Questions about nursing

Renee4christ · Dec 19, 2008

hi there:) First of all, it's not cool that your friends are not supporting what you want to do in life, especially something so positive. You have to come to the point where you are going to do something regardless of what ppl may say or think. They most likely are going by what they have "heard" and that is not always legitimate unless they themselves are nurses! If this is what you want to do and have a passion for, go through with it. I am in my 4th semester of nursing school and I will say that nursing school opens your eyes to what nursing is really all about. It destroys the theory of it being "oh so pretty, the babies, and all about the money." I will try to answer your questions because I can go on and on.

(1)Do you have to have excellent grades to become a nurse? If excellent is straight A's, then no, you don't have to have them in order to be a nurse.

All colleges require you to have a certain gpa in order to be accepted into a program. Your solid A's and B's need to be in your sciences, psychcology, and basic math. C's are not the best, but it is passing... In my opinion, gpa is the main factor these days.

(2)What are the two main subjects I should focus on while I’m in High School? I know people have said science.

Not to say that your high school grades and classes don't count, but they mainly look at your college level courses when you are applying to nursing school. But, it doesn't hurt to concentrate on your science courses for sure!

(3)What does it take to be a nurse? -Do you have to be good at a certain thing, or can anyone who sets their mind to it, become a nurse?

I'm not a nurse yet, but I think in order to be a nurse you have to be caring, patient, and compassionate. You always have to be willing to deal with the not so pretty sides of nursing (cleaning and bathing patients, etc)

(4)What is the least favorable thing about being a nurse?

I will have to answer that in 2010 when i graduate!!!!

(5)What is the BEST thing about being a nurse. (or a NICU or Peds nurse, which is what I'm looking into)

N/A

(6)What is a normal day like in nursing school?

Nursing school in itself is like a job and relationship. You have to put in a lot and be dedicated to it, even when you don't want to. A typical day is a 2-3 hour lecture for a class and then you have your clinical days where you go to the hospital, nursing home, or community center and spend 6-8 hours practicing what you have learned. It's a lot of fun and you really learn a lot. It's different from high school, because you may not have to go to school everday depending on your schedule.

(7)Do you go into school with a set goal of where you're going to want to work when you graduate, or do you change your mind after working in different areas?

I think a lot of ppl including myself, go into nursing thinking they know exactly what they want to do. Take me for instance, I went in knowing that i wanted to work in labor and delivery... my first day that I saw a birth in clinicals and the labor process, i knew that was not for me! That is the good thing about nursing school is that you get to see just about all the areas in the hospital in clincals and get to find out what you like best!

Well, i guess i have said enough, but i used to have a lot of the same questions that you have!!! Let me know if you want to know anything else that I can help you with. What grade are you in now?

sunray12 · Dec 19, 2008

i want to become a nurse when i graduate from high school in 2010.
i'm just not sure if it's for me. i mean, i feel like i would love it but the reaction i get from my friends when i tell them i want to go to nursing school is extremely disapointing. i wish they would encourage me, unstead of tell me how hard and tiring it's going to be.
i like challenges, and i would like to prove to everyone that i can become a nurse. :)
here are my questions:
(1)do you have to have excellent grades to become a nurse?
(2)what are the two main subjects i should focus on while i'm in high school? i know people have said science.
(3)what does it take to be a nurse? -do you have to be good at a certain thing, or can anyone who sets their mind to it, become a nurse?
(4)what is the least favorable thing about being a nurse?
(5)what is the best thing about being a nurse. (or a nicu or peds nurse, which is what i'm looking into)
(6)what is a normal day like in nursing school?
(7)do you go into school with a set goal of where you're going to want to work when you graduate, or do you change your mind after working in different areas?
i'm sorry if it's thrown into one post, but it's much simplier than writing 7 other posts. :)

hello:

it's your life and eventually you are going to have to decide what you want for you. your true friends will support you and as for the others - you don't need them. you're young and still have plenty of time to think about this and figure out what you want but eventually you will have to make a decision for you.

now to answer your questions:

(1)do you have to have excellent grades to become a nurse?

most two year rn programs ask for h.s. algebra and chemistry - min grade of c. since there are a lot of people who want in to rn programs these days it helps to get the best grades you can. another option is starting at the lpn level then you could go for your rn and possibly bsn and higher down the road whenever you're ready. if you are ready to take on the responsibility of being in a nursing program now you might even be able to start with a lpn program pretty much now while you are still in high school if there are any available in your area. talk to your guidance counselor about this.

(2)what are the two main subjects i should focus on while i'm in high school? i know people have said science.

math, chemistry, and biology are most important. you need writing competency so you need to do well in english.

(3)what does it take to be a nurse? -do you have to be good at a certain thing, or can anyone who sets their mind to it, become a nurse?

if you decide it's what you want to do then you can do it. you also need to have good customer service skills to be good at patient care.

(4)what is the least favorable thing about being a nurse?

some people don't like the body fluids, but you will either a) get used to it, or b) find a job in a specialty that is non-invasive.

(5)what is the best thing about being a nurse. (or a nicu or peds nurse, which is what i'm looking into)

having a valuable job skill, the satisfaction of having a professional license and a job where you make a direct difference in people's lives everyday. good pay.

(6)what is a normal day like in nursing school?

i'm not a nurse yet so i can't speak from personal experience but you should spend some time reading the specialty boards (go to the tabs at the top of the page to find them). you'll learn a lot.

(7)do you go into school with a set goal of where you're going to want to work when you graduate, or do you change your mind after working in different areas?

as you research and talk to nurses you'll start to get an idea of the areas you think you'll like. then when you are in school and in clinicals these ideas will start to firm up. the good thing about nursing is that it has a lot of flex - as long as you have that license you will have the opportunity to try different specialties if you choose.