1 answer
Haylee
Student
Saint Paul, Minnesota
1
Question
Updated
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What was the hardest part about becoming a nurse?
For example was it hard to balance your personal life and your education?
Was it hard to pass your classes?
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1 answer
Char R.
Registered Nurse
72
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Char’s Answer
Hi Haylee,
For me, balancing personal life and nursing school took a lot of work but worked well for me. I was pretty busy during the school year (September to May). School was my priority, but I managed to work part time as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) on the weekends throughout the school year and still was able to have a bit of a social life. I worked Fri/Sat one week, then Sat/Sun the next. Because I chose a semester-based nursing program (rather than quarter-based), I was less stressed and didn't feel like my classes were rushed. During the summers, I chose to avoid summer school and instead recharge my brain, pick up extra weekday work hours and get some weekends off, and tend to my social life more. This was probably the best way I balanced it all.
On the other hand, the classes were very challenging for me. During nursing school, you have to take classroom courses on campus as well as clinical training at the hospital (sometimes 10-12 hrs at a time). This was one of the hardest parts of nursing school. The busy school schedule! The coursework was also challenging. There's a lot to remember, and some topics are complex. But a lot of the topics are interesting! The classes were never so difficult that I couldn't pass them though. I passed every class.
My suggestion is to make friends in your program who can be your support group and study buddies. Also, if you're worried you're going to fail a class or you feel like you're not understanding the coursework, get a tutor right away! Lastly, a good planner/ organized calendar will help because your schedule will be tight.
Overall, if you have a great support system at home and school, you really want to be a nurse, and you're already a dedicated student, it's 100% possible to balance it all.
For me, balancing personal life and nursing school took a lot of work but worked well for me. I was pretty busy during the school year (September to May). School was my priority, but I managed to work part time as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) on the weekends throughout the school year and still was able to have a bit of a social life. I worked Fri/Sat one week, then Sat/Sun the next. Because I chose a semester-based nursing program (rather than quarter-based), I was less stressed and didn't feel like my classes were rushed. During the summers, I chose to avoid summer school and instead recharge my brain, pick up extra weekday work hours and get some weekends off, and tend to my social life more. This was probably the best way I balanced it all.
On the other hand, the classes were very challenging for me. During nursing school, you have to take classroom courses on campus as well as clinical training at the hospital (sometimes 10-12 hrs at a time). This was one of the hardest parts of nursing school. The busy school schedule! The coursework was also challenging. There's a lot to remember, and some topics are complex. But a lot of the topics are interesting! The classes were never so difficult that I couldn't pass them though. I passed every class.
My suggestion is to make friends in your program who can be your support group and study buddies. Also, if you're worried you're going to fail a class or you feel like you're not understanding the coursework, get a tutor right away! Lastly, a good planner/ organized calendar will help because your schedule will be tight.
Overall, if you have a great support system at home and school, you really want to be a nurse, and you're already a dedicated student, it's 100% possible to balance it all.