Let’s be honest—nursing school is no joke. Between the endless reading, skills check-offs, and feeling like you need to memorize everything, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning. And you’re not alone. After years of teaching and listening to students across the country, I’ve seen the same struggles pop up again and again.
So let’s break down why nursing school feels so hard— and more importantly, what actually helps.
- 1. Too Much Theory, Not Enough Application
Many students are taught the “what” but not the “why” or “how.” You memorize terms, protocols, and labs—but when you get to clinical, it doesn’t always connect.
Quick Fix: Use real-world frameworks like PIE (Presentation, Interventions, Evaluation/Education) to organize nursing care logically and practically.
- 2. Learning Styles Are Ignored
Not everyone learns best from textbooks and PowerPoints. I didn’t—I’m an auditory learner. But most nursing resources are one-size-fits-all, which leaves many students frustrated.
What Helps: Find content that matches your learning style—like podcasts for auditory learners, visuals for spatial learners, or hands-on activities for kinesthetic learners.
- 3. Students Are Taught to Fear, Not Think
Let’s be real: sometimes nursing school leans more on fear than on understanding. “If you miss this, your patient could die!” is a terrifying (and sometimes unhelpful) way to teach.
What Works: Instead of scaring students, we should teach them clinical reasoning. When you understand the why, the confidence follows.
- 4. It’s Lonely
Whether you’re in an accelerated or traditional program, nursing school can feel isolating. Everyone’s focused on surviving, and it’s easy to think you’re the only one struggling.
What Helps: Knowing you’re not alone. That’s part of why I started the Nitty Gritty Nursing Podcast—to create community, connection, and clarity for students everywhere.
Final Thoughts: You’re Not Failing—You’re Learning
If you’re struggling, you’re not broken—you’re becoming a nurse. And no one does that alone. I created the Nitty Gritty Nursing Podcast to simplify the chaos, cut through the noise, and hopefully make learning actually make sense in a simplified sense.
💌 Want to request a topic? Drop me a message here at nittygrittynursing@gmail.com
🎧 Check out the latest episode:
Huntington's Disease – Neurodegenerative Progressive Disorder – Nitty Gritty Nursing
Send us a textIn this episode I breakdown the pathophysiology of the terrible disease process known as Huntingtons and talk about how patient's who develop this present, what interventions to consider, and how to evaluate and educate patients and their families. Disclaimer: The mention of mental health screening, which include screening for suicidal ideation is mentioned in this episode. Support the show
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