The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Nursing School

One of the greatest things about becoming a nurse is the fact that the good and the bad aspects of each day go hand in hand. Most days, you’ll experience a wide range of emotions and circumstances that might make you question your calling, all while absolutely loving what you do at the same time.

If your passion is nursing, however, then the positive rewards of nursing school will far outweigh the bad stuff.

1. Nursing school provides you with a fresh start to a new career. Whether you areentering nursing school right after high school graduation, or you’ve gained life experience in other avenues and have decided to take a new career path as a nurse, Day 1 is the first day to a world of opportunities that await! As a nurse, you’ll be able to work in a challenging environment, helping and serving others in times of need or distress; you’ll be able to learn exciting skills that will take you far in the medical community; you’ll be able to meet new people, discover new things, and know that you can find a purpose-filled job nearly anywhere you go.
2. You’ll learn so much about yourself. Nursing school can be very challenging, and not everyone can handle the stresses and work load. You’ll discover amazing qualities about yourself that you probably never knew before. Once you graduate from nursing school, you’ll emerge with a sense of dedication, compassion, fortitude and leadership that you never knew you had before.
3. You will be exhausted. Nursing school is hard work. Sleep is important. You will often feel tired and overwhelmed by the work. Keep your eyes focused on the end goal. In the end, the hard work will be well worth it. In the meantime, make sure to schedule your sleep to ensure you have the energy necessary to focus and learn as much as you can along the way.
4. You’ll learn more about the human body than you ever dreamed possible. The knowledge you’ll gain about how the human body works, functions and heals will astound you. You’ll never stop learning about how incredible the relationship between the human body and modern medicine can be.
5. You can’t avoid the “gross” side of nursing. Yes, you will have to give bed baths, clean oozing wounds, and handle code brown incidents on a daily basis. It’s part of the job. Don’t assume that nurse’s aides and other staff will handle the “menial” tasks. This is all part of the nursing experience.
6. Nursing is NOT what you see on T.V. From the time you start your clinical rotation, you’ll encounter real people, real health issues, real families. As a student, nurses won’t always like you, and you probably won’t be the star of the show. Your days are not scripted out and there isn’t always a happy ending, but in the end, you can have peace of mind knowing that you listened and learned and ultimately impacted your patients’ lives, one at a time.

If you’re exploring the possibility of beginning a career as a nurse, and are interested in learning more about the educational opportunities offered at Athena Career Academy, visit our homepage today to discover the numerous possibilities available to you.