Scared of nursing school...please help!

I'm on my way to beginning LPN school at my local vo-tech. I was excited about it and confident in myself because I grew up with a terminal illness that familiarized me with the medical field. I'm great at terminology, familar with procedures, know where organs are located, etc. because of growing up with several medical conditions.

Then I talked to a good friend whose mother and father is an LPN and she turned my whole world upside down!!!!! She warned me that it's TERRIBLY, dreadfully difficult and that I will be "weeded out." She said the soursework is heavy, intricate and difficult.

I realize the instructors will be unsupportive probably because they aren't "regular" teachers; they themselves are nurses. I also realize that no school is going to be easy!

I guess my weak points are algebra and chemistry..... which is ultimately why I didn't opt for a nursing major in college. It's just too much math and science - so I heard that LPN school is more hands-on and more "practical" procedures...I felt so happy to hear that!

I graduated from high school last year, and I have no interest in liberal arts education from colleges. I want a skill, a profession, and since I'm already semi-familiar with the medical field....I thought LPN was perfect for me. Now I am scared to death.

Please help!

your friend doesn't sound too supportive.

she isn't in charge of your future, you are.

GO FOR IT!

I agree. She made me feel terrible. She also told me that most of the math will be fractions - fractions are my weakest area of math. I'm just so insecure now.

Any advice from anyone is really appreciated....

I agree. She made me feel terrible. She also told me that most of the math will be fractions - fractions are my weakest area of math. I'm just so insecure now.

Any advice from anyone is really appreciated....

there aren't tons of fractions. but go to a website for 5th or 6th grade math. go to the fraction area. try them... practice them. then once you 'get it' move on to the 7th and 8th grade ones. you'll be amazed at how easy fractions can be if you just go back to the basics and start all over.

try adding fractions first....

here:

http://www.aaamath.com/B/grade5.htm#topic10

Trust me, you can do it, it's not that bad. I will be graduating from LPN school Friday, August 11. It has been tough, but the Math we had was simple and I am also terrified of Math. The most difficult part for me was the tests. They are different than tests you may take in other courses. There is alot of critical thinking involved, but your instructors should help you develop that skill. It can be very stressful at times, but if you develop a network of friends in your class you can help each other get through it. However do not get too involved with people who are negative or have bad test anxiety because they can stress you out even more. If you happen to have test anxiety just try and relax and think positive thoughts and get plenty of rest, all night study sessions in Nursing school can do you in on a big test, mainly because you must be able to think clearly, and an all nighter can and will make it hard to concetrate and think critically. Anyway, good luck, you'll do fine.

From what I have been hearing, LPN school is almost like bootcamp. Is this true? Is it the bookwork that's so hard, or the clinical? My friend said both. I almost felt as if she were jealous that I was considering such a profession. She insisted it was "just" an LVN, NOT an LPN. I tried explaining to her that it is known as an LVN -or- an LPN depending on where you're from....

Either way I keep hearing horror stories about how terrible the schooling is, and how many people fail out. I'm scared of failing out.

Yet whenever I talk to my friends who are LPNs - they say they are so glad they did it. My one friend is an uncertified nurse's aide and she said that the nurse's aides do the dirty work while the LPNs do the other stuff and paperwork.

Anyway..... all advice given to me is appreciated, no one around me will talk to me about this because they aren't familiar with it at all. they don't even believe me when I tell them some of the things that have to do with nursing.... *sigh*

Listen. I recently heard it described as "boot camp," and that is so very accurate. I used to orient PCA's and student nurses to our unit, and let me tell you, LVN's/LPN's graduate so much more ready to work than ADN's and BSN's (this is personal experience, please don't flame.) I cant' tell you how many RN's I had to train to take vital signs! Even temps! (This was in the Medical Center in Houston)

So, just go. And study. Do your best and it will be okay. As long as the school has a decent pass-rate, it will be okay.

seva, lvn

Listen. I recently heard it described as "boot camp," and that is so very accurate. I used to orient PCA's and student nurses to our unit, and let me tell you, LVN's/LPN's graduate so much more ready to work than ADN's and BSN's (this is personal experience, please don't flame.) I cant' tell you how many RN's I had to train to take vital signs! Even temps! (This was in the Medical Center in Houston)

So, just go. And study. Do your best and it will be okay. As long as the school has a decent pass-rate, it will be okay.

seva, lvn

Please do not even try to say that ADN and BSN new grads cannot take vital signs or temps. Just don't even try. No need to disrespect other nursing education.

Listen. I recently heard it described as "boot camp," and that is so very accurate. I used to orient PCA's and student nurses to our unit, and let me tell you, LVN's/LPN's graduate so much more ready to work than ADN's and BSN's (this is personal experience, please don't flame.) I cant' tell you how many RN's I had to train to take vital signs! Even temps! (This was in the Medical Center in Houston)

Please don't disrespect other members of your profession like that. There are different levels of experience and initiative all across the board. Some are just a little more timid about patient care than others. I could just as easily say that RNs understand WHY we do what we do, and are trained to think critically, whereas LPNs don't necessarily always understand. But to say that would be an gross generalization and a disrespect to many of the fine LPNs that I work with. It would also be wrong.

Just understand that we all have the potential to be great nurses. Some of us just need a little more encouragement than others. It is this disrespectful attitude that causes us to "eat our young" and drives many fine folks away from the profession. We are all part of a team, and that means complimenting each others' strengths, not highlighting each others' weaknesses.

LPN & LVN are the same just like ADN & ASN are the same, just depends on where you are. Nursing school at any level is tough, but I wouldn't describe it as being like boot camp. However, it does take alot of self discipline. It's not like high school was...a higher education is something we do by choice. Students are treated like adults & we're expected to be responsible as well as professional. Instructors will not baby sit students, but because they themselves are nurses & do understand where you are, they will be your greatest support. If you do choose to go for it, just give it all your best. You never know until you try...anything worth having in life is worth working for.

You can do it! Keep coming back to this site for the support and encouragement you need. I have another site for you to try. Go to www.plato.com I signed up for this program at my community college because I'm terrified of math too. I forgot everything I learned in school. Check with your school and they may have free access to this program for you. Or check out their tutoring which should be free. Good luck!:nuke:

I agree. She made me feel terrible. She also told me that most of the math will be fractions - fractions are my weakest area of math. I'm just so insecure now.

Any advice from anyone is really appreciated....

Becareful who you talk to about your future!!

Some people dont want you to succeed. If anyone can do it, so can you. If you weak on fractions, start going over some math problems before you start. You seem determine to me. You can make it!

Just remember do not fall behind, seek help early, read before class, tape the lecture, rewrite you notes, ask questions and stay positive. Good luck to you. I hope you do well.