r/NursingStudent

Hi everyone! Nursing has been something I've considered/pursued for a long time, and I'm currently deciding whether I want to commit to nursing school.

One thing making the decision difficult is separating nursing school, bedside nursing, and the nursing profession as a whole. There are so many different specialties and settings that I'm having trouble understanding what a sustainable long-term nursing career can actually look like.

What attracts me to nursing is the healthcare/medical knowledge, directly helping people, financial stability, and especially the number of directions an RN license can potentially take you.

My biggest priorities long-term are being present for my family, earning a good income with room for growth, having energy left after work, and doing meaningful work.

I'd really appreciate hearing from current RNs:

• What specialty/setting are you in, and what does your actual day/week look like?
• What schedule do you work?
• How flexible is your schedule in reality?
• Do you genuinely feel like working 3x12s gives you more usable time off, or are you exhausted/recovering on your days off?
• How physically and mentally exhausting is your particular nursing job?
• Does work follow you home?
• How would you describe your work-life balance?
• For nurses with children/families, how well does nursing actually work with family life?
• Do you feel financially secure as an RN?
• How much opportunity have you had to increase your income without necessarily obtaining another degree?
• Have you successfully moved away from bedside nursing? If so, where did you go and what changed about your lifestyle?
• What's the most rewarding part of nursing? What's the part you could do without?
• Have you ever seriously considered leaving nursing? Why?
• If you could go back to before nursing school, would you still become an RN? Why or why not?
• What do you wish someone had told you before nursing school?

I'm especially interested in hearing from nurses who have found a sustainable career, not only people who absolutely love nursing or absolutely hate it.

I'm trying to understand whether nursing can realistically provide the combination of family time + financial stability + work-life balance + meaningful work I'm looking for.

Thank you to anyone willing to share their experience!

Hello! I am starting my first semester of nursing school on Monday. I'm so nervous and I'm trying to regulate my emotions. I want to ask others who got through the program, if the first semester is really as bad as people make it out to be? At my school, a grade under a 79 is failing. I don't know what I would do if I don'tmake the schools and get dropped from the program.

I've worked really hard to be in this position. I'm just sad that I never got to embrace it or feel accomplished. This entire time since I've recieved my acceptance letter, has just been worry. I'm someone who had to retake A&P three times to get an A. (I failed the first time, got a B the second time, and an A the third time) I just know repeating classes in the actual program won't cut it.

I really needed to make this post to dump my emotions. I want to know people's own experiences, and if it was really that hard.

Hello,

I begin nursing school in just a week.

I get a "free" Ipad on my first day.

I always saw people using them for note taking and studying in my pre-reqs.

For those with an Ipad that they use for studying, I would appreciate some cool tips and tricks on how to make the most of the technology

(Please no rude comments) (This is a vent)

This is my second day in the program and I’ve cried both days. I’m pretty sure I won’t even make it until the end of the semester. 2025 was a rough year for me both mentally and physically, I developed really bad sleep anxiety and insomnia and it literally messed me up so bad that I ended up at the hospital.

Since then my sleep’s gotten better, but I’m still struggling with this fear that I won’t sleep and I’ll have a bad day and then I won’t be able to perform to the best of my ability. The fear makes it harder for me to sleep and I wake up multiple times during the night.

My heart’s literally pounding right now. I don’t know if it’s from exhaustion or anxiety, but my first day of school I only slept 3 hours the night before and last night I had about 6 broken up hours of sleep. By the time I’m home I don’t have a lick of energy to study and I can’t concentrate when I’m reading these really long chapters. It’s getting really hard for me to remember things.

To top it off I hate the way my scrubs fit, I feel like I’m always getting dirty looks from these two particular girls. I’m not even comfortable in them because the pants are too long at the bottom and the shirt is too tight.

Clinicals start in October and I just know I’m going to get eaten alive. I know you have to be on your toes so that you don’t make mistakes and I can’t imagine doing clinicals with the way I’m feeling right now.

