Jane says

Hello, After a long semester and terrible battle with anxiety I decided not to go back and finish nursing school. I had a year left. Many of you were encouraging and helpful and just wanted to update you, if you happen to read this post. The school I attended has a less than 70% pass rate for the last 2 years and they decided to cut out the ADN program I was in. This made it very stressful, as I had to make sure and pass my classes because they weren't being offered again. After announcing this news, a student who failed a class filed a lawsuit. They quickly made up rules for readmission in case we failed one of our classes. I was told by a professor that they made our exams tougher to assure only the best students make it. I was also told there was a "trend" in the program. "Students who make an 80 in Pathophys, will make a 70 in Med Surg 1 and typically not pass Med Surg 2" This was upsetting and discouraging because I had a C in both Patho and Med Surg 1. Toward the end, I received counseling and even reluctantly got on antidepressants. The medication only helped me see clearer. I made my decision and am happy with it. Nothing is worth feeling the way I felt. In addition, I could not find a single person who could be of inspiration through this nursing journey. Most people I talked to were money driven or impressed with what an RN degree does/would do for their ego. This should have nothing to do with why someone chooses this career! Its tough and its dirty out there and you have to have inner strength to make it. If anyone is feeling like they are in a poor nursing program or going through depression/ anxiety because of nursing school I feel its wrong to simply cover up with antidepressants. But thats a whole other topic. Good luck to those of you still hanging in there, may you find the strength to do what is best for you!

Thanks for your reply. This post was the beginning of my being in a terrible place with school. I have 4 weeks left and 3 exams left in this semester. If I can make it through I'll be okay. Thanks again

School is depressing me. Most days I am not motivated, have a lack of interest in things that used to make me happy...blah blah blah... The thing is I've had terrible luck with anti-depressents and firmly don not believe in them. I am considering quitting nursing school because its just too much. I want to be a nurse but I'm starting to think its not going to get any better. I have a year left and then the N-CLEX. Im worried if I'll never be the same person I used to be.

Darn. I thought I was in Disneyland.

Thanks for your responses. My instructor knows about it. We discussed this issue, as well as, the morphine vial that got thrown in the med cart trash and the patient that was allowed to smoke in his room. This floor has a reputation for these behaviors, it was just shocking is all. However, your comments gave me a new perspective.... Maybe working on a hospital floor is similar to waiting tables in a restaurant. There is always going to be the 1 or 2 servers who feed off difficult customers. They curse and complain in the kitchen so, when they take food to the table they don't throw it at you. I get it now. I just expected something different. Something called compassion? But I'll be different. After all, I never spit in anyone's food :)

At clinical today we were at the hospital we go to regularly for our clinical rotation. I am a positive person, I do what I can to help and stay busy. I often hear the nurses talking bad about patients amongst each other. Hospital policy requires a bedside report and they do the bedside report AFTER they speak their mind to each other. Cussing included, and all before 7 a.m! They bully other newly licensed nurses and talk about them too. Their bedside manner is atrocious. It's like the unprofessionalism has spread through the unit because today the RN was gossiping rudely about patients with the charge nurses. The last thing I heard from the nurse today was, "Just go ahead and call the police because I'm gonna throw that b***h out the window." speaking of the patient crying for pain medication. Is this just what they do?! Can I do anything?