Hello nursing students!! I have a question for you...
I am currently working on my pre-reqs, and the sooner I get to applying, I am hearing more and more how "hard" nursing school is...how it "sucks"...and how it is "really hard on relationships"......
My advisor has even said you have no life while going to NS.
Please, please tell me what is it EXACTLY that makes them say this. Is it the work/study load? Is it clinical time? Is it that "hard"? what exactly? how is it different from what I am doing now with my classes?
I really appreciate what you have to say. At least I will know the whys of what I am hearing!
(I've also heard of how bad chemistry is, and I'm loving that...so it's all relative, isn't it??)
I spent 18 months in a part time 4 nights a week (3:30-10:00) evening LPN program. During this time I worked days Monday through Friday at a brand new job because the old one wouldn't change my hours to allow me to go to school. During this time my fiance and I finally married, I managed to stay active in my threes childrens lives, 1 in elementary, 1 in middle school and 1 in high school, and two of my kids each had seperate emergency surgeries.
We were allowed to miss a total of 8 clinicals for the whole program, which had to be made up. We were allowed 5 days to miss per semester.
I missed my family, my home and my free time. My brain was constantly filled with everything I had to do.
Was it worth it? YES! I am a good nurse! My family is stronger.
Nursing school doesn't last forever, you can conquer it.
So many nurses I have spoken with have told me the classes in the BSN did not help them one bit or apply to bedside nursing. They also felt the classes they took were wasted classes. They said it, not me. Now, I can put my hand on the Bible and confess that everything I learned in the ADN program has been useful,
but I see having a BSN is a feather in your cap, and I would like to have one too. U OF Phoenix, said why not go for your BSN when yo have another 4 year degree and you go straight into MSN, but I don't want a MSN, management is not for me, and it seems that nursing is getting farther away from the bedside. What would Florence Nightingale think? That is my $1.25 input. Thanks gang.
It's difficult, it does suck, and there is a chance it will take a toll on your relationship. My relationship suffered so much. I had no idea. I would never change my decision to go through nursing school though. I realize there must have been cracks in our relationship before I started school. When I started school is when he started having affairs. I don't think he could handle the whole idea of me not needing him financially. He also had to pick up some of the burden of the children and cooking (1x wk). I had no idea throughout most of the time I was in school. This was a blessing because when I did find out in the last semester, it was very difficult to focus on what I needed to do. I graduated with honors, but it was so hard. I can make my own now. If it doesn't work, I know I can raise my children and keep us afloat without worrying the way others do. It's more about me now and what makes me happy and what doesn't. Best of luck!
It's the sheer volume of material you have to consume and STILL go to clinical and try to learn...then back home and study more, then type a paper, then (if you work) go to work with only 4 hours sleep....at the same time, do laundry, feed yourself, make sure your whites are clean, pay your bills on time, etc...its everything.....
:uhoh3::uhoh3:There is lots of truth to this, there will be strains on all relationships. One bit of advise I was given was forget your friends for a while....as long as the nsg program, you'll make new ones in school....no truer words...until you experience the nsg course , its very difficult to understand . my take on it is the entire program is geared to training your mind to understand the nsg process and critical thinking. the average person could not make the proper life and death decisions that you will be schooled to do , so for a while you will need these new "friends to learn and grow and even study with. " only another nurse can understand -another nurse" If you are a CNA please leave it at the door....nothing an instructor likes less than the CNA who thinks they know more than they do. As for sex...please.... birth control . Five women became preg. during my LPN program and 3 failed 1 quit and the 5th was successful but had fetal demise in her 7th month , and had to also quit . 5 out of 5....get it? and instructor will advise.....not the best time to get preg. towards the end of our semesters the material kept getting harder and the tests........well they could be every day....every day in several different different courses...that means very often 2-3 tests each day.................so tell your friends you love them and you'll party c them when it's over. have the full support of your partner or you are doomed. got it? raw facts, but I'm sure all will agree, very tough road, but definitely do able.... or there would be no nurses,,,,,..just study every day. good luck:nurse:
The mere fact that you are questioning how nsg. classes may affect a personal relationship makes me wonder ....if you need to FIRST.... RE-EVALUATE THISRELATIONSHIP !!!!!!! this is your career the guys may come and go but your nsg. license is forever.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
The mere fact that you are questioning how nsg. classes may affect a personal relationship makes me wonder ....if you need to FIRST.... RE-EVALUATE THISRELATIONSHIP !!!!!!! this is your career the guys may come and go but your nsg. license is forever.
