As college students, we undergo the equivalent of interrogation about our lives and career choices almost constantly. What are you majoring in? What classes are you taking? How are your grades? What are your plans after college? The constant questioning from peers and family members alike is enough to give anyone an existential crisis, but when you’re a pre-nursing student, the stress dials up to 10. The pressure of a stringent schedule and extensive resume building activities to prepare for the nursing school application looming ever-closer on the horizon results in regular mental breakdowns and constant sleep deprivation. As if this wasn’t bad enough, we have to deal with ridiculous, condescending, and downright rude comments from almost everyone we discuss our major with. If you’re a pre-nursing major, read this and fume. And if you’re not, please refrain from ever making these comments. For the sake of our sanity, we’re begging you.
- “Isn’t nursing school like, really competitive?”
Yes. Yes, it is. And we know this, hence the 17 credit hours, volunteer organizations, extracurricular activities, and jobs we’re spending all our free time at. And the reason we’re all considering selling our souls for 7 years of good luck. Really, just don’t remind us.
2. “Why don’t you just go to medical school? Doctors get paid more!”
They also have to go to twice the amount of schooling, amass twice the amount of debt, and have basically no life for the first decade they work. Also, I don’t look good in a lab coat.
3. “So you’re going to 4 years of schooling to wipe people’s butts?”
Not only is this incredibly condescending, and shows a huge lack of understanding and appreciation for what nurses actually do, we’ll remember you said that. And if you ever end up in the hospital, we’ll make sure not to change your brief. (Just kidding, we’ll still treat you with respect. But we won’t be happy about it.)
4. “Ohhh, so you’re gonna find a rich surgeon at your job and get married huh?”
Refer to their terrible working hours and debt discussed in #2. Also, as much as we’d like it to be, life is not Grey’s Anatomy. We’ll most likely be too busy actually taking care of our patients to flirt with Dr. McDreamy.
5. “I don’t know how you’d do that; I can’t stand the sight of blood!”
Well, that explains why you’re not doing it then, doesn’t it? Plus, blood is not the grossest thing we’ll see on the job. Trust us. Most of us have experience in the field already, and we’ve seen things that would make your worst nightmares look tame.
6. “Aren’t you gonna have to work nights and holidays?”
Unfortunately, this is correct, but none of us really want to be reminded of this either. Just take comfort in knowing that we’ll be waiting at the hospital when your Uncle Bob accidentally sticks his hand in the turkey fryer on Thanksgiving.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, as we’ve all dealt with insulting, annoying, and hurtful questions and comments made by people who don’t appreciate the job we’re training to do. On a serious note, nursing school is exhausting and extremely difficult, and we wouldn’t be committed to applying if we didn’t think we could really make a difference in patient’s lives. If you’re reading this as someone outside of the major, take this to heart, and next time someone says their major is pre-nursing, don’t make these comments. Instead, offer them a hug and a cup of coffee. Trust me, we need it.