What is supposed to be the hardest year?

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 12, 2014

It depends on your program and how it's structured.

I would have to say, so far, that our very first semester was the hardest. Learning to "think like a nurse", getting used to NCLEX-style exam questions, juggling clinicals, skills lab, physical assessment lab, learning documentation, etc. all crammed in to 16 weeks was very overwhelming at first. While the work is now more "difficult" intellectually, I don't feel as though I'm overwhelmed with it. It's certainly NOT easy, but it's manageable. Does that make sense? Speaking with students in semesters ahead of us, they all say the very last semester is the 2nd hardest. Then we have NCLEX in May :eek: :up:

In our program, the first 6 weeks are just extremely taxing and overwhelming with the amount of info you're trying to absorb in such a short time period. I remember the 2nd week of nursing school thinking "what did I just get myself in to?", but I'm glad I stuck with it. I really love it!

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Sep 12, 2014

At the program I attended, historically the 3rd Semester was the hardest of the 4 semesters. It still, for the most part, is. They used to cram m/s, psych, and peds in that one semester. They ended up moving peds to 2nd, so there's a better flow from maternity and peds, and therefore better retention. They then added a LOT of m/s to 3rd, which is a very good thing and left psych there. It's not an easy semester. Truth be told, if you can make it through 3rd, you'll do just fine in 4th.

First Semester is hard just because it's all new. Second semester is not quite as difficult, even though you're having to learn maternity, peds, and adult m/s. You get hammered quite hard in 3rd as it's a significant step up in scope of practice and content, and 4th is basically a refining process to help transition you out of your student role.

MissMoo25, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Sep 12, 2014

Of the 5 semesters of my nursing practice the last was the easiest and the 3rd&4th semesters were the most difficult due to having Med Surg 1&2 and Peds at that time. It's all hard but for each student it will be different.

Kuriin, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2014

Generally speaking, MedSurg is the hardest rotation because everything you have learned must now come together.

Jenngirl34RN · Sep 12, 2014

I think it is a little different for each person. For me, so far, second quarter (first med-surg) was toughest. For some in my class, the first quarter was the hardest, because it was hard for some to get used the differences from other types of classes. I am just entering my second year, and have talked to some students who are ahead of me, and some say first year was harder, but some really struggled with Mother/Baby and Peds, which are second year. I think it really depends on each student's strengths and weaknesses, and also depends on the structure of the program.

Everline · Sep 12, 2014

Our third semester was the one where a lot of people struggled and some did not make it. That semester made fundamentals look like a cakewalk.

random13 · Sep 13, 2014

In my area the first semester was the worst. That's not to say all of the others were a cake walk though!

phoenoryker · Sep 13, 2014

Can I suggest a different way to look at the "difficulty"... Whichever semester you find yourself in...recognize you are preparing and training to take care of lives. I embrace this thought to the fullest. So when I have 6 chapters of patho assigned to me which we will be tested on the following week, it doesn't stress me out... I will be better for it... Have you ever heard the expression the more you sweat in piece the less you will bleed in war... Makes sense huh?

phoenoryker · Sep 13, 2014

Sorry everyone... I was talking about peace... Not a piece if pie or cake, which actually sounds really good right now as I write this

nurse2be13 · Sep 13, 2014

The whole thing. Good luck

Spangle Brown · Sep 13, 2014

Some of us take Microbiology, anatomy and physiology as part of the requirements before starting nursing school. I even took medical terminology. Then take 5 terms in Nursing school.

I still would think that the first term would be the hardest. Learning the rules for the program. Meeting classmates and setting up study groups. Learning how to study and think like a nurse.

In regular school, the first term was the hardest. I was a returning student of 20years. Learning how to study, the lay of the land, the expectations, etc.. And that doesn't include the actually learning the material. And that was only 12 hrs. A year later I took 17 hrs including Micro and A&P2 and I Aced all my classes. I think nursing school will be like that. Ruff until you get a grip at it. And if your always running behind, they will all be tough.

Some of us will struggle getting our personal life to fall in with the new expectations. Family that truly don't understand the amount of time needed out side of classroom hrs that will be needed. The zero tolerance that is REAL on many things. Like the recent post from a new student who was 4 minutes late to class and wasn't allowed in. All because her boyfriend made her late. Those are real issues that people have to adjust and accept during the first term.