I just finished my last day of nursing school. Turned in my last assignment at exactly noon. It still hasn't sunk in yet. For the last 4 hours I have sat on my couch not really knowing what to do with myself. I then decided to reach out to all the students who may be starting a program this fall. I remember being in those shoes, and all the questions I had. All the fear. All the excitement. So basically, Ill sum up my nursing school experience as best as I can.
1.) You WILL survive. I did. I'm one of those people who have what you call, "anxiety," and boy did I let that get to me right before my program started. I was incredibly scared. I had heard all these stories on this site about how hard nursing school is, how I would have no life, etc. You WILL survive. I did. (And honestly, it can be frustrating at times, but it really isn't that bad...)
2.) That leads me to number 2. Nursing school IS hard. BUT, its only hard because of the amount of work, not the material itself. Learn time management. Like yesterday. Dont let yourself fall behind, but DO give yourself breaks. You DONT have to have a 4.0. You just need to pass. You will learn this by your last quarter when it takes all you have to finish your last assignments and you find yourself figuring the percentage you need just to pass the darn class...
3.) You CAN work. I worked an average of 15 hours a week and maintained a 3.8 average. And I don't want to brag, but my program has a notorious reputation of being one of the more "challenging" in the area.
4.) Your house WILL be messy. But you probably wont have time to notice...
5) You will PROBABLY gain weight. (So dont go out and buy a bunch of new clothes two weeks before your program starts like I did. lol.)
6.) You're gonna cry at some point.
7.) At the same time, you're gonna have some of the most amazing smiles and laughs of your life..
8.) The friends you will make in the program will truly be the only ones who get what you are going through. Because of this, you will make some of the best friends of your life.
9.) You will have moments where you go.."wow, I actually feel like I get this nursing thing!"...Then 5 minutes later you feel lost again. Totally normal.
10.) Some teachers will scare the ***** out of you. While others will inspire you. Just do your thing. If they say jump...you say, "how high?"
Again, you WILL survive. I could keep going on and on. But that probably sums up most of it. I honestly feel like school just started yesterday and I have no idea how I got here right now because it went by SOOOOOOO fast. You got this. If you have any questions, please let me know. I'm hear to lend an ear. Besides, I have no idea what I am going to do with myself over these next few weeks besides study for my boards. This is just weird....in a very very very good way. :) Get ready to embark on the most REWARDING quest of your life. Its all worth it for this moment.
Thank you so much for your post. I am so nervous starting my program! I also have my BA with science in the background like others. I have three small children and I had to leave my job to accept NS. I use to work 50 plus hrs a week with the commute so I am not afraid of the time away from the fam....I can make that work! The financial issue is my biggest hurdle. I really need to work at least 15 hrs a week to help my husband with the expenses.
We are trying to see how long we can survive off of the income we have now but thats is where my anxiety loves. Did I make the right decision or is it selfish? I already have two BA!! Ugh!
Your post really helps me and gives me positivity. So often we hear the negatives about NS I am glad you gave both sides. I know it will be hard and I hope so...we are training to care for peoples LIVES. :)
@pwepweteHey im going to a community college in north jersey...hudson county college/christ hospital school of nursing...what community are you going to? If you dont mind me asking...
Hey! I'll be going to Burlington County College, in the South/Central Jersey area. Are you also bridging? LPN to RN?
@pwepwete No...actually I'm kinda going backward. Meaning I already have a bachelors degree but in social work and I'm now currently working towards my ADN - RN and when I finish my first semester (hopefully with a passing grade...fingers crossed) I will be challenging the CNA exam so I could work and gain experience as a nurse...
Thank you for posting this. I am starting my second semester in two weeks and have felt that way too where you think you get it and then two seconds later youre lost. My fear is retaining everything I have learned. But I look at my kids and they are my motivation. As well as the money that has already been spent LOL.