I don't remember the OP post or exact situation, but I have to completely disagree with this dependent on a few things. Some of these "guys" may be husband and Dads. When you agree to step into a long term committed relationship you agree on a few things. When you decide to have children with someone you decide on a few things. Now I will be the first to say someone should leave a volatile relationship. But your post makes it sounds as if partners are disposable and maybe that is why we have such a hard divorce rate. A good relationship comes with communication and understanding and flexibility and nursing school takes a lot of someones time and a lot of accommodation. This can be straining on a relationship. It not at all looks bad on someone for considering this factor, if you are in a relationship and have a family, EVERYONE will have to sacrifice for YOUR career choice.
I hope what I just said makes sense, by no means at all do I think someone should stay with someone that is trying to hold them back and be controlling and so forth and so on. Like I said, I don't remember the Original Posters situation. I am simply speaking on this above post alone. My husband and kids were here before Nursing School and they will be here after. I'm not going to grow old with my license, I am going to grow old with my family. So to speak.
Specializes in Home Care, Peds, Public Health, DD Health.
well I can say that in my class there are a lot of us that have jobs, have families and just as she said have no life otherwise...for instance I got invited to a party this weekend, not going cause I have to study and it is more important to me that I get a good grade on my med surg exam than go to that party this weekend. I figure that when I graduate I have all the time to go to parties. It will be over before you know it and it is well worth it.
The other thing is that we are not allowed to go part time and I wouldnt suggest it. I have only heard of one person that said they had a part time program. just think that it is just a small portion of your life and then you have the rest of your life to have funl :anpom:best of luck in nursing school and it sounds like you will do really well since you are enjoying your classes!!
I am not the best person to give advice about nursing school as a whole but 6 weeks ago before I started the program I felt the same way you did. I was so SICK of hearing people who had gone through the program telling me how hard it was, how it sucked, how I'd never have a life until I graduate, forget doing anything for the next 2 years besides studying etc. It's honestly all how you manage your time. Yeah, it's a little tough... we have a test every week so once I complete one test, I have like 5 minutes to feel relieved and then back to studying for the next test for the next class for the next week. Honestly, you have to take it one day/week at a time because if you look ahead, it'll overwhelm you.
Again, I'm only a first semester student 6 weeks into it so who knows how I'll feel next week or if I'm still in the program. ;-) But I wish you luck!! Try not to listen to everyone when they're negative about it... that really petrified me. It's all how YOU make it. :)
Good luck with school! Thanks for posting this encouragement. I, too, got a little tired with people telling me it's going to suck. And then there are others on the opposite spectrum who have no idea just how demanding nursing school could be and they get all offended or misunderstand when I don't commit to volunteering a few months from now. When I tell them I will have to figure out how to manage my time and do well (and stay dedicated) to my education, they look at me with those "nursing school isn't all that hard" eyes.
Seems like my life won't be all THAT different once I start nursing school next fall. I'm used to having "5 minutes to feel relieved" and then moving on to the next task. I'm a previous workaholic that hasn't been working since 15 months ago and I'm itchin' to have that structured schedule again (I'm finishing up some transfer credits this semester and no science classes). Until then, I'll enjoy the time I DO have and do what it takes to prepare myself to begin life as a nursing student.
I know honey, I sounded just like you when I started nursing. Nobody could put a damper on nursing for me!
And by all means, don't let me change your mind. What I am trying to clear up is all of my bad experiences happened after years of experience.
My motto, "Never say never."
