What is the hardest thing about nursing?

The hardest parts of nursing involve intense emotional labor, such as witnessing suffering and death, combined with physically and mentally demanding conditions like heavy workloads, long shifts, inconsistent schedules, burnout, and dealing with difficult patients or hospital politics, all while managing high-stakes, fast-paced critical situations and balancing personal life. Nurses often struggle with compartmentalizing trauma to move to the next patient and facing insufficient resources.

What is the hardest thing about being a nurse?

Nursing is one of the most rewarding and challenging professions in health care. During a 12-hour shift, nurses may take on a demanding workload due to staffing shortages; endure workplace bullying; risk exposure to infection; and, despite all their professional experience, still lose patients.

What is the hardest in nursing?

Pharmacology, the study of medications and their effects on patients is often considered one of the hardest classes in nursing.

What is the biggest problem in nursing?

ANA Nursing Resources Hub

1. Nursing Issue #1: Inadequate Staff.
2. Nursing Issue #2: Mental Health Concerns.
3. Nursing Issue #3: Lack of Advancement Opportunities.
4. Nursing Issue #4: Fear of Workplace Violence.

Why is nursing the hardest degree?

Foundational science and math courses like microbiology and statistics also are common requirements before or during nursing school. Some or even all of these classes can be challenging for many students. Most of these degree programs also require a clinical component.

5 Hardest Parts of Nursing School | How to Overcome Them | Nursing School Tips

Why do so many people quit nursing?

Nurses are leaving the profession primarily due to overwhelming burnout, stress, and emotional fatigue, exacerbated by insufficient staffing, heavy workloads, unsafe conditions, and lack of support from leadership, leading to poor work-life balance. While planned retirement is a factor, many exits are premature due to these employer-driven failures, including issues with compensation, bullying/violence, and limited growth opportunities, with COVID-19 acting as a breaking point for many.
 

Do nurses make $100,000 a year?

In short, the nurses most likely to make $100,000 or more per year are advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), nurse leaders, and experienced travel nurses—especially those working in major metropolitan areas or high-demand specialties.

What are the 5 P's in nursing?

The 5 Ps in nursing refer to key checks during patient rounding: Pain, Position, Potty (or Personal Needs/Hygiene), Periphery (possessions), and Pump (equipment), ensuring patient comfort, safety, and satisfaction by proactively addressing basic needs and environmental factors every hour. There's also a different set of 5 Ps for neurovascular assessments: Pain, Pallor, Paresthesia, Paralysis, and Pulse, checking circulation. 

What do new nurses struggle with the most?

New nurses struggle most with initial uncertainty, leading to low confidence, poor critical thinking/decision-making, and high stress from heavy workloads, time management, and complex tasks (like delegation, physician communication, managing emergencies) in high-pressure settings, often feeling overwhelmed by the transition from student to professional, facing "imposter syndrome," and seeking support while navigating unsupportive environments. 

What is the biggest problem in the world, RN?

The "biggest" problem is subjective, but top global challenges consistently cited by experts and organizations include climate change, poverty and hunger, health crises (like pandemics and access to care), inequality, and risks from geopolitical conflict, with some also highlighting emerging threats like advanced AI risks, all interconnected and demanding urgent action for sustainable development. Climate change is often ranked as the most critical due to its far-reaching impacts, but poverty and inequality remain fundamental issues.
 

What type of nurse is the hardest?

The "hardest" nursing specialty is subjective, but Critical Care (ICU/ER), Neonatal/Pediatric ICU, Oncology, and Psychiatric Nursing are frequently cited due to intense emotional strain, high acuity, complex technology, and significant burnout risk, with roles like Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) also seen as extremely demanding due to extensive education. The difficulty often stems from high-stakes decisions, unpredictable situations (like Labor & Delivery), patient suffering, and managing complex technology or unstable patients. 

What's the hardest degree to get?