I wanted to show myself that I was smart enough to do this and that my problems didn’t define who I am but I’m clearly very delusional. I knew deep in my heart that I wasn’t ready and I still accepted it. Ive wasted so much money from my Dads and I just want to cry again.

My first exam is in 12 days and there’s no way I’m passing this. I don’t know what to do I feel stuck and embarrassed and I’m gonna feel so pathetic if I decide to drop out.

Hi! I was finally hired at my local hospital as a PCA!! The shift is 10:30 pm - 7 am. It’s on an ortho / med surg floor. Patient load is anywhere from 18-23, with 1-2 other PCAs. It is a low acuity, community hospital. Iam not a night person but I am an early morning bird. Any advice on how to handle the transition?

Work schedule will be
Week 1: Saturday + Sundays + one rotating week day
Week 2: two rotating week days

Class schedule
- Monday: clinical 8 am - 1 pm
-Tuesday: lecture 2-4pm
-Wednesday: lecture 8 am - 11 am
-Thursday: lecture 9 am - 12 pm
-Friday: clinical 7 am - 1 pm

I did mention I can’t work Thursday nights because of clinicals and they were okay with that. Just feel like I’m setting myself up to burn out 😭 it’s only three months of this then my schedule of classes will change again in January

hey guys! i'm starting my first semester of nursing school but i've also been wanting to get a part time job to get some extra income. if yall had any jobs during nursing school, what were they? retail? restaurant? what would you recommend as a part time?

as a student who's halfway done with nursing school, i wanted to write out some of my thoughts + advice for younger people who want to get into nursing.

first, i would just like to say that i was an AWFUL high school student. i've come to realize a lot of my peers who are doing great in nursing school really struggled in high school. so, if you're in high school right now & struggling to get through, maybe even doubting if you'll make it through nursing school, i first want to say take a deep breath & realize that 99% of high school is honestly useless. i've realized that if i'm not taking classes i'm interested in & enjoy, i physically cannot apply myself

that being said, if your school offers any kind of tech program that's CNA/nursing related... DO IT!!! i cannot stress this enough!!! my senior year of high school i did a 1 year CNA program that taught me SO much. by the time i got to foundations, it was a BREEZE. i had already learned most of it, and i am SO thankful for that program & all that i learned from it. my program required us to have 100 clinical hours to graduate, which i loved so much. it was a great way to test the waters & make sure nursing was what i really wanted to do.

on that note, if you're not sure about nursing.. don't do it. this might be a controversial take, but most of my classmates who picked nursing as a "backup" major seem to really not enjoy classes. nursing is a career of PASSION. you have to really love what you do & have a drive to help others. school isn't easy, and it's definitely not as glamorous as shows/social media makes it out to be.

not only that but you have to love PEOPLE. regardless of age, gender, race, religion, etc... i've heard a lot of my classmates make sexist/racist jokes, which strikes me as VERY odd, as we have a duty to care for & protect our patients. if you're not comfortable with people, especially those that are different from you, please do not pick this career. there's plenty of jobs with little/no human interaction...

you have to be willing to dedicate a lot of time to school. luckily, i love this career/field of study SO incredibly much that studying is actually enjoyable. i don't mind cancelling on a night out to study, because i feel like i'm doing something useful & the satisfaction i feel when i do good on an exam is absolutely amazing. yes, school is hard, but if you're willing to dedicate yourself to it, it pays off.

my last (& probably most important) tip is to find a study method that works best for you! nursing school is a lot more than memorizing something once for an exam & forgetting it. things build off each other so much, and once you start to see how everything connects, it's actually really cool. however, if you don't have a good study plan/method, it's going to get very difficult very fast. utilize all your resources. use all the quizlets. make all the flashcards. use whiteboards. teach your pets. practice clinical skills until you can do them with your eyes closed & it feels repetitive. do EVERYTHING you can!!

goodluck to everyone applying to nursing school! don't let bad grades discourage you, don't let rejection shape you. learn as much as you can & build a solid group of friends in school! i believe in everyone reading this && please reach out with questions, i love talking!!

