Caution: "newbie question alert"

[Zeal]

Student nurses,....what made you/ helped you "decide" to enroll in nursing school?--and, is it harder than you thought it would be?

[LivingDeadNurse]

my mom. she has been an LPN for 30yrs. thats one reason why. is it tough? well lets just say yes.. i won't lie its not a pie job nor is the schooling. i started out getting my LPN...i had awesome instructors. if you did exactly what they said you would pass. but some just wanted to do it on there own. Use your instuctors they are they for you. the best thing i learned is make one friend to have a study buddy with someone that is as driven as you. there will be days when you say while in school what was i thinking. that is when my study bud would encourage me to keep going and the same went with her. we supported each other. i love being a nurse. Unfortunately TV glamorizes it too much. its a hard job. to many go into to it for the money and they think thats good enough. yea the money is good but it can be stressful and downright exausting. But the rewards come in other forms. Being there for a family member when there love one is dying. Bringing in new life...or just calming the fears of a child. i love the ups and downs. you could never be bored as a nurse. Its always challenging... hope that helps

[nursinghumor]

Had worked as a laboratory tech before thinking about Nursing. Watching nurses do their thing got my attention as I was drawing blood at 5am every morning.

Was warned that it was going to a lot of work and that I'd need to do my homework. Was not disappointed.

Three out of our class of 20 dropped out the first semester, and one was failed clinically.

10 years later, can say I'll be working as a nurse till I'm old and gray. It was worth the hell of nursing school.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.nursefriendly.com

[Zeal]

Thank you both so much for your replies...

...your answers confirmed many of my thoughts.

*background alert*

When i was 20, my mom (37 at the time) started school to become a "nurses aid." After schooling she went to work at a well known hospital here, moved around alot (inside the same hospital)for 2 years or so and ended up doing much more than just the criteria for a "nurses aid." -- i think she crammed some more credits(school) in there somewhere too) She was sent to the terminal floor for a tenure,... and stayed there nine years.


I have been told all my life that i "should be in medical" for "such n such reason", yada yada...

My life is alittle...odd. --and, i keep getting thrown, pushed or drug into sitations/crisis that have me doing the care of paramedics and nurses.

I know i need the knowledge(schooling) and i know i want it...
getting it, while homeschooling 8 of ten children, taking care of the farm, and approaching 41 years old, is another thing all together...

i dont lack drive or "want"...its everything else thats getting in the way.

I am a certified Doula('glorified' labor coach,) an apprentice midwife, have "advanced" first aid certification, some rescue training, study everything i can get my hands on, and have been "included" in everything from helping clean up after a bad accident to being first on the scene at bad accidents, to helping with first-aid, relief, rescue and recovery after tornadoes, ice storms, etc. ... to plain old kid injuries and illneses(and some not so ordinary)


so...tell me a couple of thing you think are the most frustrating about nursing school AND nursing

[LivingDeadNurse]

sleep i never seem to get enough...i have 2 kids, work and have a household to run....so some days i am dragging to make it. another thing that drives me insane is i had to let some memories go just to make room for all the information. i was teasing my hubby and told him that if i say hey you its because i had to lose his name in order to remember all the parts of the bones and all the cracks, bumps and hole on them. but i love being a nurse and couldn't see me doing anything else...so its worth all the hard work

[RocknRed]

There was never any decision to make for me. I've never wanted anything else, since I was 12 years old. I have been working towards it for a long time, slowly but surely. I was nervous when I started school because I had no hospital/medical experience, and I was afraid I'd end up hating it. But it's everything I hoped that it would be and more.

The most frustrating part of nursing school is not having time for anything (but doing your best to make time anyway). You also have to deal with nurses with an attitude, people who don't always want to help you because you don't always have the answers, and instructors who think they're Godly. However, I wouldn't trade any of what I've done over the past year for what I'm about to receive. I never meant to be an LVN; it kind of happened at the last minute after an ADN rejection, but it's been wonderful, and I know I'll enjoy being one. And even though it's been hell, I'll still be back to school in May to jump into the RN program. Yayyyy.

[NurseBre]

There was never any decision to make for me. I've never wanted anything else, since I was 12 years old. I have been working towards it for a long time, slowly but surely. I was nervous when I started school because I had no hospital/medical experience, and I was afraid I'd end up hating it. But it's everything I hoped that it would be and more.

The most frustrating part of nursing school is not having time for anything (but doing your best to make time anyway). You also have to deal with nurses with an attitude, people who don't always want to help you because you don't always have the answers, and instructors who think they're Godly. However, I wouldn't trade any of what I've done over the past year for what I'm about to receive. I never meant to be an LVN; it kind of happened at the last minute after an ADN rejection, but it's been wonderful, and I know I'll enjoy being one. And even though it's been hell, I'll still be back to school in May to jump into the RN program. Yayyyy.

Wow! This is similar to my story. I have wanted to be a nurse since I was 5 years old. Never ever changed my mind. I had cancer at age 5 so I grew up in health care. I too did not plan on becoming an LPN. I had to after an RN program recruiter made me cry! Then I went on to bridge into RN school and have recently graduated! Keep on going, it really is a piece of cake compared to LPN school! You already have a good knowledge base assuming you are IV certified. Just keep letting nurses attitudes roll off your back and you will make it through. I cant tell you how I've cried(or wanted to scream) some days because others have made me feel bad because they thought they were such "Godly" nurses. You will do awesome! It is worth it for sure! ANd now you know how not to be.