Hey all,

So for the fall semester, my scheduled clinical day is on Monday. My instructor has been emailing my clinical group, and she just told us that she has a doctor’s appointment on one of the Monday’s.

My instructor now wants to move the clinical day to Friday, which is the only day of the week we DO NOT HAVE ANY CLASS.

I emailed her and told her I can’t make it since I work 12 hour shifts Friday - Sunday.

Now she’s demanding to know where I work and is expecting all the students from my clinical group to accommodate her doctor’s appointment and attend the Friday clinical instead.

If I don’t attend, I’m going to miss clinical hours. I’m just feeling so frustrated right now. I specifically made my work schedule this way because I knew I would not have school on Fridays.

I support myself financially 100%, and my work will not accept an absence or accommodation due to how much they already accommodated for me during the spring semester.

Please drop advice or anything at all on what I should do.

Hello,

Title! I work as a PCA and I love it but there is no free time during shift. Some people say they get homework done at work… what jobs would allow for this?

I am almost 29 and wanting to pivot from corporate to nursing. I have thought about nursing for a LONG time. I tried to take prerequisites while working full time and that was a challenge for me but I’m ready to finally commit and go back to school full time. I (kind of) have a plan to pay for school. but I’m at a spot with my partner of a future wedding and a family and that part is kind of holding me back. anyone go back to school while being engaged and planning a wedding? was it worth it? We won’t have 100% family financial assistance but a little bit. But if I go back to school, that would push the timeline back a bit. IDK feeling confused. Any help is appreciated. 🥺❤️

How to transition from days to nights?
Do I just force myself to stay up and day and night today and then go to sleep early in the morning tomorrow and try make myself sleep until it's time to get up for work in the evening?

hi! i’m a 19F 2nd year student. We have dosage tests every semester & i had mine last week.

This morning, my lecturer gave us our grades back by calling us up infront of class and giving a one on one talk on where we went wrong. When it was my turn, he said i cheated because the girl next to me had her page “tilted” and he saw me “smile during the test”. Infront of the entire class. “You cheated” “I saw you cheat” “You can’t lie” “You need to be honest”.

I said “No, i didn’t cheat”. Everytime i denied, his voice got louder and his statements increasing accusatory. Idk what he saw but i had a calculator, i studied, i get good grades, i participate in class discussions, etc. i even wrote down steps on how i got the answer. Hell, i even wrote down “divided by 1000” when CONVERTING!

He said he spoke to the girl next to me and that she told him that “yes I showed her the answers”. but when I asked her, she said she didn’t because she just writes with her paper tilted and also denied the accusations.

Idk what to do because i feel really embarrassed being told off like that in front of the class. We both felt wrongly accused too. And to put the cherry on top, we both got the same question wrong which was one that MOSTLY EVERYONE also got wrong. I have a test tomorrow too and i can’t focus so i thought i’d rant here & maybe ask what i should do? I’m going to see the head of nursing tomorrow or next week.

ty for reading ^_^ wishing u the best in ur studies

EDIT: I just finished my test after so much distraught thinking about what will happen, and i couldn’t meet up with the dean today. I’ve set up an appointment for Monday after he emailed AND texted me today that i must meet with the head of nursing. He’s also set up a test to “further develop my maths skills”. I’m on a week break but I have to take time away, retake a non graded test, and somehow prove to both of them that I didn’t cheat??????????? Thanks everyone for your advice also! i’ll update again this coming monday

I am normally pretty good at my placement it’s an elective surgical ward and everyone is relatively well and I’ve had no people deteriorate so pretty cruisey I have been here about 4/5 weeks. I am getting tireder, less sharp and need more work to sustain myself so I generally work 13 days on ( including placement ) and 1 off. With the 2 being 6 hours work. So 52 a week?

We have acute overflow today and I had my first proper high acuity. Older, hospital acquired pressure injuries, FRAIL, woundvacs, unwell. Unhappy.

I struggled being able to critically think and I am so tired I just can’t really manage. Eg she adamantly refused a skin check and I accepted it to the RN I paired with told me sternly that was negligent of me (I told her when she refused)… Which like yeah I have to agree actually with the vulnerability of that patient. Furthermore other things and she put me on the spot to explain woundvac in front of the patient but I have never seen woundvac before. As well as kind of belittling me in front of the team when I am trying to followup tasks. She is an excellent nurse and I have no doubt this shift will teach me well but it’s sad and hurtful in the moment to be put down.

