We all have friends who didn’t go down the nursing school path as we did. Instead, they studied theatre, joined a fraternity or sorority, and generally had what they’ll continue to refer to as the best four years of their lives(!) well into retirement.
Needless to say, nursing school was the teensiest bit different. Let’s explore.
Typical college student:
Tells all their friends and family they got accepted to college and they’re starting in the fall.
Student nurse:
Tells all their friends and family they got accepted to nursing school and they’re starting in the fall.
Typical college student:
Somehow manages to enroll in classes that only fall on either a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday afternoon. And yet…
Nursing student:
Sweats through two exams by 9 a.m. on any given Monday morning. Finds a half-eaten and slightly warm bag of trail mix for breakfast/lunch in a pocket. Reaches for bag…
Typical college student:
Is assigned 150-plus pages of reading. LOLz.
Completes an exam on the French Revolution, referencing dates that are 200-plus years old.
Still scores an 89 percent. Not too bummed.
Nursing student:
Is assigned 150-plus pages of reading. Completes 150-plus pages of reading.
Twice.
Quotes the textbook verbatim in response to every exam question.
Fails exam, theoretically killing a nonexistent patient.
Typical college student:
Calls home to ask for money.
Nursing student:
Fields calls from distant relatives with questions about a heat rash, Ebola or teen drinking.
Typical college student:
Has lunch with friends in the cafeteria between classes.
Nursing student:
Refuses to eat in the cafeteria due to a recent study on bacteria in public spaces. Similarly, has issues touching used textbooks.
Typical college student:
Arrives five minutes early to the lecture to snag a seat next to that cute classmate. Numbers are exchanged.
Nursing student:
Arrives to the lecture five minutes early to snag a seat next to that cute classmate. The lesson covers Chapter 15: Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
Love is not in the air.
Typical college student:
Finishes classes for the day. Will likely attend a social event, meet a few friends for dinner or watch a movie. Okay, two movies.
Nursing student:
Finishes clinicals for the day. Gets ready to meet up with friends, but pauses to sit for two minutes…
Typical college student:
Dates (or tries to).
Nursing student:
Dates all lecture notes. Obviously.
Typical college student:
Sees professor outside of lecture.
Nursing student:
Sees professor outside of lecture…
Typical college student:
Forgets many a Saturday night.
Nursing student:
Tries to forget the worst code brown in code brown history.
Fails.
Typical college student:
First majors in political science. Decides to switch to the study of contemporary European art instead. Visits the campus career center three days before graduation…
Nursing student:
Graduates with applications to four high-volume ERs already completed. Casually saves an elderly citizen’s life on the way to the ceremony.
In other words?
WORTH IT.
This article was republished with permission from SCRUBS Magazine.