My Transition Into The Nursing Program
“Our job as nurses is to cushion the sorrow and celebrate the job, every day, while we are ‘just doing our jobs.’”
– Christine Belle
My transition into the nursing program has been both thrilling and challenging, especially as I shift from high school to university. There is a big leap between the two educational streams in terms of workload, expectations, and independence. Although adjusting to the demands of university life has been overwhelming at times, I have found that it has also been incredibly rewarding in a sense. I have gained valuable insights into the different aspects of nursing, branching from the clinical foundations of patient care to the importance of communication, ethics, and teamwork within the healthcare team. The nursing program has so far expanded my knowledge of healthcare and exposed me to new concepts of nursing. Although I have faced moments of confusion, each challenge has strengthened my development into becoming a skilled and effective nurse. I chose nursing as a profession because I want to help others, hopefully creating a positive impact on my surrounding environment. As I continue to grow both academically and personally, I am eager to embrace the opportunities that face me, therefore allowing me to enhance my skills and meaningfully contribute to patient care.
“Although your educational journey may be difficult at times, you will reap the reward of utmost satisfaction when holding your nursing diploma for the first time – and nothing will ever compare to the fulfillment that improving and saving the lives of others will bring!”
– Mikhail Shneyder, Nightingale College president and CEO
The shift from high school to university has been more challenging, especially when it comes to managing the academic workload. The nursing program requires a much deeper understanding of topics like anatomy and patient care protocols, which has therefore allowed me to improve both my study habits, as well as my time management. Another challenge has been adjusting to the clinical side of things. In high school, I took a healthcare course therefore increasing my exposure to the nursing program, so transitioning into a hands-on clinical practice feels both exciting yet intimidating. I have come to understand that these difficulties are part of my growth as a person and future nurse, and although I may struggle in some areas, I gain more of an understanding of nursing in pursuit of my career in this program.
According to the National Library of Medicine (2023), new nurses describe their transition into the workforce as challenging and also stressful. Nurses are concerned about higher expectations, for instance, they report that there are challenges with patient loads while considering employer expectations as unreasonable. In addition, it is reported that nurses struggle to make social connections with others within the first few months of practice. However, all these challenges can be faced as I can set higher standards for myself in the clinical placement and open myself up to building connections with others, learning new skills, and building upon my knowledge.
“I never dreamed about success—I worked for it.”
– Estée Lauder
Furthermore, I can push through these challenges throughout my transition into the nursing program. Moving forward, I have gained new opportunities, such as meeting new people, not only in the nursing program but also within Trent University. Building connections with others creates a strong environment and fosters relationships that I never knew I needed. Nonetheless, I have also increased my efforts in studying compared to when I was in high school. University courses are more complex than those in high school, therefore allowing me to develop stronger study habits and time management skills. Pushing myself to work harder is the best motivation to receive the outcome that I desire – being a nurse.I have learned that consistency, as well as seeking help from peers or educators, is key to overcoming these challenges. I have realized that nursing is a continuous learning process, and although there are difficulties, I have a variety of opportunities to improve both myself and my skills. As I move forward into the program, I feel as if I am capable of working through the demands and expectations of the program, keeping in mind that each of these challenges will create strengths, which will ultimately shape me into the nurse I aspire to become.
According to Lewis (2019), students often struggle with their skills within the nursing curriculum, such as time management and critical thinking. There are interventions for assisting nursing students to help with the development of effective learning skills, as well as habits that can help to ensure academic success. However, nursing educators are concerned with the academic success of students who are entering the professional component of nursing school. Success in nursing school requires effective studying strategies, as well as reducing distractions (electronic devices, socialization and more). There are a variety of strategies for effective studying, for instance, time management, efficiently using the textbooks required, note-taking, utilizing available resources, and especially test-taking strategies.
The GROWTH (Growth, Readiness, Opportunity, Work, Time management, and Habits) form was created to promote academic success for students through 18 open-ended questions. It was developed by educators who were concerned for the success of students in the nursing program. Determining whether the student prepares for class gives the educator insight into the student’s motivation and reveals whether the course material is being introduced in class or if class discussions build upon the student’s prior preparation (2019).