Congratulations on deciding to pursue a career as a registered nurse (RN)! It’s an incredibly rewarding career with a range of subspecialties and promising growth.
But before you can get that dream nursing job, you have to begin your studies to become a nurse. Becoming a nurse can be overwhelming at times, so it’s best to manage expectations from the start.
What is nursing school like? Is nursing school hard? What do you learn in nursing school? Find out everything you can expect from nursing school and how to overcome potential challenges to set yourself up for success.
1. You May Be Overwhelmed
Nursing school can be hard. It won’t be hard the entire time, but prepare to be overwhelmed from time to time with the demanding course requirements. Some students wonder how they will make it through, so expect to see some classmates drop out. This profession isn’t for everyone.
As for your own career path, focus on one week at a time. The early courses will acclimate you to the demands of your education, but take it one step at a time.
2. Learn Your Study Strengths
Whether you’re entering nursing school right out of high school or you’ve taken a break, it’s crucial to understand your own learning style and habits to keep up with the massive amounts of information you must retain in nursing school.
If you’re not sure what works best for you, here are tips for how to study for nursing school:
- Getting together in study groups to build peer support.
- Time blocking your coursework to scaffold learning.
- “Chunking,” or breaking up course modules into smaller, more digestible sections.
- Flash cards to test your own comprehension.
- Mnemonic devices for memorization (a helpful skill during anatomy and physiology).
3. Attendance Is Paramount
One of the most important tips for nursing school is that it requires commitment. Unlike other programs that may have more leeway to miss a lecture here and there, nursing covers a vast amount of health and science information in a short period to challenge you with a rigorous pace – especially with accelerated programs.
Missing just one class could set you back to the point where it feels impossible to get caught up. While you can’t control extenuating circumstances like illness or bereavement, do your best to attend your classes. If something does come up, communicate with your professor and advisor early for support.
4. Failing a Test Isn’t a Career Ender
Naturally, you want to pass all your quizzes and exams with flying colors, but that may not be realistic for everyone. It’s possible that you may have a failing grade on an exam, but it doesn’t mean you should give up. Even a few low or failing grades on quizzes or exams over the course of your academic journey won’t stop you from fulfilling your dream of being a nurse, so dust yourself off and move forward.
5. Develop Work-Life Balance
Some people will tell you it’s impossible to work while going to nursing school, but people do it all the time. Some people choose nursing as a career change, while others may start as a certified nurse’s assistant (CNA) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) and choose to complete their nursing degree while working.
Either way, it’s crucial to develop work-life balance to succeed. Planning out your work and class schedules, staying organized, and developing a support system can go a long way toward keeping your eye on the prize. If you do find yourself struggling, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
6. You Won’t Jump into Clinical Rotations
If you’re like most nursing students, you’re probably most excited about the hands-on experience of nursing and working with patients during clinical rotations. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of foundational information and theory you will need to learn first, so clinical rotations won’t start right away. Prepare for a lot of lectures before you get to put your knowledge into practice.
7. Some Concepts Only Make Sense with Clinical Rotations
Don’t zone out during your lectures! All that information will make more sense when you begin clinical rotations, which is when you will put your course concepts to good use by marrying theory with practice. The more effort you put into the lectures and exams, the better prepared you will be to excel in your clinicals.
8. Find the Right Clinical Rotation Fit
As a prospective nursing student, clinical rotations begin the “fun part” of your nursing education. You may be excited, but other employees in your clinical facility may not share your enthusiasm. Keep this in mind as you look for clinical preceptors, since you have the potential to flourish in a clinical environment with doctors and nurses who are excited to teach.
9. Make Sure You Know the Vaccination Requirements
All university and college students have requirements for vaccinations that can vary by state. Nursing students have stricter vaccination requirements from general students, however, since they will be working with patients during clinical rotations. Check with your school and make sure you’re up to date on your vaccinations before classes start.
10. In-Person, Hybrid, and Online Learning All Have Pros and Cons
Nursing programs are available in online and hybrid formats, giving you more flexibility with your schedule and independence. In fact, you can complete all your prerequisites for nursing online with Sophia – including labs – before moving into hands-on clinicals.
While there are a lot of benefits to online and hybrid learning, you will need to be self-disciplined and develop strong communication skills to succeed with your coursework. If you’re not sure what learning environment is best for you, consider a free trial to see how it works before committing to an online or hybrid program.
11. You Will Need to Pass the NCLEX Exam
At the end of your nursing journey, you will need to complete the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become a licensed RN. The test can range from 75 to 265 questions, which may take up to five hours. It can be challenging, but don’t spend your entire academic experience fearing it. Your coursework will prepare you for the exam, so focus on the here and now to ensure your future success.
Fortunately, you will receive your results quickly – usually within 24 to 48 hours. If you don’t pass, you will have an opportunity to take it again. The goal is to pass on the first try, but plenty of exceptional nurses needed a retake to pass.
12. Nursing School Is Temporary, but the #NurseLIfe Is Forever
The trials and tribulations of nursing school are just a short period in your nursing career. Having a closet full of scrubs, saving lives, telling your best ER stories, and never, ever, watching a medical drama without picking out the errors – those last forever.
Get a Strong Start with Nursing School
Nursing is an in-demand field that’s only growing. Sophia helps students get a jump on their nursing education with self-paced health and science courses designed to transfer for credit for RN programs. Check out our science courses and start your free trial!
Start a Free Trial at Sophia
If you’re interested in trying out college-level courses as a high school student, Sophia offers self-paced online gen ed courses for students of all ages. Earn your college-level transfer credit in your own time and get a valuable head start on the college experience. Explore our courses today!