I hope this is okay but I just need to vent.

I took all of my prereqs except a and p. I started the 8 week course yesterday and also dropped it. I was immediately overwhelmed with the amount of work and understanding. I have 2 babies and work 40-50 hr weeks. I’m disappointed that I gave up so easily but also feel embarrassed that I thought I was smart enough to pursue this in the first place.

Hello everyone,

I’ll be starting as a new grad nurse in the pediatric float pool. I believe it’s nerves, but I’m having second thoughts. How was your experience as a new grad nurse in the float pool? I will say I have health care experience as an LPN, so I’m not completely new to the healthcare field.

I’m all for learning more knowledge, but I’m afraid I’ll be thrown to wolves.

Let’s help each other out with hope,share ur stats and acceptance so ppl waiting can have hope guys please❤️

​I have a small support network where I live, consisting of my mom, my ex, and their mom. I also know some of the neighbors since my children spend time with them at the pool during the summer.

​I am currently separated and in the process of going through the legal routes for divorce and custody.

​I applied to a program through my hospital where they pay for me to bridge my LPN to an RN. My mom offered to help watch the children while I am in school. Over the summer, it was one 12–13 hour day every other week, plus 6 to 7 hours once a week. It was a lot for her. This semester, the commitment is 12–16 hours every week—the longest being Wednesdays, when she watches them for 10 to 12 hours.

​Things were set, though there was some miscommunication: my mom thought fall clinicals would be at the same time as my summer clinicals, but they are four hours longer this fall.

​The major issue now is that the week before school started, my mom was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in a lymph node. At the moment, it doesn’t seem to be spreading according to her ultrasound. However, she has to go for a PET scan on a day I have school. I am probably going to take off that day, but we are only allowed two absences a semester. Fortunately, school was able to allow me to make up my clinical hours this Thursday.

​The school wasn't able to change my clinical hours, which I had a feeling would happen. Over the summer, they wouldn't switch someone whose workplace wouldn't accommodate them, and that person had to drop out. There are day and evening cohorts. The day cohort has clinicals on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while the evening cohort has them on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The reason they wouldn't switch me was that information had already been sent to the clinical sites.

​Standard daycare is not an option for my family. My youngest child has a resolved heart condition but cannot walk, requiring specialized in-home care and mobility support. My oldest child struggled emotionally with school last year due to recent moves, the divorce, and family illness—which contributed to them being retained. They desperately need routine and emotional stability at home right now.

​A classmate suggested I reach out to the Department Chair of the Nursing Program, which I did yesterday. I’m not sure if I should also reach out to my program liaison at school. The majority of the clinical sites are at my place of employment or another site affiliated with the hospital where I work.

​I’m feeling stuck on what to do next. Should I give up and accept having clinicals on Wednesdays? I am open to doing off-site rotations and simulations on Wednesday if I could just be added to a Thursday clinical (though that might be hard, as it’s the only group at a facility not affiliated with my hospital) or the Saturday clinical group.

​Financially, I am currently rebuilding my savings and do not have out-of-pocket funds to hire private care. I applied for FAFSA, grants, and scholarships at the start of the program, and I am relying on those funds arriving to afford a nanny who can handle my youngest child's physical needs. Because the tuition itself is paid for by my employer, I signed a contract obligating me to stay with them for a year after I graduate or pay back the money if I withdraw.

​Am I missing anything, or have I done all I can do? Any advice?

For everyone who's age 24+ who's currently in nursing school or will be in nursing school for 2+ years......what motivated you to start nursing school in your twenties? I'm 24 and I want to get my rn but there's a negative voice in my mind telling me that I'm too old and I'm way behind🥺

EDIT: I really do appreciate all the motivating words! You guys have no idea how beautifully your words have affected me 🥹💕 brought me to tears!!

