And got my acceptance letter into nursing school today. Please clap 😂

Seriously though, I will be searching the sub but would love advice from anyone that has done this later in life. I am married with 3 kids in elementary school, work full time and have a pretty demanding extracurricular schedule but I’ve got some of the classes out of the way with transfer credits from my Bachelor’s degree that is older than I was when I first got it 😭

My career up to now has been on the creative side, mainly with videography and marketing. Social Media and genAI have sucked the joy out of it honestly. I like doing it as a side gig or even on a volunteer basis as my contribution to the causes I support but outside of that, I’m done.

The handbook says hand tattoos are not permitted Im freaking out! Im calling the lady who deals with this stuff but shes not answering.

I start clinicals next week and have been making a list of things to keep in my bag to help me through 10h shifts (snacks, OTC meds, lip balm, spare scrubs, what have you - like you'd put in a carry on on a long flight). My clinical instructor just told us we shouldn't bring anything of value to the hospital as there's nowhere secure to stash anything - she suggested we keep phones and keys in our scrubs pockets. Our scrubs don't have zip pockets, and I don't want to worry about losing my car keys all day. I got a little running/money belt waist bag to wear under my pants for my phone etc. I feel like it's a little weird to go somewhere for an entire day and not have a place to stash a purse or bag of stuff. I'm sure I'll survive, but am wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience and any tips?

I'm (18F) finishing up my first semester of taking requisites for nursing at community college. Should I try and get into my college's ADN or go straight to BSN? There's a lot of RN to BSN programs around my area, but I'm hesitant that I could just get BSN faster. But I also want to become a nurse quicker and gain more experience. As for financial—I want to go the cheaper so I'm not sure. I also heard the hospitals in my area are requiring BSN so...

Does anyone have any question banks/tests I could take to help me get used to med surg questions. This might the hardest class I’ve taken so far. Any study guide would be a major help 😞

Hi! I've been accepted to Rio Hondo's ADN but their is so much bad information out there about their change in curriculum and leadership. We have over a month to wait for the meeting where we'll get some information so out of curiosity:

1. What shoes were deemed acceptable for the program? (I know the PP says all white shoes but are we talking the shoes people wear to work in the kitchens or will the Hoka Bondi 9's do or the Asics Gel Nimbus as long as they are all white? Are they super strict? My back get's tight easy so I usally wear New Balance because they're comfy but I don't want any problems?

2. Is everyone just wearing a slick back bun? Do they really not let us wear claw clips so it's not so much tension on the hair? The single elastic thing is terrifying because it will totally gnaw at your hair and cause breakage eventually. I'm thinking just a pinned up braid because I know that will be less tension too but what are you guys wearing.

3. Are they actually walking around checking lashes and nails? I'm not stressed about not having them but I know my nails grow really fast so i'm curious if I need to walk around with a nail file for safety reasons lol and if i can still get a regular little manicure with a nude. Someone else said like a french manicure looks good and clean too?

4. Are we able to order our own scrubs as long as they're in Pewter or only, specifically, the Cherokee ones?

5. If you could go back, what would you have studied before your ADN program started to prepare you?

6. Which clinical site did you guys like the best?

Thank you so much! Pleaseeeeee wish me luck!!! :) :)

30 years old veteran male, part-time FF/EMT planning to start my nursing prereqs this winter. My long-term goal is to become a flight nurse.
I have two full sleeves, a tattoo on the back of my neck, hand tattoos and one behind my ear. All black and grey, nothing offensive.
Just curious if my tattoos would be an issue getting into nursing school, doing clinicals or getting hired at a hospital.
Anyone here with visible tattoos ever run into issues?

What was the best method for you to learn ABGs that stuck when it came to exam day? Tic Tac Toe method? ROME?

Hello , I'm currently in a BSN program, and honestly, I'm feeling pretty discouraged and could really use some advice from nursing students who have been in a similar situation.

I'm about halfway through the semester, and academically, I'm doing well in my science courses, including Biochemistry/Physics and Microbiology.

However, my biggest struggles are Holistic Assessment and Fundamentals of Nursing.

To clarify, every exam in these two courses is ATI-based. We don't have separate professor-written exams. Our grades depend on how well we perform on ATI-style questions.

