Comments on: 7 things you need to know about nursing school.

By: sheria

sheria — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 22:35:28 +0000

As long as you have support and willing to put forth the hard work and effort it will pay off. I have two friends who worked and went to nursing school full-time and made it. One is single with three kids and is now a RN and the other is married with one kid an a LPN. It can be done! But nursing is not for everyone. Failure is not an option. Not saying it was easy for them but they did the damn thing!

By: Leigh

Leigh — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 05:08:21 +0000

I graduated with a BS in Radiation Therapy a few years ago. I agree with the part about hating those who can devote all their time to school. When I started my child was 3 months old. I finished but failed the licensure. I decided not to pursue it further by restudying for the test. I went into it to help others deal with their cancer. What I discovered was we were only allowed 15 minutes for each patient. It was like herding cows. I discovered that it was more of a job without compassion. I now had 2 children and even more family responsibilities keeping up with them, although I don’t work. I am thinking seriously about nursing but am I going to be disappointed again in the end?

By: Jenn

Jenn — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 20:51:18 +0000

Very useful information! I have a bit of a different, although mostly the same, point on classmates & the nursing classes in general.
Yes, there are people in there that don’t have children or jobs and this is all that they have going on. They will drive you insane with “Oh, the exam wasn’t that hard! You just need to study more/better!” There is also the “I’ve worked as a CNA and I know everything. Nursing school is just a formality for me. And, oh by the way, I’m going to grace you with a story about every single topic we cover so you can benefit from my vast wisdom, as well.”
There’s the “My grandmother/child/father/distant relative who was in the hospital dying and they had the worst nurse ever!” type. You will want to scream at them “Hey, Skippy! If by some miracle you graduate, not every patient you have is going to think you’re the reincarnate of Florence Nightengale!” That’s not advisable, LOL!
You will also encounter, “I must be in the middle of everything and must control every move that is made.” For me, this is the hardest one not to slap.
And there will be several, “What if the patient is seeing purple elephants and dancing on the ceiling? What do we do?” “What if we stop at an accident scene and we don’t have gloves or a CPR mask?” “What if, what if, what if, what if!”
If someone could invent earplugs that only allow certain voices to come through, they’d make a fortune off of nursing students!
You will spend 15-20 hours a week with these people and most of them will get on your nerves. You go in expecting that the majority of the class will be intelligent because it is hard to get in. This is not the case. Lots of idiots test well.
Try to keep your head down & roll with the punches, because there’s going to be alot of them!

By: Nat

Nat — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 10:33:48 +0000

Firstly, I think some of your remarks are offensive. I am not trying to personally attack you, but I would think someone with enough schooling and responsibility to become a nurse would also know enough about the world today and sensitivity to not generalize and as you say “hate”. Some people, such as myself, knew from childhood that they wanted to be nurses and just because we haven’t gotten married and started families, and because we can devote every minute to our dreams, does not mean we don’t demand any more respect than someone who started school later in life. You should admire anyone with that kind of drive, they also worked hard.
I feel for mothers and people who have other responsibilities. My mother just completed school and she quite frequently contemplated quitting because she was under so much stress, but she never ever felt hate or said one negative thing about anyone else in her class, even if they had an easier life than hers. If you were determined and responsible enough to get into nursing school, then count your blessings and stop envying someone else’s life and dedication.

By: Carrie

Carrie — Sat, 22 May 2010 08:11:02 +0000

I feel like the part about hating people who can devote every second to their education was the funniest part!! I just finished my prerequisites and am getting ready for nursing school. There were those types in all my science classes – the type who has not family, or other obligations. I liked your point of view of not trying to compete with them. It makes you feel inferior because there is only so much you can do. I know I am in it for the right reasons – I just have to keep up my confidence because I get discouraged when I dont think I am catching on. Anyways I made it this far and thanks so much for your post – it was so true and I feel like I am not alone in hating them!!!

By: Rachael

Rachael — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 21:59:36 +0000

Dear Beth- lemme tell you a story about a wonderful surgeon I know ( who just so happens to be my hubby). This is a man who cuts people open every day for a living, who gets blood all over his hands and doesn’t bat an eyelash. But he’s actually had to lie down before passing out – twice!- when having his blood drawn for routine tests. I don’t say that to mock him but to point out that you won’t know how you’ll react to needles and blood in a clinical situation (vs personal experience) until you try it. And so I say…. go for it! The world needs as many good nurses as we can get

By: beth

beth — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 04:24:03 +0000

A friend of mine is finishing up her two years of nursing school. She highly recommends it to me. I finished a Bachelor Degree in another area and cannot get a job that pays what I currently make. From all that I have researched about personality characteristics in being a nurse, I have to say I would make an ideal candidate for a career in nursing. One of my fears is, just as what was mentioned, I wouldnt be able to administer needles. Any suggestions here?

By: nursewendy

nursewendy — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:44:35 +0000

Thank you Lew and Laney! I try to depict things as I see them….and maybe say those things that others don’t want to admit Good luck to all of you working towards a wonderful future in nursing!

By: nursewendy

nursewendy — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:38:34 +0000

Aww don’t give up! It is hard, but that is why it means so much when you are done. Your husband and kids will appreciate all the hard work you put in one day. It does get better….after graduation…but you can do it!

By: nursewendy

nursewendy — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:35:01 +0000

Thank you Jeff! It is definitely a challenging experience.