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Lessons from My First Semester in Nursing School
Nursing is a challenging yet incredibly rewarding career. The first challenge? Getting through nursing school. Current student Janet Chan shares her insights after her first semester as a nursing student.
BY JANET CHAN, TRADITIONAL BS IN NURSING STUDENT | NOVEMBER 19, 2018
When I was accepted to nursing school, I had a rush of emotions, ranging from excited to downright terrified. It was what I wanted my whole life, yet I knew it would be a hard journey – I knew that I had to make changes to myself: my work ethic, my whole way of thinking.
I asked friends and former nursing students about their experiences and what I should do to prepare – the universal answer was priority . The transition from taking prerequisites with a large class size to a close knit lecture with only 70 students is a major change, but an even bigger change is the workload that comes with nursing school; before you know it you’ll be swamped with projects, textbook readings, and extracurricular activities, all due one after the other. All of a sudden the strategies employed for studying in a standard undergraduate program is no longer adequate – it all comes down to prioritizing.
Planning (Ahead) for Success
My secret weapon to prioritizing is my planner. This is a generic sounding piece of advice, and yet it has helped me immensely. I look over any syllabi or handouts that professors provide before the semester starts to ensure I know exactly when things are due; I then create a plan of attack for all the exams, assignments and projects. This gives me a physical and mental calendar, a reminder of every assignment to ensure I don’t miss one.
Being on top of the workload is essential, as it quickly accumulates throughout the school year.
The final touch is a daily schedule and daily reminders on my phone so I know how much time I need to dedicate to studying. My daily schedule consists of when I wake up, what classes I have throughout the day, what time I have to study, and when I should go to sleep. A great app that I’m using, Momentum, can also be added as an extension to Google Chrome.
When I break down my days, I try to plan them out at least two days in advance so that I have leeway for any unexpected events that might occur. Nursing school is a carnival; you want to go on all the rides, and yet there are only so many hours in the day. By planning out your day and prioritizing, you can get the most out of your experience.
The most valuable thing I learned so far as a nursing student is you have to know which coursework needs your attention first and which tasks can be done later so that you are working efficiently.
Challenge(s) Accepted.
The undergraduate nursing program not only requires your undivided attention, but also requires you to be prepared both mentally and emotionally for the various challenges that come with nursing school.
The summer before class started, I worked in a retail job simply to earn an income, but working retail had given much more: the experience of working with others from different backgrounds taught me valuable skills in multitasking and professional communication. As a nursing student, you will have to balance a plethora of tasks while regularly working with others.
Another challenge is dealing with those moments when you feel overwhelmed. It is important to find a stress reliever. I relieve my stress by meditating – if there is a break in my schedule, I take a 10 minute meditation session by closing my eyes, focusing on breathing and finding my quiet space. This helps me recollect myself and helps me shut out outside distractions. Of course, everyone has their own version of stress relief – it can be as simple as going for a short walk around the library, stretching in your seat or even taking a snack break. It is important to discipline yourself, timing yourself appropriately for these breaks.
Self-discipline is another strength that helps me through the challenges of the coursework. It really just comes with experience: it’s another essential for nursing school that you will have to learn on the way.
My first exam in nursing school was a bit of a rude awakening for me – I had always thought myself to be well disciplined, yet the exam showed me how far I had yet to go.
I went through the motions for studying that I had honed for four years through my undergraduate psychology program. After this particular exam, I realized that I had to change my ways. The next time, I forced myself to start my study sheet and notes the same day that a new topic was introduced; I also made sure that I understood previous lectures before moving on to the new ones, and the results definitely showed for my next exam. This helped me realize just how important it was to remain focused and undistracted when I am studying or doing assignments. I began to work free of distractions – studying alone, with my phone turned off. When I study with friends, I try to ensure that we minimize distractions and work together to understand the materials; it helps to organize small study groups who are focused on the work and willing to help each other out.
Onward and Upward!
Nursing school, for all the challenges it provides, will still be an amazing time in your life where you not only learn essential skills, but also meet wonderful people who will push you to be the best. Be confident and don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes, just make sure you learn from them. UB Nursing is a one-of-a-kind program and when you start adjusting to the madness, it feels like home. Your professors are your best resources; they are well versed in their profession, and their experience is your key to success.
Take initiative and attend the programs or volunteer opportunities that the school has to offer – just remember how to prioritize! I hope that this post gives you a glance of what nursing school really is, a chaotic, wonderful adventure towards our shared goal of helping people.
With that, I will leave you with this quote by educator, author and businessman Stephen Covey: “The key is not to prioritize your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
UB School of Nursing welcomes comments from readers. Please submit your comments in the box below.
I appreciate this essay written by Janet Chan. As a traditional student myself, I agree prioritization is a key factor to success in nursing school. This essay has provided me with useful strategies to use while finishing my first semester in Nursing. Thank you for posting this essay.
