Is Nursing School Hard? A Look at Overcoming the Challenges

Do you want to become a nurse but are worried about the difficulty and workload? Are you wondering, “Is nursing school hard?” Nursing school can be challenging for many students, but it’s not impossible. If you maintain your drive to become a nurse and develop helpful habits, you will find a way to meet each challenge. Additionally, the rewards and satisfaction you’ll experience as a nursing student can help fuel your drive.

Remind yourself that nursing school lasts less than two years. Once you become a registered nurse (RN), you’ll enjoy a mentally stimulating, meaningful career that offers opportunities for advancement.

At Concordia University Irvine, our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) curriculum is designed to challenge students and help them grow as they earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in 15 months.

With a reputation for academic excellence, we offer an education grounded in Christian principles that prepares students for today’s healthcare workforce and instills the skills required to be at the forefront of advancements in healthcare.

What makes nursing school challenging? And what strategies can you implement to help you thrive? In this blog post, we will explore the challenges of nursing school and how you can meet them.

How Hard Is Nursing School?

Is nursing school hard? Yes, it can be, but there are some good reasons for its intensity. First, let’s review some factors that can make nursing school difficult.

Rigorous Coursework

One of the main reasons why nursing school can be difficult is the rigorous coursework. You’ll need to pass courses in pathophysiology, pharmacology, nursing research, and medical/surgical nursing. These courses require you to learn nursing concepts and develop a strong understanding of how they relate to real-world clinical situations.

If you’ve struggled with science and math classes in the past, you may find the coursework challenging. Fortunately, many student support resources are available to help you. Seek advice from your instructors, academic success coaches, and peers in study groups to help you master the coursework.

Challenging Labs

In addition to instructional classes, you must also pass nursing skills labs and simulation labs. In nursing skills labs, you’ll learn and practice essential nursing skills needed to care for patients. Some examples include performing wound care, taking vital signs, conducting a physical assessment, and inserting nasogastric tubes.

In sim labs, you’ll develop clinical judgment and refine your bedside manner. Each sim lab consists of a practice patient care scenario. While working in a group, you will apply the nursing process to identify what’s happening and determine the most appropriate nursing response.

All labs take place in simulated settings with medical manikins serving as patients. They are critical to preparing students to deliver real-world patient care.

These labs can be challenging, but the silver lining is that you can practice nursing skills in the laboratories outside of class. You’ll also have helpful instructors debriefing you after each sim lab, allowing you to learn from mistakes and improve.

Demanding Clinical Rotations

In addition to hands-on labs, you’ll gain real-world clinical experience in nursing school. Clinical rotations place you at nearby healthcare facilities to work shifts alongside nursing instructors, RNs and preceptors.

How hard is nursing school’s clinical rotation phase? Like coursework and labs, you might find certain aspects of clinicals a bit more difficult than others. Make sure to spend time understanding the concepts taught in the theory course as they directly apply to the clinical practice area. With practice, you will become more familiar with the work environment, collaboration, patient care, and other aspects of the job.

Demanding Schedules

The demanding schedule is another reason why the answer to “Is nursing school hard?” is “Yes.” Nursing school requires you to juggle three course types, all of which require preparation and review. Coursework includes assignments, homework, and studying for exams, while labs and clinicals require you to carefully review notes and other materials to prepare.

Nursing students are busy, which does not leave much time for other commitments and responsibilities. Striking a work-life balance can be difficult. Schedules can be even more demanding in accelerated programs. Because these programs maintain the same depth and quality you can expect from a traditional, four-year program, students have a lot of ground to cover in a short amount of time.

While earning a BSN on an accelerated timeline can be challenging, ABSN programs allow you to launch your nursing career fast. Students enrolled in Concordia’s ABSN will have ample support from our dedicated faculty and resources to help them along the way.

 

Why Is Nursing School So Hard?

Now that you know what makes nursing school so challenging, why is the difficulty necessary? Nursing school is hard because nurses are responsible for their patients’ lives. When a nurse makes a mistake, it could jeopardize the health and safety of the patient and staff.

Nurses must adhere to a high standard of patient care, have excellent critical thinking and clinical judgment skills, and understand how to apply complex nursing concepts to clinical situations. Nursing school is difficult because it’s designed to be. It prepares you to excel in a field that presents many challenges.

Strategies for Overcoming Nursing School Challenges

Although nursing school isn’t easy, countless nursing students have successfully graduated before you. You’re more than capable of tackling these challenges and thriving. It will help to have a smart plan in place to overcome these hurdles. Try the following steps:

Develop a Reasonable Schedule

One of the first things you must do to prepare for nursing school is to plan a reasonable schedule. For some students, this means not working while in nursing school. While some manage to work part-time, nursing school is a significant time commitment akin to a full-time job. You’ll spend a significant portion of the week on classes, labs, clinicals, studying, and preparing for the NCLEX exam, which is the licensure exam for nurses.

To develop a reasonable schedule for nursing school, you might need to simplify your daily routine or limit some social events.

You should also utilize a planner or scheduling app to keep track of your class schedule, due dates, and exams. Plan out all classes and commitments for each week, being sure to treat study time as non-negotiable. You should also schedule breaks to ensure you take time to decompress.

Get Organized

Whether you prefer to take notes on your laptop or with pen and paper, you must develop a workable organization system. Keep notes, assignments, and other materials for each class in a dedicated class folder (digital or physical) so you can easily find them when needed. Keeping your workspace neat and orderly will also help with productivity.

Use Effective Study Habits

You’ll need to set aside time to study each day. To improve the efficacy and productivity of your study sessions, prioritize using active study habits as opposed to passive habits, such as re-reading notes or only highlighting text. Try these active study techniques:

• Explain concepts out loud using your own words.
• Write down questions as you go through the material.
• Find ways to relate concepts to real-world applications or case studies.
• Participate in group discussions.
• Teach the material to someone else, such as a family member.

Practice Self-Care

Self-care is critically important for both nursing students and working nurses. Even though your schedule will be full throughout nursing school, it’s essential to set aside time to work out at least a few days per week, eat nutritious meals, and get adequate sleep. In addition, find time to do something fun and relaxing every week. You’ll need a mental break now and then to keep working through the curriculum.

Get Support

It’s vital to accept the fact that you might not be able to do everything by yourself. If you struggle to understand a nursing concept or master a clinical skill, ask your nursing instructors for extra help. Never hesitate to ask questions or request clarification; at Concordia, our nursing instructors are committed to your success.

You can also lean on your peers for help. Consider forming a study group with members of your nursing cohort. Let your family and close friends know if you need help with personal matters. Perhaps someone could lend a hand with childcare or errands on a week when you are particularly busy.

If you are experiencing burnout or feeling overwhelmed, reach out to a mental health professional to help you navigate this time. Your school may have resources to help or point you in the right direction.

 

Grow and Thrive at Concordia University Irvine

How hard is nursing school, really? At Concordia University Irvine, our ABSN program may be rigorous, but we thoroughly prepare our students to handle these challenges with our structured curriculum and supportive resources. Our highly dedicated, caring nursing instructors are committed to going the extra mile to support the progress of our students.

As a private Christian institution, Concordia focuses on graduating competent, compassionate nurses prepared to effectively care for their communities. We train our graduates to apply evidence-based clinical judgment in a culturally sensitive manner that considers the values and needs of the individual patient.

When you’re ready to pursue a rewarding career in nursing, Concordia University Irvine is here to help. Contact our dedicated admissions counselors today to learn about the next steps.