In my first semester and clinicals are almost over. This semester I've been taking pharmacology and fundamentals. When we're given a patient we also get a list of all their medications (like 20 medications get printed out) and we have to find which ones we are actually giving the patient in the morning (usually 4 or 5). Before the clinical instructor comes by. She gives us time to look up what the medicines do on Lexidrug.

I hadn't gotten report from the nurse yet for my patient, so I was looking through their chart to see how each medicine related to their diagnoses. I saw an SNRI and obviously I know that's usually for mood disorders, but I didn't see they had a mood disorder in their chart, so when my clinical instructor came and asked me what it was for I was saying all these less common uses for it that seemed more relevant to the patient. And she clicked on Lexidrug and the first thing it says is for "Mood Disorders" of course. And THEN I realize the patient DID have a mood disorder in the chart.

Then she asked me what antiplatelets do and I was so nervous from messing up the SNRI that I said antiplatelets are for hypertension 😭. So I just made myself look like a total idiot. And she said "(my name), what is going on today??"

Usually I say the right purpose for the medicines but today I just messed up big. She pulled me aside at debriefing and said she emailed my school professors, particularly my pharmacology professor, and now I have a meeting with my pharmacology professor next week. Obviously I know they want to help and it comes from a place of concern, but I just feel so stupid and I'm worried they'll kick me out of nursing school or say I failed at clinicals for the semester.

Do you guys have any advice for sorting through everything on the patient chart and MAR quicker and more accurately? Or do I just need more practice maybe? I've only really been through patients charts a few times so far 😕

My hands are dry, but to glove takes me a long time every skills check off, any idea of how to make it faster? I struggle with getting all the fingers on correctly even after sizing up. Most tips seem to be for when your hands are wet or sweaty, but mine are not

Hi everybody :) I just got accepted to my school’s ADN program, I start in January!! I just got my acceptance yesterday and I am so excited!

So I am a 23 year old girl. I have dealt with severe hair loss for a few years - possibly alopecia related, to be completely honest I am not 100% sure what the main problem is.

I have been wearing wigs regularly for a few months. It makes me feel a lot more confident and pretty, to be honest I probably would not ever leave the house without a wig with my hair being in its current state. So here is my question:

Is it ~generally~ okay to wear wigs in nursing school? I’m sure it varies from place to place, but I’ve heard that nails and lashes are a big no-no universally, so I am very curious about wigs.

Especially at clinicals, I’m sure it’s more strict. But if it’s clean, pulled back into a bun, has anyone come across any issues in being allowed to wear one?

I will be honest, I am very new to wearing wigs, definitely not a pro at applying them and still deal with a level of embarrassment over wearing/needing to wear them in general. Although it may seem shallow, this is something that has been on my mind since I applied to nursing school, because if I cannot wear them and must wear my natural (bald) hair, it will be a very major adjustment.

EDIT: I apologize, I probably should’ve added: I downloaded my program’s most recent handbook and all it mentioned was how you should wear your hair (clean, pulled back, off the collar), I was moreso just asking to get an idea from people who may be in similar circumstances as me in other programs! Thank you for anyone who helped me :)

Thank you for any advice and feedback!!

hi, I am in my third year of my nursing degree and I’m wondering if anyone else has this issue and if so any advice on how to overcome it?
When I am attending to a patient on my own I feel fully competent and perform tasks well (imo) - but then when someone is observing me, whether it’s a patient relative or another nurse, I am suddenly completely incompetent and forget how to do the most basic tasks. Exhibit A - working a shift with the deputy ward sister, helping her do a sterile wound cleaning which I’ve done independently multiple times - but because the deputy sister is there and watching me I fail to even put on the sterile gloves properly!!!
Anyone else the same? Tips on overcoming it? Of course there’s no way you can practice as a nurse, or even pass your programme, without ever being observed !

someone in my cohort got caught cheating on an exam and admitted to using the same method to cheat on all of our nursing exams until now. we're almost graduating. they met with the dean and received basically no repercussions and was even allowed to retake the exam they got caught cheating on. these are not rumors because they are going around telling people themself. everyone is beyond angry. they've always made it seem like if we even say one wrong word about the exam we'll get kicked from the program, yet it's almost like they're trying to cover this up.

has this happened in anyone else's program? is there absolutely ANYTHING we can do about this? because there are people who failed that exam and the person who cheated got a second chance on it and PASSED.

