When are you officially a nursing student?

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As the title says, when are you officially considered a nursing student? When you get your acceptance letter? When you start your first day of class? Looking for opinions on this.

First day of actual nursing school I think.

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Specializes in ICU.

I used to work with a girl (in a job outside of healthcare) who would always talk about being a "nursing student" and going to "nursing school". She was taking classes through her high school to become a medical assistant. It drove me cRaZy. While I think medical assistants are useful and in healthcare setting (and I'm by no means trying to look down on what they do), it's not nursing and it's not nursing school. And the fact that she was using that title, drove me nuts.

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Specializes in Critical Care Transport, Cardiac ICU, Rapid.
I used to work with a girl (in a job outside of healthcare) who would always talk about being a "nursing student" and going to "nursing school". She was taking classes through her high school to become a medical assistant. It drove me cRaZy. While I think medical assistants are useful and in healthcare setting (and I'm by no means trying to look down on what they do), it's not nursing and it's not nursing school. And the fact that she was using that title, drove me nuts.

i know of some MA's that preach on Instagram that they are in medical school. The cringe factor Is through the roof

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One should only refer to him or herself as a nursing student once they have been accepted into a program and begun taking nursing courses. I say this because if that individual were a pre-nursing student, they still have a chance of not getting accepted. I have heard of a friend of a friend classify herself as a nursing student when she was only a pre-nursing student, and that just irked me. I can say that it has to do a bit with my pride as well since I worked my butt off and earned the title "nursing student," then people like the girl just mentioned go around lying about their achievements/credentials.

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Specializes in CTICU/ER/Dialysis.

A little off topic but this reminds me of the time this girl told me she worked in an oncology office. When I asked her what she did there she said she's "basically their nurse". When I said lvn? She agreed. Turns out she's just a medical assistant. Why lie/exaggerate. To get back on this topic. If one were to be in pre requisite courses, they know it's not considered nursing school. But still feel the need to lie.

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A little off topic but this reminds me of the time this girl told me she worked in an oncology office. When I asked her what she did there she said she's "basically their nurse". When I said lvn? She agreed. Turns out she's just a medical assistant. Why lie/exaggerate. To get back on this topic. If one were to be in pre requisite courses, they know it's not considered nursing school. But still feel the need to lie.

That stuff actually does bother me (admittedly it's a pride issue). But nursing school isn't easy. It's not rocket science, but it's definitely not easy. I strongly dislike it when people claim the title of "nurse" or "nursing student" when they haven't been through it.

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I've personally referred to myself as a "pre-nursing" student while I was taking my prereqs. I'm in my program now, but I still have a math class left. Once I start my first NR class in July, I will feel like an official nursing student. That's just me.

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you're a nursing student when you are taking nursing classes. Someone who is in medical school is a med student, someone who is taking the prerequisites is a pre-med student. It would be very misleading to tell someone you are a med student if you're not yet in med school and it would be very misleading to tell someone you are a nursing student if you're not yet in nursing school.

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Specializes in Float Pool, Telemetry.

I am in that transition time right now. Starting nursing school in the fall.. However, how I answered that depended on who was asking me. I have some senile family members and it was just easier to tell them I was studying nursing, rather than explain to them about pre-nursing. Etc. If that makes sense. However, I always referred to myself as a pre-nursing student to most people because that's what I was. Honestly, I don't get all butthurt about it. At my school, we were required to take certain nursing classes prior to application, including pharmacology. So in a way, we already were part of the nursing school. Some girls and guys said they were nursing students, others did not. It didn't bother me. However, to the people who were posting about CNAs, and MA calling themselves nurses...that bothers me. My ex-husbands girlfriend told me that when I asked her what she did for a living. She said "I'm a nurse". So I said, "Oh nice, are you an RN, LVN...?" She stumbles for words and then says CNA. Not looking down on that at all, but don't pretend to be something you didn't work hard to earn. So I get that point.

Right now, since I am accepted and enrolled into nursing school, I feel I am an official nursing student. But like I said, it's really all personal. Nursing has to be in your heart, no matter where you are on your path to get there. :)

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

What's with semantics?

See I feel like that is a bit of a misrepresentation. If you haven't been accepted into the nursing program and you're not taking nursing classes, you're really pre-nursing as opposed to a nursing student.
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I always referred to myself as a pre nursing student during my prereqs. After I was accepted into my program, I kinda called myself a nursing student but I didn't truly feel like one until we were about 3 weeks in.

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Taking nursing prerequisite classes does not make you a nursing student, similar to how someone earning their bachelor's degree and will apply to medical school is not a medical student. Student status means your are currently enrolled in your program.

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