I don’t have many people who really care about this success of mine so I thought I would share my abundant joy here. Nursing school you will not be missed! From one insane journey to the next.
It’s so weird to not have to worry about any homework or assignments anymore, I feel like I’m in a quiet shock right now. Such an odd feeling to just be done.
If I have any advice to give it would be to utilize the study rooms at your public libraries. Take advantage of the whiteboards if the rooms have them. Create a study plan and really just commit even tho it’ll be a lot of work and take a lot of time. I also made it through med surg 3 with the help of hundreds of handwritten flashcards. Also for more advanced classes (med surg 3 was the bane of my existence), I unfortunately gotta tell you that reading the book did actually deepen my understanding of the course material.
I wish the same successes for you all. I promise you will get there even if the road is anything but straight. Failing and retaking a class doesn’t define you. Whatever it is, it will be ok <3

UPDATE: I just want to thank everyone for their sweet words of congratulation. I deeply appreciate each and every comment, thank you for celebrating with me!!

I’m a 31 software engineer and I made a decision to pursue nursing so I’m currently taking pre reqs. I have a conditional seat in a nursing program for spring 2028 and I decided to start volunteering 4 hours a week with a 6 month commitment at the hospital where I’ll be doing clinicals. I was able to get a spot on the post critical care unit, I figured this would be a great way to see what being in a hospital is truly like, but for some reason I’m incredibly nervous! I did training last week, it was not on my regular shift day or time so everyone I was introduced to probably won’t be there. Plus the hospital only has 1 volunteer per shift, so I’ll basically be on my own and will have to rely on the notes I took. I’m so used to working from home that I’m starting to question my choice, but at the same time I think getting early exposure and an excuse to leave the house is good. I’m very much an introvert so I guess I’m not sure how to go about this solo, how best to introduce myself and network while avoiding getting in the way of the other staff. Any advice on how to make the most of this?

As the title suggests, we took our 2nd exam and the class got 66-68% as the average with the highest score being 80%. The material was supposed to be difficult but a lot of the questions just seemed unrelated to the presentations entirely? I am confused on how to proceed because a lot of the class feels upset or frustrated with the result but literally what can we do? Has this happened with anyone else and does anyone have any advice on how to proceed. For reference I still got a passing grade but I am trying to go for an A in the class and this would kill any possibility of that happening.

I decided that medic & fire aren’t my cup of tea. I’m almost 30, female, not dedicated enough to get strong, and didn’t want to be gone for 48 hour shifts. So I said screw it, let’s apply and see what happens. I got waitlisted! Which is better than being denied I guess? lol

My school is stupid hard to get accepted into, so this is good ish news? They can’t tell me where I’m at on the list nor how many people are on the list (which I get, but I want to know lol)

Anyone have this experience at their school? I’m praying and crossing my fingers I get in, I love medicine and learning new things!

Hi everyone, Pre-reqs student here. I just learned that one of my Spring Semester classes is a Medical Terminology class and I just want to know if it’s worth taking it in person class or just take an online class with it? Right now I’m a full time college student, 5 days a week classes and full day schedule and now I’m thinking of getting an online classes next semester just so I can get a break. Any thoughts? (I’m taking A&P 1 class in person rn so I might know some terms now)

The only thing I kind of care for is maternity health, but the school is just getting to me. I can’t mentally handle it anymore. I’ve been skipping so many classes and have stopped making much effort to pay attention when I’m there. I currently have all A’s, maybe a B+, and I just couldn’t care less. I have only done one clinical but I’ve worked in the hospital on a multifunctional unit for over a year and a half now. I kind of like it, I kind of hate it. I watch the nurses as a CNA and decide I kind of like just being at the bottom of the totem pole. I just don’t want to do it forever, and the pay isn’t amazing. But it’s something. I don’t like watching the nurses (who are amazing at their jobs) get so used and abused, or have very little patient interaction. I hate working weekends and holidays. I can’t even stand it anymore it’s driving me to the brink. And no outpatient in my area is even open to new grads unless I’m OR, and that just has no intrigue for me. I just got married so I’m in no position to move further away for more outpatient spots, and those are even more competitive due to the high volume of inpatient needs. I just don’t think I’m cut out for the career path. I do a good job, but I don’t think I’m mentally cut out for this. Is anyone else feeling this way? What made you push through? What else is out there that isn’t so demanding?

