Help? Interested in nursing but....

[Allienya]

Hello! My name is Allie, I am almost 21 years old and I just dropped out of University for Psychology, because I was really unsure about what I wanted to do with my future. I am very interested in psychology, and mental health. I really love helping people, but I was discouraged by the job prospects I had heard of for psychology. And most graduates of psychology I knew went into business or human resources.

I started looking into different types of programs I could go into, and different careers to look at and one that really surprisingly caught my eye was nursing, and months later it is still on my mind. I don't know why, but I find it capturing. Not only is the job outlook incredible, but it is exactly what I want. To help people, but be selfless, compassionate, and make people feel more at ease in their situations. What I loved even more, was the seemingly unlimited possibilities. Maybe I didn't have to go into psychology after all to work with mentally ill patients. Psychiatric nursing sounded very interesting. As did many other specialties. Also, you have a lot of opportunity to grow in the field.

I am taking a 'Pre-health' program this year to get science credits I didn't previously take in high school. Then I was going to apply for rpn and bscn nursing programs and see if I can get into any of them. Otherwise I would go back into psychology I assume.

I am willing to learn a lot of new things, and work hard in school.

BUT, one thing terrifies me. And it is the level of stress in the job.

I have TERRIBLE anxiety that can spiral out of control when I feel inadequate and stressed and feel like there is too much pressure to perform. Disappointment kills me. In some ways, this is good, because although I have only ever had jobs as cashiers or baristas, I work hard so that I can perform my best and earn respect.

What I am scared of, is if at restaurants and grocery stores and cafes, I have felt extreme levels of stress where I break down (until I get used to my job) I am scared that with a job like nursing, I just will not be able to handle it. I have heard some people say 'the patient shouldn't be the doctor' and in some ways I am afraid this pertains to me.

I had one job at a restaurant that stressed me out so badly, that I was contemplating suicide. I am a hard worker, I love the sound of nursing. But what if my anxiety gets out of control and I can't do it? Would I even be able to get a job in psychiatric nursing as it is in my record I have been admitted before (stemming my interest, actually)??

Sorry this question is everywhere, but so is my mind right now.

Thank you so much

[RegularNurse]

It seems like psychology and biology are now pre-nursing degrees.

I have worked as a psych nurse and didn't find it stressful at all, but you probably will based on your post.

A couple of things to think about here.

If you finish nursing school, you may not get a psych nursing job right away and may have to work as a medical staff nurse, which is stressful.

If you are very sensitive, you need to realize that patients can talk to you any way they want without recourse. This is more intense in inpatient psych units.

Nursing is not a clean or glamorous job. If you are looking for that as a new grad, your likelihood of finding desirable employment is low.

Staff nursing is a submissive job. You need orders from NPs and MDs for any med and a lot of interventions. You are not necessarily paid to know; you are paid to do. This will be a huge departure from the academic culture of psychology for you.

I have found nursing to be very rewarding and lucrative. I just want you to know what you are getting into. You will understand what I'm talking about on your first day of clinical.

[MamaBeaRN]

Nursing school is incredibly stressful too. I think you wound need to do some major work to deal with your anxiety issues before attempting it. Clinicals have most normal people feeling insecure, stupid, scared, and like they have no idea how they are going to be able to pull off being a real nurse when the time comes. Maybe you could get a quick start as a psych tech to gain some experience?