A few months ago, we kicked off an exciting promotion here at StressedOutNurses.com. With a $500 scholarship in hand, we went on a search to find a deserving student who coped with stress and exemplified the qualities of an excellent nurse. Professors from around the country sent in dozens of essays on behalf of their students. One stood out above the rest. “It’s hard to describe,” says Stephanie Oliver, a professor at...  Read More »

By Richard Freedberg, RN, MSN, MPA Most nursing students, it seems, lead extremely busy lives and find time to be a precious commodity. It is tremendously difficult to balance work, family, classroom, clinical, and other obligations. (We will save that for another discussion, but can freely agree that none of us wants to squander study time in unproductive pursuits.) This leads us to our question today: Are study groups worth it? Do they...  Read More »

Summer has just begun and already, recent Curry (MA) College graduate Julia Tenuta has thrown “RN” after her name. She took the NCLEX-RN® exam last Thursday at 8 a.m. and found out on Monday that she passed with flying colors. She’s obviously very, very happy. But Julia managed to break her permanent grin for a few minutes and chat with us about the test. We asked her about some study tips, the questions on the exam, and...  Read More »

The time has come. The graduation parties and the excitement from the end of college have subsided, and I need to focus on the fact that in about a month, I will be faced with the test that defines my future as a nurse. Even saying the word, NCLEX, runs a shiver down my back. It’s not that I don’t think my college prepared me for this exam; it’s just that I don’t want to have to retake it. So I have started to organize...  Read More »

Our Last Semester columnist Chelsea is now mere days from graduating and entering—gasp—the real world. During the past several months, she has taken us on an exciting journey through the end of her college life. She’s shared the 10 things she’ll miss most about college, offered her nursing philosophy, explained her difficulties with the job search, and showed us a behind-the-scenes look at her clinical experience as a student....  Read More »

After a tough time with the job search, I have an offer in a NICU in a community hospital in MA and another interview for a transplant unit at Johns Hopkins in MD! I am so excited! Part of me wants to move and the other part of me wants to stay close to home. I wake up every morning with a little bit more anxiety about the upcoming days. It is crazy how fast my time here at college has gone by. I never thought that I would be this sad to...  Read More »

Time is winding down (doesn’t it just fly?) before graduation for our Last Semester columnist, Chelsea. In her last few installments, she has taken us through her search for a job and her thoughts after attending the National Student Nurses’ Association convention in Grapevine, TX. Today, she dives into her own personal nursing philosophy. How does it compare to yours? This past semester, we were given the task of defining our...  Read More »

While estimates of the number of students with mental health issues vary, there is no denying that action needs to be taken to reverse this upward trend. According to the American Psychiatric Associations, nearly 50% college students admit to being depressed, and 10% have contemplated suicide. According to the American College Health Association, 52% of students surveyed felt that things were hopeless, with 36% saying they have felt so...  Read More »

After all the tears last Friday, I have come to the realization that I am not a nursing student anymore. What a weird feeling! This has been my identity for the past four years and, all of a sudden, I am without that title. I wouldn’t want to stay behind for another four years or anything, but I will miss nursing school. What am I going to do for the next four weeks? It’s time for me to really start my job search. Things have...  Read More »