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?

There is no way that students do full time placement. They are normally allowed to go earlier particularly on nights etc. Defo on my ward, we know it's hard and try to support them a little

Hahhahahahahahaha! You’re having a laugh! I’m a midwifery student. I work 12.5 hour shifts, I can honestly say that I’ve only been told that I can go home early a hand full of times. I didn’t even get a dinner/lunch break the other day (this can happen a lot if you don’t speak up for yourself) and I hadn't actually had the chance to sit down for over 7 hours that day.

As students we are supernumerary and not classed in the staff numbers, however due to the shortage of staff etc we are very much part of the team and certainly work full time hours. I’ve even worked night shifts where the qualified staff are told to go for a rest/sleep whilst the students carry on! I go home exhausted, and as a result the academic side of things often suffers.

Nursing/midwifery may not be the most difficult/challenging degree courses academically, it is however both physically and emotionally challenging.

Although we do get reading/holiday weeks they’re often used to catch up on uni work that’s been failed due to being too physically exhausted to keep on top of the academic side of things, so there’s hardly and leisure time.

Not read the whole thread.

it's not a competition no! But I don't think many people realise how full on it is both academically, work-wise and time-wise! I have a Maths degree and found it much easier!

Could these be for a number a reasons such as...you were younger when you studied maths, maths is predominantly problem solving rather than memorising facts (anatomy and physiology in nursing for example is predominantly a learning, memory exercise)?
Not saying a degree is easy, or hard. I think most degrees are hard, how hard you find your course may be down to how suited you are to that course and the learning required within it.

I have a physics degree. Yep I grant you could be considered a very hard degree, but it suited me and my learning abilities. Good luck with your degree.

I’m torn in this. As there is A LOT to do it and lots of things to e.g. final year l remember balancing 37.5 hour a week placements, writing my dissertation, a part time job and arranging a friends hen do. It’s a very demanding course, more than the majority of degree courses. But the level of academic work wasn’t that high l didn’t think but l had done an under graduate degree in a different field before

I agree Op it is one of the hardest degrees. I lasted almost 1 academic year doing a nursing degree. I hated it. It was so stressful (uni, night shifts, assignments, exams, observations, practicals etc) and way more academic than I thought. I got AAB in my a levels so it's not that I wasn't able. I went on the next year and did a 4 year teaching degree (hard also but not like nursing and I felt more like a student), a masters (easiest so far) and a doctorate (2nd easiest) . Nursing was the hardest of them all.

Re the Wednesday afternoons off for sports ect. There’s no lectures scheduled for Wednesday afternoons if it’s a uni week, however placement hours do include working Wednesdays

Radiography is also tough but not as tough as medicine.
Different people find different things tough though...i would struggle with a Maths degree or an astrphysics degree but im good at English, Radiography etc.
My friend is an amazing artist but got a 2:2 as she didnt have the right style for the tutors.

I think nurses do an amazing job though and it is very tough going. You deserve more kudos as a profession.

The thing is is no one has ever said nursing is easy. There's no myth to dispel. It's not common thought that it's a peice of piss.

We know nursing degrees have long hours on placement, short holidays, academic work on top of this. It's fairly obvious it's going to be demanding time wise. But you knew that when you did it presumably?

What you actually seem to be saying OP is you were surprised how hard nursing was, which is fine. Again you are allowed to find it hard, but if you start a thread basically saying "Look how much harder I've worked than you" it's going to get people's backs up. I don't really know what you hoped to achieve from this thread

@stairway - I agree it should be 4 years - there is too much content for 3 years. Unis vary on how science based they are - some don't even require GCSE Science. It is hard for most people doing the Biology as most have never stidied Human Biology and are suddenly having to do it at degree level. At least with the Chemistry most have done some at GCSE. I can't believe they made the exam easier but I do know some Unis don't require 100% pass for drug calcs - which is scary.

I think lots of other subjects are really important - particularly Sociology and Law & Ethics. As well of course learning to care for a patient, the Nursing process and AoL. The basics of Critical care and Long term condotions. And then all the practical stuff. We did used to have fun in the Nursing Lab with the dummies!

@UndertheCedartree

I'm finding the bit about not socialising hilarious.

The nurses were the ones that kept the whole block up all night when they came off placement to the detriment of those of us with placements the next day.
And the nurses were also the ones that complained the loudest when they were kept up all night the night before their finals, something that they had done to others at the end of the year.

I'm a nurse and I think that its seen as an easy degree and people undervalue the knowledge we have. A lot of acquaintances see my role as a doctors assistant or health care assistance. They dont see that we treat and diagnose patients. Manage large staff teams and the true responsibility we have.

