Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Yes, nursing school is challenging, and being a nursing major is a significant undertaking, but it's absolutely achievable with the right mindset and support. At PCHS, we recognize the academic, emotional, and physical demands of our undergraduate courses and provide a flexible, supportive environment to help you succeed.

Here’s why nursing school is considered difficult:

• Rigorous Coursework: You’ll study complex subjects like pharmacology, anatomy, and pathophysiology.
• Clinical Rotations: Real-world training in healthcare settings can be emotionally and physically demanding, involving long hours and critical decision-making.
• Emotional Toll: From witnessing patient suffering to navigating emergencies, nursing students must build emotional resilience.
• Fast-Paced Learning: Programs move quickly, requiring excellent time management and strong study habits.

Despite the difficulty, many students thrive by practicing self-care and mindfulness, building a strong support network, setting realistic expectations, and seeking help when needed. Remember, your own health matters.

Pacific College of Health and Science is here to help you balance your education with life’s demands through flexible online nursing programs and a strong focus on student well-being. Nursing school is hard, but the career it leads to is deeply rewarding.

Yes, you can work full-time while enrolled in Pacific College’s integrative nursing program, but it may be very challenging.

The program offers 100% online coursework, with on-campus labs and clinical rotations. This provides flexibility for students managing outside responsibilities. Like all nursing degree programs, it includes intensive coursework and clinical rotations (nursing practice), which can be extremely time-consuming and emotionally demanding.

Clinical rotations are scheduled in-person and may include daytime hours, which can conflict with a traditional 9 to 5 job. While the program structure offers some flexibility, successfully working full-time would require exceptional time management and a highly supportive work schedule, especially during clinical rotations. Many students opt for part-time work instead.

The NCLEX exam is considered challenging, but very passable with the right preparation. The pass rate is over 90% for first-time NCLEX takers, but it tests critical thinking, not just memorization. You must apply nursing knowledge in real-world scenarios. Questions are adaptive, meaning the test changes difficulty based on how you answer, so every test is different. You may not know how you're doing as you go, which can feel stressful. The exam also covers a broad range of topics:

• pharmacology
• physiology
• patient care
• safety
• ethics
• mental health
• pediatrics
• and more!

It's a tough exam, but if you've completed a solid nursing program and prepared thoughtfully, you have a strong chance of passing. Think of it as the final checkpoint before stepping confidently into your nursing career.

BS in nursing stands for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (or BSN degree). It’s an undergraduate academic degree that prepares students for a career as a registered nurse (RN). This collegiate nursing education prepares students to take the NCLEX-RN® exam, which is required to become a licensed registered nurse in the U.S.

A BS in nursing prepares you for a variety of tasks required in clinical practice, including giving a health assessment and engaging in psychosocial nursing. The overall goal is to teach you nursing care skills that lead to better patient outcomes.

The correct and most commonly accepted way to list nursing credentials is: Name, Degree, License, so it should be BSN, RN, not “BS RN” or “RN BS.”

For example: Jane Smith, BSN, RN

Here’s how it breaks down:

• BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) is your academic degree; it's a science degree
• RN (Registered Nurse) is your professional license