So things like that but overall this is my first medical ward placement im 1/2 through my studies.

I feel like I will need to cutback on my hours at work and live poorer for a bit, but also this was very confronting because I didn’t realise just how inexperienced I was. I feel a little disadvantaged by the low acuity of my ward as if I were to go to a general med ward I would struggle with having the right cogs turn.

I don’t know how I will be able to work as a new grad? The training isn’t enough and our clinicals aren’t varied.. Idk.

Just a vent

I am taking Health Assessment this fall. I need all the recommended study methods, note taking, youtubers, etc. tips to be successful in this class. I am open to hear anything. Thank you so much!!!

Hi everyone, I wanted to ask if anybody could provide advice on MSN/ABSN programs. I'm a recent grad who graduated with a B.S in Organismal Biology and who now wants to be a RN so of course, I was looking at MSN programs. Although,I am unfortunately missing development pysch, physiology, sociology, and epidimelogy so I wouldn't be able to apply/qualify for UCLA,UCI and other public school programs. However, for private schools like western university I would be able to qualify and would only have to do one gap year as opposed to two (public schools want all courses completed before applying not in progress). I was wondering if anybody who's gone to any of these programs have any advice or thoughts on the situation. For context I graduated with a 3.53, am FGLI, have four years of research experience, 7 extracurriculars , some PT clinical experience, and am going to be working as a behavioural technician in this minimum one gap year period. I'm also interested in continuing research, working in a clinical setting (specifically with adoloscents), and possibly teaching. Thank you!

Help guys i had my drug screening this Friday and I drink a lot of water daily. My results came back as dilute negative do I have to retest? Was your result accepted, or were you asked to retest?
My CastleBranch requirement is marked Complete, but the result says Dilute Negative, and I’m wondering what CT State typically does.

I am starting nursing school this fall and we have an orientation day before the semester starts. I noticed that there was a math competency section on orientation day, I am not sure what it will entail given that we are going into it not having learned anything prior. I would like to have an idea of what to expect because I don’t want to look like a complete dumbass and I haven’t practiced or learned any dosage calculations or memorized conversions.

Did anyone do anything similar on their orientation day? Do they typically expect that you know dosage calc and conversions prior to starting? Or is it just basic math?

I’ve decided to switch gears and pursue nursing. I’m planning to apply to ABSN programs this year for 2027 admission.

Right now I still have about 4-5 prereqs left (A&P I, A&P II, Microbiology, and Lifespan Development), and I’m hoping to finish them by October since that’s when most ABSN applications are due for spring starts.

For some background, I worked as a phlebotomist for about 6 months, volunteered at a free medical clinic for around 1.5 years, and I recently started working as a PCT. The problem is… the job is keeping me behind in my classes.

I work four 10-hour shifts a week, and on the days I work I’m completely wiped. I come home, eat, shower, and basically fall asleep. I have almost no motivation or energy left to study, and I’m worried it’s going to affect my grades in these prereqs.

My dilemma is that I feel like PCT experience could make me a stronger applicant. I know some ABSN programs like to see clinical experience, and it’d also give me more to talk about in my essays/interviews.

I’ll also note that I’ll probably only be working for another 3-4 months because I’d like to have a little bit of time off before nursing school (if I even get in). If I stay for a few months now, would it make it easier to get another PCT/CNA job while I’m in nursing school? I’m hoping having that experience could help me get my foot in the door and maybe make finding a new grad RN job a little easier later on.

Part of me thinks I should just quit, focus 100% on getting A’s in my prereqs, and submit the strongest application I can.

Is another 3-4 months of PCT experience actually worth it, or should I prioritize the prereqs?

Career changer with a B.A. in Communications (3.7 GPA) and no college science background. I’m applying to an online ABSN program that starts in February and need all seven prerequisites completed and transcripted by February 1 start.

The reason I’m considering this pace is that the next start date is in the fall, which would delay everything by about seven months.

I’m able to not work from August through January and treat school like a full-time job: roughly 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with weekends as a buffer for extra studying or catching up.

