So...what is nursing school EXACTLY like?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2013

Everyone's personal nursing school experience is going to be very different from the next student. Some people attended community college nursing programs, whereas others went to universities. Still, others attended technical colleges, and some (like myself) went to nursing programs at trade schools. A handful of people attended hospital-based diploma nursing programs.

Each person's curriculum is going to be different. Each person's clinical setup is not going to be the same. There is no 'average' or 'typical' day of nursing school.

In addition, not all students are going to necessarily think that nursing school is challenging or difficult. Some would say it is the hardest venture they've ever undertaken, whereas others felt it was not vigorous or that hard after all. It all depends on your outlook and previous academic preparation.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jul 9, 2013

I agree with Commuter.

I will also add that you will have to change your way of approaching academics in nursing school. It is not about memorizing facts and knowledge, but WHAT a nurse does based on the facts at hand. You will learn what you do with the "facts".

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · Jul 9, 2013

This is what scares me a little too. The critical thinking aspect of it. No more memorizing facts and acing tests. It's about application. I start in August and I'm petrified/excited. My heart can barely take the extremes! One day I can't wait and the next day I am saying "Holy crap, what the heck am I doing? What the heck made me think I could accomplish this?" And I haven't even started. But you certainly prove you have what it takes just making it through pre reqs and meeting the HUGE list of requirements like health/physical exams, background checks, Liability Insurance, vaccinations, etc that are required before you even begin. I'm out so much money already that there is no way I would give up on this investment. And that's how I look at it.

csmcj, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2013

In my experience, the curriculum in nursing school is much more integrated. By that I mean that unlike the prerequisite courses where you're taking several classes together that are unrelated, or only tangentially related to each other, in nursing school you'll often be studying the same thing across multiple classes, but different aspects. For example, in pathophysiology you may be studying the pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system, while at the same time in medsurg you're studying care of the cardiac patient, cardiac drugs in pharmacology, and cardiac assessment in health assessment. Failure to grasp the concepts in any one of these classes can have consequences in all the others. You'll also have to learn a new way of thinking and studying, because just memorizing and regurgitating facts isn't going to work anymore. You'll have to be able to take the facts you've memorized and apply them, and not just the facts from a single class. In my medsurg class recently we had a test in which I had to take what I learned in not just medsurg, but also pharm, patho, assessment, and psych and put it all together to find the correct answers.

Clinicals are going to be different depending on class, location, and instructors. There really is no such thing as a "typical" clinical. And labs are important for learning the skills you'll use in clinical. Take advantage of your labs and lab instructors, get as much practice in as you can. Even if you think you've got it down after just a few tries, I can pretty much guarantee that once confronted with a living, breathing patient you'll forget what you were taught in lab, so you need to practice your skills until they become second nature.

starter12345 · Jul 10, 2013

I understand that it is different, but any study tips?

Or what did you have to change.

chocoloverr · Jul 10, 2013

I'm excited to start nursing school! Could you give us some tips on studying habits that worked for you? :)

ScarletCeylonRN · Jul 10, 2013

Nursing school really is different than other educational programs. Our practice is about interpreting and applying our knowledge actively in the care of our patients, so questions will be asked with a different focus, (i.e. "What does this mean?" as opposed to "What is this?"). The questions will therefore be asked accordingly and you'll be expected to be able to use pull your knowledge from multiple classes all together to achieve a broader knowledge base about a particular subject.

When I got into nursing school, I had to change up the way that I study. Traditionally, I have done well with straight textbook, but I needed extra support for tying the subjects together. I began riding the bus when I was in nursing school due to high gas prices, and since I was spending so much time in transit, I used that time to review lectures that I had recorded on my iPhone. I would sit and (either mentally or on paper) map out how things related to each other. I found it convenient to go to the library and brain-dump everything I knew about a particular subject on the whiteboard, where I could often identify and shore up my gaps. Obviously, there was a lot of reading--keep up with it and try to get into it as early as possible. Writing this out makes it sound like I was one of those people who studied hardcore 24/7, but I really wasn't. I always found time at the end of the day to relax, which kept me from losing my mind.

The best advice I can give is to find the methods of studying you work best with, and riff off of that. In addition, do not be afraid to interact with your instructors during class and clinical. You paid the tuition-- use all of your resources to their full potential.

ebinbrooklyn · Jul 10, 2013

The only thing I can say (and I'm closing out my first semester) is take advantage of every opportunity that you have in terms of your education. If you're having a hard time grasping things and your school has a learning center, USE IT. I never bothered my profs during my last degree but I find myself interacting with them a lot more now. Most of them want you to succeed (or at least they should!). Straight textbooks don't always work for me so I find myself searching old threads here for topics to supplement what I've learned and that has been a lifesaver. Good luck!

csmcj, BSN, RN · Jul 10, 2013

What you'll have to change will be different for everyone. For me, I started recording lectures and listening to them on my commute. I also had to start using resources outside my normal classroom resource. The textbook and lectures are great for giving you the information, but they won't necessarily teach you how to apply it. Critical thinking can't really be taught, it's a skill you develop with time. For this I used NCLEX review books (Saunders and Lippincott) and LaCharity's Prioritization, Delegation, and Assignment. In clinicals, get involved with your nurses. Observe what they do and ask them their reasoning for it. If your school offers tutoring, utilize it. Perhaps most importantly, develop relationships with your instructors. Use their experience. Not only can they be of enormous assistance in clarify things you may be unsure of, they can help you understand how and when to apply the information you're learning in class. Also, after graduation they are great resources for finding jobs, providing references, and making recommendations should you decide to go on to grad school.

bmillz · Jul 11, 2013

Thanks for all of the great tips, guys. Is there anything now, looking back, that you wish you had done in the months leading up to the start of nursing school?

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jul 12, 2013

For me, no...as someone who went to a PN and BSN program, I approached each nursing program the same way. Nursing school gives you the idea and the theory of being a nurse. The REAL experience begins when you are a licensed nurse. The best way I did that was once I got the material, the suggested reading, etc. I got the materials to help me study, leaned how to construct the knowledge that was needed in a way I can be able to know AND apply it, and that strategy helped me to succeed...from writing to listening to lectures, while sleeping, to doing NCLEX style questions, flash cards points, and concept maps-when applicable.