What are your BEST tips on being successful in an ADN program????

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Oct 15, 2014

1) Accept that for the next two years you will have no life, you will write care plans, read, go to class, go to clinical, read, dream about things you enjoy doing, and read.

2) After you get out of your ADN you will want to get into a BSN program if you really want a hospital job (depends on where you live), but most hospitals are hiring BSN only, so cancel that two years that I said in number one. Accept that for the next 4+ years you will have no life.

3) Read some posts on here from the user name Daytonite, as she wrote many posts to students that were helpful. If are you helped by any of her posts, look up at the sky and thank her, as she is now in heaven.

4) Despite what I said in 1 and 2, learn from number 3, once in a while put the books down and take some time to enjoy living and the people that you care about, because we don't know if tomorrow exists.

JerseyJade · Oct 21, 2014

Thanks for your post and advice HappyParamedicRN. Sorry to hear about Daytonite.. I will look her up. It is so easy to get sucked in to your studies and forget about the ones you love. I'll take your advice and continue to be the loving person that I am both in the program and out!!!!

HisKids37 · Oct 21, 2014

Get ready to have a BLAST!! I think the best asset you could take into a nursing program is a great attitude. It's time-consuming, difficult, overwhelming, etc. and going in telling yourself you're going to do your best to enjoy every minute of it will serve you, your classmates and your family well!

I did a lot of preparation by watching youtube videos. There are lots of great youtube channels that will tell you all kinds of things about nursing school. I got ideas on organization, attitude, what to buy and what not to, just lots of valuable advice.

With your school's approval, set up a Facebook page for your class. I cannot tell you how much this has helped me in my program.

Do whatever you can to prepare your home. Maybe this doesn't apply to you, but if there are things you've been wanting to do - paint a room, sell some stuff you have sitting around, deep clean, fix up your garden - whatever - do it now! Once school starts, you'll be limited as to how much time you can spend on non-school things, and I'm betting you'll want to spend that time loving your family, not pulling weeds. Also, if you are in charge of cooking for your family, start now! You can cook one or two meals per week and put them in your freezer, and then you won't have to do as much cooking when you're tired after a long clinical day or when you're busy studying for midterms.

Get your health in order. My class of 68 gained a total of 500 pounds during first semester. Yikes! Get a routine going now so that you can maintain your health while you're in the program!

I know that all of this sounds like -huh? These aren't ADN program tips! All I can say is that if you've made it this far, then academically you're going to do fine. It's not hard. It really isn't. It's just very time-consuming and a lot of information. Study your stuff daily - even 10 minutes going over powerpoints, notes or flashcards each day will set you up so much better for your exams than a big cram session!

GOOD LUCK! Have FUN!

JerseyJade · Nov 15, 2014

WOW! I can't thank you enough for this post HisKids37. Very very true! I definitely need to prepare in the cooking, cleaning and organizing area. Will do! I am just so excited and want to do my very best. And you are right about keeping a positive attitude as oppose to a sour one. But your advice is great and I will definitely take this into consideration...

Thanks

Jade M

seriouslyserious, LPN · Nov 16, 2014

get off allnurses and start reading... if it doesn't make sense, read it again.

i'm on here to shoot the s%$+... graduated in Summer 2014...

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Nov 16, 2014

I'm sorry but I don't agree with you don't have a life. I have a life and I am doing well in my classes and clinicals. Just organize and balance your time. This week I have a test. I will study today and tomorrow. Tuesday is my test and lecture. Wednesday, I will finish up any paperwork needed for clinical on Thursday. But I am pretty much caught up on it. Thursday all day is clinical. Friday is an off day. Then it's fall break for the next week. On fall break I have a couple of things for clinicals to get done and do my ATI test. There is plenty of time to spend with my son and my boyfriend. Yesterday we spent the day at his tournament then last night I went to dinner and a movie. See, time for both!!

INMurse889 · Nov 16, 2014

Just finishing up my BSN and I think the best thing I can tell a prospective student is to never get discouraged by the immense amount of people telling you how hard it will be. Nursing School is not hard, it is challenging. Dedication and time management will get you through it. Take time to get the big picture. Don't obsess about grades, obsess about how you'll practice when you're out of school and licensed, and most importantly have fun. Welcome to the craziness.

sjalv · Nov 17, 2014

Whether or not you will have a life depends on your responsibilities. Next semester will be my final semester in an ADN RN program and I still have time to get up in the morning every day and spend 2 hours in the gym, watch Netflix, and go out with friends. I just have specific days dedicated to studying. It can be done, but again depends on your responsibilities. I also work part-time.

rob4546, ADN, BSN, MSN · Nov 17, 2014

Just finishing up my BSN and I think the best thing I can tell a prospective student is to never get discouraged by the immense amount of people telling you how hard it will be. Nursing School is not hard, it is challenging. Dedication and time management will get you through it. Take time to get the big picture. Don't obsess about grades, obsess about how you'll practice when you're out of school and licensed, and most importantly have fun. Welcome to the craziness.

Agree with this. Hope it isn't only a guy thing. Nursing school is really busy and challenging but I can't say it was hard. Learn the information, specifically the relationships between topics and concepts and you will do fine. First year is mostly fundamentals and information memorizing and retrieval, the second year is all application and practicing skills. Well it was like that for me at least. There is a distinct shift at the beginning of the second year, kind of caught me off guard.

ocean.baby · Nov 17, 2014

My instructors said to pick a couple of things you weren't ready to compromise on and take time for those. Knowing you will always have that time away from studying helps. I always had dinner with my family and always took Fridays off from studying. The amount of free time I had was based on what we were learning, if it was hard for me I had little free time, if it was easy for me to learn I had more free time!

KStudentNurse70 · Nov 17, 2014

I am currently in an ADN program and heard all the rumors you are hearing I bet. My program is considered the "hardest" in the area. Don't listen to people when they tell you that you can't have a life. It's all about time management. It's not THAT hard. I make sure I take time everyday to read my notes and comprehend them and a few times a week to practice my skills for evaluations. As far as paperwork goes I get it done right away after clinical and yes I am maintaining good grades still. I still have time for family, my boyfriend, and of course Netflix lol ? everyone takes school at a different approach, it is doable and will be different you just have to figure out your own way. But yes you can have a life still!!! ? best of luck to you!! (And as for bachelor programs RN to BSN they are not hard, most of them are online and just papers, and allow you to work so yeah you will still have a life after your associates even more so)