Why Is Nursing School So Hard?

Whether you are in nursing school or not, I'm sure you've heard people say how hard nursing school is. Have you ever wondered why nursing school is as difficult as it is? Well, here's why it's so hard:

• The Workload: Based on my personal experience and my nursing program, part of the reason why nursing school is hard is due to the intense and massive workload. During my first few semesters of nursing school, we basically had class almost every day of the week and on the days that we were "off", were consumed by the countless hours of studying all the material covered during the week. They give you tons of material every week that you must learn and understand before the exams. Nursing School is all about balance: balancing homework, all the reading materials, the studying, the exams, quizzes, clinical paperwork, care plans, your life, work, time with family/friends, etc. It's hard to balance it all. But it's not impossible. Just hard. 

• The Exams: In my previous post, I shared how nursing exams work. Depending on the course, maintaining a passing grade on these exams is hard. Really hard. Nursing Exams are all about application. And if you're not used to application-based exams, they can be tricky. Nursing exams can pretty much make or break your grade.

• The Stress: What makes nursing school so stressful is the fact that for most nursing schools, you must maintain a 75 or 78 (depending on your school) to pass. This is an extremely difficult feat due to the fact that the material covered consist of very challenging concepts and topics. It is also stressful when you're trying to balance all of your classes and your life, too. If you start to feel overwhelmed, I would suggest participating in activities to help relieve some of the stress: going to the gym, listening to music, taking a break from studying and catching up on some Netflix, cooking, eating, going for a walk, go for a drive, etc. Find an activity to get rid of some of the stress and then get back to it!

• The Material: As I mentioned before, Nursing School covers a TON of material in a short amount of time. The material covered is very detailed and extensive. With that in mind, cramming for exams simply does not work due to the large amount of difficult content being covered on a weekly basis. I would suggest studying as early as possible - even if the exam is weeks away. Study a little bit of material everyday. By the time your exam comes, you'll be prepared. DO NOT CRAM!

So, in conclusion: Yes, nursing school is as hard as everyone says. But it's not impossible. It requires a lot of studying, hard work, and dedication. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED! Nursing school may seem overwhelming at times, but you can do it! Don't give up! Keep going! One day, you'll be glad you did!