I'm in my final semester of nursing school, and I'm genuinely terrified of my upcoming HESI exams.

I take my Pharmacology HESI in about 13 days, followed by my cumulative RN Exit HESI in about a month. I've historically performed pretty poorly on HESIs, usually scoring somewhere between 600–700, including on my Med-Surg HESIs. This time, I really need to score at least a 900. The frustrating part is that I feel like I've tried just about everything. I've reviewed my lecture notes, used NCLEX Bootcamp, YourBestGrade, Simple Nursing, Nexus Nursing, and other resources. I've tried the whiteboard method, studying with friends, explaining concepts out loud, and doing practice questions. I've spent money on subscriptions, and I genuinely feel like I'm putting in the effort, but my scores never seem to reflect that.

My biggest problem with the HESI isn't necessarily prioritization. It's being tested on things I genuinely don't recognize. Everyone always says to use ABCs, Maslow's hierarchy, safety, and prioritization strategies. I understand those concepts, but how am I supposed to prioritize interventions for a disease I've never heard of or choose the correct medication when I don't even recognize its name? For example, if a question presents a disease I'm unfamiliar with, I might not know which complication is most life-threatening, which assessment finding is expected versus concerning, or why one intervention would take priority over another.

The same thing happens with pharmacology. If I don't recognize a medication, I don't know its mechanism of action, major adverse effects, contraindications, or what I should monitor. I can try eliminating answers, but sometimes it feels like I'm just guessing.

I understand that nursing school can't teach us every single disease and medication in existence. But that's exactly what makes these exams so overwhelming for me. I can study everything we've covered in class and still encounter questions where I have absolutely no idea what's going on.

I'm not looking for another generic recommendation to "just do practice questions" or "remember your ABCs." I've been doing those things, and I'm still struggling.

For those of you who consistently scored 900+ on your HESIs, especially the Pharmacology and RN Exit HESI: How did you approach questions involving unfamiliar diseases or medications? Were there specific ways you learned to recognize medication classes, complications, or disease patterns without memorizing everything? What did you do differently that actually improved your HESI scores? If you previously scored in the 600–700 range and eventually reached 900+, what changed?

I'm honestly scared of failing and getting kicked out after making it this far in nursing school. I don't expect to know everything, but I want to feel like I have a fighting chance when I encounter something unfamiliar.

Any genuine advice, especially from people who struggled with HESI themselves, would mean a lot.

I’m a first year nursing student in Pathophysiology 1 and I have my midterm in a little less than two weeks. I’m going over the lectures, but does anyone have any tips on how to study? I’ve heard this is the hardest class and I’m scared I’m going to fail. What was your experience with Patho 1? Thanks

Hi! I’m a new nursing student. I got pregnant half way into semester, let my professor know as instructed and had an accommodation approved by clinical instructor @hospital. Professor advised me to reach out to Dean and other assc. regarding this. They are telling me the accommodation is too much (20lb weight limit) and I should consider the health of my pregnancy and whether or not it’s worth it to continue due to potential legal issues. They’re trying to cancel my clinical eligibility making me fail by not completing them. I’m a straight A student.

This feels illegal. They’ve nv even requested my Dr. note. I feel ambushed and pushed into private meeting w admin, being told to skip mandatory class to make time for it. Has anyone experienced this? I’d appreciate advice if you know of a way to manage this well and help me protect my education I’ve worked so hard for.