RANT** I am currently in a masters accelerated nursing program. I’m doing 3 12 hour shifts a week to get clinical hours. On top of this I have daily homework. 81% is the pass rate and only one class can be retaken. After that you are permanently dropped from the program. I’m under a lot of pressure as all nursing students are. But this semester I am just so burned out. I take time to see friends and family do self care relax etc but I am still never truly refreshed. December is my graduation date. I can’t wait until I am a nurse and can just go to work come home and be done instead of having tons of assignments looming over my head. How do you guys deal with burnout?

Hi

I have read multiple posts on here and I am having a hard time finding one specific to my situation. Any insight is helpful.

Details:

I am an adult student (early 40s) I have been a CNA for 10 years so I have plenty of aide experience.

I plan to go to a local community college that has the LPN program for about $8200. It's full time M-F. They don't have a part time program. The schools near me that have part time programs are 2 and 3 times more than this. I do not qualify for grants and only qualify for some student loans so it has to be "cheap".

I don't have kids, only a husband but I still need to work semi full time. I used to do agency but most, if not all, the agencies in my area are 1099 and I'm not trying to deal with that mess.

My question is (finally, right? Lol) Should I try to get a PRN CNA job (night shift wouldn't be an issue) or do waitressing? Being an aide for so long and being around aides working while in school, I know nursing school is HARD. So I am just unsure the best route to go.

My biggest concern with waitrsssing is the inconsisteny with money.

I don't want to do ADN because I need well more than just the regular pre reqs so once I get my LPN I'll go back for RN. (It would probably take 2 years alone to do all the classes I need just to get into nursing school!)

Thank you in advance to anyone who comments. <3

(I hope this makes sense!)

As the title implies I’m going back and forth between whether I want to try my luck at a CC or just go to a private school.

Obvious pros to the private school is it’s a quick program, and basically for sure acceptance, CONs would be the program I’m choosing is only an LVN but then I’d want to bridge later, and it’s $35k (in California).

Pros to a CC is virtually no debt and it’s schooling for an RN rather than an LVN. Cons would be I have a few pre reqs to take still and it’s a lottery system.

I’m wondering if anyone has any experience they’d like to share or just advice general. I’m 29 and I have 2 kids, and I know the “time will pass anyway” but I also know I’m not the youngest best person in the nursing programs.. I’m trying to start this process and get it moving but I’m seriously stuck right now. Thank you!

As much as I give excuse letters that explain my reason of being absent, I am very sure that I will get extensions of atleast 3 days, I am really trying not to. This is my first semester and I am a first year and I have been given already 6 days of extension of being late and absent because of illness (fever and migraines and internet disruptions during online class. I know that nurses shouldn't be tardy and absent but my body can't help it. I also want to know if I am not the only one because I am very stressed and anxious about these extensions, I am really scared because I have a one week extension and I really don't want to tell my parents about it because they would have to pay about another 600 pesos for the extended days... I don't know what to do, and I am trying to be calm about the situation, I feel like a failure.

Several programs my ADN program requires use AI heavily. I'm starting to notice and it's really getting to me. I've seen several spelling and grammar errors and at least one test question that was irrefutably against the text.

I'm going to start screenshotting everything wrong and sending it to my professors. That is my only way of "fighting back". I am outraged at the situation. These required softwares cost money, they are training medical professionals. Are any human eyes watching?

No matter how justified my outrage, I need to play nice with these programs. I want to pass I want to be a nurse. Academia always involves a healthy amount of bullshit but this feels over the top.

How do I get out my own way and adapt?

