What would you tell to your younger self?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Hi guys,

I'm 19 years old currently taking prerequisites courses for the adn program in a community college, I'm developing a big passion towards taking care of patients in and out of the hospital. I volunteer at a local hospital and it's one of my greatest experiences so far. What would you guys do if time has flipped back and you were 19 again?

Specializes in CCM, PHN.

Think outside the box & be unconventional:

1. You don't have to get married and/or have babies just because everyone else does or says you're supposed to.

2. Travel as much as you can. I've attended the bedsides of many dying people and that us probably the #1 regret I've heard. Have sophisticated and daring international adventures.

3. Homeownership is overrated, not the American dream it used to be, and usually ends up being a ball and chain. See #2. Don't go to your deathbed having spent your life's money on roofs and hedges and basement paint. Spend it on plane tickets, passports and seeing our amazing world.

4. Say YES as much as possible.

5. Never put a relationship's survival ahead of your own.

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Specializes in L&D, Antepartum.

Pay attention to the little things. Treat your patients as you would want your family to be treated. Listen to your more experienced peers--most got their wisdom and patience from making a few mistakes. Oh--and about mistakes, you'll make at least a few--we all do! Own up to them--learn from them, they will teach you valuable lessons. If you don't know, or understand something, or something makes you nervous, ASK FOR HELP. Take the time to advance your knowledge and skills on your own, don't wait around for someone to offer. Last but not least, smile, be kind, and try to remember that the one patient that you believe is causing you to have the worst day ever, is probably not having such a great day either. I wish you luck, organizational ability, and a long, interesting career!

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People are not looking at you, they are not noticing your bad hair day, they don't care about how your skin is breaking out now, so let go of the self-consciousness.

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It will get better if you take the chance to make it better. Stay in school. And lastly, get a bike and leave car payments

alone!

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I would have put my nose to the grindstone to meet the pre-med requirements and go to medical school. I do not glorify medicine. If anything, I have seen it's suckiness up front and personal over many years now. I simply think more like a physician than a nurse.

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Specializes in LPN.

While I am glad to have been a nurse all these years, I would have encouraged myself to go after my bent in life - writing. Never let fear deter you from anything. I had the chance to sing with the Lundstroms, but didn't think I could sing weekends and work nights weekends too as a single mom, caring for my mom. Imagine how it hurt to see the Lunstroms singing with the Gaither's on TV one night. Ouch. Never give up anything because of fear. Now I am pursuing my writing career writing NurseWorks Magazine Apple Newsstand in January. I loved nursing, but writing is my strength. Put your time in now, work hard everyday. The thought of being like the old people in my nursing home kills me. I never want to stop creating and being, never want to have everything taken away. I want to be in control always, and you can only do that by holding tight to the things that interest you. Love hard, give away things that others neeed, keep people close to you and contact them often. Go out for coffee, go to interest groups, and attend church. Love your kids and their freinds and mates. Love. Don't hold back, don't hide, don't be afraid. Go forward full throttle. That is what I would tell myself - oh and don't marry what's his face, or at least be mature where he isn't. Love isn't demanding perfection, but forgiving.

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Specializes in NICU.

While school is important..in my opinion marriage and family is much more important. I got married very young, and while it wasn't easy..it's been worth it..and great to have support through nursing school. So, every situation is different. Id say, do whatever you are really passionate about..don't give up and let people bring you down. Be you, you love what you love for a reason...so persue what makes you happiest.

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I would have worried less what people thought of me and focused on what I wanted for myself.

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I live in Erie Pa. I became an LPN @ age 38. I love giving care, am good @ it and have empathy & sympathy for the ill & frail. Unfortunetly in this town there are no good jobs really. I work in a LTC facility, county owned no less. The staffing is always short, unionization has created all kinds of problems, scheduling is a joke (in nursing period). I also work in private duty home care. I have been on a couple of "normal" cases. I've also been on cases where the nurse is treated like a servant, a housekeeper and a slave. I've been lied to, yelled & sworn at by ungrateful ignorant family members and bitten by the clients dog more than once. My supervisors are RNs who have worked in the hospitals and for the agencies and they say it sucks there too! I had a past LPN classmate tell me don't go back and waste 40K to get my RN cuz it sucks being in charge and he makes LESS money per hour than I do ( as a perdiem) in the same LTC place.

I would tell you to LOOK CAREFULLY at the availability of jobs in your town. I would like to be a resp. therapist but already know there are no jobs available in this town. I love the "concept of nursing" and all that it stands for, but if I could be even 37 yrs old right now, I would go back to school for another degree altogether. God Bless and Good Luck!...and YES, have some fun & live alittle while your'e in school, you can never get back your 20th, 21st etc years of life.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

-don't be in such a hurry to grow up!

-Don't get married so young,

-travel, and enjoy all the things you can't necessarily do once you've settled down

- get some sort of "life experience" before (or while) in nursing school (like a job in a hospital, or something medical). Some opportunity to have relevant experience would have benefited me, at such a young age.

-don't be in Such a hurry to get my RN (I went for the 2 year degree). I believe everything happens in due time. But it would have been nicer to have my BSN earlier than I did (I ended up finishing 9 years after I got my adn)

-don't be in such a hurry to get married! (I know, i said this one already). Don't settle! The person you are at 18, 19, or 20 is not the same person you are at 30. Take your time to find the right one, so you don't have to do it over again.

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Learn to drive heavy equipment.

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Specializes in ICU.

I would have listened to my parents and married rich.

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