What was your first year of nursing school like?

owlRN01 · Oct 2, 2012

So incredibly hard, but worth it. It will change you in ways you never thought possible;)

I found this paper I wrote as a relection during my last semester of nursing school, here are some excerpts... and good luck in everything that is to come! :)

I have felt every emotion known to mankind in the last few years in this nursing program and in the last eight years since I started college. None of it has been easy. Before nursing I never declared a major but I knew that much of my interest lie in psychology. As time went by I started to have more interest in the way the human body worked. I have always been drawn to the health sciences and I was interested in finding out how to help people on a more physiologic level. My preparations for the nursing program were very trying as I had to take classes over for better grades to get into the program in the first place. I remember hitting a point and thinking “This is it, I have to do this, it’s the only thing I care about.” When I find myself having a hard time even now I am reminded how much it all means to me and somehow I make it through.

As I prepare to begin my very last clinical as a nursing student I am reminded how far I have come. Just the other day I thought of how uncomfortable I felt during my first clinical experience. I sat there with my fellow classmates, not even knowing them, in a meeting room at the nursing home I was assigned to. I had been checked off on my skills but still was not confident I could do them as I needed to. Our preceptor sat there and smiled at us. She told us she loved to watch her students grow throughout the semester and she was certain we would grow. I’m not sure that I believed her at that moment but I am sure that I believe her now.

That night during orientation our first task was feeding patients who could not feed themselves. I remember thinking “I can’t do this! I feel so bad for these people!” but I just kept on going. Most of them had dementia and the smiles I put on their faces made me happy even if they forgot what they were smiling about just seconds later. I will never forget the way I felt that night. I have always been a shy person and that night and every day since then I have learned how to step outside of my comfort zone in order to be the person that I want to be. It continues to be a struggle for me as I consistently do things I never thought I would be comfortable doing.

At times I still feel completely lost in clinical and overwhelmed that this is the career path I have chosen. When I feel like that all I have to do is think about that first night and all of my other firsts to realize that I am so much more prepared than I ever thought I would be. I remember when giving insulin was the scariest thing and now I actually enjoy giving injections because so many people have told me that I do a good job. I am reminded why I choose this profession when family members of a patient I am assigned to come and personally tell me they are thankful for me and that I am going to make an excellent nurse some day.

During my time as a nursing student obtaining a bachelors degree I must say that I do not know if I would have made it without the help and support of my friends in the program. Not even my fiancé or family members know what I have been through and what I will go through to obtain my license as a registered nurse. Everything leading up to this point has felt intense and at times so overwhelming I was sure I was ready to call it quits. Yet here I am so close to being done and it feels surreal to say the least. I hope to always remember what nursing means to me today and practice with that in mind. I know my thoughts on nursing will change over the years and I may not always feel the way I do now. That doesn’t mean that my initial personal philosophy is wrong it just means my experience tells me something else is right.

Java_Wench · Oct 2, 2012

I'm just in my first semester, so I can't speak for the whole year. But...I can tell you what to expect to feel and think during those first few weeks, if that helps any.

The work can be hard. The amount of reading you have to do is insane. You will come to hate the Nursing Process, but learn it anyway. :) If you've been a 4.0 student, do not get down on yourself if you don't pull a 95 on that first exam. If you fall behind in your reading you are doomed, seriously. When you're reading 12 chapters a week over three or four books, catching up is going to be nearly impossible. Be prepared for instructors who do not teach...that is to say, they expect you to learn on your own, and they are just reviewing the material. At my school we have a quiz at the beginning of each lecture over the material they will be covering that day, so you have to read. Stock up on highlighters and index cards. You might have moments where you question everything, they will pass. Just keep chuggin' along. I was a wreck in the beginning but now I feel like I'm getting a grip on things. Don't be afraid to talk to your instructors. Mine are tough, but if you make the effort to go talk to them, they will help. You will be expected to memorize a lot of things, but think about how they are applied real life, the exam questions tend to be more on situational things than rote memorization. Take some time for you, to decompress or de-stress. Even if it's just for an hour. It can be fun, and it can be tough.

Our instructors basically said our first day that their job was to break us down to build us up. Just hang in there, do the work, and you'll be fine. :)

I was a nervous wreck...but now, I'm getting the hang of it. Good luck and congratulations in getting in!

ChelsO · Oct 2, 2012

Thank you guys so much for letting me know your journey towards a nursing career !

owlRN01 · Oct 2, 2012

Yes! lol Highlighters and index cards :) I color code everything. Just find a way to stay organized and everything will fall into place.

dhoff · Oct 3, 2012

I'm in my first semester as well and all I can say is get enough sleep, take some time for yourself (I know, impossible!), and try to keep up. It's a wild ride but I wouldn't have it any other way!