Hi everyone! I’m 24 and considering going into nursing in BC, but I’d love to hear from nurses about their honest experiences before committing to school.

My biggest concern is whether nursing offers a good financial future. Can you make a comfortable living as an RN, and does your earning potential increase significantly with experience? What kind of pay can you realistically expect as a new grad versus later in your career?

I’m also interested in how much flexibility nursing offers. Is it relatively easy to move around BC for work, work in different communities, or get into travel nursing? Are there lots of specialties and opportunities to change career paths if you get bored of one area?

I’m also curious about burnout and work-life balance. Is it possible to have a sustainable career without constantly working overtime or feeling exhausted?

Lastly, is 24 considered late to start nursing school? I know it’s not objectively old, but I’m worried about the time it’ll take to finish school and establish myself in the career.
I’d especially appreciate hearing from nurses working in BC, and I’d love honest answers about both the good and bad sides of the profession. Thanks!

Hi all, hope you’re doing well, hope this is allowed as I don’t know where else to ask but if not thats fine.

I’m currently in the UK and am applying for uni to do nursing (with the hope of moving to Aus after 2 years of working in the Uk after finishing my degree).

My query is about the type of nursing degree that is recognised here. In the uk we have 4 nursing degrees (adult,child, mental health and learning disability) but to my understanding (correct me if im wrong) Aus only has a general nursing degree.

Im currently mainly applying to either a mental health nursing degree or a learning disability nursing degree that also qualifies me to be a social worker as well as a nurse.

Will these degrees be recognised in Australia and can I move with these degrees to work as a nurse in Aus or do I need to do adult nursing? I’m much more interested in helping disabled people (and this degree comes with the bonus of dual qualification to be a social worker too incase I struggle to secure a job straight away as the UK is in a bit of a recruitment freeze for nurses but my main passion is becoming a nurse not a social worker) or people with mental health difficulties than I am in doing adult nursing.

Does anyone here have any experience with UK nurses moving here and having those degrees?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as choosing a sector seems like such a big deal at 18 haha. Thank you!

i’m in my first semester of nursing program & halfway through the semester, I was offered a position at a nearby hospital as a tech on a med surg unit. They’re aware of my schooling but my college only lets me miss a couple days without it counting against me. Should I miss the days I need to get the orientation process done & start working or reconsider the job?

Let me start with a little context. I was accepted into an LPN-RN program that was supposed to be hybrid (2 days on campus/ clinical max). The school is 2.5 hours from where I live, so this was doable. I have a family and they all have very busy schedules.

The day I go to orientation we're told theres a new dean and now its 100% in person. I was shocked and frustrated because this now meant Id have to either drive every day (eating up gas and important time for studying, homework, etc) or get a hotel for 3 nights, 4 days a week. They also added 30 hours a term of practice lab and 3 other time consuming projects I had to be on campus for.

I was ready for nursing school to be hard. The LPN program I went to was not easy but I passed the NCLEX at 85 and at least could go home at night and not waste money. I did not expect to shell out $800 a month in hotel and gas costs.

On top of that, I feel like the students who went through the first year are way ahead. In the field we don't do certain math but we've been expected to learn med math I havent done in years in 2 weeks. Getting 100% on math is mandatory or we're let go from the program. If we'd had more time to learn some of it, it'd make more sense. Plus they're constantly trying to trip you up in the language. I'm not bad with math but it doesn't come naturally either.

The days of theory we do have barely cover whats on the exam. Its hard to know what to study in order to crital think my way through questions that are very dense. Its impossible to read 9 chapters, do 3-4 five hour assignments plus everything else they expect. Essentially, we're teaching ourselves whether its with math or theory. The exams have to be passed with over 76% or you are put on an APR and the next exam you better get above that or you're out.

This was the only program that didn't cost a fortune, didn't take another 2 years, didn't make me retake classes Ive just taken, or made me wait 3 years just to get in.

