The rewards of a nursing career far outweigh the demands of preparation for school, but getting ready to enter nursing school can be extremely overwhelming. Between the academic requirements of being accepted into a nursing program and the need to prepare financially and begin to work in the field, it is common for future nursing students to struggle to balance work and school with time to prepare for and take care of themselves.
In addition to helping you develop important skills and begin your career as a nurse, preparing for nursing school can help you maintain your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. It is not easy to start a new career, and by planning and building habits of health and wellness before you enter nursing school, you can be confident that you will enter your new career as a healthy and well person.
Start With a Realistic Academic Plan
First, it is a good idea to find out what kind of preparation you will need for admission to the program you are considering before you even start to apply. The science, math, and general education courses required for ABSN programs can vary depending on the school.
Look at your previous transcripts and compare them with the ABSN prerequisite courses needed for entry into the specific programs you are considering. Knowing exactly what is needed in advance of even applying will enable you to gain a better understanding of the amount of time for which you will need to allow to prepare for admission into the program of your choice. It will also help you to gain an idea of what you will need to take in order to complete any missing prerequisite courses in the time frame allowed for in order to ensure that you have completed all of the required coursework in time for application to the program of your choice.
Similarly, don’t try to cram in all of the required courses for application to ABSN programs at once. Even though it may seem counterintuitive, spreading out the harder science classes over time (e.g., anatomy and physiology over two semesters as opposed to back to back in a single semester) will actually help you learn the material better in the long run. While it is true that every person learns at a different pace, there is no use in putting yourself through unnecessary stress in order to complete all of the prerequisites for application to ABSN programs earlier.
Build Healthy Routines Before School Begins
For future nurses it is essential to build healthy routines in the time leading up to entering an ABSN program as well as while enrolled in order to have adequate energy to care for patients and to be able to sustain themselves during long, grueling shifts. Having enough sleep, eating right, exercising, and studying in the correct framework are some of the habits that need to be put in place in order to be adequately prepared for challenges that will arise during a nurse’s career.
On the other hand, you don’t need to have a perfect wellness routine before starting to benefit from having a healthy routine. Focus on establishing habits that you can sustain during the time that you are studying for school. For example, preparing healthy meals in advance, going for short walks between long study sessions, or going to bed at the same time every night can all help you to be prepared for the rigors of nursing school.
These habits can become second nature as you study for nursing school.
Prepare Financially and Practically
However, being financially prepared for ABSN can help alleviate some stress in order to focus on school and your wellbeing. This should include creating a budget for tuition, books, supplies, and travel for clinicals in addition to reduced hours of work.
This can also include children or other family members or even household chores and how you plan to complete them. Sometimes it is as simple as asking your support system for help with tasks such as watching children. Be honest with your support system and have them write down how they can support you in academic and in professional transition.
Strengthen Your Support System
Be mindful of who your support system is. This could be your family, friends, classmates, or a mentor or health care provider. This group of people should be able to give you encouragement when needed as well as assist you in the practical and academic aspects of your preparation for nursing school. Your support system can help you to stay on track and give you new perspectives during difficult times. They will also be able to remind you of why you wanted to become a nurse in the first place.
Other important people to have on your list of supporters are those in the healthcare field who work in areas related to the type of nursing you plan to do. They will have many insights into what you can expect. Your supporters can include a number of different people, including a nurse mentor, people from your church or from your community, people from any clubs or volunteer work that you are involved in. Even your family can be supporters. One of the biggest supporters that you will have is your classmates. You will have to rely on them from time to time for help. So it is good to get to know them well before you enter into your nursing program.
Make Wellbeing Part of Your Career Plan
Preparing for nursing school and developing strategies to maintain your wellbeing throughout your nursing career are both important to your development as a healthcare professional.
Planning your academic preparation for entrance to nursing school, building a variety of healthy study habits, creating a practical and realistic financial plan for nursing school, and building a strong support system for yourself before you enter school will prepare you to move into your new career as a healthy nursing professional, confident in your ability to be a good student in school and a competent and caring professional in your new career as a nurse.
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