10 Things You Should Know About the First Semester of Nursing School

[LoriRNCM]

1) Family Understands; Not!

Even if your family says they understand, they really don't. You may as well tell them, and your friends too, that you are being deployed for 2-4 years, depending on your program. Because you will be MIA every. single. weekend. And most nights too.

2) Buy Stock In Paper

Buy stock in Georgia Pacific. Because as much copy paper as you will use, you may as well own part of the company.

3) Buy Stock In A Printer

While you are at it, buy stock in Canon or whatever inkjet or laser printer you use. You now own Canon and Georgia Pacific.

4) Don't Forget About Your Pets!

Come to terms now with the guilt you will inevitably feel from neglecting cuddle time with your pets. They have an even harder time understanding your absence than your family. Make them homemade treats. It will temporarily assuage your guilt.

5) Say Goodbye To Your Beautiful Nails

If you have nice artificial (or even natural) nails, mourn them now. They aren't allowed in clinical. Only short, stubby, unpolished nails are allowed in clinical. It's an infection control thing that you will soon understand. Besides, even with PPE, you will be glad for less nooks and crannies that you have to scrub out after being in the hospital all day, especially if you have a patient who..... oh, never mind...... You'll see.

6) No More Haircuts - STUDY!

On that same note, figure out how to get by without a haircut for months at a time. You won't have the time for such inconsequential things as keeping up your appearance. And if you did have the time, you wouldn't have the energy. Because you would be sleeping. And if you aren't sleeping, you will be studying. And if you aren't studying, you will be feeling guilty about not studying..... so you may as well study and save yourself the guilt.

7) Failing is BAD!

If you are an A student, get over it. Your As may well become Bs, and that's ok. I haven't cried even one time over a B. And I'm a previous A student. It's not that you are trying less, or that the material is harder (it is), it's that a 90 isn't an A anymore and a 79 isn't even a C. It's now failing. Failing is bad. Bs are not bad.

? You Are Now Boring. Be Proud!

Tell your friends and family that on the rare occasions you see them that you will bore the crap out of them with all the things you've learned. And be proud of it.

9) Donuts And Coffee Your Best Friends

Accept that donuts and a coffee from 7/11 is a food group in and of itself.

10) Don't Miss Class! Make Plans.

The world doesn't stop turning now that you are in nursing. Unfortunately, things still happen to throw obstacles in your way. Make a plan now for what you will do when Junior barfs all over his teacher's shoes and he needs to be picked up from school. Because you can't miss class, or clinical. Especially not clinical.

So, now that first semester is wrapping up, I would also add that it has been a huge, life-changing learning experience. I have learned how to study, how not to study, how dirty my car can get and still run, how many ginormous textbooks I can fit into one scrap of zippered nylon, how to tell when the neurons have just totally stopped firing and it's time to stop studying because no more info is being retained anyway..... And now, after exams, a nice, long, well-deserved break is almost here. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, whatever you celebrate!!!

More information on "My First Semester in Nursing School..."...

10-things-you-should-know-about-the-first-semester-of-nursing-school.pdf

[nursinghopeful2013]

Same here love your post hits right at home for me cant wait till next week done for a month then back to the grind.

[bas22]

I'm such a baby and way, WAY to sentimental..but your post made me cry. As I finish up my last full week of NS and near pinning, I can't help but think back on this crazy journey- and everything you said is SPOT ON!

I would also like to add- they don't tell you...

1. Nursing school will be one of the hardest things you will ever do. You will push yourself harder than you ever have, further than you even thought possible. On more than one occasion you will reach the point of exhaustion--> have yourself a meltdown--> sob uncontrollably--> throw your ATI books- note cards- 50 lb text books across the room--> tell yourself that you're done, can't do it & giving up--> then feel guilty that you wasted an hour of your precious study time having a mental breakdown--> and then resume studying those blasted F/E imbalances.

2. Your class will become your family. You will become like Na and H2O- you tend to stay together. Outside of the occasional family member or friend who is in the nursing field- your classmates will be the only people to truly understand the alien universe you are living in. They will understand the stress, the pressure, the guilt- they will understand your excitement over getting a 68% on your ATI med-surg final- they will understand the accomplishment of getting an IV on your first stick- they will understand every embarrassing stupid thing you did in clinical- they will understand every emotion the word 'careplan' or 'boards' elicits....they just get it.

3. The impact you will have on your patients and the impact they will have on you. Whether it's the cancer patient thanking you for the energy you gave her by administering blood or it's holding the hand of a patient in the last seconds of their life- an impact was made, be it in you or them, a difference was made.

4. How stinking little nursing school actually teaches you!!!!

Sorry to hijack your post, it just brought back a lot of memories. Congrats on tackling the 1^st semester!! Enjoy your break- you deserve it!!!!!

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

You nailed it, Lori!!! Very funny :)

I told our program director that in addition to our orientation, we need a family orientation night. Just so our families can hear from them how unavailable we will be and how much work we have!

2 more lectures, 4 more clinical days and 1 more exam left to go....