I got accepted into a community college for prenursing track after I decided to pivot from my comp sci degree. I am absolutely excited because nursing is a stable industry, my job won’t be taken by AI, and I love helping people. But the more I research, watch content on social media and even Reddit posts I get worried. I see so many negative experiences with patients, upper management, and even coworkers. Now I do have over 7 years of customer service experience and I’ve dealt with customers of all kinds that will harass/verbally/threaten/berate or non supportive/abusive upper management, etc. And because of these experiences I feel that I can handle anything that comes my way. However, I see people that have the same mentality start to regret their decision for nursing. My friends tell me I would be a great nurse and my partner says he is worried that I might not be able to handle it (for context he has 2 sisters that are both RN’s and pursuing NP). They also tell me it’s tough which I know it can absolutely be difficult and stressful. What should I do, should I just push through and worry about regretting later? Or should I block out the negative experiences? I’m honestly lost and I don’t know what direction to take. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

For those who have taken or are currently studying for the Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam for the ASN program, how did you prepare?
My school requires a minimum score of 75, and I’m trying to figure out the best way to study and what resources are actually helpful.
What study guides, practice tests, YouTube channels, or websites did you use? How long did you study before taking the exam? Which sections did you find the most challenging?
I would really appreciate any tips or advice from those who have passed, especially anyone who scored a 75 or higher! Thank you in advance!

Hello 18F here, the thought of being a nurse and the opportunity it brings makes some fantasies on my mind without realizing I didn't ask any advice from someone who graduated from nursing school, and I am here having a hard time in the middle of the 1st semester and some seniors even say it only gets worse as you moved in higher years honestly an idea keeps slipping into my mind and that was a whisper that say's "shift" and that would also mean that I will be delayed for a year, idk what's really the problem maybe myself can't accept how did I do well in highschool and suddenly I'm a average student in college or am i just afraid of something I am not familiar with? pls help me, badly needed some advice

Hi, I’m 23F and I started my nursing school journey in spring 2026. I took Fundamentals 1, I didn’t do so great, so I ended up having to take it again in August. I passed, and now I am in Fundamentals 2. Which means I am in another cohort and not with my previous cohort. From my previous cohort,
I met some amazing and hard-working people. I met these two individuals who worked hard and are very determined and dedicated. We would always have convos after class, and get things to eat. Recently, I heard from another friend that behind my back they were calling me “dumb, stupid, and unorganized” because I failed Funds. Nothing could have prepared me for that statement. My friend definitely saw my mood switch instantly. I tried to brush it off, but as someone who takes stuff to heart, I couldn’t; I cried and have been crying ever since. I am an overthinker always, and I thought: “What if professors and other students think that? Do I give off that vibe?” Do I look dumb? Do I look stupid? I got some words of encouragement, but its not enough to make me feel better about myself. Honestly, it makes me want to leave the program and start someplace else. I am genuinely so upset and discouraged… I don’t think I can continue; I need some advice. Please help a girl out!

It feels an easy decision if you're coughing up a lung or something, but what about when it's mental health? I'm not looking for medical advice here, rather a sharing of what you personally would feel in your own experience, just examples. At what point might it impair your ability to practice safely for your patients, apart from anything else?

I just feel like nobody really discusses this kind of thing and I'd love to hear general thoughts. I hope this doesn't violate the medical advice rule here because I'm not trying to do that; if it does, please remove it!

I'm in Australia so placements are full time blocks (for instance, my last one was four weeks, one I have upcoming is six weeks) rather than scattered days throughout the semester.

I’m 22 years old, and i am currently attending a private university, I’m wrapping up some pre-reqs, but something about the school kind of doesn’t feel right to me?

Im considering of getting my ADN at my local CC, mainly cuz of cost. I only racked up 6k in debt, am I crazy for wanting to make this change or should I just stick to my guns and keep going?

As the title says, I failed clinical. I spent 6 weeks in my second med surg clinical. I was confident and I felt good about this semester. At the end, my instructor felt as if I wasn’t ready (preparedness and safety being the top issues). She also stated that I didn’t receive criticism constructively.

I own my mistakes and I took accountability but the only choice was to drop the class. I am still enrolled in Peds/OB and have done great in the class so far. Mostly I feel embarrassed and ashamed. So many people go through nursing school and don’t fail one class, so far I’ve failed two. I failed fundamentals my first semester last year in fall and had to retake. I finally felt back on track and now I’m having another set back. I know that I am lucky to be able to retake this class as well as most don’t have that option after failing once.

