Senior Student - staying motivated till the end.

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Specializes in Med Surg, PCU, Travel.

Been through the whole prerequisites, excitation of getting into nursing school and now after my first year, I'm a senior. I find that I am growing weary of the same old issues with not having time with family and spending time with these military type instructors listing more dos and don't s that I need to know. First week of nursing school as a senior was busy as usual but I seem to be immune to the frantic ways I had as a junior. Partly because I'm more organized and aware of the chaos to come but also because I just don't seem to care. I feel like I've lost the zeal for nursing school , can't wait till graduation, and wondering what do I do next. I'm not even excited about clinicals coming up. I got bills to pay but have learn to just ignore them and other issues at home. I'm very much self motivated or always the guy pushing others to do their best. I guess my batteries have drained. I know its only 1 year left but how do you senior nursing students stay motivated and get back the excitement that you had when you first started school?

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Specializes in Addictions, Adult Psych.

it's normal... just keep keeping on!!

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Been through the whole prerequisites excitation of getting into nursing school and now after my first year, I'm a senior. I find that I am growing weary of the same old issues with not having time with family and spending time with these military type instructors listing more dos and don't s that I need to know. First week of nursing school as a senior was busy as usual but I seem to be immune to the frantic ways I had as a junior. Partly because I'm more organized and aware of the chaos to come but also because I just don't seem to care. I feel like I've lost the zeal for nursing school , can't wait till graduation, and wondering what do I do next. I'm not even excited about clinicals coming up. I got bills to pay but have learn to just ignore them and other issues at home. I'm very much self motivated or always the guy pushing others to do their best. I guess my batteries have drained. I know its only 1 year left but how do you senior nursing students stay motivated and get back the excitement that you had when you first started school?[/quote']

I'm in my senior year and i feel the same way. Im guessing that you are an older student. As an OWL (older wiser learner as m school calls us) we have a larger dose of reality to deal with than the average 19-20 year old student. Not saying they dont have bills but i think we have some added responsibilities they dont have to deal with yet.

My driving factor this final year has to be the finish line. Its just like when you run a marathon, in the beginning u have the rush and the last mile is shear will power. I don't want to sound cliche but keep your eye on the prize and stick to a sold study schedule even on days you just don't want to. Best of luck on your final lag of the race.

*are u in a two year program?

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Specializes in Med Surg, PCU, Travel.

I'm 37 with family so yeah i guess that makes me an OWL...lol. I got my AA degree first which took about 4 years part-time and then I transferred to a university. So I'm in a BSN program on the last leg of the race for sure.More like my 6th year :) Provided I don't get ambitious and move into graduate school. Well that will be after I get a few years experience.

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I'm 37 with family so yeah i guess that makes me an OWL...lol. I got my AA degree first which took about 4 years part-time and then I transferred to a university. So I'm in a BSN program on the last leg of the race for sure.More like my 6th year :) Provided I don't get ambitious and move into graduate school. Well that will be after I get a few years experience.

I'm 35 so not to far behind you. I've been in school for 13 years. I made a bad decision and dropped out of high school and its taken me 13 years from my beginning of my ged to this year. Schooling of one way or another to get to this point. I honestly havent lost steam until the end of last semester. Bills are piling up and the financial and mental stress are peaking.

Like i said above i think that it is because the end is in sight. If u need support I'm here and i understand. We can do this.

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One of my nursing instructors just says: "You can do anything for 2 weeks." She says to keep saying that every 2 weeks until you graduate. I'm a senior nursing student to, and all I want to do is graduate and become a psych nurse. It's frustrating for me because all we have left to learn is more physical problems and less mental, and I absolutely hate med/surg clinicals. When I get stressed I picture graduating and working in a psych ward.. and of course say "I can do anything for 2 weeks."

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Specializes in adult psych, LTC/SNF, child psych.

Maybe this would be "nursing student overload", but might I suggest working in the health-care field (CNA/nursing student tech) or tutoring junior nursing students? I think it would help you put the pieces together, rather than feel like you're just getting chunks of information that you use only to take and pass exams.

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Specializes in Med Surg, PCU, Travel.
Maybe this would be "nursing student overload", but might I suggest working in the health-care field (CNA/nursing student tech) or tutoring junior nursing students? I think it would help you put the pieces together, rather than feel like you're just getting chunks of information that you use only to take and pass exams.

You may have a point with this. For some connecting the practical with the books comes easy, for me it takes more time to get the clinicals connected to the books. I do not think my BSN gives enough lab time and they throw us out to the wolves in clinicals and say you better know this and that or you will be unsatisfactory. I realize that being in the health field would help, I'm just afraid of making my life more chaotic than it already is. Remember I'm not your traditional student living with mom and dad. I've seen many non-traditional students work , even ones with families. Working will also ease the financial stress, but also add the stress with family because the days off from school I'd be working then go right to studying. The other thing is I don't want to risk my grades for work, but on the other hand getting those dots connected faster might actually help my grades too. It's something to consider.

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I am an "OWL" also in my senior year of nursing school & I totally empathize with your sentiments. What I do for motivation is focusing on the end result, I began a "pinterest" board of grad gifts to myself, I have the pic of my orange full size jeep wrangler as my screen saver, constantly browse RN jobs at area hospitals and have begun to inquire about interesting areas of specialty, I have multiple countdowns started along with a list of ways I would like to "give back" to family and other struggling students running in my head. In corporate America sales training, we offset the depression of the "leg work" (ie...customers hanging up on us, doors getting slammed in our faces) with what they called a "dream board". Focusing on the positive makes the negative a little less negative. Of course what works for me may not exactly work for you but maybe it will produce a few new ideas for how to get yourself motivated. Good luck, we got this & failure is not an option.

:-)

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Specializes in Med Surg, PCU, Travel.
I'm 35 so not to far behind you. I've been in school for 13 years. I made a bad decision and dropped out of high school and its taken me 13 years from my beginning of my ged to this year. Schooling of one way or another to get to this point. I honestly havent lost steam until the end of last semester. Bills are piling up and the financial and mental stress are peaking.

Like i said above i think that it is because the end is in sight. If u need support I'm here and i understand. We can do this.

Thanks for your support. :)

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Specializes in Public Health.

Another OWL checking in! I'm in a similar situation, but what's keeping me motivated is FINISHING what I started! I'm excited to finally be done with school (LOL), but also excited about the "next step". Yes, that first year after licensure is allegedly no picnic, but us OWLs have clearly already seen tough times before, right? Like others have said, my student loan debt is looming, and my husband is probably tired of me not working (accelerated program + two preschoolers = no time to work during school), and I'm nervous about finding that first job, but these are the moments that define who we are. It is truly a leap of faith, and by maintaining a belief in a higher power, and with the support of family and friends cheering you along the way, you WILL do this. We all will finish this.

And I'm biased, I think we OWLs will be fantastic nurses. Life experience is our best asset! ;)

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I am just starting at 50 YAY!!!!! have to get on my knees and pray cause I am definitely going to need all the help I can get but at this point I want to get a jump start on pharmacology I hear that's the hardest so if any one has any pointers throw them this way

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