What sorts of Nursing Students should drop Nursing School? Am I one of them?

[Vysection]

I am in first semester Nursing School and need some help.

For background, I am the type of person who needs orders to do a job. I see myself as a tool to be wielded by a hand: a natural born servant. I find most of my work related joy comes when being praised by a superior I respect for helping carry out their will. I have no real ambition for it's own sake and chose nursing based on faulty, outdated information concerning it from family (not that I blame my grandmother and older aunt, of course - medicine changes fast and has changed quite a lot from when they were in school and nurses were just helpers to the MD in charge). That lack of personal ambition is proving to be a crippling hindrance, however. I have made an average of D on my exams. I have come to realize that the NCLEX style questions are designed with natural born problem solver type people in mind - those who spot problems before they even start and are always thinking three steps ahead of illness and complications. I am not among those who think this way; I am a reactor who has never been able to think ahead very well. It is a personality that I respect and serve, easily, but is antithetical to my own personality.

Does anyone else feel this way? Like maybe you made a mistake or didn't really appreciate the full gravity of what Nursing was before you got into the class? Are some people simply not cut out to be real nurses? Should I expect it to magically click? My aunt says it might just click for me if I stick it out but I am worried about me GPA and financial aid situation if I stick it out and totally fail the course. Even with the stress of the program set aside, studying for three to four hours a night to carry a failing grade is demoralizing enough to make me consider dropping nursing to choose another path.

I don't want to sound like I fault my professors either; each is an amazing person who has completely ignited in me a complete respect for the profession of Nursing (more so than was already there). If I am too dumb for this sort of career, it certainly isn't their fault.

[SleeepyRN]

I have never tried to disway a nursing student, so this will be a first for me. Get out now. You have very clearly stated that you are not up for the responsibility. Nursing is all about responsibility. You are responsible for your patients AND for CNAs. The CNAs work under YOUR license. If a CNA doesn't turn a patient sufficiently to prevent ulcers, its not just on the CNA. It's on YOU. When you are working in a nursing home or hospital, it is on YOU to assess a patient and decide if the doctor needs to be called. Nursing = Responsibility. Yes, it is normal for students to feel unsure. You don't sound unsure to me. I am very clearly hearing "Nursing is not for me." My very first night off orientation, I noticed a change in condition in my resident. I was a brand new nurse. I called my DON and told her of the situation. She was hesitant to have me call an ambulance. She wanted me to wait it out. However, she told me "You are the RN there. It is ultimately your decision. " I called 911. It turned out that the resident had a pulmonary embolism. If I had doubted my assessment skills and listened to the DON who wanted the resident to stay in house, that resident could have died. If your personality can't handle a situation like that, can't stand up and take charge and make a decision yourself (whatever the hell others opinions are) then nursing is absolutely not for you.

[emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Might I suggest a book called "what color is your parachute?" I know you're currently in school but this book may help you a lot. It's designed to guide you through the process of figuring out what career options fit your personality and abilities. While it's actually geared toward those in career transition, it works great for anyone at any point in their life.

The core is a group of written exercises that will pinpoint your strengths as well as what you are looking for in a job/career from a philosophical perspective. I highly recommend you take a good look at it.

Good luck in whatever path you choose.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Very interesting thread. Some people are more comfortable with risk and ambiguity - that's just the way it is. Everyone is different. Within nursing, I have discovered that the most structured practice environment is peri-operative. Thank heavens for that. I don't think any of us would want anyone getting 'creative' with the rules of sterility when we're on the table!

I would also suggest that the OP (who appears to be intelligent, articulate and refreshingly self-aware) take a look at a more structured area of health care such as laboratory science. It is much more 'rule bound' with a clearly established hierarchy but still very intellectually challenging - and has a career outlook that is probably better than nursing right now.