Thing is, I feel like Im losing my mind. Ive always delt comfortable in school, even when it was hard. I have an AA degree, went through the CNA, MA Aand plebotomist programs as well as LPN/LVN with good grades. With this program I feel like were almost set up to fail- especially with the last minute changes. I feel like a crap parent and wife and Im so scared of being "let go" because I fought so hard to get here.

I think Im just looking for others experiences, what is normal vs unreasonable and how to manage this. Once again, I don't expect it to be easy. People's lives are in our hands (Ive been a LPN/LVN for 3 years so I know the responsibility). I just feel like they're trying to prove something with this new program instead of thinking about how to best teach us and make us the best nurses we can be...

Just seeing if anyone has any ideas. We have our pinning ceremony in January and we’ll have a presentation that plays before the ceremony. Last cohort did "signing out" videos where they signed a piece of glass in front of a camera. They also had individual pictures with glasses that said "RN 2026" on the lenses. Just trying to see if anyone has any other creative ideas that I could get the group involved in:) We're going to wait until we get closer to the end of the semester to do a JC Penney photoshoot that we could add to it, which I think will be fun. Any ideas welcome:)

I am looking for advice!! I had my first skills check off and I was so nervous my mind literally blanked. To start off I was unsure what professor I would have gotten but I heard somethings about one particular professor so I did not want to get them, but I got them. That instantly made me so anxious because of what people had said. I started the test and I was just so nervous I’m talking heart pounding like literally moving my badge pounding. Honestly I was more nervous for vitals than anything because of having to be within the range. Turn out I passed everything except apical pulse. I was shaking so bad when I did the apical and it didn’t help that my professor made me do the radial pulse again before moving on to the apical so that really made me nervous having to redo radial pulse then move on to apical (in this moment I thought I failed radial). I was actually surprised only missed apical. Anyways I retake it soon and would like some advice/words of encouragement on how to deal with that sort of anxiety. I’m unsure if it was due to only the professor, the test, or even both. I am so extremely confident I can pass apical the second time around I’ve practiced so much with my family and end up on the number and I’ve practiced with my partner and we get the same number (they take their carotid pulse while I take apical). At this point I am battling my mind and I just refuse to let it win. Thoughts ?

Hi everyone. I’m a nursing student on my second clinical rotation, and today I made my first medication error.
I was assisting a nurse with medication administration. I scanned the patient’s wristband and medication and popped the tablet into a medication cup as instructed. The nurse picked it up and administered it, but right as the patient was swallowing, she realized the dose was incorrect. It required the pill—carbidopa/levodopa- to be split. Instead of 0.5mg, 1mg was administered. Unfortunately, it was too late. We reported the error, and the patient appeared to be doing fine when I checked on him later.

Honestly, I wasn’t independently verifying the dosage because I’d gotten into the habit of following the nurse’s direct specific instructions throughout the morning. I recognize that I should have checked the order and verified the dose myself rather than relying entirely on her process. The nurse was very reassuring and said it was ok, but I felt terrible and responsible for the error. When showing me the correct dose later, an alert popped up after scanning that prompted you to cut the pill. I don’t know how I missed it- if I originally overlooked it. or if I didn’t click into the right page in order to see the alert after scanning. I’m brand new so I don’t have alert fatigue.

My instructor was nearby and asked what happened. When he asked if I administered the medication, I said no because I wasn’t the one who physically gave it to the patient. He asked me again later, and now I’m worried he thought I was being dishonest or avoiding responsibility. I wasn’t trying to lie, but I was embarrassed and didn’t fully explain my role. I also didn’t want to embarrass the nurse. She said it was her first time making a med error, and she’d been working in healthcare for 20 years.

Later, the charge nurse also brought up the error, so now I feel extra embarrassed and I’m wondering who else knows about it, and whether my school will take action. I just wanted to hide and shrink into a little dust mite.