Thanks for sharing. In my opinion, one part that is key in the process of being successful in nursing school, is the program and instructors as well. I attended an ABSN at Concordia College of NY and it was a terrible experience. Choosing the right school and a program that caters and cares about their students makes this rough path less stressful. I would love to read about your experience with your instructors and programs rules. Have a great second semester!
Student Life: One Nursing Student’s Perspective
Katie O’Sullivan @KatieOS25760094
4 th Year Nursing Student, Bachelor of Children’s and General Nursing, Dublin City University
What is your main role?
My main role as a student nurse is to learn both the theoretical and clinical aspects of nursing. Theoretical input helps prepare us for clinical placements, which will vary widely throughout the 4 years, meaning we are exposed to lots of different areas of nursing and types of nursing. My role initially as a supernumerary nursing student, is to assist nurses in their duties within my own scope of practice and learn new skills, master other skills and role model excellent nursing practice. I need to have a deep understanding of the theoretical aspect of the clinical setting, to help me understand the different illnesses, diseases and conditions I see in the clinical environment. The theory and academic input is vital to make sure all my own knowledge is up to date and best evidence to ensure best practice. When studying nursing in Ireland, the theory and practice complement each other, in other words, a period of theory is followed by a clinical placement. It is important to balance them at the same time, giving equal time to both, hence the double stressors, which can set us apart from other university students. This difference has become so more obvious since COVID. This was exacerbated as we tried to balance working on the wards and then adapting to online lectures. One of our assignments was linked to our clinical placement and had to be completed during the placement. I found this very difficult as I was working a 36-hour week in the hospital where Covid-19 was prevalent and this was a really stressful environment. From learning how to put on PPE correctly, to working in full PPE gear, to ensuring you were caring for all your patients and also learning and then the assignment at the back of your mind. My days off were used to work on assignments and attend online tutorials, not ideal and also we couldn’t meet classmates in person, so couldn’t ‘decompress’ in our usual way. The impact of COVID -19 has been so profound, we know, so many people have lost loved ones, we saw this first hand. On top of this is has been much lonelier time, as well as a much more stressful for student nurses. The support you normally have from meeting up in person, discussing the ups and downs of being a student nurse was gone and I really felt it. I don’t think I was alone feeling like that. The clinical staff did their best to support us, organising mindfulness sessions but they too were under pressure. The academic staff too, did their best, and met with us via Zoom to listen to our concerns and tried to offer solutions. But nothing was ‘normal’, and normal was what we craved. For some of us we felt like we just needed to get through it- to get to the other side of it. But we know we have to make sure to mind our heads too, as we can care for others unless we care for ourselves first.
How did you get into your current role?
Initially I decided to study General nursing even though I always wanted to be a midwife. I felt that if I studied General Nursing first, I would have a broader health care background. I was only seventeen years old, starting University, so I felt I had the time to do this. When it came time to apply for specific courses, I applied for the combined Children’s and General Nursing Degree, as I thought it could only benefit, given the expanded knowledge and experience it would provide. And I then thought I could apply to study Midwifery at Postgraduates level, if that was still my plan. However, since embarking on my journey and experiencing the variety of clinical placements, I have changed my mind and now hope to work in an Adult Nursing setting, perhaps in the Emergency Department, Theatre or Acute Medicine. Who knows? The world is my oyster!
What would you say are the best and most rewarding parts of being a student nurse?
The best part of my role is applying knowledge and skills that I have learned while in college to the different places I get to experience during my degree. So when theory meets practice, things really begin to make sense. For example, we complete a pharmacology module where you learn about drugs, how they work and what conditions require what drugs. It wasn’t until I was on the wards and repeatedly seeing these medications being used that their names started to stick in my head and why they were being used. So linking what we learn in theory to practice and it really helps deepen understanding.
I feel a great sense of purpose when I know I have done a good job and I am helping someone who needs my support . A real highlight is if one of the people in my care thanks me and appreciates that I have done it well. It is also really encouraging when the staff nurses and the managers complement my nursing skills as it reminds me and reassures me why I chose to become a nurse.
What advice would you give to those who would like to follow in a similar pathway
I would say to those who want to be a nurse that they shouldn’t be afraid of the physical aspect, as nursing is a very physically demanding role. And don’t be afraid that you have to start at what seems like the bottom- in terms of knowledge and skills, that you will build on both over the years. Be prepared to start carrying out essential nursing skills first and as you build up knowledge and skills you will have the knowledge and understanding (and confidence!) to perform more complex skills. For example, during the first two years of my programme, I assisted with a patient’s personal hygiene needs, which is very important, and a great opportunity to learn to be a good communicator- a vital ingredient for a good nurse. Since commencing Year 4 of my degree, I still carry out these tasks, but I now get to participate with more complex skills such as assisting with lumbar punctures procedures and/or have more responsibility taking in terms of patient load. Be patient with yourself as it takes time to move from ‘novice to expert’ (Benner, 1984) but it is so worthwhile!
Benner, P. From novice to expert: Excellence and power in clinical nursing practice. Menlo Park, CA:Addison-Wesley; 1984.
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