Despite studying, reviewing lecture material, and putting in the effort, I'm currently barely passing these two classes passing is above a 78 btw .

I've recently started incorporating ATI Dynamic Quizzes into my study routine to become more familiar with how ATI asks questions. I'm also trying to understand the rationales rather than simply memorize answers.

But honestly, I'm scared.

I'm halfway through the semester, and my biggest fear is failing one of these courses because I haven't figured out how to approach ATI questions effectively, despite doing well in my other subjects.

I understand that nursing exams require critical thinking, prioritization, and applying knowledge rather than just memorizing information. I'm genuinely trying to improve those skills.

For students who have struggled with ATI exams but eventually improved:

1. What helped you finally understand how to answer ATI-style questions?
2. Did ATI Dynamic Quizzes actually help improve your exam scores?
3. How did you balance studying lecture material versus practicing ATI questions?
4. Are there specific ATI resources, strategies, or test-taking techniques that made a difference?
5. If you were halfway through the semester in my position, what would you recommend?

I'm not looking for shortcuts or an easy way out. I'm willing to put in the work. I just want to make sure I'm studying effectively and giving myself the best possible chance of succeeding.

I'd genuinely appreciate hearing from anyone who's experienced something similar, especially students whose nursing courses relied entirely on ATI exams.

Thank you!

You knew the answers when you walked in. Then the doubt showed up, and the right answers started getting traded for wrong ones.
I was that student, failing my class exams. What changed was not more studying. It was one small exam chair habit I now call the 3-Second Rule, and it carried me to passing the NCLEX on the first try.
What has second guessing already cost you this semester that you want back?


hi everyone !!! i’m about to start my nursing major next year (freshman) is it any classes you guys recommend me taking to get it over with ???

Does anyone have a PDF, Quizlet link, or other resources to help prepare for the RN exit exam? For those who have already taken it, what topics came up most often? Any study tips would also be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I fear I made a very severe mistake 75% in med surg need 78 to pass… had concerns after the first exam though I passed with an 82% I had concerns I’d do worse later…. Because content kicks up. Failed the following exam. I suspect it was because I was concerned I’d miss assignments on the syllabus (turns out they weren’t graded and took a large chunk of my time) ATI assignments that didn’t match with the course fully… which was my mistake for focusing too much on them and not understanding the content I needed to. Read the syllabus incorrectly.

ATI fundamental I failed twice 10% of my med surg grade and failed by 2 percent the last time… I tried tutoring in the beginning of the semester and stopped because it got to a point I didn’t know what to ask the tutor for… Med surg I was passing very well in…

Most people had to retake the ATI though. Though I was having a panic attack over it and missed class cause I couldn’t function. Same thing happened yesterday except it was after my clinical I studied then had a panic attack and couldn’t function. Past two years other than this summer when I was applying left and right I was working two sometimes three jobs in the summer and otherwise just went to school. The semester before last working 40-50 hrs a week and doing a math class. While relying on public transit to get to those jobs cause I wanted to go to school… I think i finally hit a wall though and can no longer function. Saw my dr today to get anxiety medication but want to retake the courses.

I don't know how i feel.. nursing school is having the best of me. I need an overall of 80 to pass and out if 5 tests, we have already done 2. I had 72 in the first test and 76 in the 2nd.. I'm lost. I don't know how I'm going to do in the 3 remaining tests. Any suggestions on how to pass health assessment? I need study hacks

Hi girls!! For everyone interested in this idea, I just wanted to give you guys an UPDATE.

The social club is now called OTC, or Out the Chat, because we quite literally made it out the chat HAHA

The motto is “Find your people. Keep your Spark.”

I have finalized a date, time, and location for
Saturday 10/31/26
9am-11am
Jurassic Magic Cafe
1865 S Mansfield Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90019

Drop by!! It’s so important to know that there’s an intentional space like this set aside from all the background noise from your lives to really be present with yourself, your new nursing student girlfriends who understand you, and most importantly, with your “why”.

I can’t wait to meet all of you guys!! This is something I am starting new, so I am building on my social media presence after my first meeting, so for now, here we are, Reddit.

