7) Not everyone gets in. This means you have to be better than other people. Yes this includes better grades. There are numerous pre-requisite classes and the more you have completed the better chance you will have of getting accepted into school. It is much harder to get into school and eventually receive a license with any kind of criminal record. If you have problems in this area then it is best to speak to a counselor or advisor to find out if you will be able to proceed with school before getting too far. Our first day of class our instructors warned us that even having been convicted of driving while intoxicated could prevent us from obtaining a nursing license.
6) Everything else in life becomes less important. Your family, loved ones, yes even the boyfriend/husband (or for you guys, the girlfriend/wife, though we are typically more understanding in general). They will all need to understand that nursing school is a full time commitment that has to take precedence over everything else in life in order for you to succeed at it. You will need a lot of support and assistance so that you can put all your effort into the program. This is a full-time commitment.
5) Be positive nursing is something you TRULY want to and can do. Nursing is not for everyone. Do not waste your time if it is not something you can do. In my first year of school we lost a student because the first time she held a needle to someone’s skin she passed out…..she had worked very hard to get to that point and realized it wasn’t for her. I’m not saying you should go around sticking people with needles to see if you pass out or not, just think about it and maybe volunteer at a hospital or nursing home to see if you are prepared for that kind of environment.
4) It is unlike any other classroom experience you have ever had. Nursing school is not like your biology class or English class of the past. This is serious stuff. I am not just talking about the clinical aspect. Nursing education is not in the black/white format of a math class. 2+2 is not always 4, sometimes it is 5 or 10, just depending on the situation. You have to learn a new thought process. You may have several “right” answers in front of you, but must choose the “best” right answer depending on any number of variables. Sure, any of the answers may get you where you need to go, but will the patient make it through your trial and error?
3) Clinicals are meant to scare the crap out of you. You will be forced to actually walk into a stranger’s hospital room and examine them from head to toe; this includes ALL parts by the way. And while doing this you must appear that you are totally at ease looking at strange naked people and behave as if you know exactly what you are doing. This is even more difficult to accomplish with the ever present instructor standing behind your back watching everything you do. But if you make it to your final semester, they essentially leave you to your own devices because at that point even the instructors are fooled into thinking you might actually know what you are doing.
2) There will be nursing students who are not married, do not work, do not have kids, and can totally devote their whole being to succeeding at school. You will hate these people. They will go above and beyond and impress the instructors with their knowledge because they can study 14 hours a day and knit all 6 instructors personalized stethoscope covers in their spare time. Again, you will hate these people. Don’t try to talk to them or get them to downplay their abilities because they will not listen and will only work harder to show you up!
1) It is extremely rewarding! Once you finish, and yes you can finish and graduate and pass boards, you will have joined a professional organization that you can grow and change with. There are so many possibilities for nurses to gain autonomy and become a valuable asset to any community. Nursing is not just a job; it is a career in which we change people’s lives. A very intelligent nurse once told me that if he (the patient) can lay there and go through it then I can certainly stand beside him and comfort him during it. Nurses are comfort to a patient; always remember why you are there and what you mean to the one you are caring for.
I just want to add something else. You are right about nursing school not being for everyone. Some get into it for the wrong reasons and either quit or continue on and become a bad nurse (I’ve worked with my fair share). if you really want to find out if this is the career for your, work as a CNA or PCT for a while. they are the eyes and ears of the nursing staff and it will help you to understand a little of what you may be up against. CNA work will really help you find your true colors and if you will be a good fit. A nurse I worked with one night said it best when she said cna’s jobs are as physically exhausting as a nurses job is mentally exhausting. Either way, you have to have passion to do that type of work. If you are not a people person, I strongly do not recommend this field! Everytime you go to work, someone’s health recovery and possibliy life is in your hands. If you are in it for the money, I guarantee you will not last long. If you are in it to make a difference in the lives of others, not only will do you that, but you will also become a better person yourself.
I totally agree with you! I actually worked first as a monitor tech in the surgical ICU where I now work as an RN. I learned so much about what the nurses did and what was expected of them. I was allowed to watch many procedures and assist the nurses with some small tasks in the unit. When I graduated nursing school I felt very comfortable transitioning into the nursing role. All the nurses were very encouraging and helpful to me because they wanted me to succeed. I have seen many nurse’s aides and monitor techs go on to nursing school and do very well as nurses. I think everyone considering such a career choice should know what is entailed in the title of nurse before they commit years to earning a degree they may find they are unhappy with in the end.
“Again, you will hate these people. Don’t try to talk to them or get them to downplay their abilities because they will not listen and will only work harder to show you up!”
Thats a crock of shit. I don’t have kids, am not married, and took loans out for my program so I didn’t need to work. I don’t show fellow classmates up and can confidently say no one in my program hates me.
Watch the generalizations.
Will, Thank you for your reply. I am sorry you took offense to one of the remarks. I feel that “crock of shit” is not completely true regarding my statements. I understand that you did not feel that your classmates had any harsh opinions of you because you were able to go through nursing school without any of the day to day stress of family and jobs, but this was my experience. As I am sure you know not everyone views things the same way, and opinions differ.
Thank you again for your reply,
nursewendy
That was a great overview, I am so glad there are talented people willing to go through it.
I worked a helluva lot harder for my A.D in nursing than I did for my B.A in French.(Ok, you can stop laughing now) I cannot think of an undergrad degree that is more stressful than nursing. I know there were times during my first year of nursing school that I had serious doubts if my marriage would make it through the ordeal.
The thing with being a married father of a 15 month old when I started nursing school back in 1988 was that it gave me a great deal of resolve. I di not have a plan B(well, I probably would have joined the French Foriegn Legion-but my wife was not aware of that plan). Like the line from Apollo 13: Failure was NOT an option.
I’ve been a nurse for 19 years. It’s done more than put bread on the table for my family. It has given me a greater appreciation of life.
I am in Nursing school now and have gotten very discouraged. I have 2 children and a husband who thinks he is helping (but is not). My anantomy and Physiology class kicks my butt as well as my dosage calculations math class. I have learned to look on the bright side and be sure to Ace every last one of my homework assignments just in case I don’t do so well on my tests. I’m excited and I want this so bad. i know I want this bad because I have cried many nights, been up many nights before test, and pulled my hair out. “I will be a Nurse” this is what I tell myself everyday and night. I will graduate March 2011
This helps alot. Im a senior that just got excepted to nursing school, and this makes me feel hopeful that I have help. Even people out there who just have helpful tips seem to make all the difference at this point but well see. THANK YOU!