For me, the academic part is not hard, but I have a degree in Microbiology and academics have generally always come easily for me (also, I enjoy learning and studying...).
However, one of our nursing instructors is more like a boot camp DI. And my 2nd term clinical at first was pretty scary (but, I believe that is more due to lack of support, for a variety of reasons.)
So, what have you all found that was hard about Nursing School?
Some instructors I've had make a deliberate effort to frustrate students, and that, in my opinion, is what makes nursing school "hard". I have one right now who said at the beginning of the semester that its highly unlikely that any of us will get an "A" in her class because in her 15+ years of teaching she's never had a student who was that good. Now that I'm in her class I can see why. This woman goes out of her way to present the most confusing questions on her exams. I don't know how she comes up with her answers but a lot of them are NOT the answers given in the textbook or the NCLEX guides. During her post-exam reviews we've presented proof from the textbooks and even from her own lecture notes that some of her answers are incorrect, and her response is always that she'll look into it but she never does. Her clinicals are even worse. During pre-conference, she asks questions about medical (rather than nursing) interventions, and if you don't give her the answers she wants she tells you you're unprepared and that she's going to have to write you up for it.:angryfire
We received exam results today, which most people either failed or passed by a hair. Not a good thing when you know you studied your butt off, only to be told that so many of the questions you know you answered correctly were marked as incorrect. People were extremely upset about it, and I passed three girls waiting in the faculty parking lot with razor blades and keys trying to find out which car she drives.
some instructors i've had make a deliberate effort to frustrate students, and that, in my opinion, is what makes nursing school "hard". i have one right now who said at the beginning of the semester that its highly unlikely that any of us will get an "a" in her class because in her 15+ years of teaching she's never had a student who was that good. now that i'm in her class i can see why. this woman goes out of her way to present the most confusing questions on her exams. i don't know how she comes up with her answers but a lot of them are not the answers given in the textbook or the nclex guides. during her post-exam reviews we've presented proof from the textbooks and even from her own lecture notes that some of her answers are incorrect, and her response is always that she'll look into it but she never does. her clinicals are even worse. during pre-conference, she asks questions about medical (rather than nursing) interventions, and if you don't give her the answers she wants she tells you you're unprepared and that she's going to have to write you up for it.:angryfire
we received exam results today, which most people either failed or passed by a hair. not a good thing when you know you studied your butt off, only to be told that so many of the questions you know you answered correctly were marked as incorrect. people were extremely upset about it, and i passed three girls waiting in the faculty parking lot with razor blades and keys trying to find out which car she drives.
i hope they found her car!
lol! thanks for the laugh!! i totally needed that!
re wanting questions answered about medical interventions rather than nursing... we were about 3 weeks into our first term of our first year and doing check-offs for our chest and lung assessment... one of our instructors wanted to know from one of the students during that check-off how exactly to medically treat a pneumothorax... uh... was that in the chapter???
I agree with most of what has been said... not so much that I can't understand the concepts, but it's all very time-consuming and just a lot of content/work to do. And that's coming from a part-timer!! When I started my program I was able to compare it to my studies from my previous BA degree and I was suprised how "hard" it is.
I don't know how some of you do it full-time with families, jobs, etc.!!!!!!
BTW, if we all agree that it's so time-consuming, doesn't that mean the classes should be worth more credits or something??? LOL
Nursing school was the hardest thing I've ever done. I graduated with honors, so the acedemics I made it through, and I might have made it appeared easy. The material wasn't that difficult, but lots of material to learn, so I studied and studied.
It didn't come easy for me. (Also I worked 32 to 40 hours a week and that didn't help.)
How in heavens name did you do it? There is simply no way for me to do that AND work that many hours...I tried to do 32 hours a week ,and couldn't. I'm teetering on the edge now. Basically, I'm a nervous wreck!
We are all really quite insane as we dream of giant syringes or the medical-surgical fairy chasing us as we sleep. Freud has nothing on us.
Intimidating because we are expected to be competent with needles, tubes, medications and people when just over a year ago, the only needles we were familiar with were sewing needles. You mean you want me to what??? Where??? OK.
Frustrating because it just never seems to end. Frustrating when you can't find your clinical instructor and you have to pass up an opportunity to really learn something because of it. Frustrating when you feel irrelevant; like a child playing nurse in your dress up play nurse clothes.
Whew! I'm glad I'm not the only one dreaming about syringes! I woke up wednesday morning having spent a lot of dream time drawing up 10cc NS flushes. The good news is, this week in clinical I was able to draw 'em up licketysplit. Really, there are some things I don't wanna practice in my sleep.
... the dress up and play feeling does go away somewhat when you're in a unit or with a nurse who can handle a student, and also when you get past your first quarter or two.
