To think Nursing is one of the hardest degrees?

[UndertheCedartree]

I did a nursing degree as a 2nd degree as a mature student. I actually felt sorry for the 18 year olds starting it as they didn't get the usual Uni experience. No Freshers - as we'd already started a few weeks before and were in back to back lectures/classes. Social life was limited due to work load and placements with early starts and long hours.

I found it very stressful. Long hours in Uni due to hours needed to pass the professional qualification. Half the time spent working full time while having to write assignments and study for exams. Also the OSCEs (practical exam) and VIVAs (oral exam) that were so different to anything I'd done before.

So AIBU than Nursing is one of the hardest degrees?

@Daftodil - the easiest degrees are those where you get long holidays, fewer lectures/assignments/exams etc. and plenty of time to balance study and fun/relaxing, imo.

Nursing would be one of the hardest degrees... if the other degrees were hairdressing and golf course management

@UndertheCedartree we do. It has been validated through the NMC and it works well.

@youknowitmakessensedunnit that's really insulting. I hope you never require a nurses skills!

@MrsStrangerThing - yes, it is tough! But that's what I'm saying when I say 'hard' - it can be hard in lots of ways. I think most people don't realise how academic a nursing degree can be, the short holidays, full time Uni or placement and the workload of assignments, exams, OSCEs, VIVAs and presentations.

Well OP it seems you simply wanted people to agree that nursing is the hardest degree

I found it hard but I also knew what I was signing up to.
It’s no different to other degrees, all hard in their own way.

@youknowitmakessensedunnit - what are you basing your opinion on? Have you done a nursing degree?

I don't think the problem is that most people don't realise what a nursing degree is like. IMO the issue is that lots of people who apply to do a nursing degree have no idea what it involves and the expectations, exams and assignments catches them by surprise.

@carlyclock - I didn't say it was the hardest. But I'm just trying to clarify I mean on of the hardest as in the whole packgage not just the academic side.
@Casino218 - how many weeks holiday do you have? All Summer off sounds amazing!

From what you've described OP I can see the workload is relentless and doing it with children must really push you to your limit.

I'd say (from your information) it is a gruelling degree. Is it the hardest though? Academically no I don't think so.

@UndertheCedartree 9 weeks off!

If it’s not a competition why the post. Yes most of the vocational degrees are difficult, doctor, nurse, lawyer, accountant. They all involve long hours, multiple exams and work experience. 🤷‍♀️

Titles and threads like this always make me laugh because I read a study once that looked at what was the most stressful occupation and they determined what it was by asking the people in a variety of occupations. and what came out top? Nope not an A and E doctor, fire fighter, first responder, social worker etc. It was a librarian!

Of course if you have done a degree you think its hard. its not meant to be a paper gifting exercise after all. Nursing is a job like any other. you need to be properly qualified and experienced and sometimes its stressful and hard work. but seriously, you cant say something is "harder" than something else because there are no comparison metrics available it will just be personal opinion.

@onanothertrain - it's true lots of people don't realise how full-on it is. I didn't!
@Yogawoogie - I think different people find different things more difficult. I did a Maths degreeband in all honesty found it easier than the Nursing degree! Other people might find the reverse. But I found the Nursing degree very different to most other degrees (ones that myself and friends have done) so don't feel it is like most other degrees.

Academically not the hardest, time consuming and tiring yes.

I think part of your experience may be due to where you are in your life.

I did a BA at the usual age. I had fun.

I did midwifery later on with young children. It was so stressful. It wasn't the most academically taxing, although it was thought provoking and many aspects such as public health you got what you put into it. You could skim it and pass or you could really take an interest, delve deep and think that it was something you wanted to specialise in. Different strokes for different folks. It was draining though as a degree, holidays didn't line up with school holidays, we'd be in uni or on placement when all other students and our kids were off. It was a constant battle to juggle everything and there was so much pressure when assignments were due while we were on placements.

However, the younger ones still seemed to have a good uni experience. From chat and Social media there were still nights out, ill advised shenanigans and random drunken dressing up. But they were not juggling children alongside placements and uni work like you were or I was.

I’d say my medical degree was harder. We didn’t get the summer off either, we had to do ten week clinical attachments at hospitals outside our own area or abroad.
The coursework was relentless, there was little time to socialise when you were trying to read and learn fifty pages of pathology and the same of anatomy per night, plus write up your physiology practicals and lecture notes after a full day in the dissecting room, lab or lecture theatre. During ward attachments such as the labour suite you were up all night with emergencies as well as working all day.
Good preparation for the 100 hour weeks when we finally qualified!

@MaidenMotherCrone - yes, it really was. I think it was more academic than some people realise. But yeah, I mean harder overall rather than just academically. But I suppose as I'm academic that bit wasn't so hard for me - it was all the rest. Like continuously being the new girl as you do 3-4 placements a year. I think I found it mentally very hard.

I think for time commitment it is hard due to the placements. I think once nursing students get to a certain level they should get paid for their placements as looking at local hospital they seem to rely on them and by third year they are definitely an extra member of staff.

The hours needed would certainly be hard. But I'd imagine medicine or science degrees to be the hardest. My accounting degree was easy.

@Babdoc - medicine is definitely harder! Like the nursing degree on speed!!

I think healthcare degrees on the whole, at least just for the fact that you have placements alongside university and assignments.

Absolutely not. I’m just being frank, entry requirements into nursing courses are very, very low. My friend got in with mere C’s and D’s in her a levels. Therefore as the requirements are low, the academic standard of the course content is going to be lower - it’s targeted at those who got C’s and D’s instead of those who got A’s - eg medicine.

The placement aspect and lack of free time is a valid complaint. Nursing/care work is difficult and can be unpleasant. However I also worked full time alongside my full time degree whilst I was 18-21 so my sympathy is capped - many students need a job to support themselves at uni regardless. So it’s not just nursing students that many feel stressed and burnt out a working and studying full time simultaneously

One of the hardest things for me was the VIVAs never done anything like that before or the OSCEs - but I quite enjoyed them!