The original post was right on. Nursing school can be scary, time consuming, and hard but it is not as bad as some people try to make it out to be when you are going into it. The material isnt necessarily complicated, you just get slammed with alot at once. I found organization and taking things one week at a time are key. You can work on a limited basis and you can have a life. Nursing school will take priority but you will have time for family, friends, church, etc. whatever your interests are. Too be honest I really enjoy nursing school. You get to learn alot of cool stuff and meet alot of interesting people. It is very challenging, but very rewarding. Good luck to everyone starting school!
I'm about to enroll in the LPN program after failing the RN program and I had a couple of questions for those who are LPN's or are currently enrolled in the LPN program. I've been trained for a couple of semesters on how to be a RN nurse but I don't know too much about the scope of an LPN. What is the difference between an LPN and a RN when it comes to their capabilities. I recently brought an LPN book but it's no different than what's in a RN book. You seem to learn the same material so what's the difference? Also is it really hard to find a job as an LPN (so I've heard) and is the pay good? I'm at a place of confusion so can someone please help me out:bugeyes:
Strength: I am going through the same exact thing. After failing out of nursing BSN school, my confidence level sunk. I am now a CNA at a nursing home, to really determine if nursing is right for me. I'm really frustrated that I feel like I have to go back to the drawing board. I went from 100% sure for nursing, to now 50%. I hate being a CNA at a nursing home, because I have to constantly remind myself, that I did the best I could, even though I knew I had a bad day. I am a brand new CNA, with zero experience by the way. The only health care experience was clinicals from nursing school, and boy does being a CNA give me a bit of some reality check!
The main question is: Do I doubt nursing is right for me, simply because of my lack of confidence and underdeveloped time management/planning skills? Or is nursing just really not right for me, and I'm not cut out for the stress level?
Now, I'm doing all this soul searching, even wondering is health care field even suited for me anymore? Not liking this phase of my life, but I am young and fortunate to have a supportive family.
Take care. :)
I feel like I'm looking in a mirror. You are me. I too have been through the something you are going through now. I failed out of my nursing program and now I'm trying to pick up the pieces and continue. I'm thinking about the doing it again (RN program at another school) or do the LPN program, but I'm confused. But my heart is telling me to do the RN again but I have to build myself up because my self-esteem is low. I really wish you the best and pray that you do well.
4,, 5, and 6 were the ones I never thought would happen, but they did. I gained 10lbs (lost 4 lbs so yay me) found dust bunnies the size of a chinchilla when i finally got to cleaning under my bed, and i had about 2 breakdowns of crying so far because I thought I was going to fail... (but I passed.)
This is such a timely thread. I have 14 days to go, and I'm suddenly getting anxious. I have usually have confidence in my academic abilities, so this caught me off-balance. Maybe it's fear of the unknown, along with a huge life change? Or just reading too many scary stories? It's good to hear grounding words from people who have just been through it.
But, like ZeroNightskye asked, why do people gain weight? That one surprised me.
Thanks for the original post! School starts in 2 weeks and I'm smack in the middle of "What AM I doing?" I have a 4.0 going into this. Aced my pre req classes while caring for my mom and sister who both had different kinds of terminal cancer. Not bragging, but just thinking if I can do THAT, I can do anything. I am an older student going back for a career after the demise of a 20 year marriage but I do have my B.A. Luckily, I have a great place to live for free and will only have to cover my personal needs. That being said, I'm going to get thru this first semester, get my feet wet, then try to land a part time job at the ER next semester. Good luck to all the nursing students out there, and again, thanks for the post.
allie86
39 Posts
Thank you so much for your post. I am so nervous starting my program! I also have my BA with science in the background like others. I have three small children and I had to leave my job to accept NS. I use to work 50 plus hrs a week with the commute so I am not afraid of the time away from the fam....I can make that work! The financial issue is my biggest hurdle. I really need to work at least 15 hrs a week to help my husband with the expenses.
We are trying to see how long we can survive off of the income we have now but thats is where my anxiety loves. Did I make the right decision or is it selfish? I already have two BA!! Ugh!
Your post really helps me and gives me positivity. So often we hear the negatives about NS I am glad you gave both sides. I know it will be hard and I hope so...we are training to care for peoples LIVES. :)
Thanks again!