How hard is nursing school? You can expect long hours, challenging curriculum and situations that are likely outside your comfort zone. However, it’s definitely well worth the effort. Practice good nursing school stress management, stay well-organized and develop strong time management skills.
No matter the course of study, every college major presents unique challenges. However, nursing is one area of study that especially demands dedication and focus from students. Even a traditional four-year degree can be challenging, but when taken at an accelerated pace, commitment and hard work are an absolute must. But just how hard is nursing school, really?
The students at Northeastern University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program understand that earning a nursing degree in as few as 16 months is no easy feat. It takes dedication and effort to master the knowledge and skills to care for people’s lives. Fortunately, Northeastern offers a dedicated faculty invested in fostering student success. As a nursing student, you will be challenged and supported along the way.
In this blog, we’ll examine the question, “Is nursing school hard?” and recommend strategies for successfully navigating your time as an accelerated nursing student.
Why Is Nursing School Hard?
Is nursing school hard? While it has its challenges, the journey is worth your efforts because it leads to a meaningful career you can be proud of. Here are a few things to know about nursing school that can make it a tough endeavor:
1. Competitive Admissions Process
The challenges of nursing school start even before you’re accepted into a program. Due to a lack of enrollment capacity and the cost and complexity of educating nurses, schools are turning down or waitlisting qualified students in droves, creating a competitive environment where even the best applicants risk rejection.
You’ll find that competition is less fierce when you apply to an accelerated nursing program with multiple start dates a year. Take, for example, the admissions process for our accredited 16-month ABSN program.
With campus locations near Boston, Massachusetts, and in Charlotte, North Carolina, our ABSN program has three start dates per year (January, May and September), allowing for more total spots for qualified students. Additionally, our online accelerated nursing coursework enables us to accommodate more students without costly additions to classroom space.
2. Challenging Prerequisite Courses
Another challenge before nursing school even starts is completing ABSN prerequisites. These set the foundation for professional nursing study and are key to career preparedness.
At Northeastern, we require our prospective ABSN students to earn a grade of “C” or better in the following courses:
- Microbiology + Lab
- Human Anatomy & Physiology I + Lab
- Human Anatomy & Physiology II + Lab
- Introduction to Chemistry + Lab
- Statistics (inferential stats and hypothesis testing)
- Social/Behavioral Sciences (100 level or above)
- Developmental Psychology (lifespan)
- Nutrition
Students transferring into the program without a bachelor’s degree must complete these additional courses:
- Mathematical Thinking or Calculus
- Introduction to Psychology (100 level or above)
- Introduction to Sociology
- College Composition
- Additional Elective
More often than not, microbiology, human anatomy, human physiology and chemistry are the most challenging subjects for prospective ABSN students, especially those without a science background.
If you excel in your prerequisites and have the right attitude, there’s a good chance you can handle the rigors of our accelerated nursing program.
Wondering how to choose the right nursing program? Ask these nine questions when deciding on a school.
3. Nursing School Requires a Lot of Time
Nursing student stress is definitely real. Nursing school is a full-time commitment, and students in the accelerated nursing program spend between 40 and 60 hours each week completing schoolwork and studying. Spending this much time on school can be challenging because you have less time for other interests and areas of your life.
You must be hyper-focused and diligent with your time to stay on track. Accelerated programs move quickly, and you must put in the time every day to succeed. Staying on top of your work, rather than trying to catch up when you’re behind, can help you limit nursing school stress.
4. Nursing School Takes Priority
Because nursing school requires a significant time commitment, it must be a priority in your life, taking precedence over traveling, certain hobbies and working.
Putting nursing school at the top of your list can be hard because it requires sacrifice. Some things will be moved to the back burner, and you may have to say no to some social activities because studying comes first. But remember that with an accelerated nursing program, you’ll finish the program quickly, so the sacrifices are short-lived.
5. Challenging Curriculum
Nurses are often responsible for people’s lives and must learn a lot to become proficient. As such, you’ll complete a rigorous curriculum during your time in nursing school at Northeastern.
Ranging from pathophysiology and pharmacology to research and healthcare ethics, you’ll cover a broad spectrum of complex topics. The ABSN courses are equivalent to those in a traditional four-year nursing program but will be completed in less time.
6. It Requires You to Go Outside Your Comfort Zone
Another reason nursing school is hard is that you must venture outside your comfort zone during hands-on experiences. For example, you will practice providing patient care and new skills in mock healthcare scenarios during in-person skills and simulation labs. These labs are meant to challenge you and expose what you don’t know, which can be vulnerable.
Additionally, some students feel more nursing school stress due to clinical rotations, as working with real patients can add pressure. Remember that your clinical instructors are always there to support you. Although labs and clinicals may cause anxiety initially, with time and practice, you’ll become more comfortable and confident in your abilities.
