wait to be as proud as I will be come graduation. At this point, just starting NS, I have already never been prouder of myself and I hope all of you guys are too.

I got all emotional with my Adult Health clinical group on our last day; I started to tell all of them how proud I am of them and almost bawled. I have sat in class and listened to us spout out nursing dx's and differentials, interventions and lab values, and think to myself how clueless most of us were in the first days of school - which was only last August but feels like years ago.

We're getting there - we're changing - they haven't licked us and they're not going to. For the folks who are still doggedly working their way through those seemingly endless prereqs - you'll do it.

Trust me - I never thought I'd be sitting here either.

;)

Specializes in Psych.
I got a rush of responses of how my schedule was impossible (married with two kids, worked 25 hours per week and had 13 credits) and I was throwing money away because I would end up dropping out in the middle of the semester and just when did I expect to sleep? One of those women was a college advisor supposedly. Another woman told me I sorely underestimated what I was getting myself into- something I found really offensive because it made me sound like a little high school girl who was naive. I have been to college before, I KNEW the amount of time it took for studying and such. quote]''

True friends, and family will always be honest but supportive. Some people gave me a similar reaction when I told them I was working 60+ hrs a week and taking my prereq's at the same time. I don't have time for those people. If you can't be supportive of my choices then you are no friend. I do appreciate true concern for my welfare "Remember to take time for yourself dear" comments from my mother. My attitude has always been "bring it!" I know nursing school is hard and unlike the other degrees I've completed. It requires a great deal of concentration, critical thinking, etc. But that's what makes it so great. When you're done you really know you've accomplished a huge goal. Oh, and BTW, I know two ladies who are in an accelerated (12 month BSN) right now who are doing it all and doing well in school. One girl is working fulltime nights (nonmedical), the other has 3 kids, works 25hrs per week (nurse tech). They are my role models!:)

Dee

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