[amoLucia]

Lori, this post was VERY funny. Reminded me that some things haven't changed much from the days when we dinosaurs wrote on stone tablets with rocks. Except for these few differences -

1) Taking out stock in Xerox, HP, Mitsubishi, etc as we relied on the old paper copiers.

2) Wondering if we'd glow in the dark from leaning against the machine so long.

3) Worried about replenishing the forests from all that paper usage.

4) Thinking I'd walk funny or have hip dysfuntion from all the nickles in my pockets for the copier.

5) Be prepared to experience withdrawal S&S when you give up TV soap operas.

And your #9 was spot on!

[NPOaftermidnight, MSN, RN, NP]

I would like to counter this by saying you need to MAKE time for family/friends and little things like getting your hair done and walking your dog and pedicures and such. You could go crazy studying 24/7 - and a lot of people do - but when it comes down to it, you are never going to feel like you know everything. And when you graduate and pass the NCLEX on the first try (like I know you all will!) and get your first nursing job, you are going to feel like you are sitting right back in that first nursing class. Study hard but don't go too crazy!

The flip side is, don't forecast nursing school to be something that it may not be.

Personally, I really didn't think it was that big a deal by comparison to USMC boot camp, A-school (avionics), nor engineering school.

Every program is different and every student is unique. Some find it tougher than do others.

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

The flip side is, don't forecast nursing school to be something that it may not be.

Personally, I really didn't think it was that big a deal by comparison to USMC boot camp, A-school (avionics), nor engineering school.

Every program is different and every student is unique. Some find it tougher than do others.

I do find it exceptionally tough, but I've never done those other things you mentioned either, so perspective is everything. I wouldn't change this experience for the world, as tough as it is. I think the whole first semester is a giant whole body system shock then you figure it out and move on. At least I am counting on that!

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

thanks for proving that despite all the things we must sacrifice for nursing school, elaborate and extensive posts are still doable. i maintain my grip on hope!

Very funny.

[LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN]

I know a lot of people can agree with this, but I cannot. I don't print all the powerpoints; why should I? I can access them on the computer anytime. I quit spending hours on end reading and reading because I wasn't retaining any of that reading. Maybe I learn differently, but I remember things best when I am applying them in the clinical setting.

I don't print out power points. I was referring to the zillions of skills check offs, the clinical paperwork, the assignment rubrics (because I like them in paper while I am on my computer working on them so I'm not toggling back and forth). I wish we could apply everything we have to know for exams in the clinical setting but with limited clinical hours there is no way we could do that. If I only focused on what I learned in clinical I would fail the program. The textbook is important too. I don't read every chapter, I read what was on the unit objectives, and I actually rewrite the power points before the tests to enforce what I've read. It works for me. I'm not a 4.0, but I am 0.6 points away from being 4.0.

[EaglesWings21, ASN, RN]

Congrats on your grades and your drive. I can assure you that the skills check-offs are mostly a first semester thing. I am and have always been a fast learning and unless it is math, most concepts instantly click with me. I also do a lot of research when I am at clinical. For instance, if my patient has hepatic encephalopathy what is going on with them that causes their ammonia levels to be so high? What does it mean if they have asterixis or a liver tremor? And why on earth are they yellow??? Lol. That is how I learn things. I just realized after the first semester that the chest pain, stress, and lack of involvment in my kids and husbands life were not worth all of the "stress" of nursing school. I carry on a normal as can be life and still manage mostly A's with one or two B's every semester.

[jennytmuw]

This is great advice and now I'm getting nervous! I am about to start a one year accelerated nursing program this January and what I am scared of most is #7!! That just sucks lol :/ I know the feeling! To not fail will be the greatest feeling of all? *laughs nervously* hehehe...hooo...

I've been studying and reviewing my A&P, because I am assuming that in nursing school we will dig deeper into that subject...do you agree?

I have this old Pharmacology textbook and I am reading as much as I can before school starts because I think I will feel at ease once the real course starts....

I want to prepare, but will preparation help for accelerated nursing school?

I do find it exceptionally tough, but I've never done those other things you mentioned either, so perspective is everything.

You're a wise person, Lori.

Perspective *is* everything which is why I offer mine. Quite possibly, had nursing been the first real challenge of my adult life, I would share your perspective.

The two things that I found most challenging about nursing school were (a) the unrelenting pace of my accelerated program... there was very little downtime, including normal university holidays (from which we were specifically exempted by the university president) and (b) the high-stakes, no-2nd-chances nature of it (our program started a new class every two years... if you biffed a class, you were done for two years...

I think the whole first semester is a giant whole body system shock then you figure it out and move on. At least I am counting on that!

I suspect you're right about this. I know that I found the first semester to be the hardest and the fifth to be the easiest. One generally becomes acclimated to conditions.

Part of this is intentional: Set a very high standard right out of the gate so that students develop solid habits right off.

The primary point of my initial response was to caution people not get psyched out by what they read of other people's experiences but rather to simply experience things for themselves without a preconceived idea of how it's going to be.

Much success to you.