The difficulties of Nursing School. *Rant/Advice*

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Specializes in ICU/ Trauma/ Med-Surg.

As a current nursing student, I have learned many things. Things about myself, about others, and of course about nursing. I like to think of myself as a dedicated student, one who strives to be the best. I put in countless hours of studying every week. I also put in countless hours helping others study every week. So, it is safe to say that I earn my grades.

Well, here is the reason that I am writing this article. There are many people in my nursing class that are failing. Many of them are quick to blame the professor and say "she sucks, she doesn't know what she is doing, blah blah blah". I agree, she is not the best professor and could improve her teaching methods. BUT, this is nursing school. Nursing school is not supposed to be easy, and in my opinion you should NOT be spoon-fed the material. As responsible adults and nursing students, it is OUR responsibility to make sure we are learning the material and not just trying memorize it for a test. The students that are failing and complaining about the professor want to write a letter to the dean, telling her how "unfair" this class is. Is writing a letter going to solve your issues, NO probably not.

Now, I am not bashing anyone for failing or for wanting to voice their opinions. I understand how difficult the material can be and how overwhelming it may be. I am not a natural born genius, I definitely work for my grades. My advice is, before you go blaming others for the reason you are failing; reevaluate yourself. Are you truly giving it your all? Are you asking for help? What can you change? I would gladly help my classmates who are failing, if they asked. They could easily find a study group, if they asked. Maybe, just maybe if they didn't waste their time on other things, they could pass.

So, for any nursing student/ future nursing student... If you are struggling or even begin to struggle, ask for help. Nursing school is not easy, sometimes you need other people to help you along the way, and that is perfectly okay! Don't let your ego ever get in the way of asking for help. We are all facing the same struggles, join together with your classmates, make new friends and learn as much as you can. It really annoys me when someone says "I didn't read because it's all on the powerpoint" or my favorite " I don't take notes because I record the lecture". Is it necessary to read every page of your textbook, no. But it is necessary to reference it and use it as a guide! Good luck to all the nursing students out there, I wish you all the best.

*Sorry if this offended anyone, just needed to share my experience**

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Very well said.

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What has been your experience with study groups in nursing school? Do you prefer them, or do you prefer to study alone?

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Those people weed themselves out. No worries.

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Specializes in ICU/ Trauma/ Med-Surg.

@FutureNurseglen Personally I enjoy study groups, but only IF it stays small (4-5 people). Also, I study with people who are equally hard working and eager to learn. There is nothing wrong with someone who struggles, as long as they are willing to put in effort. I typically study alone the first time I review the material, then I will meet with my group and help explain it to them. Just remember, to keep your study group focused and treat it like class, have a little fun while learning.

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The funniest excuse is when it's the "professor's fault."

My favorite.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moved to general nursing student forum

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Agreed. The instructor is there to help present and clarify concepts. It is the student's responsibility to learn the information, think critically, and then actually apply that information to a scenario when taking a test (or even more important, when taking care of a patient).

It drives me crazy reading about how someone is struggling and then they go on to blame their instructor, their school, stating other students are treated differently, blah, blah, blah....um, are they looking for help on how they could do better in the future or wasting their time complaining on an anonymous online forum when they should be studying?:rolleyes:

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Very well said, and I couldn't agree with you more.

You would think that by this point fellow students would accept responsibility for their academic success or failure, but sadly that's not always the case. If someone is trying and struggling, that's one thing. You can only help someone if they are willing to help themselves. I'm in my second semester of nursing school and also work as a tutor. I see this ALL THE TIME in tutoring. Students come in and complain about their professor, meanwhile they haven't: read the book, studied notes (if they even took them), or really done any preparation whatsoever.

These people will weed themselves out, as stated above.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Just like anything in life, you get back what you put in.........BRAVO for YOU !!!! Welcome to Nursing !!! It's THE BEST JOB on the PLANET !!!!

Lori:cool:

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Great advice. My class first semester did the same thing. They went to the dean, complained to the chair of nursing, and even started the class out by arguing with the instructor. It was absolutely ridiculous. And guess what? The dean, chair, and instructor showed no sympathy and they kept their crappy grades. These students would complain about how hard tests were or how unfair they were; they tried to change everything but themselves. In nursing school, you have to change. It's a nursing school's responsibility to turn your factoid-memorizing, information-regurgitating brain into an independent-critical-thinking-brain that can adapt to stressful situations.

If you're doing poorly in nursing school, adapt. Change your study habits. Get advice from your professors. Get a tutor. Struggling is part of the process.

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Specializes in ICU.

I agree with you on some things and I disagree with others. I agree the whining and complaining gets you nowhere. But I disagree that you should be teaching yourself the concepts. Nursing school is a whole other ball of wax and we need to be taught what is going on so we have an use of what to look for on a patient and what exactly we need to know for NCLEX. This is a whole new area for most of us.

Most people have lives outside of school. I study hard. When it's a test week I may put in 10-12 hours of studying. On a non-test week, maybe 6. But I'm a single mom. I own my own home so I must be a homeowner. I also have a relationship I'm trying to balance. I work 12 hours a week on night shift. Which means the day I go in I sleep in until 11am, and the day after I'm worthless because I gotta sleep. It's hard to squeeze hours of studying in. And if I'm having to teach myself the material, forget it.

It sounds like to me your classmates are having a hard time finding a balance. And they are not dealing with their frustrations correctly. They should be going to the instructor to figure out where they are going wrong. Then if they are not happy, up the chain of command.

I think it's great you are doing well and have lots of time to study. I'm guessing you are young and don't have many responsibilities outside of school where many of us do. And be confident that in the end if your classmates are not studying and doing the work, it will catch up with them on NCLEX.

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