Thank you!! Let me know if you guys are thinking of coming :)

hey guys !!! so i passed my teas exam and i did pass the college interview so far everything is going good...well i thought i just got a email from my future nursing school that i have to go under a early background check to see if the director will accept me. Now I'm worried because I did all this hard work, and my childish action still haunts me. They also said i have to get a pre-approval from the BON and still worried about that story short i got charged for a terrorist threat interupting public places 2 years ago. I got charged with one year of probation, which, thank God, I got let go of early because of good behaviour. I'm just worried because my dream was to become a nurse, and now I'm worried I did all this for nothing, so I'm asking: has anyone been in my situation? If so, is there any advice you'd give?

I am applying to the LPN program at my college and took the HSRT today and scored 80, is this a good score for admission or should I retake it? I have the option to take it again, the professor that proctored the exam said I shouldn’t need to take it again but I’m nervous 🥲

My program is a hot mess about everything so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised about the latest new irritating thing they’re doing but I’m in my first semester of school and we just took our first exam on ATI. We were told our scores wouldn’t be available for 3-4 days while they review them (guessing there will be a curve).

My program has a minimum pass requirement of 80% and the exam was completely different from what was taught and the practice questions given to us so naturally everyone is freaking out that they’ve already failed out of nursing school. Meanwhile we’ve had to take two more exams with the stress of not knowing any of our scores. Just wondering if this is normal practice or not.

I recently got accepted into lpn school but I have to pay the 2k deposit by Monday. Any side hustle ideas I can do to make close to that 😩 I don’t have family I can borrow from. Just looking for ideas or suggestions, thanks!

Edit: they are now closed for the day (22nd) and will be open in the morning. Have not received anything yet.

Deadline was October 15, 2026 for the LPN applications.

ACCUPLACER :

(MIN scores- 255 math, 250 reading, 241 writing)

(MY scores- 277 math, 267 reading, 259 writing)

I am so not patiently waiting to hear back from NTCC acceptance or denial into the 2027 spring LPN program.

They will usually send out acceptance or denial via email, portal or LOLA 7 days after the deadline (today October 22)

Anyone in the same waiting boat? Have any of you heard back? Anyone else have experience with this stuff? Anyone from prior years remember when you got that confirmation?

Yes, many of you will say its only 1 week after deadline, be patient! Im trying!! I wanna actually talk to some of you that have gone through this program and the steps ill be taking after acceptance.

Are my scores even competitive enough? Help me out here yall!

hey everyone! i’m starting practical nursing in jan 2027 and would love to connect with people who want to help each other succeed in school! we could study together, explain things to each other, share notes and resources, and keep each other accountable with our goals. i think having a supportive group would make the whole experience so much better. hmu if you wanna be part of it!!

I was looking forward to my psych clinical because I’ve been treated inpatient for thoughts of suicide on a couple occasions, so i thought the familiarity would help because i already know how the units are run generally and what the patients are like. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case really. I haven’t felt particularly upset, just odd. It almost feels like imposter syndrome, it’s hard to explain. I wonder if anyone else in my situation has felt similarly. I obviously can’t talk to my friends about it because I don’t want them to know I’ve been treated inpatient before

I've begun the process of becoming an RN. I am 26 years old (male) with a bachelor's of science in accounting and I'm a few weeks away from completing my MBA. I had a very unstable career in accounting so far and to be honest, I hated the work and the corporate environments I was in. Not to mention having to do it often on evenings and weekends while also in my part-time MBA program.

After taking a lot of time to evaluate my true passions, what I want to do going forward, and where I see myself for the long-term, becoming a nurse is something I seriously want to commit to. I enrolled in my first two of four prerequisites I have to complete (I already completed two of them in my first bachelors) at a local and affordable community college.

Before I commit to this even further, I want some clarity from those who are nurses or further along in the process. How does the job market look like for RNs? Have you ever met any nurses with business backgrounds (originally) like myself? Are new BSN grads struggling to get hired? How is the job security compared to say, an analyst position at a bank (with hundreds of people competing for one spot)?

I'd like to know before I commit further. To be honest, I'm deeply regretting the MBA I'm about to complete after how much it cost and the struggles to find a good opportunity with it. I've been wanting to pivot out of accounting since my first week in that analyst role back in the fall of 2022 to be honest. With how much I enjoyed my undergrad science courses as well as my high school ones, and a personality assessment I did years ago while at the bank, I really want to go further into this.