Should I quit nursing school

[MilwaukeeRNstu]

i'm becoming really unhappy and extremely anxious in nursing school (rn) and i'm unsure what to do.

monday we have our last performance test on 2 skills and if we don't do them perfectly we're pretty much out and have to take the class again next semester. every week before we have these performance tests i can't eat, sleep and all i keep thinking about is how i want to quit.

so far, nursing school has not been fun or something i look forward to, more like complete dread. i put so much into actually getting accepted into the program and almost 2 years of pre reqs, and now i want to quit. most all of the nurses who teach or who work on my clinical sites are completely rude and seem really unhappy. i'm really thinking i made a bad decision by choosing nursing.

does it get better? i have 3 more semesters to go and i'm already sick, and i mean physically sick from this. my grades are good when it comes to taking written exams but i lack confidence in my clinical skills and i absolutely hate being critiqued and watched when i'm doing anything clinical (med pass, dressing changes, ect) i shake so bad and dread it when i know it's coming.

i keep thinking, is it really worth all this stress and misery?

[RN4S22]

yes it is worth it trust me. i went through a similar experience one of my clinical instructor was so mean to me she even failed me on one of my evaluations. i think sometimes if they see you are not confident they try to break you because they want you to be assertive and confident and if nursing it what you want to do be confident and don't let anybody stop you. i felt like quieting nursing school so many times but i am glad i didn't even though i just graduate and i am still looking for a job i think it's worth it. just hang in there and be confident and do a lot of praying and you will be ok. good luck with everything!

[AOx1]

I would seriously consider job shadowing. Ask friends, family, other nurses for recommendations for places with great nursing staff. See if what they are doing still appeals to you. Hardly anyone likes nursing school to be honest.

I would at least give it another semester. As you learn more, you should begin to feel more confident. Also, you may be in another facility for clinicals. Some floors just have a very bad environment, while others are fabulous. Give it time.

[llg, PhD, RN]

I don't know anyone who enjoyed the types of school activities that are distressing you. They are not meant to be "fun." They are meant to teach you valuable skills and make you strong so that you can perform well under pressure when other people lives are in your hands.

Think about it. Did you really expect to enjoy everything about becoming a nurse? If you did, then that was pretty naive. Life has its challenges as well as its rewards. Few things that are worthwhile come for free. Most of the time, we have to pay a price or make some sacrifices to achieve anything great.

No one enjoys the stress of mastering a new profession and lots of new material -- but most of us can endure it. The stress eases when we master the skills and knowledge and take our place as competent nurses ... and begin helping people the way we wanted to when we chose to be nurses.

If a nurse is what you want to be, then learn to endure the hardship required to master the skills. If you don't really want to be a nurse, then the struggle to master the skills will not be worth it for you.

Only you can make that decision. Only you know whether or not you want to be a successful nurse enough to work hard and endure some hardship to achieve that goal.

I wanted to quit nursing school many times. I hated most of my undergraduate courses. My first clinical instructor had me in the Dean's office after 3 weeks because she thought I was not cut out to be a nurse. But that was many years ago. I now have a PhD and am quite successful at it.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

Before you think about quitting, I'd consider seeing a therapist. Would you want to give up your dream if it might just be a matter of learning coping skills to deal with your anxiety?

Is there a simulation lab where you can practice those skills?

[sophie<3]

Trust me, I have been there! When doing skills check-offs I get extremely nervous, when pulling up the meds for my injection check off i was shaking so bad that I just had to stop and take a deep breath and laugh at myself. Your instructors are not out to get you, they understand that you are going to be nervous! No one likes being watched or critiqued but it might make you feel better if you are over-prepared for the check-off. Practice Practice Practice! That is all I can tell you to do! Practice when you are alone, practice on a friend, practice on classmates. Just have someone watch you so you get a little more comfortable with the feeling and anxieties that go along with it.

Give yourself time to think about your choices before you decide to quit nursing school because honestly, everyone gets a little nervous and some get more nervous than others. The "school" part is not suppossed to be a delight and fun..i think more than anything it is jumping through a bunch of hoops to determine who is meant for nursing and who is in it for just job availability and money! But I think even when you are an RN you should always pretend that your instructor is watching over your shoulder to ensure that you always perform your skills correctly on a patient! Good luck!

[littlebitark]

I hear nursing school is supposed to be stressful- I know many students who goes on Prozac or some other anxiety drugs- to get though it. Hang in there- cause I'm going to need your support next Fall when I entered into the nursing program.

[rnjls]

I know what you mean about getting nervous and shaking. One of our checkoffs in the first semester was a group checkoff. We all took turns doing the skill and I was one of the last ones to go. By the time it was my turn, I was so nervous that I was shaking uncontrollably. I could barely hold the equipment! One of the other students said that she could see my legs shaking through my uniform pants. The instructor took me aside after everyone was finished and let me do the skills on my own. I was able to complete them without contaminating my sterile field when no one but the instructor was watching me.

[metfan]

Please don't quit. I almost quit hundreds of times. Especially during my LPN program. No one could have possibly been worse than me. My anxiety was at such a high level. I cried every night and literally curled up in the fetal postition. I did not eat and lost 10 pounds, almost passing out. But, I hung in there, called my friends, got a therapist and a doctor who put me on some light meds. Apparently, one thing I am not is a quitter. I am now a working LPN in my 3rd semester of an RN program scheduled to graduate in May. Not only that, I got so many scholarships, I don't think collage has cost me a thing. I am much harder on myself than any teacher. I still get anxious and sometimes have to take a little "happy" pill but I do what I have to do. You will get more confident. You will start to think "I am going to go in there and do the best I possibly can." I mean, what else can anyone ask of you. Just do your best. Show those teachers what you are made of. Remember everything happens for a reason. I know I have a much better understanding of what it is like to have anxiety and depression. I understand what people with mental illness go through. It is horrible. I have much more empathy. Colleen

[caliotter3]

It is bad for a lot of people a lot of the time. But what do you intend to do the day after you quit? Every person I've ever met who quit, or got dismissed for that matter, said they weren't prepared for the aftermath. You better come up with plan B if you are seriously considering quitting. The world tends to be worse when you have no goal to shoot for. And think of the long range implications. Finish nursing school and get that license, you will always have a potential career. Quit, walk away with something you will find you have to explain to others and there will be little empathy in the workplace.

[Studying24.7]

Nursing school is definitely not fun- and it's not meant to be. Before you consider quitting, I would give it another semester. You said you worked so hard for to get through your pre-reqs so don't throw all that away just because it's tough right now. You will bet used to clinicals and skills check off. And I think it is safe to say that you will meet unhappy people in every profession....

[nurseogden]

Nusing school sucks. But know that you will be watched and critiqued for your entire career. You will have to go through orientation and the first year after school is hell on all new grads. And every year after you will face compentencies and tests to maintain your level of skill. I have been a bedside nurse for 32 years and wouldn't have traded my career for anything. But things are different today. The job market is different and careers are hard to break into. If I were you, with three semesters to go,,, I would talk to my counselor at school to see if most of your credits could go toward something else like Pharmacist?, or just suck it up and get your degree and a job. The pay is good enough to allow you to pay for education in any other field of your choice. In the end, you just need to follow your heart... What you do can not be undone and there is no room in life for regret... do what you feel is right and never look back and question your choices....that only makes you unhappy