I’m graduating with my MSN in May from a direct-entry program, and I already have an MBA. I’ll be a new RN with limited bedside experience, but my long-term goal is nursing leadership/healthcare administration.
Has anyone gone into management pretty early without spending years at the bedside first?
Would 1–2 years of RN experience be enough before moving into roles like clinical coordinator, assistant nurse manager, quality, or nursing operations?
I’d especially love to hear from nurse managers or anyone who took a similar path.

I’m a non-traditional student going back to college for a second degree to pursue nursing, so I’m older than most of my classmates.

So far I’m having a blast being back in school, but a dilemma I’ve come across is there’s one pre-nursing student like myself who continues to ask how old I am and in front of the entire class, but she asks with such a distasteful tone like it’s something “bad” when I view my life experience as something positive. She also constantly states loudly (and draws attention when doing so) that she’s shocked I’m older because she assumed I was her age. Others in the class have actually found out my age and the fact that I’m married with a child because they’ve been friendly and personable, and they’ve all been very nonchalant about it.

Due to this girl’s continued judgmental tone, I don’t think she deserves to know and I don’t want to satisfy her curiosity either. I don’t want to engage with her at all, for other reasons on top of all of this (see below). What’s a good way to respond or shut her down, polite or not?

Another question: is it rude to flat out tell someone (the same girl as above ironically) that she’s not welcome to join my group for group activities in lecture class and also not welcome to be a part of my lab group for lab days? She’s benefitting off of my hard work while being unprepared herself, and at the end of the day it’s unfair and it’s breeding resentment. So she wants to be judgmental towards me and try to embarrass me in front of the entire class (on several occasions), but then in the next moment she intentionally sits next to me (because the professor creates groups based on who you’re sitting next to) to use me academically for group activities and lab reports since she knows I actually put in effort. The crazy part is that I’m not naturally smart in math and science, but I’m just trying really hard in this particular class and it’s paying off.

Here’s some context: She never reads the chapters before class like she’s supposed to, hasn’t even bought the book yet (but laughs about that fact like it’s something to brag about), and in our weekly group activities she never tries to solve any problems (because she’s unprepared), is constantly lost, and always intentionally sits next to me and copies the answers off of my papers. How do I know it’s intentional? Because on lecture days, she sits next to her friend who is also a pre-nursing student. Yet specifically on group activity days and lab days, she abandons her friend and always comes to find me and sit literally right next to me (making me move my bag off of the chair when there’s plenty of empty seats nearby). I’ve spoken to the professor, and she’s aware that unprepared students intentionally sit next to smarter students to automatically be grouped together into groups for activities. That’s another problem - do I tell her don’t sit next to me anymore or when the class starts just pick up my stuff and move to a different seat at the last minute? But that’s just screwing myself over because I already sit next to another smart classmate and luckily we’re always grouped together. I don’t want to end up punishing myself just because of one bad classmate, but I don’t want this academic leech to benefit from me anymore either. Any advice would be appreciated.

recently, i was told by a close friend of mine, that her bf had violated hipaa. he is a nursing student at wcu and works as a caregiver. on multiple accounts, he had taken photos of patients, one being a transgender patient in a vulnerable position, and sent them in a group chat with friends. initially i wanted to report him (i still do). i feel like im the only one who’s taking this situation seriously and there are a couple of people just brushing it off like it’s not something to report. please tell me im not insane.

Where are y’all taking your pre-requisites that is online, cheap, and still checks off what you need to get into nursing school?

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Hear me out before dropping a downvote please. I don't mean "easy" as in you can walk in without studying and pass. What I mean is that compared to the absurdly niche, trick-question style exams nursing school professors throw at us for 2–4 years, the NGN NCLEX is actually a very fair, safety-focused exam. It isn't trying to trick you into picking the wrong distractor; it's literally just asking: "Is this nurse going to kill the patient today?" But this is just me, saw many students scrapping for ideas, tips and ways and looking into academia scholars and other stuff to ace their NCLEX.