You have been told that nursing is a great career and that it is extremely rewarding to provide nursing care for your patients. Nursing is a respected profession by friends and family. You also know that there is a nursing shortage and that you will never feel bored. You are aware of the pros of being a nurse so you apply to nursing school and alas, you get accepted!
But, there are things that no one told you about nursing school. Once you step into nursing school, you feel overwhelmed! Suddenly, your 4.0 gpa you once had in high school that was easy to get now feels like an impossible dream in nursing school. Now you are asking yourself, why has no one told me about this in nursing school!?
1. You will feel like you know absolutely nothing once you get to nursing clinical.
Just when you thought it was bad enough to forget what you needed to know for your nursing exams that’s 30% of your grade, you forget the steps that you needed to know for your nursing procedures and your patients are staring at you.
2. Nurses throw their cubs off the cliff.
One would expect all nurses to be nurturing and they typically are compassionate and caring for their patients. But unfortunately, not every nurse out there will have the same attitude towards nursing students. Sometimes you will feel like you are just in the way and making the job harder for the nurses. Do not be afraid to ask questions! Getting experience on the floor is the only way to truly learn and grasp the material!
3. Do not forget about your non-nursing friends.
You tell yourself that you have so many exams, a full time job, and nursing clinical to worry about. The last thing on your mind is catching up with friends who has time to party or head over to Applebee’s on a Thursday night. Your closest friends has become your textbooks and your classmates who are pulling all nighters with you. After all, they understand what you are going through and they have the same exams so you also feel like you are socializing at the same time. Your non-nursing friends do matter and they were there for you when you got into nursing school. Let them be there for you through nursing school and when you finally graduate.
4. You will feel unappreciated for your hard work.
Every task you do correctly will go unnoticed because it is expected of you. Every task that you do incorrectly, you will get a scolding and told how to do it properly step by step. You may even have to write an essay on how to do it properly. Do not forget to give yourself a pat on the back and remember that your patients appreciate your hard work.
5. You will have to study hundreds of pages every week and that is just for one class.
The content seems extremely overwhelming when you are told that you have to study ten chapters for the next exam and the professors are cramming three to five chapters per lecture. Somehow you are supposed to find the time with everything else that is going on in your life. Take a deep breather, take out your nursing study planner, and remember to plan everything out in advance! You can do this!
Even though no one told you about this in nursing school, you know that it is worth the hard work you put in and that you will become successful. Do not forget to take care of yourself and do not ever give up!