How in heavens name did you do it? There is simply no way for me to do that AND work that many hours...I tried to do 32 hours a week ,and couldn't. I'm teetering on the edge now. Basically, I'm a nervous wreck!
Let me in on your studying secrets, huh????
No secrets. I didn't have the family responsiblities that you do. I either lived alone or with my mom and dad when I got my ADN, plus had all co-req courses taken before nursing. I don't know how I did it. But I was very driven. Now that I'm about to start my BSN program, I doubt I'm going to be that driven again, but we'll see.
Some instructors I've had make a deliberate effort to frustrate students, and that, in my opinion, is what makes nursing school "hard". I have one right now who said at the beginning of the semester that its highly unlikely that any of us will get an "A" in her class because in her 15+ years of teaching she's never had a student who was that good. Now that I'm in her class I can see why. This woman goes out of her way to present the most confusing questions on her exams. I don't know how she comes up with her answers but a lot of them are NOT the answers given in the textbook or the NCLEX guides. During her post-exam reviews we've presented proof from the textbooks and even from her own lecture notes that some of her answers are incorrect, and her response is always that she'll look into it but she never does. Her clinicals are even worse. During pre-conference, she asks questions about medical (rather than nursing) interventions, and if you don't give her the answers she wants she tells you you're unprepared and that she's going to have to write you up for it.:angryfire
We received exam results today, which most people either failed or passed by a hair. Not a good thing when you know you studied your butt off, only to be told that so many of the questions you know you answered correctly were marked as incorrect. People were extremely upset about it, and I passed three girls waiting in the faculty parking lot with razor blades and keys trying to find out which car she drives.
I hope they found her car!
That is just awful! I've been through that before, reading what you were saying was what I went through 3 years ago. My first semester in nursing school was absolute HELL, thanks to the director of nursing, which was also one of the professors and course coordinator for our Nursing Process I (med/surg) class. He did the same thing you described your professor doing. Made the exams impossible and he was all about the medical aspect of it. I ended up failing that class. Quite a few of us failed that semester, some dropped out. When I came back the following semester, it was much to my delight to see that he had been fired and they got a new Director. It's a shame we all had to pay the price we did. It cost me a year, lots of money and many tears..... all thanks to him. I would have graduated last year, but just failing that one class put me back a whole year (they only offer that class in the fall semester).
Didn't mean to rant on about that. But it's really a shame that schools have professors like that employed there. Nursing school isn't an easy thing anyway ..... no need to make it harder. :angryfire
Some instructors I've had make a deliberate effort to frustrate students, and that, in my opinion, is what makes nursing school "hard". I have one right now who said at the beginning of the semester that its highly unlikely that any of us will get an "A" in her class because in her 15+ years of teaching she's never had a student who was that good. Now that I'm in her class I can see why. This woman goes out of her way to present the most confusing questions on her exams. I don't know how she comes up with her answers but a lot of them are NOT the answers given in the textbook or the NCLEX guides. During her post-exam reviews we've presented proof from the textbooks and even from her own lecture notes that some of her answers are incorrect, and her response is always that she'll look into it but she never does. Her clinicals are even worse. During pre-conference, she asks questions about medical (rather than nursing) interventions, and if you don't give her the answers she wants she tells you you're unprepared and that she's going to have to write you up for it.:angryfire
We received exam results today, which most people either failed or passed by a hair. Not a good thing when you know you studied your butt off, only to be told that so many of the questions you know you answered correctly were marked as incorrect. People were extremely upset about it, and I passed three girls waiting in the faculty parking lot with razor blades and keys trying to find out which car she drives.
I hope they found her car!
hmm. which school do u go to? we must be from the same school! :rotfl:
Tony35NYC
510 Posts
Some instructors I've had make a deliberate effort to frustrate students, and that, in my opinion, is what makes nursing school "hard". I have one right now who said at the beginning of the semester that its highly unlikely that any of us will get an "A" in her class because in her 15+ years of teaching she's never had a student who was that good. Now that I'm in her class I can see why. This woman goes out of her way to present the most confusing questions on her exams. I don't know how she comes up with her answers but a lot of them are NOT the answers given in the textbook or the NCLEX guides. During her post-exam reviews we've presented proof from the textbooks and even from her own lecture notes that some of her answers are incorrect, and her response is always that she'll look into it but she never does. Her clinicals are even worse. During pre-conference, she asks questions about medical (rather than nursing) interventions, and if you don't give her the answers she wants she tells you you're unprepared and that she's going to have to write you up for it.:angryfire
We received exam results today, which most people either failed or passed by a hair. Not a good thing when you know you studied your butt off, only to be told that so many of the questions you know you answered correctly were marked as incorrect. People were extremely upset about it, and I passed three girls waiting in the faculty parking lot with razor blades and keys trying to find out which car she drives.
I hope they found her car!