Would you encourage someone who was considering nursing school?

I would encourage and support someone entering this exciting career. Nursing has given me so many opportunities and experiences that many other careers could could never match. I learn more each day and am never bored.

I put moderately encourage. It depends on the person, their reasons for wanting to be a nurse and whether they seem cut out for it. Like others have said, i would discourage some and encourage others. I would tell the truth about what it entails though, no smoothing over the truth from me!

Moderately discourage. Keeps the unmotivated, dispassionate, lazy types out. JMO.

I would encourage someone in my place, because it’s difficult to find a job, and it’s difficult to keep a job in many areas except nursing.
One is not paid as would be in a private comp. doing some other task, but one always will have a job. (Not to mention how many satisfactions on human level one is expected to face being a nurse).
Even though, I would probably do not do the same under a better context.

I'm afraid my answer is never in a million years would I encourage someone to go into Nursing. In todays health care market- doing more with less is the mantra. In most markets that means Less nurses, less NAs, less equipment, less orientation....... This is a very dangerous time to be entering the nursing market. I would take a good, well rounded BS prereq. class schedule and hold off on anything that is Nursing specific until after the great "Health Care Debate" is a little closer to being settled. Hospitals may end up further ahead- and have a bit more money to throw our way. Don't take my word for it- look up the job postings in any of the biggest 3 hospitals in your area- I'd be willing to bet the positions for FT, benifits included positions are few and far between. Day shift positions are non-existant, and there is no pension or 401k match(or at least very little matching). If my grandchildren wanted to follow in my footsteps, I would call the school counselor and have thier head examined.

I stated 'moderately discourage' b/c at this point, not many hospitals are hiring RN grads and it seems there are fewer jobs out there than there was even a couple years ago. I predict there being a 'glut' for the next couple years of new RN's. I think nsg school is alot to go thru to then not be able to get stable employment.

vashteeI agree w/u on the bordem part. I can't stand being bored at any job, I need to be on my feet working.

To answer the poll questions I would say Moderately discouraging & Slightly discouraging - for all the expense and effort it takes to become a nurse, you could go into some other field and end up with far better results. I like that you put in the "better results" part because that is SO general & could mean SO many things. Better pay/better working conditions/better feeling about yourself (like if someone went into nursing not knowing that it was going to be "like this" (fill in the blank w/ like this) that they would think being at XXX job (non-nursing job) would be better because it's what they enjoy. I'm torn between the Moderate&Slight. I would be the 1st person in my ENTIRE family to get a bachelors degree. I would be the 2nd person in ENTIRE family to become a nurse. My niece & 2 little cousins are going to nursing school - but only for the pay. My aunt said, "Well she'll be earning alot of $$$, I know some nurses who earn $50/hour in Wisconsin." It's like yea that's great, but will she like what she does. I told my exboyfriend once, "I'm not in it for the profit," this was when he was pushing me to go to graduate school, ANNOYING!

I believe that anyone who is going to go to college should do research in their intended major regarding the curriculum, job outlook, salary, expectations (on the job & in school), job role, responsibilities, etc. So basically they should know what it takes to become a Nurse, Businessman/woman, Educator, Accountant, Teacher, Artist, Personal Trainer, etc. the list goes on.

I would only encourage someone to attend nursing school to become a potential RN only if they are doing it for the right reasons; money not being one of them. We want nurses who will become the best patient advocate possible.

I would be very encouraging unless the person was a dope, lol.

It depends on the person.