Factors That Can Impact How Hard Nursing School Is
The Type of Nursing Program
College is hard, no matter what you study. However, the type of school and the level of education you are trying to achieve does matter when it comes to nursing programs. One prominent example is that a BSN is an entry-level RN education versus a CRNA school for experienced nurses earning an advanced practice RN degree.
The good news is that you don’t start from scratch as you earn higher-level degrees. Instead, you continue to build on the foundation of knowledge that you’ve already learned.
The Length of the Nursing Program
Many students choose to complete nursing programs part-time, so they can continue to work and maintain family or other personal responsibilities during their studies. Going to school full-time will be more intensive because you will have more work to do in less time.
However, some BSN programs are accelerated, meaning you complete them in nearly half the time as a typical four-year BSN program. These programs are generally for students with a non-nursing bachelor’s degree. Accelerated programs are known for being incredibly intensive, challenging, and sometimes overwhelming due to how much material is covered quickly. Students in accelerated programs often say that their programs are very stressful. However, they also add that the programs were a good choice for them in the long run because they finished school much faster.
Your Life, Family, and Work
The more personal responsibilities you have outside nursing school, the more challenging school may be. For example, there are benefits to completing as much school as possible before starting a family; you won’t have as many outside responsibilities to focus on during your studies.
But people with new families or those caring for aging parents can still find a way to tackle school successfully. However, nursing students must understand that the more complex their personal life is, the more challenging it may be to complete nursing school. Not impossible, but harder.
Your Learning Style
Self-awareness about how you learn is an essential factor in how hard nursing school will be for you. Here are a few examples to consider:
- Do you learn better by listening to lectures?
- Do you need visual images to make connections between concepts?
- Or do you prefer auditory learning, where you can listen to information and talk through concepts out loud in a group?
- Are you a self-starter who enjoys being autonomous about how or where you study?
- Or do you prefer having a set time where people (or an in-person class) are waiting for you on a more set schedule?
Understanding how you learn best is important because many nursing programs are offered in online or hybrid formats. If you know that will not provide the best learning style for you, consider only looking at brick-and-mortar nursing programs that can provide in-person education.
Is it Easier To Do Online or In-Person Nursing Programs?
Achieving an online degree is now easier than ever before. However, it is essential to understand that while much of the classroom education and testing can be done online, simulation labs and clinical hours still need to be done in person in the medical setting.
Some students have found that online nursing education is easier than in a classroom setting because they can do their studies at any time of the day or night. There is no need to spend time driving to and from class. Online education, therefore, often fits into an already busy schedule better than a brick-and-mortar program does.
However, some people learn better in a classroom or group setting than in an online environment. If you are the type of person who learns best in an in-person group, that is something to take into consideration when choosing a nursing program.
Can You Work While in Nursing School?
Many universities recommend that you either not work or work as few hours as possible while achieving a full-time ADN or BSN degree. The reasoning is that you will not have enough time to focus on your studies. If you need to work during nursing school, you may want to consider a part-time or at-your-pace program that will fit your needs.
However, with the flexibility of online education, many students have also found it easier to balance work, school, and personal life during their studies than ever before.
For an MSN or higher, many universities offer part-time programs so that those who work full-time are still able to manage their studies. As most students at that point have already been working as a nurse for several years, the expectation is that you can still work at least part-time while in school.
Tips on Getting Through Nursing School from Nurses Who Did It
#1. Take Care of Your Health
As a nursing student, your #1 priority should be to take care of yourself first. No matter what degree you are earning, it is an extremely stressful time, even for the best students. Getting sick will keep you from moving forward with your studies.
There will be times where you will have to stay up late to cram for exams or write papers – and you may even have to work graveyard clinical hour shifts, which will mean catching up on sleep during the day.
Make sure that you are drinking enough water, nourishing your body with healthy food, and sleeping appropriately when time permits. That way, when you do find yourself burning the midnight oil to prepare for a big test, you will still have energy reserves to get you through and prevent yourself from getting sick.
“Don’t skip the gym! It’s necessary time for your body and a mental break” — @cptncavegirl
#2. Manage Your Time Wisely
Nursing school, whether it be for an ADN or DNP, will be some of the busiest years of your entire life. It is essential that you pre-plan as much as you can so that your education and personal life get the attention they need.
Keep a planner to organize everything from school work to clinical hours, as well as family time and meals. Otherwise, your nursing program will manage your time for you, and you will feel constant overwhelm that may negatively affect your studies.
“Don’t wait to study last minute and you got this !!” — @iamndhillon
#3. Nursing School is Exhausting, But it’s Temporary!
Nursing school is a moment in time. You will have to make sacrifices for the greater good of your education; however, once you graduate, you will get your time back. Let family and friends know that you may be MIA for a while and that your education needs to take center-stage until you graduate. It won’t be long before you get your social life back, along with so many more career opportunities ahead of you.
#4. Have the Right Attitude
Attitude is everything when it comes to handling the stress and challenges of nursing school. Write down the reasons why nursing school is important to you and how it will impact your life in the long term. When you start feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, it is a great way to remember all the reasons why you are doing this in the first place and reach out to your support system for help!
“Don’t wait until the last minute to reach out for help if you’re struggling” — @nurse_britty
#5. Understand What Study Habits Work Best for You
Initially, nursing school might seem like an impossible mountain to climb. But a proactive way to tackle this negative belief is to experiment with different study habits to find the most effective for you.
For example, are you a better visual or auditory learner? Does reading coursework or lectures help sink information in more clearly? Or do you learn better working in a study group?
Another consideration is writing your notes by hand instead of typing everything on your laptop. One study suggests that writing lecture notes in longhand versus keyboard notetaking is superior in terms of learning outcomes. The study also found that drawing by hand activates larger brain networks than typing on a keyboard. That is insightful information for nursing students learning anatomy by drawing and color-coding with colored pencils!
“If you have a hard time remembering anatomy for a test, try using colored pencils to color code notes and drawings. It helped me so much! – Jana, pediatrics nurse in Los Angeles
The employment outlook for the nursing profession is very bright!
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual income for registered nurses as of 2023 is $86,070 or $41.38/hr. The BLS notes that the typical entry-level education for RNs is a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree; however, you can be a registered nurse with an associate degree in nursing (ADN). However, it is important to keep in mind that hiring managers often prefer candidates with a BSN in most cases.