Nursing School Nerves: Am I Really Ready to Become a Nurse?
Nursing school is demanding. If you've done your research, you've learned that to become a nurse, you will have to get through a program and earn your ADN degree. Nurses you know have probably told you the program is challenging. But then again, most nurses like to be challenged. Nursing students generally thrive on hard work and developing creative solutions for patient comfort and wellbeing.
Nevertheless, you may still wonder if you have what it takes to be a nurse. You may be having second thoughts and asking yourself if you can succeed in nursing school.
Count on it: there will be times during your college career when you'll wonder if you took on too much. But let's break down some of those fears you may have, and look at ways to cope.
It's Too Hard, or, Am I Smart Enough?
This is among nursing students' top fears. Nurses must master challenging, science-based course material requiring the development of skills and knowledge in biology and chemistry. You will have to absorb concepts pertaining to anatomy and pharmaceuticals, as well as treatments for various types of diseases, infections, and injuries.
You will need a reasonable memory and basic math skills. Good communication skills are a plus, as are good cognitive skills and critical thinking ability. You should be of at least average intelligence with the ability to learn.
It will help you overcome your jitters about your ability to succeed as a nurse if you remind yourself that your fellow students, whether former valedictorians or high school grads with a 4.0, don't have nursing experience and will be facing the same challenges of learning new material as you.
Nursing School Will Take Too Much Time
It's certainly helpful if you have good family and friend support to get you through your college commitment. You may need help with baby-sitting or other chores, and if you can limit your work commitment, you'd be wise to do so. It's a good idea to have this help in place before you enroll in nursing school. You don't want to be scrambling for babysitters or cutting class because you have to work. Nursing school takes a huge commitment of time.
You should make every effort to attend class, and be present for labs and clinicals. You also need to carve out plenty of time for study. Can you reasonably assure yourself that you've got the support you need? If so, then you have a pathway to succeed, and there's no reason to be nervous.
Some potential nursing students are worried about the length of time the coursework will take -- generally two years. Maybe you're fretting about surviving financially for that long without full-time work. Some nursing students do an accelerated program, where they go full time without a break between semesters. If you have the support to do this, it may be a good option so you can complete your degree sooner and start looking for a full-time job.
Can I Handle the Blood, and Other Gross Things I'll Have to Confront?
Do not even ponder enrolling in nursing school if you suspect blood, terrible wounds, human waste, burns, or horrific injuries that you're likely to encounter as a student nurse will be more than you can take. You will have to endure a wide range of human illnesses, injuries, and conditions even as a student nurse, so don't waste your time and money if you think you can't cut it.
Sometimes student nurses do learn to overcome their squeamishness to the grosser aspects of their job, but you should probably talk to an adviser about your level of discomfort before you enroll. Bear in mind that some nurses find jobs where they're less exposed to these things but you still will have to get through this aspect of the training when you're doing your clinicals.
Nursing May Be Too Hard, Physically and Emotionally
If you're an older nursing student, you may have realized you have some physical limitations, and you're concerned if you can make the grade lifting, rolling, transferring patients, and performing the other myriad chores your training as a student nurse will require. Plus, once you're working professionally, you may have to pull long shifts under difficult, demanding circumstances.
What's more, you may also wonder if emotionally you are up to the challenges of dealing with the sick, injured, and traumatized. This will take some real soul searching on your part, which is better conducted, perhaps with a counselor, before you enroll.
Are you interested in a nursing career? If you want to earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), ECPI University offers this degree at an accelerated pace. For more information, connect with a friendly ECPI University admissions officer today.
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.
Gainful Employment Information – Nursing - Associate’s
For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.