There's no single "hardest" degree, as difficulty is subjective, but Engineering (especially Nuclear, Chemical, Aerospace), Physics, Chemistry, Pure Mathematics, and Architecture consistently rank high due to intense analytical demands, complex theories, long hours, and heavy workloads, with some sources pointing to the rigorous practical/clinical demands of Nursing (BSN) or the extensive study for Medicine as incredibly challenging. 

What class do most nursing students fail in?

While it varies by student, Pharmacology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Microbiology are consistently cited as the most failed or difficult nursing school classes due to their vast, dense content, requiring memorization of drugs, diseases, and complex body systems, with Med-Surg (Medical-Surgical Nursing) also a major hurdle for its comprehensive application of knowledge. 

Who do nurses mostly marry?

Female registered nurses are most likely to marry male managers or female registered nurses. Male registered nurses are most likely to marry female or male registered nurses. Nurse practitioners and midwives are most likely to marry miscellaneous managers, physicians and surgeons.

What are the weaknesses of a nurse?

Common nursing weaknesses include perfectionism, difficulty saying no, emotional investment, taking on too much, or struggles with multitasking/delegation, but the key is to frame them as areas for growth, showing self-awareness and demonstrating steps taken to improve, like seeking training or using time management to overcome challenges. Avoid major weaknesses like poor communication or clinical incompetence, and focus on relatable areas that can be managed or resolved. 

What are three priority problems in nursing?

ABCs. Airway, breathing, and circulation, otherwise known by the mnemonic “ABCs,” are another foundational element to assist the nurse in prioritization. Like Maslow's hierarchy, using the ABCs to guide decision-making concentrates on the most critical needs for preserving human life.

Why do so many new nurses quit?

The First Year Is Difficult

Nearly 18% of newly licensed registered nurses quit the profession within the first year. Like with more advanced nurses, common causes for leaving include stressful working conditions, lack of leadership and supervision, and understaffed facilities.

What is the biggest issue in nursing?

1. Workforce Shortages and Retention. According to a 2025 survey of 3,128 nursing leaders, the top challenge facing the nursing profession is staff recruitment and retention. The current shortage began in 2012 and is expected to continue to at least 2030.

What are the 21 nursing problems?

The nurse addresses the following 21 problem categories: (1) hygiene and physical comfort, (2) activity and rest, (3) safety, (4) body mechanics, (5) oxygenation, (6) nutrition, (7) elimination, (8) fluid and electrolytes, (9) responses to disease, (10) regulatory mechanisms, (11) sensory function, (12) feelings and ...

What is the big five in nursing?

One study found a significant correlation between conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, neuroticism, and the personal responsibility of nurses, emphasizing the crucial role of nurses' personalities in personal responsibility. Considering this during nursing staff selection may have practical implications.

What are the 6 values of nursing?

These are called the 6 Cs of Nursing: care, compassion, competence, communication, courage, and commitment.

What are the 5 DS in nursing?

The patients have to be able to recite the answers to the “Five Ds of Discharge:” Diagnosis, Drugs, Doctor, Directions and Diet. “The patients need to answer all the questions,” said Tracy Stowe, R.N., B.S.N., manager, discharge lounge, clinical decision unit and float pool.

What job pays $400,000 a year without a degree?

Jobs that can pay $400K a year without a degree include commercial real estate brokers, successful YouTubers or influencers, self-employed software developers, high-stakes sales roles like enterprise tech sales, and business owners. These roles rely on skill, market demand, and performance rather than formal education.

Which state pays RN the most?

California consistently pays Registered Nurses (RNs) the most, with average salaries often exceeding $130,000-$140,000 annually, followed by Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington, though high cost-of-living in these states (especially CA and HI) is a factor, while Oregon sometimes ranks highest when adjusting for cost of living.
 

Can an RN make $200,000?

While the median registered nurse salary sits at $93,600 per year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest-paid nurses are earning well over $200,000 annually, proving that nursing can be both personally fulfilling and financially rewarding. The nursing salary landscape has evolved dramatically.