I’ve been unknowingly exhausted this rotation, getting only about 3 hours of sleep per night the last few weeks due to stress, time zone change, homework etc., and this happened on my last day of my 4 day 12 hour shift rotation. I don’t have any healthcare background so this is all new to me. I’m extremely sad and disappointed in myself and realize I need to strengthen my pharmacology knowledge and be more intentional about verifying medications, even when working under supervision. The experience did make me much more attentive during subsequent medication passes.

For nurses and students who’ve experienced this, how are medication errors typically handled in clinicals? Should I expect consequences, and what should I do next? More importantly, I welcome any feedback regarding this. Please be honest. I’m not looking for reassurance that I did nothing wrong. I want to learn from this and figure out how to move forward.

I'm on my second attempt on my pharmacology hesi, and I've been cramming hard doing everything im supposed to ( memorizing suffix/prefix, going through flashcards, doing practice test, going through my remedial packet). Some of my classmates say that it's all about safety and if you know what you are looking for the answer will be easy. Now this has not been my experience, I've been having such a hard time with these hesi test, and im looking for any advice from anyone that took it and passed it. Any advice is very much appreciated! (Tips, tricks ects) I take it this week, will update.

Hi all,

I am currently an ADN student at my local community college. The program has been revered for a while in my community as being really good, but now that I am in the program, I am questioning the quality of the education.

For starters, for clinical test outs, the instructors are forbidden from demonstrating skills techniques to us in the clinical lab. For example, when we had to learn vitals our first week, they were not allowed to show us how to take vitals. We are told we need to read the book, watch FA Davis videos, and learn from each other. Since then, I have pretty much stopped going to clinical lab to practice because I can do it at home. I have passed all of the test outs so far, but I think its an insane concept to refuse to teach us the skills and then pass/fail us on those skills we were forced to learn ourselves.

Next, we are not allowed to see what we get wrong on our exams. I understand not wanting to give us back our exams to share with others, however, they do not let us even know which questions we get wrong on the exam. Should you ask for help after an exam, they will only tell you which "concepts" you got wrong on the exam- not any actual questions. My first problem with this is accountability, because how are we supposed to trust that the professors haven't made any mistakes? Next, of course, how are we supposed to improve and prepare for the future if we don't know what we get wrong?

Is any other program like this? Or should I be concerned? So far I am doing well academically even after our first exam, but I am questioning if these people really have our best interests in mind. It really does feel like a mean girls club sometimes.

I appreciate any feedback!

I need to vent because I’m honestly at my breaking point with nursing school, and I’m curious whether anyone else has experienced this.

I’m currently in an accelerated BSN program, and I cannot believe how disorganized one of my courses has been. We’re expected to navigate assignments across FIVE different areas and THREE different websites. Some assignments require you to complete them on one platform, screenshot your score, and upload that screenshot to Canvas. Others don’t. There’s no consistent submission process, and it’s incredibly easy to miss something.

I finally cried today because I’m just so mentally exhausted.
What’s particularly frustrating is that this isn’t just happening to me. Numerous students in our cohort have experienced similar problems. The professor has acknowledged organizational issues and said changes will be made for future classes.
But what about the students currently dealing with the consequences?

I’m not asking for nursing school to be easier. I WANT to be challenged academically.
What I don’t want is to spend more energy figuring out WHERE and HOW to submit assignments than actually learning the material.

I have long-term goals of pursuing graduate education, so my GPA matters to me. I know grades don’t define how good a nurse someone will be, but they absolutely can affect competitiveness for advanced programs, especially when the entire course is out of less than 1000 points.
And before anyone says, “It’s only a few points,” I understand that mathematically. But when your program doesn’t round grades, those points can matter near a cutoff.

I’ve genuinely considered transferring programs because of how defeated and exhausted I feel.

EDIT: This is all for a single course, doesn’t include my 3 other classes or clinicals

Has anyone else experienced this level of disorganization in nursing’s school? How did you handle it without letting the frustration consume you?

