What's a good reason to quit nursing school?

[none the wiser]

I've read a lot of threads here about quitting nursing school. Most of them were someone saying "I have problems with this, this, and this" and people saying "well that's just not a good reason to quit."

I had my first clinicals last week, and I was miserable every single second of it. I've cried every day since, dreading the next. I've had nightmares about it. I honestly can't come up with a good reason to stay in school, aside from my pride, money, and the job security nursing would provide, but everyone around me is just saying "Hang in there! You can do this!"

I used to want this so bad, but now...I just don't. Surely there's other ways to get what I want out of a job without going through all this mess.

So, what is a good reason to quit nursing school? How do I know if this is just stress from school and a bad instructor and a hideous clinical site, or if this is something serious I need to address?

[anon695]

What is a good reason to quit nursing school?

1)You're as sure as you can be that you do not want to be a nurse

2) Multiple failures. Sorry to sound harsh, but IMO if a student has failed NS more than once, they aren't cut out for it. We all have things we're good at and things we're not good at, and recognizing which are which is the first step in the right direction (wherever that may lead you, nursing or otherwise)

[ejm99]

Clinicals are certainly not my favorite thing. I agree and have been told by many nurses that they are nothing like the real thing but I think you need to look at the big picture here.

There is nothing to say you have to or WANT to do bedside nursing...and that isn't a bad thing. I think your beating yourself up for wondering if this is the right profession for you and your basing it on your clinical experiences...DON"T!!!

I know a nurse that got her RN, did her mandatory 1 yr of bedside in a hospital, went to work in a Dr's office while furthering her education (BSN)...and now teaches nursing and LOVES it. There is nothing wrong with saying ...ok I don't like this...but I know I can move into another area that I will love and still be a Nurse.

I won't say stay with it...but I will say DON"T QUIT. You'll look back and regret that you didn't do it (providing you know where you want to end up careerwise).

Good Luck.

[cgravier]

winning the lottery is one reason I can think of.

[morningland]

I would say keep going. The reason is that most nursing schools have a 50-60% fail rate which means many people won't even make it through the program. If you keep going and fail; then you can just realize that it wasn't meant to be but if you make it through then all of your time and money would have not been wasted.

You may not like nursing and it may not even be the field for you but I think if you quit you will open up the chance to look back at it years from now and regret it. You may wonder "what if I had stayed" rather then "I gave it my best shot and it wasn't meant to be".

[andpentons]

I have been a nurse for around 3 years and loved it at first but am now very burnt out. I have tried 3 different areas and feel that I need a new profession. Sad to say but all of my nursing class has moved on to a Masters or new profession. I am considering a Masters in OT. I wish someone would have told me the truth about nursing and how mentally and physically draining it is before I started. I may be negative but I am just telling what I and many of my nurse friends feel. Good luck!

[allymaye]

I think clinical are a good indicator of if a student should stay in the program. When you are alone on the floor with your patient (no instructor breathing down your neck) do you enjoy it? Lets face it. This clinical time is the closest to "real life" nursing, we students have. If you hate it, are you really gonna want to graduated and then spend 40 plus hrs a wk doing it?

[kponderRN]

I have been warned by many people how draining the nursing profession can be and I understand it, even in clinical I am running back and forth for one patient, I can only imagine how busy I will be with 5 or 6 but I have a passion for nursing and can't see myself doing anything else. If I would have listened to all the negativity then I probably would have dropped out a long time ago.

To the OP, looking back if someone would have told you over and over again how tough it really is, would you have quit nursing school all together? I feel like it is something you have to find out for yourself. Too bad it took you going all that way to figure it out. Good luck!