As a mom approaching my thirties at the time I started nursing school, I thought that I had my life figured out- I did not. Through motherhood and being an adult learner, I have grown and learned more about myself in the last 3 ½ years than any other span of time throughout my life. With each passing day, I continue learning more about myself- what is important, and what isn’t.
One of the most invaluable things I have learned is to stop comparing myself to others. I would compare myself to other mothers, students, or pretty much anyone I encountered. The only person you should be in competition with is who you were the day before. You should be able to look back and reflect on the person you were 6 months ago and no longer like that past version of yourself. You should have experienced so much growth during that span of time, that you don’t even recognize who that person was. Comparison to others is the thief of joy, and the quicker you realize that the grass is greener where you water it, the happier you will become. If you allow outside influence to ruin your own peace, it can stunt your progress- depend on yourself for your own happiness.
Another lesson that I’ve learned is to let go of the idea of “perfection”- go easy on yourself, forgive yourself, love yourself fully. Nursing school is a marathon, not a sprint. Some exams you might ace, others you may barely scrape by. It is almost impossible to do perfect on every exam or assignment, so let go of the idea. Nursing is one of the most difficult degrees to obtain, and for good reason. Nurses are the people who spend the most time with the patients and often detect changes and intervene with lifesaving measures. When going through school, it is important to do your best, but also realize that you are only human. The sooner you realize that you will fail at times, the sooner you will have humility…which is an important characteristic of a nurse.
The last lesson I want to make to pass to others knowing when you need a break, and when you need to push through. There is a fine line between needing to take a step back and perform some self-care, and knowing that, despite being tired, you must keep going. While I know that every time I want to take a break, I simply cannot…they can be good for your mental status and productivity level, so if your mind or body is trying to tell you something, listen up. Taking a break is not only nice, it is necessary and can play an important role on your success in nursing school.
In all, make sure to be kind to yourself. Nursing school is a roller coaster of emotions and can be very stressful at times (but also very rewarding). It is a marathon, not a sprint and it is important to give yourself grace and understand your needs as you go through the process. Focus on your own journey. While it is difficult, it is only temporary and will lead you to amazing opportunities in the future. Keep your eyes on the prize, study hard, and while you may not always be motivated you must always remain consistent.