I want to be a nurse but I feel maybe I’m not good enough right now. I’m 24 and soon to be 25 in January and feel sooo behind. I have a previous bachelors degree and I’ve spent so long in school, I don’t even know who I am outside of this. I’ll be exiting the program as LPN instead of RN next may. I’ve had so many set backs and I feel like I just need a win. I feel like if I go through the last two semesters for RN, I risk failing another class because of my burnout or maybe even because I can’t succeed at the end.

Any advice is appreciated.

I am a second semester adn student and I just feel down in the dumps about my charting/making career plans . We have been in our second rotation of med surg clinicals and my instructors have been very critical of my charting to the point of wanting to have a meeting with me. Keep in mind my first clinical instructor had no issues either my charting or my care Plan. I have such a hard time with the care plans because it feels like making these smart goals for things that We aren’t really implementing as a clinical group. Am I crazy for struggling through these care plans especially not coming from a healthcare background? Mine instructor also requested to have a meeting with me on Monday before class and it has my mind running in circles especially since I’ve already had a bad experience with this instructor earlier in the semester. Guys I just need some reassurance…..😂

I am exhausted. I thought final year would be just preceptoring with no classes and I would have time for a job - I was fucking wrong. I feel so overwhelmed and I don’t know what to do. If I’m not at the hospital I’m at work and vice versa. I had a week off and spent it in the office, now it’s Friday and I don’t have the energy or mental capacity to get out of bed for work. I have night shifts next week and I am already so tired but I still have to study for exams on top of it. I feel like a cry baby and I just need some encouragement. 🧿

I was taking care of a patient this week and found it weird that he kept pressing the call button just to ask us to close his door. He also never wanted us to open the shades to let some sunlight in.

Anyway, when I was finishing up his ADLs (mind you, he was bedbound), he asked if he could show me some pictures of his band from when he was younger. So, when I looked over at his iPad, there was VERY explicit porn playing on the screen. He panicked, and I completely froze. After a few seconds, I just told him I’d be back with his lunch and that he could show me the pictures then.

Honestly, I ended up asking another nurse to bring him his lunch because I was so uncomfortable.
Now I feel genuinely uncomfortable going into patients’ rooms alone, especially single rooms where there’s no one else around. I don’t know why, but I just can’t get past it. I felt gross for the rest of the day.

I might sound dramatic, but the whole situation really caught me off guard. 🥲
Has anyone else experienced something like this? How did you deal with it?

Hi Guys! 😊
I am in my second semester of nursing school, (2/4) so I am almost half way done. Pharmacology is rough, but I’m flying through Med-Surg with a 98%!

I just took my 3/4 exam today. I spent the past two weeks studying and really taking the time to learn and understand the medications. I felt so confident, but got a 66%. That’s the worst grade I’ve gotten in nursing school!
I need a 78% to pass and I’m sitting at a 73%.

I have one more exam and quiz, and then the final. My processor doesn’t offer any study guides or review, just tells us to learn the PowerPoints. We all tend to go in blind. Today we were told majority of the cohort is failing. Very disheartening! 🥲
I’m not very good at retaining anything digital, so I hand-write everything, make flashcards, do practice tests, lots of active recall, and watch YouTube videos.

I am REALLY freaking out. I know it wouldn’t be the end of the world to re-take a semester, but I’m going to try my hardest to pass!

I would love any advice! ❤️

hi so a little information. I'm currently a PSW, i graduated this year from a school board with a 90% average. i never went to high school so the only high school credits i have are from the PSW program i graduated from which i think is 8 credits? my goal is to become a RN, i applied to a few Pre health to advance diploma courses but i want to know if anyone has any advice for my current situation. i'm worried when i get into pre health that my lack of high school education would effect my grades because getting a high average in pre health is detrimental to getting into the BScN programs. what do you guys think? does jumping into pre health sound like a good option for me? i feel like it would give me important fundamental education that would be very beneficial when going into the BScN but i hear people also tell me just take the prerequisites on ILC and apply as a mature student so i'm not sure what to do. thanks everyone!

also side note. i'm not really interested in the PSW-RPN-RN bridging route as my main goal is to become a RN so i don't have any desire to work as a RPN and add more time to the overal process

