Scared to start nursing school

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Hello everyone I got accepted into nursing school for the spring semester but I am scared and excited all at the same time. Is nursing school really that bad because I have read some horror stories on this site lol. Can some of you nursing students or nurses give me some advice or what to expect once I start nursing school?

As you assumed, Nursing school is extremely challenging and you will need to study A LOT. Try to have a life, but know your priorities. Keep a calendar and mark when your exams are, when assignments are due & what parties/events you want to attend. Also keep track of your grades so you aren't surprised to find out you're failing at the end & can't do anything about it. Study hard. It'll all pay off. Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

I agree with mrsboots87's post. Take the "nursing school is horrible" posts with a huge grain of salt. Most students who are happy with their program aren't going to post "my school is fabulous" :)

I'm 3/4ths of the way done with nursing school. The first 6 weeks was the most difficult so far. You're learning to "think like a nurse", answer questions using critical thinking, learning skills, doing assessments, and trying to juggle a tight schedule and a ton of homework all at the same time. There's just no way to prepare for it. Until you actually do it, it will just be this nebulous unknown you're waiting to start. You will question your sanity at times, wonder what you got yourself in to, tear your hair out over learning documentation, think nursing diagnosis is a foreign language...and then all of a sudden, the light bulb comes on! It starts making sense. You start breezing through your clinical paperwork. You can crank out NANDA-I diagnoses without looking at the book. You tackle skills in clinicals with confidence. That's when you start to love nursing school.

Sure, the tests can be frustrating (SATA questions are evil incarnate), you go from being a 4.0 perfectionist to being happy to get anything higher than a C on an exam. You will make friends with some great classmates. You will have instructors you love, you'll have some that aren't as great.

There's just no way to put it all in to words that will let you know what it's REALLY like.

Get a good planner, stay ahead of your studies, know all of your deadlines, practice NCLEX style questions as much as possible and allow yourself to absorb the whole experience. Take everything that comes as an opportunity to learn.

Best of luck to you! :)

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Thank yall so much I really appreciate it. I'm not gonna let anymore posts on here scare me I'm gonna take it with a grain of salt like some of u said. This has been of dream of mine for so long and I'm not gonna let nothing or no one scare me away from it.

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Specializes in ICU.

I'm in my first semester of the program. I'm loving it and it is a lot to take in. The biggest part is staying organized. As long as I am organized and keep things straight I am fine. We did nursing fundamentals and lab in 4 weeks. I got a B in lecture and A in lab. Now we are in Med-Surg I with lab. The only thing about lab is the check offs. I get nervous about performing a procedure for the first time in front of an instructor. But I really like the classes and instructors. Our lab finishes up next week then we start clinicals doing these things on real people!! I have a binder and notebook separate for each class and I watch a lot of videos on YouTube on how to do stuff.

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Thank you Heathermaizey I'm so ready to begin my journey.

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Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

May I ask you to define "really that bad" ?? Is bad to you challenging classes? Is it high expectations of grades? It is not possible to answer a question about how "bad" something is when bad is not defined. I have been a nurse since 06 and I don't think it is "bad", but I am not sure if our definitions of "bad" are the same.

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Windsurfer8 I have had a lot of challenges in my life including school. Really that bad is what people say it is on this site. I'm up for a challenge any day but I can be nervous about nursing school or feel some type of way about it. Good for u for being a nurse since 06.

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Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

Hey I hope you make it...I just want you to know that "bad" is a term that many people will use to describe hard work or long hours. You and you alone have to decide whether nursing is a good fit for you. Do not let someone who is posting something determine whether or not you will go to nursing school. What is good and what is bad? I think bad is working a boring job with no challenge. Some people prefer that. When you are old I am guessing you won't regret the education and career, but if you don't do it maybe you will always wonder what you could have done?

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I'm gonna make it. I just said I was scared. Oh no no one determines anything for me, I was just wondering why so many people dropped out and said so many bad things about nursing. I'm gonna get through this program, I'm going to post things whether they're good or bad.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
I'm gonna make it. I just said I was scared. Oh no no one determines anything for me, I was just wondering why so many people dropped out and said so many bad things about nursing. I'm gonna get through this program, I'm going to post things whether they're good or bad.

"So many people" drop out of nursing school due to the challenges of understanding nursing theory and concepts, and the application of theory and concepts; is not like pre req's where knowledge prevails; it what one must do to accurately apply the knowledge and concepts into practice; add those issues when starting out as a nurse and not always a realistic view of the challenges of the business, then you have issues and burnout.

Remember there are "so many people" who enjoy and have empowered their practice and go on to be leaders, teachers, and innovators in this business; they are doing their work and feel their body of work is more than lip service and enjoy the profession by their actions.

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Thank you for your comment LadyFree28!!

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Specializes in ICU Stepdown.
Thank you all for ya'll comments I really appreciate it. I will do my best. I'm in Louisiana and my program is BSN also but that don't matter because we got this. The lord let got us this far and I know he will not let us down. I'm just gonna take it day by day and try to be stress free.

Not trying to be rude or insensitive but you got yourself this far, not the lord.

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