There is no way nursing school teaches you how to handle another nurse taking the phone out of your hand and hanging it up! while you are trying to repage the doctor! All of my experiences of because of other nurses leaving me with too much responsibility, which equals work. You can't do it all, but they sure as heck will expect you to!
Thanks for your reply :)
I think with any job/career, there are similar stories. In my previous work experiences, I've had to deal with lots of crazy nonsense and had to do a lot of grunt work. At the end of the day, I just know that I'm in this profession for myself even if there are bad people/days/months/situations. I know I say this before I even start as a nurse but it's just in my heart.
I hope I don't get the nurse who takes the phone out of my hand and hanging it up while I'm trying to do my job. But knowing my luck, I'll probably have one of those, or two. LOL
Specializes in Home Care, Peds, Public Health, DD Health.
Make sure to use this site alot!! I am an lpn to rn student and working in homecare and when I realized how crazy my homecare situations were I almost quit....till someone steered me to the private duty nursing section....then you realize you arent the only one, blow off some steam, learn to set your boundaries from some more seasoned nurses and back to work I go! And when I get a challenging care plan or project...where is the first place I look for links or input??? Right on Allnurses.com, this place will be one of your best resources, make sure you keep coming back. You will make it, you have found the right place before you even began you journey. Don't let anyone tell you can't do it. But I will also tell you that just when you think it can't get any worse.....sometimes....it can! This is my very last semester and I have been rocking, yes it has taken a lot of work, my kids have missed out on things - one sport instead of two etc. And even that I wasnt happy about taking them to or I missed so I could study. But this semester, we got the professor who decided you better memorize the text book and know your cardiac as well as she does, and she is a seasoned 25 year professonal who definately knows her stuff, she works also on top of being an educator so I dont have a free moment that I am not studying and praying for the end of this semester. Right now we are studying endocrine....the chapters for endo are each over 100 pages long and we do 1 chapter a day! yikes anyway, goodluck!!
ok. I might be out of the norm here. But nursing is not the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. With that being said, I do find it difficult. NOT because of the work, it's because of the PACE. It's a lot very fast.
I've got 2 degrees, worked in health care 8 years so on some level I've been exposed to every area of the classes I'm taking. Not in depth but I have vague knowledge. I'm also working full time and planning a wedding while in school. (ok, my wedding planner is planning the wedding, I just right checks and say yes or no). But since I've "been there done that" it's all about TIME MANAGEMENT. And my job is COMPLETELY a nurse friendly job - so I don't recommend this for "normal people".
I have a life. is it what it used to be? no. But my family and husband to be understand that. We have a rule. I'm all his after 4pm Sat. and 4pm sunday. I try to do a lot of studying during the week and on Sat and SUN just review. Doesn't always work out that way but I try. And I hop up every weekend morning and I'm studying by 8am. because when I "feel" done I get to spend time with him. It's also very important that I say this...I involve my finace' and mother 100% in my learning process. it's not just me in nursing school, we all are. That means I have them quiz me weekly and I get to practice my skills on them when i need too. We are learning this together. But we still go out and eat, movies and quality time together.
I have to for my own sanity lol
key take always:
is it hard? yes, but only because of the pace.
am i able to have a life with nursing? absolutely. i work hard at this fact.
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ChristinP
89 Posts
I spent 18 months in a part time 4 nights a week (3:30-10:00) evening LPN program. During this time I worked days Monday through Friday at a brand new job because the old one wouldn't change my hours to allow me to go to school. During this time my fiance and I finally married, I managed to stay active in my threes childrens lives, 1 in elementary, 1 in middle school and 1 in high school, and two of my kids each had seperate emergency surgeries.
We were allowed to miss a total of 8 clinicals for the whole program, which had to be made up. We were allowed 5 days to miss per semester.
I missed my family, my home and my free time. My brain was constantly filled with everything I had to do.
Was it worth it? YES! I am a good nurse! My family is stronger.
Nursing school doesn't last forever, you can conquer it.
Maybe that's why I am working towards my RN :)