At the beginning of nursing school, I struggled physically and emotionally. I was fresh out of highschool and on my own for the first time, choosing a nursing major without knowing what to expect. I didn’t have people that I could ask for advice and had many doubts on whether I was doing the right thing to set me up for the rest of my life. However, as I am getting started on my fourth year of nursing school, I have learned a lot of things that have helped me navigate the career path. Through it all, I have gained invaluable knowledge that I wish I knew sooner so I could have saved myself some stress. 

The first thing to keep in mind is that we must always be grateful for clinical sites and the opportunity to observe working professionals. This should not be taken for granted. These institutions are offering great opportunities by allowing students to learn in a high-intensity environment where mistakes are unacceptable, providing access to staff-only areas and information, taking responsibility for everything the students do and providing educational teachings that interfere with their workflow. For this reason, students must maintain their best behavior and a respectful attitude. If students are making mistakes during patient care, demanding the opportunity to perform high-skill procedures despite the caregiver’s refusal, are not interested in learning and are on their phones, it causes a huge inconvenience and poses a threat to the unit the student is assigned to. Such behavior also gives the school a bad reputation. 

The second thing to keep in mind is physical well-being. During the time in nursing school, students are required to arrive at the clinical site very early, leave late or travel long distances on public transit to attend a far-away clinical rotation. Each clinical session lasts long hours and involves a lot of physical movement and critical thinking. Also, there are many complicated classes that require students to learn a vast amount of material in a short period of time. For this reason, it is crucial that students take the time to exercise, establish a healthy and sustainable sleeping schedule to wake up early enough to eat breakfast and consume adequate calories to be able to manage the rigorous workload. 

The third thing to keep in mind is to find effective ways to study. The traditional methods used in highschool may not work at the college level and students might have to find ways to study smarter not harder. For instance, during the time I was taking classes in medical surgical nursing, I would read all the chapters assigned and take notes. However, this method was not ideal because it took too much time and the professor’s slides already had abundant information. I quickly felt fatigued and did not have time to review and memorize the content. Students should utilize available resources: asking professors questions, attending student information sessions led by TAs and reviewing material posted on Canvas and YouTube. Many students may think that grades do not matter unless they are planning to enroll in graduate school and all they have to do is pass. Although this is partially true, it does not mean that students can do the bare minimum. As students progress through the curriculum, material from the past builds upon itself. For instance, after passing anatomy and physiology, biology and chemistry, students are not done for good with the content; they have to use the material as a stepping stone to understand various diseases and how medications work.

The fourth thing to keep in mind is that time management is key. As previously mentioned, students have to spend a lot of time on school work and studying. For students who have to work to sustain themselves, take care of their family members and are involved in extracurricular responsibilities such as clubs or Greek Life, the challenge is graver and time for self-care and rest becomes a luxury. However, the curriculum is a marathon not a 50-meter dash. It is important for students to set priorities, reduce time spent meaninglessly and to be kind with oneself to avoid burnout. Consequently, it’s important to focus on oneself, not others. In lectures, the most important thing to do is learn the material, turn in assignments, get good grades and successfully engage in group projects and activities. In the clinical setting, a student’s job is to learn as much as they can during the time they are there, not make friends, kill time or find downtime to do homework. 

The fifth thing is to take initiative. Although the best case scenario is to land in a clinical site with instructors who are enthusiastic and will provide many opportunities to get hands-on experience, this is not always possible. There are times when caregivers at the site dislike hosting students, disregard their presence and are reluctant to let students get hands-on experience to avoid risks and protect their licenses. For this reason, students must be aware of what they are and are not allowed to do in the clinical setting for every rotation that they do, plan out what skills they want to do hands-on or observe and create a list of questions they are going to ask. Students should also scrutinize the student handbook, code of conduct, HIPAA regulations and other guidelines and policies that are held by the school and the site. 

The sixth thing to keep in mind is that a single degree can open up many opportunities beyond the bedside. There are instances where students may realize that nursing is actually not what they thought it would be and feel mortified that they will have to live in misery. It is also common for students to be traumatized after what they see and start to doubt their capability. However, nursing is not only limited to the bedside. Students can gain job experience and use it to pursue a degree in becoming a nurse practitioner or a certified registered nurse anesthetist. Other areas such as device nursing, operation room nursing, nursing education, nurse management and administrative positions are all possible pathways. Students do not have to choose the specialty that they want to pursue as a registered nurse right away and can take some time to do some research. Also, areas that students assume will impact their ability to practice, such as having a weak stomach, can also be improved by continuous exposure and practice. What matters is whether the students are willing to overcome them or to succumb to them.