Home » Opinion » Letters to the Editor » Nursing students need break

Nursing students need break

To the editor:
As fourth-year nursing students, we know all too well how stressful nursing can be, regardless of what year of the program you are in.
Balancing a large academic caseload along with lab time, heavy examination schedules as well as clinical rotations nearly ever semester is extremely demanding. Nursing students experience extreme pressure to perform well in the clinical setting throughout all years of nursing.
Working alongside experienced nurses or taking on several patients at the hospital is enough to make anyone’s stress levels skyrocket. This build up of stress creates many mental and physical problems that impede students’ abilities to function well in school and in clinical.
Undoubtedly there are several programs at Western that deserve a fall break as well. Other universities in Ontario are given a break; don’t we deserve one as well?

—Laura Harvey
Alyssa Hiemstra
Melissa Holman
Danielle Juneau
Rachelle Le Cunff
Nursing IV

Follow the Gazette on Facebook and Twitter.