What makes Nursing school so tough that many people end up dropping out???

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What's the toughest part about the Nursing program??? Tell me about your Nursing program!!!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Wound Care.

For me, it's few different things.

First off, I live about an hour and 15 minutes away from my school, so I spend a lot of time traveling...sometimes very early mornings, or very late nights. Another thing is that I go to a private school, and we don't have summer break...so while my best friend, who attends a different school, was off all summer, I was still going to school every day.

And of course, there's lots of studying and reading! But I found that being (almost overly) organized is the best way you can help yourself. Everyone teased me about my super-neat notebook and my careful notes and organized supplies...but I just finished Med-Surg with the highest grade in the class. Now people ask me to see my notes and how I organize my notebook, etc.

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

It's a complete change in focus. Secondary school and basic college prep courses focus on 'bringing everybody along', setting minimum standards for such education.

Nursing school is about only bringing along those that have the apt and fortitude for nursing. So, for the very first time, many students are encountering an educational environment that doesn't 'bring them along', but rather, requires them to 'keep up'.

What got me through school was the constant thought that I could do it. See, I'm arrogant enough to believe that I'm in the top 20% of any group that I'm in. That being the case, I can do what 80% of my peers cannot. I believe that. I acted upon it. My pride would not have let me do any less.

~faith,

Timothy.

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okay, you asked..... (but, i haven't dropped out)

overall, in a nutshell ...it's overwhelming & exhausting!!! it's nursing "bootcamp", they push you hard and try to cram as much info. into your head as humanly possible and much like regular bootcamp some make it and some don't!....(1st semester is not bad though...)

for me, it's not that the material is harder, then say micro or a&p. it's that you have hard material, PLUS "busy work" assignments, labs, clinicals, care plans, skills tests, hundreds of pages of reading, ya-da, ya-da.... they want you to be able to handle anything and everything....as they should, since they are trying to produce clinical thinking nurses.

but, even though i understand ALL the rationale behind it, it's still tough and i'll be doing the happy dance when i'm done in 8 mos.....that's for sure!

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Specializes in Cardiac, Acute/Subacute Rehab.

A lot....let me reemphasize...a LOT of my peers in nursing school have bluntly stated that they're in this for the money. Just throwing in my .02....

Maybe once people have their assumptions of what a nurse does trashed and rewritten with what they ACTUALLY do, being in it for the money doesn't cut it anymore. And they leave.

Too many people seek instant gratification without the willingness to put forth the effort...at least that I've seen.

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A lot....let me reemphasize...a LOT of my peers in nursing school have bluntly stated that they're in this for the money. Just throwing in my .02....

Maybe once people have their assumptions of what a nurse does trashed and rewritten with what they ACTUALLY do, being in it for the money doesn't cut it anymore. And they leave.

Too many people seek instant gratification without the willingness to put forth the effort...at least that I've seen.

Amen.

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Persistant commitment. It means focusing on your studies

and at times missing things you enjoy (like weekends free).

It also means you are a mature and responsible person

who will be caring for others in an important job.

Take it one step at a time and you'll be through and on your

way to an RN soon!!!!!!!!!

Good luck!

(PS-re: instructors--never let them see you sweat!)

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My class lost a lot of people for two reasons. They couldn't do the bookwork. The others for some reason didn't think they had to deal with vomit, blood, urine, feces, and assorted other body fluids...

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A lot....let me reemphasize...a LOT of my peers in nursing school have bluntly stated that they're in this for the money. Just throwing in my .02....

When they drop out due to reality shock, they will be your first patients:nurse:

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This is my first semester of Nursing. I am at about the 1 month period. I have read and learned more (it seems) in this month than the whole last year of pre-reqs. I may be overstating it a LITTLE bit. We are definately not babied. We have to work to find out what we need. I was a 4.0 student but not anymore. I was never so proud of a 88 on my first test in my life.

God Bless,

Mary Ann

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Specializes in Critical Care.
A lot....let me reemphasize...a LOT of my peers in nursing school have bluntly stated that they're in this for the money. Just throwing in my .02....

Maybe once people have their assumptions of what a nurse does trashed and rewritten with what they ACTUALLY do, being in it for the money doesn't cut it anymore. And they leave.

Too many people seek instant gratification without the willingness to put forth the effort...at least that I've seen.

Being in it 'for the money' is a good thing. I'm in it for the money.

Professionals work for the 'money'.

Vocations work for the satisfaction it 'invokes'.

Recently a Brit statistician provided the mathematical formula that defines how much it is possible to underpay those that work for personal motivations. IN sum: they don't need to be paid as much because they pay themselves with the satisfaction they get from their jobs. In fact, paying vocations what they are actually worth is a BAD thing, because it would lead to people being in it 'for the money', and that would mean actually having to pay them what they are worth.

Not knocking being 'called' to nursing. But, being 'called' is NOT what we should be selling. That only allows such sentiments to be used against us.

Being in it 'for the money' is a good goal. But you are correct to say that it's not a job everybody would do 'for the money'.

Personally, I want hospitals to have to pay what it takes to keep people 'in it for the money'.

~faith,

Timothy.

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Being in it 'for the money' is a good thing. I'm in it for the money.

Professionals work for the 'money'.

Vocations work for the satisfaction it 'invokes'.

Recently a Brit statistician provided the mathematical formula that defines how much it is possible to underpay those that work for personal motivations. IN sum: they don't need to be paid as much because they pay themselves with the satisfaction they get from their jobs. In fact, paying vocations what they are actually worth is a BAD thing, because it would lead to people being in it 'for the money', and that would mean actually having to pay them what they are worth.

Not knocking being 'called' to nursing. But, being 'called' is NOT what we should be selling. That only allows such sentiments to be used against us.

Being in it 'for the money' is a good goal. But you are correct to say that it's not a job everybody would do 'for the money'.

Personally, I want hospitals to have to pay what it takes to keep people 'in it for the money'.

~faith,

Timothy.

Well said.......

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