How to Manage Nursing School Stress: 5 Tips
As you consider the challenges of the program and how to cope with nursing student stress, here are a few strategies to help you conquer them:
1. Adapt to the Situation
You won’t truly know your own answer to the question, “How hard is nursing school?” until you begin the program, as everyone responds differently. Adaptation is crucial. Successful accelerated nursing students adapt to new information and situations quickly.
This may necessitate going outside your comfort zone. For instance, if you’re typically the type of student who prefers studying alone, you might consider joining a study group to see if studying with others is helpful.
If you tend to internalize stress and avoid asking for help, you may need to consider reaching out to others when you feel overwhelmed or speaking to a mental health counselor. Additionally, if you are a bit shy and don’t often speak up in class, you should try to do so during nursing skills and simulation labs.
Lastly, you may benefit from adapting to new study habits and techniques. Instead of simply rereading material, try to use an active studying technique. For example, pause after reading a few paragraphs and reframe the material in your own words. Pretend that you’re teaching it to someone else.
2. Master Your Time Management
How hard is nursing school? Without solid time management skills, it’s a lot more challenging to juggle a fast-paced sequence of online nursing coursework, hands-on nursing labs and in-person clinical rotations.
Proactivity is key because last-minute cramming, which may have worked well for you in the past, is not a sustainable strategy in an ABSN program.
Good time management skills will also significantly help you in your nursing career. Imagine if you had to care for a dozen patients during a 12-hour shift. How would you prioritize and batch your tasks so that every person receives the best possible care?
3. Start a Study Group
Your peers are one of the most valuable study resources in nursing school. Many students in Northeastern’s ABSN program find it helpful to meet weekly with other students in their cohort. You can teach each other challenging topics, review practice questions together and hold each other accountable for staying on track. Group study can help you succeed academically while providing opportunities to form strong friendships with your classmates.
4. Prioritize NCLEX Preparation
The last checkpoint before you become a registered nurse is passing the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX). The NCLEX features complex multiple-choice questions and is vastly different from any exam you’ve taken before. For example, one style of question includes multiple or all correct answers, and your job is to identify the most appropriate choice.
These questions evaluate how well you can analyze and apply your nursing knowledge when making a patient care decision. Therefore, it’s not the type of exam you start studying for a few weeks in advance.
To feel confident when sitting for the NCLEX, it’s essential to develop test-taking strategies that allow you to break down these questions to reach the correct answer. The ABSN program at Northeastern is focused on preparing you for the exam right from the first semester. As test day nears, we recommend dedicating the weeks leading to the exam to full-time NCLEX study.
Want more study strategies? Here are 11 nursing school study tips to give you an edge.
5. Practice Self-Care
Lastly, it’s crucial to be proactive about self-care. It’s best to care for your emotional and mental wellness before you begin experiencing symptoms of burnout. Hopefully, this allows you to avoid burnout altogether.
Embrace better self-care and practice good nursing school stress management with the following tips:
- Carve out time for activities you enjoy — reading, birdwatching, etc.
- You may need to decline most invitations to social activities, but ensure you still make time to connect with your friends now and then.
- Consider talking to a mental health counselor if you start feeling overwhelmed.
- Prioritize sleep. Your cognition will suffer if you try to reduce sleep hours for more study time.
- Do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercises to get a great workout in less time.
- Spend time outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine.
- Eat nutritious food and try to limit or avoid alcohol and caffeine.
Is Accelerated Nursing School Worth It?
Amid the challenges, an accelerated program allows you to earn your nursing degree in as few as 16 months. Now that you know how to answer, “Is nursing school hard?”, keep in mind that nursing school is the first step toward a meaningful nursing career. While there are challenges ahead, the journey is well worth it.
Additionally, nurses are in high demand nationwide, meaning job security and attractive salary prospects for those entering the profession. It’s also a highly flexible occupation that enables you to work in various capacities and deliver patient care in all types of settings, including medical evacuation helicopters, cruise ships, hospitals, military bases, private practices, schools and urgent care clinics.
Need more reassurance about the value of nursing school? Here are eight reasons why nursing school is worth it.
Start Your Journey at Northeastern
Ready to take on the challenge and begin the path to becoming a nurse? Northeastern’s Accelerated BSN program can help you reach your goal fast. If you have at least 62 non-nursing college credits or a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, you may be eligible for the ABSN program.
We offer three start dates each year at our locations near Boston, Massachusetts, and in Charlotte, North Carolina. With our intuitive mix of online and in-person learning experiences, a Northeastern nursing education can launch you into a fulfilling career.
Remember that no matter how hard nursing school seems, you’ll enjoy an immensely supportive environment here at Northeastern. With small class sizes and instructors committed to supporting your progress, you’ll have all the resources you need to excel. You will even receive ample support from our admissions team during the admissions process.
Contact our highly supportive admissions team to learn more about the ins and outs of our 16-month ABSN program.
