Is Nursing For Me?

mamy · Aug 26, 2000

Hi there Jesse! I say go for it! I am a 3rd semester nursing student, which means I have 9 months until graduation. It has been a VERY tough road. Nursing is not easy and the responsibilty is very high but the rewards are worth it. You seem to be going in to it with the right attituds to help people and not just for the money. Because if you have read a few of boards in here you can see that nursing has its real lows but it can be amazing! I think if you feel it is what you should do then go for it full steam! Good luck on your nursing career! If you need an email buddy let me know! Keep your head up.

hollykate · Aug 26, 2000

Hi Jesse,

I just wanted to add a few things about the responsibility. As a new (May 2000) Grad, I have often come head to head with the "responsibility" issue, in the form of when to page the resident MD. Is this pt really in the need of the MD's attention at 2:00am? Sometimes it is obvious and sometimes it isn't. In school, you will learn to detect these problems. The decisions (OK, I see the problem, what do I do now ?) about treatment will not always be learned in school.. When you graduate, You will be working (hopefully) with a team of nurses. Even though you may be directly responsible for X amount of pts, there should be someone with more experience to help you make the appropriate decision at the appropriate time-I have found the other RN's on my shift extremely helpful when making a not so clear decision. Know that you will not operate alone, you will have help, and in time you will be the one with the experience, helping another new RN! Best of Luck with your career plans.

Billy 1LT/AN · Aug 26, 2000

Just a quick motivational note to let you know that you were not the only person to shy away from the nursing/medical profession due to lack of initial confidence. Many of us have shared the same fear of the responsibility of taking care of the extremely sick and dying, and may still have that fear. As a pediatric/neonatal nurse there have been many times that I have worried that my skills would not be enough to help/save this child. The answer to your fears is right next to you when you work...its all the other nurses that are there to help you/train you/teach you/consult you...etc. To comment on your second point that you want to go home and know that you have done something worthwhile.....nursing will teach you that everyday, every week, every month. We may complain about this or that.....but we go to work cause we do something special. Good luck in school!

athenia · Aug 27, 2000

Well I think it's really great that you,ve taken the first step into starting the nursing process. I beleive we need more male RN's. I graduated 6 years ago now, and at first it was hard to get even a part time job. Now it seems we don't have enough nurses out there. I am a Canadian nurse, and because the USA offers so much more to the health care workers a lot of the new graduates have moved there from here including doctors. I think you should go into the nursing program with your head held high. Some of the concerns you have now will go away over time, and with experience.Beleive me I was there once too.

Ontario,Canada

shellygrl · Aug 28, 2000

Originally posted by kracyjesse:
I am a 20 year old Male, and I have decided that I want to become a RN. However, I do have some questions and concerns about nursing, so if anyone could reply it would be greatly appreciated.

I start college on the 28th of August, I have to get my prerequisits done first and all, but the whole nursing thing has me worried. I am wondering if it is really for me. Yet, at the same time it is what I really want to do.

The reason I chose nursing is because, I have worked at a variety of different jobs (sales clerk, stocker, assistant manager), and while at those jobs I would always ask myself 'what's the point, why am I doing this' and the answer that always came up was 'to make some money'. I decided that that wasn't enough for me, and that I wanted to do something, anything that would be beneficial to me personally. I wanted to do something that I could help people in. You know, so I can go home at the end of the day and say to myself that I actually did something worthwhile. So that's why I chose nursing.

However, I am worried because nursing seems like a job with alot of responsibility. Responsibility does not scare me away from the job at all, it is the type of responsibility. Like, peoples lives would be in my hands, and if I make a wrong decision then I screwed up big time. It's not like making the wrong decision in other professions. So, I decided that if I am going into nursing I am going in 101% - I am going to learn everything there is to learn to prevent me from making those dreaded mistakes.

So, should I give it a go, and try nursing, or should I become a psychologist?

Hi Jesse. I am a 43 and taking my prerequisites also to enter LPN next fall and have been wondering the exact thing. I become overwhelmed with the thought of all the responsibility I will have but I realize that part of that fear is the unknown but I will do my best along with the help of others. I have also been a secretary, a cashier and a nurses aide 20 years ago. I am very unfulfilled with my job and feel the same way, I want to make a difference to someone. Good Luck.