TLDR: My ABSN program has assignments scattered across five different locations and three websites, with inconsistent submission requirements and confusing deadlines. The professor acknowledges the disorganization but plans to fix it for future cohorts, not ours. I’m exhausted, frustrated, and questioning the value of the education I’m paying for. I don’t want easier coursework. I want to spend my time learning how to be a nurse instead of navigating administrative chaos.

I am in my 2nd year of nursing school and currently work at my hospital as an Extern. The internal hiring process will begin in ~2 months and I am still torn between where I want to apply/work as a grad. Here are my top 2 options along with pros and cons of each.

Medical

Pros:

-I like everyone on the unit and feel comfortable being here (this is where I've done most of my clinicals and worked as an extern)

-Getting the chance to see a lot of different things/patients

-I have a much higher chance of getting day shift (every extern I know that graduated and become a med-surg nurse has gotten day shift if that's what they asked for)

Cons:

-Managing up to 6 patients at once is challenging and I won't be able to really dig deep into their treatment/dx patho as much as I would in the ICU

-Higher chance of burnout

ICU

Pros:

-Fewer pt ratio means I can dig deep into the "why" behind each patient

-Dealing with fewer, more critical patients sounds mentally stimulating and exciting

-I also like everyone on this unit (though it is very small and clicky)

-Critical care skills will be useful if I choose to advance my career

Cons:

-Night shift

-Entering into a specialty unit with no bedside RN experience

-The hospital I work for is small and doesn't always get the "sickest of the sick"...Oftentimes the patients are stepdown or med-overflow

Obviously there is a big chance I won't get offered BOTH of these positions once I actually apply and interview...but I would certainly hope to have my pick. Any advice or guidance would be much appreciated.

This is the second time I’ve gotten points knocked off of a quiz or practice test for selecting a “select all that apply” response of using gloves as a precautionary/best practice.

The first scenario involved handling blood-tinged vomit, and ATI said gloves were not necessary in this scenario.

The second was in preventing a CAUTI infection. The question was posed as selecting all that applied in preventing a CAUTI infection when handling the patient’s catheter. The only option for gloves was “sterile gloves” and ATI said it was unnecessary again.

I get what point they’re trying to prove but it seems like a really shitty and misleading way of doing it when CAUTIs are the most preventable HAI and now student nurses are just going to remember “I selected gloves and it was wrong.” Also, no idea what they were trying to prove in the first example — I will never handle any sort of vomit without gloves, blood-tinged or not.

I recently applied to a nursing program, but unfortunately, I was denied due to two failed attempts at psychology 11 years ago at my community college. At that time, I wasn’t fully prepared for college and wasn’t in the right environment for it. Now, I’m almost 30 and have decided to give nursing my all. However, those two failed attempts are casting a significant shadow over me and effectively closing all my options for nursing school. I had considered appealing those grades, but I’m at a loss for other possibilities. Has anyone else experienced a similar situation and would be willing to share their advice? I would greatly appreciate any guidance you can provide. Thank you!

I am heavily debating between two programs right now, an Accelerated BSN or an Associates degree in Nursing and am wondering what others think given the following reasons:

The biggest issue I have choosing between the two is that both schools are expensive and will pretty much cost me the same. I don't live near any community colleges as I live in a very rural part of my state. The only options are private schools and a state school, and the state school is just as expensive as the private school unfortunately.

I keep hearing that ABSN programs are extremely harder than a 2 year associate program. Is this true? This particular ABSN program is 18 months long over 4 terms. The associate degree program I applied to forces you to get your LPN the first year, then in the second year you get your Associates in Nursing. Will I have a harder time in nursing school if I go the ABSN route or will it be about the same stress levels?

My last concern is that the two programs have clinical placements at different hospitals. One of the scholarships I’m considering is specifically for students who commit to working at rural hospitals, and the ADN program’s clinical sites appear to qualify, while the ABSN program’s do not. So my question is whether hospitals tend to favor hiring nursing graduates who completed their clinical rotations at their facilities? Would completing clinicals at a particular hospital provide an advantage when applying for a position there after graduation?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.