But as a degree I think there where hard parts and easy parts. I found placements easy and research modules really hard. OSCE where and still are the most difficult for me. Dreading doing my prescribing qualification.

I think with the new NMC standards it should certsinly be 4 years. There.mist be some things being cut in order to make way for the new proficiences surely.

@ScreamedAtTheMichelangelo - except I'm not basing it just on my experience but that of lots of others at my Uni and the many, many students I have mentored. Of course it is possible to look at the bigger picture and say in my opinion it is a hard course, perhaps one of the hardest. That is not discounting other degrees are hard. But it is very disingenuous to suggest an opinion can't be formed beyond personal experience!

@catismychild - you don't have to answer this but how did you do doing the bare minimum? Did you go on to do a Masters? I'm not being judgemental, just wondering.

@jellycatspyjamas - yes, makes sense. I imagine Social Work is hard. I don't know if I'm correct but I think there are less placements than Nursing?

It is hard keep swapping between Uni, then newbie on placement, then having to reconnect with Uni, then you're newbie again and repeat! A nursing student commented on this to me recently. Yes, it's true we all find different bits the hardest.

At all the focus group events over the last few years as the new standards were being drafted the majority of people wanted the course to become a 4 year course and it really looked for a while like it would happen. But I think the fear of people being put off doing the training if it was 4 years won.

Completely agree. My first degree was in Biochemistry and I can honestly say nursing was academically far more rigorous. I was torn between nursing and medicine & a lot of our training was alongside the medical students & there was v little difference in the knowledge required at university level. Medicine gets lots harder once qualified- that's when the real work begins!!

@Nameofchanges - the time table is full so not much room for flexibility. You are working or studying when other students are socialising and you are still doing this when they are on holiday.
@LittleDragonGirl - I agree and that was my point.

@catismychild - you don't have to answer this but how did you do doing the bare minimum? Did you go on to do a Masters? I'm not being judgemental, just wondering.

Back when I did my degree (qualified 6 years ago) your placements were graded and counted towards your final percentage. It was possible to only just pass all the academic work yet still come out with a decent 2:1 (or a distinction for the diploma) if you had shit hot placement grades. I know a few people who achieved this in my cohort.

Also I'd like to say I find your comment earlier about most of.your cohort going on to do masters astounding. In the 6 years I've been qualified I know of only a handful of my cohort to have gone on to do masters, most have had to self fund becasue the funding just isnt there.

@Holdingtherope - that is very kind of you but definitely not the norm - if only that students need those hours signed off - it is not optional. Also student nurses have an awful lot to learn in 3 years - I tell my students to make use of every minute - you will not be able to learn in the same way once qualified. I think it is actually poor practice not to give your students as much training as you can. If you send them home early - they'll only have to make those hours up somewhere else.

@Pippioddstocking - yes, some do have that view. And yes, the studying never stops!
@dottiedodah - no Drs don't necessarily get the final say. It depends what care is being provided. I work in a specialist role and am a prescriber. I have the final say over my patients and make a care plan for them. I then ask the junior doctors to follow the plan. I have a doctor colleague I go to if I need advice but there are many, many nursing roles not overseen by a doctor.

I work in a university and am involved with developing teaching across all degrees. I agree that nursing us one of the most challenging courses (I think it is hard if not impossible to say x degree is the hardest).

It is a very academic degree as well as being technically challenging. You do need to develop a good understanding of reasearch as well as a high standard of writing. I don’t know why but the standard of writing required for nurses is higher than the standard required for pharmacists but pharmacy has higher entry requirements.

To people who say doctors need to know anatomy and physiology what do you think nurses need to know?

@jellycatspyjamas - yes, makes sense. I imagine Social Work is hard. I don't know if I'm correct but I think there are less placements than Nursing?*

I think it depends on the course tbh, I had two 100 day placements the second overlapped with my dissertation. I also didn’t get typical “uni” holidays and had work set over the summer break. I think any vocational course is challenging but I wouldn’t say mine was more or less demanding that people I know who did teaching or nursing, it just looked different.

@PickUpThePieces - nicely said.

Nurses don't work 'under' doctors anymore. They are colleagues with different specialiams.

@partygamer - yes, big workload but the academic content varies. At my Uni it was very good. But the students are prefered from that Uni than the other local ones - but not just due to academics.

Oh and Scottish degrees are 4 years as a default.

I can imagine it is exhausting and emotionally very hard at times but, academically? What are the entry requirements? I think the sheer graft, selflessness and some of the things you must see are incredibly hard tbough. Much respect and thanks.

This thread has to win career one -upmanship of the year...if not the century!

With lots of insinuations that nurses aren't THAT clever. How insulting to those who might help save your ailing relatives or communicate with consultants on medical matters ( and make themselves understood!).