Should I continue nursing school?

[lovlina]

Hi, everyone! I was hoping to get some advice about what decision I should make about nursing. I am in a BSN program currently, the first year was pre-nursing and the last 3 years are in the nursing school. I have completed both my pre-nursing year and the first year of actual nursing. I am currently finishing up a clinical rotation in med/surg, and I have been having some doubts recently. I am successful in lecture and I like the material that we are covering. I am actually getting some good feedback about my nursing skills in clinical as well. So I am doing pretty well, but I just don't seem to be enjoying myself in the clinical setting. During the most recent clinical, I found myself very overwhelmed by the amount of work and I barely had enough time to finish my charting. I came out of that clinical thinking, "maybe nursing is not for me." I did not get into nursing because it is my passion or something that I love. I decided on nursing because I wanted a medical profession that did not involve 8 years of school but could still earn me a decent salary. I have found that I don't entirely enjoy patient interactions. I am more content while sitting at the nurse's station on the computer than I am while in the patient's room. I am trying to be honest with myself in understanding if this is truly the path I want to take and the career I want to dedicate my life to. So far, the clinical work has been physically and emotionally difficult, and I know it will only be more challenging from here. I am contemplating switching majors at the end of this semester. I have considered pre-pharmacy and then entering a PharmD program. I enjoy pharmacology and do not mind the school work. The only issue is going to school for another 4 years past the bachelors (most schools are switching to a bachelor's requirement) and how much a PharmD program costs (A LOT).

I had these doubts at the beginning of the semester and almost left the program. Then I decided I will have many career opportunities and got past those doubts. They are now back.

Do you think I should continue on with nursing? What if I am just not cut out for nursing? I have a gut feeling that this is not for me, but I am afraid to make that decision..plus I have already come so far. I am completely lost.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Go with your gut.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

I commend you on seeing this now, but truly, what do you want to do? Even doctor's have patient interaction, just not as much. But doctor's have the least amount of interaction. Is it just that you are an overwhelmed student? I am. Or is it that you really don't like interacting with people.

It's normal to feel what you feel. But think about what else you would do? Have a plan before dropping.

[Mossback]

I'm a part-time clinical instructor for students in a BSN program, as well as a full-time floor nurse at a busy university-based hospital. I've found that it's not uncommon for students to find clinicals an unsatisfying or even downright miserable experience. I believe this stems from a number of factors that most students experience to a greater or lesser degree. The feeling of being behind the learning curve makes clinicals stressful, as does the sensation of being constantly quizzed and scrutinized. Being on the receiving end of criticism from clinical faculty and staff nurses is often a source of anxiety for students. Dealing with patients can be challenging, particularly when they view a student nurse with some skepticism. For many students, there's also deep-seated fear of inadvertently injuring a patient.

All this is by way of saying that the stress and unhappiness you're currently feeling won't necessarily translate into being unsatisfied once you graduate and are in the professional setting. I hated nursing when I was midway through my BSN, but I now feel that it's an interesting and highly rewarding career. Many of my former students report a similar evolution of their attitude towards nursing. My advice is to hang in there. You're through the worst part of your nursing education. As time goes on, you might just find that you like nursing after all.