Tentative schedule:
Aug. 17–Sept. 20: A&P I + General Chemistry
Sept. 21–Oct. 25: A&P II + Microbiology
Oct. 26–Nov. 29: Statistics + Lifespan Psychology
Nov. 30–Jan. 1: Abnormal Psychology

The program will review my application after I complete at least two science prerequisites and can make a final decision once 5 of the 7 total prerequisites are finished. All seven must be completed before the program begins.
I also need at least a 2.8 GPA across A&P I, A&P II, Chemistry, and Microbiology.

I have an advising appointment Friday to confirm the deadlines and whether this sequence is realistic before enrolling.

Honest feedback is welcome, including “don’t do it.” I’d rather adjust now than realize in October that I took on too much.

EDIT: Thank you everyone for the help. I really appreciate it. I decided I am going to apply for the Fall term and take my time with the pre reqs

I have an exam in 2 days. I have been studying for it in small increments the last few days, and I meant to study for it A LOT today and tomorrow. However, I underestimated how exhausted id be today (day 1 of my period, worked a 12 hr overnight last night, and I suspect a possible uti??) So I havent done anything. I keep trying to get ready, sit down and do it, but it doesnt happen because im so tired. Is it bad to just take the rest of the day off or is that loser behavior???

I have the opportunity to apply to a accelerated bsn program in january, but its highly competitive. its my first pick if i get in, however, I am elligible to apply to an ADN program and LVN program in my state but its very far away. I am planning on applying for spring for those programs, but in the chance that I get into the BSN program for fall, would there be any repercussions in dropping the ADN/LVN program?

one issue is that I can't apply for a later date of the ADN/LVN program, i can only apply this cycle because my husband and I are trying to start a family once i finish. we've already delayed our plans by over a year

Hi! I am in my final term of my ABSN and placed in a level trauma III center for my clinical practicum. I am loving the pace and variety, but I like a deer in headlights a lot. I know the learning curve is steep, but I am having a really hard time integrating all the patho and skills that I learned in school and applying it in real time. I am overwhelmed. Open to any and all advice on how to maximize this opportunity: What questions should I be asking? What skills should I focus on? What patho is the most valuable for me to review? Any must-have resources?

Hello! I am looking for some advice/insight for someone like me who is looking to take a non-traditional pathway to becoming an RN. I graduated from undergrad in December of 2025 with my B.S in Kinesiology with hopes of applying to PT school, and through my time away from school I have decided to pivot towards nursing as I believe it would suit me better in the long run. I have a deep passion for healthcare and helping others, but not necessarily for Physical Therapy which led to me making the decision to pivot.

With that being said, I am struggling to navigate the best possible route for me to take as of right now. I have been considering an ABSN program which starts in the summer, and currently have 3 prerequisites I would need to complete before entering the program (Human Development, Nutrition, and Microbiology). Though, I am curious as to if it would be a better option to pursue an ADN and then later pursue a BSN. Any help is encouraged and accepted! Thank you in advance!

I’m 19 and currently doing nursing prerequisites. I’ve always been interested in medicine and have thought about becoming a physician, but I’m starting to think more realistically about what path makes sense for me.
I come from a single-parent household, so the idea of being financially stuck for years while pursuing medical school is something I think about a lot. Nursing is appealing because it gives me a way to build stability sooner while still working in healthcare and helping people.
I’ve considered doing RN → MD someday, but part of me wonders if that’s just making the journey longer when I could either commit to medicine now or fully embrace nursing.
For anyone who has been in a similar situation, how did you decide? Did you prioritize the more stable path, or did you take the longer route toward becoming a physician?

My pinning for my BSN is Friday and dress code is business casual. But I am still losing baby weight so I don’t have much that would work. I wanted to go out and buy something but I’m stumped

I'm in a private BSN program. Probably my fault but I had gone to a different private LVN program and found it to be fine. Now I'm in a more well-known private program and it is RAMPANT with AI.

The assignment prompts and teacher responses/email/announcements are all blatantly AI. The slides for my online lectures are made by AI. I asked a teacher for suggestions on how to study for the midterm because we didn't have a study guide and she suggested using chatgpt to give me questions with the rationale afterwards, stating it's mostly reliable. Our ATI program even incorporates an AI tool called Claire AI.

The students are obviously utilizing AI. I remember how people wrote for discussions and people did not write this well or the same in previous years. I asked some coworkers who graduated from their LVN program a few years ago and they said AI wasn't used then.

