I am a junior in nursing school and I think being a nursing student is hard because you are scrambling to acclimate to a real floor where you have a real patient, with real problems, real medications, and real needs for treatment. You need to be competent enough to work with this sick person, understand their medical history (how it presents, what it does to the person, and what we do for it), understand their medications (indications, side effects, teaching), among other things. You are another member of the healthcare team making sure this patient is getting the best possible treatment. You are also liable if they are not.
It is also very emotionally draining because here these people are in the worst shape of their life-but you deal with it everyday. You will see the horror stories families have to go through. Strokes, heart attacks, deaths, abuse, etc. It won't really bother you as much because it is every day. A patient might be traumatized due to their history, but it is easy to get into the habit of just shrugging it off: "Oh this is my third patient this week who had a stroke. Not really big news. Nothing new." You can never forget that this person is an individual.
That all being said: being a nurse is a honor. To have the abiltiy to work with the public in such a way is something special and unique. The dedication, knowledge, and skill you deliver your patients is challenging-but the reward is definitely there. You don't forget your first patient, the first birth you see, or the first death. You remember special patients. Hope this helps.
