College graduate wanting to go back to school for nursing? (scared)

[pboiv]

Hello! I'm looking for some guidance and advice and maybe most importantly encouragement... I recently graduated from a small college in NJ with a degree in english lit. my final GPA was a 3.5 and i have absolutely no debt. i regretted my choice of major from junior year on but figured it would be too late to change it and i wasnt really sure what i would want to change it to anyways! now im all done and for over a year (on and off!) ive been considering going back to school for nursing by doing some prerequisite courses at a community college and then getting a second degree BSN at another school 15 min from me.

what scares me about fully committing to this is im pretty indecisive and im scared i'll chicken out halfway through. i have always been a great student but im hesitating because IM SO SCARED! i read things about nurses who don't like their job anymore and i feel pressured by myself/society/my family/my friends to "just get a job" since i have a degree. but i dont think theres anything i (personally) can do with an english lit degree that i will be proud and happy to do. im at a loss.

some other info: paying for school would not be a problem and i would probably have no debt at the end because of family financial support + my own savings. i am 22 now and would probably be able to finish the schooling by 25-26.

the point of this post is: i need advice. is nursing something i should do? how do i stay true to myself and not worry about what other people think? how have you gotten through times of indecision or fear of the unknown? what advice do you have for me?

Many thanks for reading even if you dont respond!

[Extra Pickles]

My thoughts are that you probably don't know much about nursing itself, what the job entails (for hospital nursing anyway) and you would do well to contact HR at a nearby hospital and see if you can "shadow" a nurse for a couple of days. By staying out of the way but still can easily see what's going on you might get a better idea of what the job is.

Another thought would be to take a CNA course, and find a job as a nursing aide. THIS way you'll see first-hand what it is that they do and whether it's something you want to pursue. You might find that the CNA job makes it clear you want no part of it all, or makes it clear that you want to be a nurse! Can't know until you try it though.

Something else is that if you already have a Bachelor degree in an unrelated field, you can apply to ABSN programs. These programs accept the Gen Ed credits from your prior degree so that all you have left are the core nursing classes, anywhere from 12-24 months depending on what you need to take and how fast you do it. Before enrolling in these programs you'll have needed to take the science prerequisites they require, and each school is different so you'd have to do some legwork to find out what the best options for you would be.

As for how to not let other people's opinions bother you, guess that's something that comes with time and maturity. Only YOU can let people get under your skin! Worrying about what someone else thinks of your career choices can't be a more wasteful expenditure of effort, honestly.

What do you think of these options?

[pboiv]

Hello thank you for responding. I think shadowing would be a great idea and will contact some local hospitals. I know a specific hospital near me has a shadowing program but it might only be for current college students but we'll see. CNA I will have to research more but another great point. The program I mention in my post is sort of like a ABSN but they just call it "second degree." I live in NJ so I know Rutgers has an accelerated BSN but I'm not that close to the campus. But I better just start with the shadowing haha. Thanks so much again!

[Extra Pickles]

Hello thank you for responding. I think shadowing would be a great idea and will contact some local hospitals. I know a specific hospital near me has a shadowing program but it might only be for current college students but we'll see. CNA I will have to research more but another great point. The program I mention in my post is sort of like a ABSN but they just call it "second degree." I live in NJ so I know Rutgers has an accelerated BSN but I'm not that close to the campus. But I better just start with the shadowing haha. Thanks so much again!

"Second Degree" BSN programs can be fast paced (accelerated) or slower. They are accelerated in that you complete the requirements of a second Bachelor degree faster than starting from scratch, as they build-in the Gen Ed courses from your first degree. Just watch for "accelerated"; depending on what kind of a student you are or will be, you might be inclined to do the ones that are as quick as 12 months, or as long as 2 years. Varies a lot!

Whatever you choose, good luck to you :)

[Roasted.Peanuts]

Another thing you can do is look into any volunteer programs that have direct patient contact and are hands on. I am currently in the same boat as you trying to get into an Absn program and have been volunteering at a hospital through a program called Health Scholars. You get to rotate through a variety of floors (I've been to Telemetry, ER, ICU, Short Stay, and OR) and get to help the nurses within your scope as a volunteer such as help turn, feed, ambulate, and discharge patients. The only requirement is a minimum of 4 hours per week so you can do it while taking prereqs. Best of luck!

[Zooey72]

It is nice that you don't have to worry about the money aspect of it (presuming than you will not have to work). My advice is if you do it, than do it (no half measures). I was a straight A student before nursing school, and I am studying more than I ever have before and... well I am passing. I am in a class of mostly former straight A students, and out of that if I had to guess maybe 4 or 5 people are making A's now.

Point being that is if you decide to do it, it is not something you do 'on the side'.