Nursing School Reality: What is it Really Like to be a Nursing Student?

Earning a degree in nursing is one of the more challenging courses of study a student may embark on. For some students, however, it may come as a bit of surprise how much dedication and work are required to be successful. Here's a snapshot of what you can expect as a nursing student.

What social life?

If you're a party animal who likes to keep late hours, be prepared to give it up while you're in nursing school. Whether you're in an accelerated program, or a more traditionally paced course of study, attending class and studying should be your priority. That means ordering your life around your goal.

Not only should you be on time in class and with assignments; also plan on giving up bad practices that might make you too groggy to devote your full attention to lectures, or to perform well in your clinicals.

You'll need to ensure you eat right, don't stay up late, get plenty of sleep, and that you're well prepared by finishing assignments. Graduates with associate and bachelor's degrees in nursing, as well as degrees in other fields, consistently report that they have to study way more for nursing than in their other discipline.

Full-time worker? Plan to cut back.

If you must work full-time to support yourself and your family, you will need to carefully evaluate potential nursing degree programs and schools. A traditional college may be difficult to work into your schedule, but night or weekend classes may be a good fit. 

Plan on less discretionary income.

You may want to hold off buying that new car if you plan to enroll in nursing school. Regardless of how your nursing education is funded, you may have a limited income. Of course, students who have support from family are way ahead, both in terms of finances and issues involving childcare, management of the home, or other responsibilities.

Do you have a stomach for all the things you will have to do and see?

Working with the human body obviously leads into some pretty gruesome situations. How strong is your stomach when it comes to the sight of blood or terrible wounds or burns, or the ghastly odors associated with illness and injury? If you tend to faint at the sight of blood or the smell of body effluvia, this may not be the field for you.

To be sure, you may need to endure exposure to these sights and smells a bit before you decide if you can stomach these sensations as part of your regular work life. You might try working a stint as a nursing assistant in a nursing home to see if you can get used to the things you may have to confront.

Pile on the experience, even while you're going to school.

Yes, you should be devoting most of your attention to your course work, but if you possibly can, start trying to get in a little practical experience beyond your clinicals. Try to find work as a nursing assistant, or volunteer, and if possible, attend medical conferences.

Expect a bit of a breakdown now and then.

Because nursing school is so intense, you may expect an emotional breakdown now and then -- everything from a cry session to a declaration that you're dropping out. Just know it will pass. Stay focused on your goal and remind yourself why you’re doing this.

Do you want to become a registered nurse? If you’re ready for the trials of nursing school, consider ECPI University’s Associate of Applied Science in Nursing. For more information about this accelerated program, connect with a helpful admissions counselor 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.

For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.