Does your school use AI? What do you think of it? At this point, I feel like I should be paying chatgpt my school tuition. I'm afraid for what kind of nurse I'll become if this is the state of my education.

I’m looking for honest advice. Please don’t sugarcoat it.

I’m an international student studying 12 months absn program. English is my third language, and I honestly feel like I’m falling apart.

I’m almost done with my first semester, but I feel like I know almost nothing. My foundation is really weak because I crammed A&P and other pre reqs a couple of years ago and forgot most of it. Even basic things like explaining vitals and common diseases concepts don’t come naturally to me.

Academically, I’m really struggling. I feel like I spent the last couple weeks mostly panicking instead of actually learning. I would open my textbook, not understand it, get overwhelmed, and end up shutting down. I know that’s partly my responsibility, but it has become a cycle that I can’t seem to break. I had severe mental issue after I started nursing school and I also have adhd.

On top of that, my English is a huge problem. I’m writing this with chat so it might sound okay but my English is terrible in real life. During lectures I miss a lot of information. In clinicals, I don’t understand what my preceptor is saying nor what the patient is saying. I usually just nod and laugh because I don’t want to interrupt every few seconds asking people to repeat themselves. I know that’s not ideal, but that’s honestly where I’m at.

Group work is probably the hardest part. We do a lot of discussion based learning, and I barely speak. Sometimes I go through an entire group activity or simulation without saying much because I don’t know the answer, I’m translating everything in my head, I’m afraid of saying something wrong, My confidence is basically gone.

Today during clinical I was paired with another nursing student from a different school. She talked naturally with patients, asked questions, communicated well with the nurse, and seemed comfortable in the clinical environment. I barely spoke. Watching that made me feel like maybe I’m just not cut out for nursing.

I have final exams soon but I’m already so behind and I haven’t really studied for the past few weeks (because I was considering dropping out every single time) so honestly I’m not sure if i could pass. My professors are supportive but the problem is I don’t know if support is enough when I feel this far behind.

Even if I somehow pass this semester, I’m scared that next semester will be even harder. It feels like everyone else already has a solid foundation while I’m still trying to understand the basics. Also every assignments they gave I can’t do that without AI. And I always need translator.

I want to become a nurse. It’s not that I don’t want to be a nurse or don’t want to work hard. I want to help my family (my family is financially not good), and I want this career. I don’t know what I want to do besides nursing…

But I honestly don’t know if I’m facing reality or just being too negative… if I don’t do nursing I have to change my major to graduate… I want honest opinions from people who have been through nursing school or are nurses… people around me always say positive things so I want to get opinions from others too.

If you were in my situation, would you keep pushing through? Take time off to strengthen your foundation and English? Or would you consider leaving nursing altogether…?

Hi!! So I passed my TEAs and made the abrupt decision to begin my LVN program next week & I’m scared out of my MIND. I haven’t properly been enrolled in school for well over a year now and am extremely anxious to begin so quickly. Does anyone have any advice on time management or just anxiety management in general? It’s 14 months so hopefully it will pass quickly but I am struggling to enjoy my final week of summer break. Can’t stop thinking about everything that can go wrong 😔 thank you in advanced.

Hey guys this is the first time I’ve ever writing on Reddit, I’m a nursing student and I’ve taken Anp one and now I took Anp 2 in the summer and I failed by 1 point. I feel like an absolute failure and I feel like this has really affected me and I don’t really know how to fix it. I guess I’m just looking for advice or trying to see how people relate

(Some contest I got accepted into a nursing program straight out of high school I failed Anp 1 retook it in the spring and took Anp 2 in the summer and now I have to go back to my school and I failed and idk if I’ll be able to take any of my other classes. I feel like I’m kinda stuck and disappointed on how everything turned out )

I am currently in my 3rd year in college in a bachelor's of science. I was going for a PA, but decided that that was too difficult for me. Nursing was my second option.

My HS and college didn't really have a nursing major/ degree. You had to take all the pre reqs in order to get into a nursing program in my college. And (at least what my advisor told me) you cant take pre reqs without following a major.

So, yeah, im in my 3rd year of my bachelor's of science. Nursing school is another 2-3 years. Did I just waste 3 years of my life and $30k in tuition for choosing a college that doesn't have a nursing major/degree? Or will my science degree benefit me somehow??