"Is nursing school as hard as they say it is?"
This is the question that constantly entered my thoughts as I prepared to decide on which college major I would pursue. I anxiously wondered if helping others for the rest of my life would be worth all of the rigorous courses and lengthy clinical schedules. And here I am today, with a whole year of nursing school under my belt, feeling exhausted but accomplished and ready to keep moving forward.
SEE ALSO: I Am More Than Just A Nursing Student
Let's be real for a minute. Nursing school is a challenge that you will face, unlike any others that will come your way. Some days you will think that you're going to fail a whole course just because you did badly on one test. Some days you will feel as if you are not capable of taking care of a sick person because you made numerous mistakes at clinicals. Some days you will be too tired to wake up to study because you just went to bed a few hours ago to take a break from studying. Nursing school will consume your life and, even when you do have some free time, you will be thinking about what you should be doing to prepare for your next class or that next test. Everyone says that it takes a special kind of person to be a nurse, and perhaps, they are right. There are numerous qualities found in a nurse, and perseverance is for sure one of them. So since that is the case, if you really want to be a nurse, you will find a way to make it through nursing school. Do not let all of the stories scare you away because you will find a way to do what sounds impossible.
SEE ALSO: The Importance Of Choosing A Major That You Love
Let's look at the positives. Nursing school has just as many rewarding days as it does "I want to crawl in a hole and cry" days. Some days you will be so incredibly happy about the test grade you received that you will jump out of your chair with a big smile on your face (then quickly and quietly sit back down because you realize your classmates are staring holes through you). Some days, you will feel so good about yourself because you had a patient to tell you that you are going to be a great nurse because it did not even hurt when you inserted their IV. Some days, you will feel brilliantly smart because you looked over your clinical paperwork for hours and deciphered what was really going on with your patient and why. These are the moments that will help you to keep going because they remind you of what you are meant to do in life.
Nursing school will let you feel every emotion possible and feel it to the depths. So just hang on and enjoy the emotional roller coaster, because it will be worth the ride.