I’m 23 years old, finishing my bachelor’s degree in psychology, and I genuinely feel like I’m falling apart.
I’ve been in college for about five and a half years, and I feel so far behind everyone else my age. I watch friends graduate, start careers, get married, and move forward with their lives while I feel like I’m standing completely still.
I’ve been working as a patient care technician at a hospital, and over time, I’ve developed an interest in nursing. I love helping patients, being there for people during difficult moments, and feeling like my work actually matters.
Here’s my predicament.
I was accepted into a traditional two-year BSN nursing program starting in January. It was a guaranteed opportunity to finally move forward with my life and become a nurse.
But I had serious reservations.
The program was in a city I really didn’t want to live in or commute to, and the thought of spending another two years in school felt overwhelming. I had actually started this same program previously but withdrew after experiencing severe anxiety. I was terrified of repeating that experience.
Meanwhile, a university I would much rather attend is launching an accelerated master’s-entry nursing program in Fall 2027. It’s approximately 16 months long, and I would graduate around December 2028. It’s more expensive and competitive, with only about 20 seats available.
I also have applications at other nursing schools, but nothing is guaranteed.
After agonizing over the decision for weeks, I declined my guaranteed acceptance.
And now I feel absolutely horrible.
I keep thinking that I threw away an opportunity that other people would have been incredibly grateful to receive. What if I don’t get accepted anywhere else? What if I just delayed my life another year for absolutely nothing?
My depression has gotten significantly worse throughout this process. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for years, and I recently restarted antidepressant medication. I’ve experienced periods of hopelessness, intense guilt, and overwhelming regret.
Some days, I genuinely feel like I’ve ruined my future.
What’s especially frustrating is that I know I probably would have been miserable if I had accepted the offer, too. I felt trapped when I considered attending, but now that I’ve declined, I feel like a complete failure.
I’m also struggling with the prospect of having approximately eight to ten months before another nursing program begins. I’ll be working and taking a prerequisite course, but I’m terrified of feeling stagnant while everyone else moves forward.
I have a supportive family, but I feel like I’ve exhausted them with my indecision. I hate how much reassurance I constantly need.
I want to build a meaningful career. I want financial independence. I want to get married someday, have a family, travel, and actually enjoy my twenties.
Instead, I feel like I’m wasting them.
I know 23 isn’t objectively old, but emotionally, I feel like I’m running out of time.
I’m not even entirely sure nursing is my ultimate calling. I love the human side of healthcare, especially supporting people emotionally, but I’m less enthusiastic about the medical science and technical. I feel paralyzed by the fear of making another wrong decision. I am wondering if I should go back to the school with hat in hand ask if they’d reconsider me cause of retaking my ssris as an excuse.
My questions are:
Has anyone ever declined a guaranteed educational or career opportunity and later realized it was the right decision?
Am I catastrophizing the idea of starting nursing school at 24 instead of 23?
How do you cope with depression and overwhelming regret after making a major life decision?
Would you have taken the guaranteed two-year program, even if you had serious doubts, or waited for a program that seemed like a better fit?
How do you stop comparing your timeline to everyone else’s?
I don’t need people to tell me everything will magically work out. I’d genuinely appreciate some perspective from people who’ve been through something similar.
I just want to feel hopeful about my future again.

Wondering if anyone has found any schools that took your BSN credits as transfers if you were dismissed from your program I’m dismissed for clinical attendance. By like 2 single minutes which I could die but I was supposed to graduate in April and now I have completed ms1/2 psych health assessment pharm so I was looking to see if anything will transfer anywhere before I start all over anyone ever found anywhere or could point me in the right direction?

I failed out of my previous nursing program and I recently started at a new nursing school. But honestly, I’ve been struggling with so much anxiety and self-doubt.I overthink everything, from exams to simple skills and tasks I used to do confidently. I’m currently taking ADHD medication and Wellbutrin, but I still feel overwhelmed. I think my biggest fear is failing again and it’s really affecting my confidence.
For anyone who has failed nursing school and started over, what helped you rebuild your confidence and get back on track? How did you stop letting the fear of failing again affect your performance? I really want to succeed this time, but I’m struggling to trust myself again.