to quit nursing school?

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2005

Before you quit think about this. When you do your clinicals you are primarily in med-surg. However, when you get out you can work in different areas. So if patient care isnt your cup of tea, go into admin or insurance something where you can use your knowledge of nursing. I found clinicals and "the real world" completely different. Hang in there ,you have come so far. :icon_hug:

Has anyone seriously thought about quitting nursing school, but decided to stay? I'm not talking about fleeting thoughts when there is a horrific care plan due etc., but seriously thought maybe nursing wasn't for them? I keep feeling this way, and dread the clinicals. The only thing keeping me here is the fact that I am just so far into it, that quitting, and starting over would be a very long process. I am doing fine grade-wise, I don't think the classes are too challenging, I just don't like it. So, I kinda just want to hear if there are any others that feel the same way, or have felt that way, and what kept you in nursing school. I need some inspiration here :). Thanks.

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2005

Where are you going to school ?

cookie78 · Feb 9, 2005

I totally completely and utterly loathe clinicals and have so much anxiety about them I don't know what to do. The only thing that keeps me going is the fact that I can do something else. I litterally "X" the days off my calendar as each one goes by. I am ranked either 1 or 2 in my class grades wise but just have a hard time sticking with clinicals. I will finish, as I graduate in May and the only other comfort I take is that nurses tell me that everyone hated nursing school and being a nurse is millions of times better. I don't want to be a med surge nurse either. I will tough it out but i hate it. It is nice to know that I am not alone.

girlfromtx · Feb 9, 2005

Thanks for you replies guys. I think it is just rational to stick with it. I've worked at a hospital before as a tech and I liked it. I guess I just need to go into my happy place at clinicals lol. I also "x" off the clinical days as they pass. I'm still a year away from graduating though, I guess I just need to tough it out. Need...to..get....through...it lol.

girlfromtx · Feb 9, 2005

Before you quit think about this. When you do your clinicals you are primarily in med-surg. However, when you get out you can work in different areas. So if patient care isnt your cup of tea, go into admin or insurance something where you can use your knowledge of nursing. I found clinicals and "the real world" completely different. Hang in there ,you have come so far. :icon_hug:

Been thinking maybe I am meant for administration :).

Keepstanding, ASN, RN · Feb 9, 2005

Hello,

It could be that you just feel overwhelmed right now. I remember that feeling. Actually I tried to quit 3 different times as a result of poor pharmacology test grades. But my sweet husband made me realize that I needed to stop the defeated attitude and dig in and "just do it" . Yeah, he made me kinda mad at the time, but he was absolutely right....I just needed a little push ! I passed my pharmacology exam and did well. I stuck it out and have never regretted it. Give yourself a break and regroup....rest and pray about it. You will recieve the right answer for you. Good Luck,,,,it is not easy, but anything worth having is never attained easily :)

PhoenixGirl · Feb 9, 2005

My program hasn't started yet so maybe I'll eat my words...

I think you shouldn't quit. Maybe this is as bad as it'll get? And if so, you seem to be "living" through it, so that should be good enough for now. And just think, real nursing pays, clinicals don't. So at least when you are a nurse you will get paid, and likely you can do something totally different than what you are doing in clinicals. Maybe you can take a low key job in a doctors office somewhere? Or maybe you will enter a specialty that you love? Stick it out, and even if you never work in nursing again, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you didn't quit school.

I made a promise to myself when I started this that I would not quit. Even if quitting is easy, it doesn't make one feel very good about themselves.

HTH

Rebecca

caligirl · Feb 9, 2005

I get anxious about clinicals as well.. I have really good grades and I LOVE the didactic portion of school but clinicals make me want to vomit. lol. Some days I think I was made to be a nurse and some days I think that if it wasn't for all the time and money invested, I would change my major to something easy like education. But my rational is that when I am done, I will have a bachelors degree and if for some reason I despise nursing it can be my stepping stone into something else (like admin for example) OR I can just use it to get into something else that requires a bachelors degree and maybe just take a few extra classes.. I cannot quit though.. I have a 5 year old DD that has spent countless hours in daycare and many more watching me stress out about school. If nothing else, I am going to finish for her.. Besides, if my husband can get a masters degree while taking care of family and working full time in a job he doesn't care too much for then I can get a bachelors in something I at least like 50% of the time. I owe him that much. Anyway.. HTH and you are not alone.

I might also add I have clinical in an hour so I may sound more negative than usual. haha..

mariedoreen · Feb 10, 2005

I'm not a big fan of going to clinicals, but once I'm there I do usually get over the nerves. My daughter mentioned that she wanted to be a caterer or a chef some day and I thought, Ah culinary school would be nice... no clinicals... If nothing else, those with doubts (and I am at times one of them) will simply find that they don't care for hospital nursing. Thank goodness there are so many other avenues to explore. Definitely don't bag it based on your hospital nursing experience, there's way more out there in the world of nursing than what you see at clinical. If you think something else might appeal to you (home health, public health, etc...) give their nurses a call and see if they'll let you shadow them for a few hours and ask a few questions about their job. I'm sure they'd be thrilled to accommodate you.

NurseFirst · Feb 10, 2005

In my world of all worlds, my dream is not to get up at 5:00am, be dressed perfectly, figure out how to take the fewest things into clinical because we don't have lockers and because we can't put our vest on until we are in the hospital (so maybe putting all your "pocket stuff" into your vest pockets while it's still folded up and stuff could fall out is not the best thing.).

It's also not my dream to feel dependent upon others in having to perform skills because I've never done them before on a real person, or grab an instructor because I have to do my third check with them, and because I can't give medications unobserved. It's not my dream to be criticized or yelled at; learning can be, but is not always, fun.

It's not my dream to come home and have to write up care plans and medication sheets for several hours...

It's not my dream to spend hours on my feet unpaid, in fact, having to pay for the experience--both directly and in terms of lost income. It's not my dream to worry about whether I will make a mistake while learning that will cause me to be dropped from the program. It's not my dream to have to write up various "corrective" documents for "errors" I have made in clinical.

I think there's a lot different about "clinicals" than real life. It is true, however, that once out of clinicals you will be even more responsible for human lives than you are as a student.

As other people have pointed out, you've come this far, you are likely to succeed in getting your RN, and your RN can open up many many doors for you, some that don't even involve pt contact. To me an RN is to health care as an MBA is to business: they are degrees recognized for competency in a particular area that can be utilized in a variety of areas.

Good luck to you!!!

NurseFirst

shape0fmyheart · Feb 10, 2005

I am also due to graduate in May and it seems this is the time that these doubts are filling me the most, just as I'm about to be done and on my own in the world of nursing. It's terrifying. I too am in the top portion of my class academically but clinically I am horrible. They still scare me to death. Patient contact is a chore for me, but I try. I'm just hoping to muddle through these last few weeks of clinical (Critical Care :uhoh21: ). Then we have 3 weeks of preceptorship that I need to get through. I am TERRIFIED. But at this point I just want to graduate because I am so close. From there I am not sure what will happen. I want nursing to work SO BAD that I feel like I'm forcing it... but I'm still not sure if it's right for me.