A bit discouraged

From my experience as both a tech on Med/surg for 2 years and as a nursing student, I can tell you that Med/Surg is the armpit of nursing. It is constantly understaffed and overworked, in addition to being a dumping ground for the patients that no one else wants. I have nothing against med/surg nurses or techs, I'm simply stating a fact. It's hard work, and is often under appreciated or "looked down" on by other nurses.

Having said that, working in a specialty area is MUCH different. I currently work in an ICU stepdown unit and also get floated to the ER/ICU a lot. Those areas are totally different; staffing is usually better, there is a lot more autonomy, and you're treated better by other staff. Sad, but true. Personally, I feel that med/surg should get more respect, but they don't.

Don't judge the entire nursing profession by 1 area or 1 hospital; it's a great profession. In addition, the clinical experience as a nurse will be invaluable to you as a PA or NP. I don't know much about CRNA, but I don't imagine that clinical experience would matter that much since you'd just be putting people to sleep.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

I second the don't judge the entire hospital by one section. I love my current floor, ortho/neuro/detox, and detest med/surg. I always think about moving on to the ICU, but I just don't know. I get stressed by events when they don't occur....
I think every area has it's own postives and negatives. I felt like being a tech really gave me a leg up on everyone else.
I don't worry when patients or others ask me "oh are you going on to be a doctor?" I enjoy taking care of patients, and seeing them consistantly, and NOT getting called when I'm off the clock. I tellthem I don't want to be a doctor and have to deal with all the extra stuff.....
good luck with whatever you decide...

Dude, you sound exactly like me. I got my first bachelors in biology/chemistry, couldn't find a job and decided "what the hell" lets go into nursing. I am wrapping up my accelerated BSN program and was denied admission into a NP program (I was planning on graduating with the BSN and jumping right into a grad program) because I have no experience but 2 degrees with a 3.7 GPA... Give me a break. Seriously man, go to PA school if your end goal is to be a mid level provider. Skip the nursing crap.

It sounds like you would be happier in PA school. I'm in the ICU and there is a lot of butt wiping (I still really like it and am really happy where I am). That would be the fastest way to get to your goal

I suggest talking to nurses who like their jobs.
If they suggest another career...

i ran into the same thing with an ATI test. What we were taught and the answer ATI wanted were totally different. I dont like ATI because its not taylored to your individual program. Its very discouraging when half the questions you are just blindly guessing cause you have never been taught the material

I love nursing, although it took awhile for that to happen.

Consider that NPs often have wider scopes of practice than PAs.

And forget anyone who doesn't get that you're a guy who wants to be a nurse. I have worked with great nurses who happened to be men and compassion is not an exclusively female trait.

And remember, as a guy you WILL advance faster than the women. Not fair, but reality. And an advantage.

Every area of health care is overburdened with total care people. If they're not total care they pretty much get sent home.

Good luck. A BS in bio doesn't open many doors. You need a doctorate to really get anywhere, so why people wonder why you want to be a nurse is beyond me.

Everyone I ever was in contact with was very supportive. Family, friends, and co-workers.

If it's what you really want to do, just do it.

Nursing will be a second career for me (after 20 years in advertising), and a number of my nursing friends (both men and women) attempted to dissuade me from pursuing it. I'd say the pros and cons were about 50:50. Nonetheless, I trusted my gut and decided to go for it. I've had a few second thoughts along the way, but they're more and more rare as I get closer to graduation (next May). I think I made a good choice.

Here's what I've learned about career advice from other nurses: It's important to remember that people go into this profession for a variety of reasons, only some of which relate to the actual nature of nursing work itself. Some entered the profession because their mother or other relative was a nurse, and simply followed in the family footsteps. Others became nurses because nursing paid enough to provide a measure of financial independence sufficient to allow them to move from small towns to a bigger city, emigrate to another country, or achieve other purely practical goals. I've had older nurses tell me that they went into nursing because it was--in the past--one of only a very few career options for women.

My (admittedly limited) experience in my nursing-school practica has shown me that nurses who entered the profession because they were drawn to nursing work itself are generally happy in their jobs. Even the ones who've been doing it for 20 years or more often still have a lot of heart and enthusiasm for what they do. They're the ones who are willing to share their experience with students, spend some of their limited time answering patients' questions or reassuring family members, and they're the ones who continue to learn and grow as nurses. I've been fortunate to work with a few of these nurses during my program, and they've helped confirm my confidence in my decision.

If nursing work appeals to you--both the physical and emotional aspects, both the technical stuff and the 'dirty' work--then I would encourage you to pursue it. But: If you've ambivalent about the work itself and you're approaching nursing as a means to another end, I'd urge you to think twice. You could very well end up like some of the nurses who attempted to discourage you from entering the profession.

One more thing: nursing is huge and varied profession. If med/surg isn't your thing, you might try a specialty practice. I'm currently working as an ESN (employed student nurse) on a cardiac surgery/cardiology ward, and I really enjoy it. The patient load is manageable (4-5 on days, 6-7 on nights; mine is less than that because of my student status) and nurses have quite a lot of autonomy. The working relationship with physicians is very collegial, and there's a lot of respect for nurses' work. It's what I expected nursing work to be like.

As for being asked why I didn't decide to be a doctor, it happens from time to time. It doesn't bother me, though. Perhaps that's because I'm too old (53) to contemplate 8-10 years of med school and residency. I've identified another reason since being in school, though: I've seen what doctors' work looks like, and I prefer nursing work. I spend more time with patients and have had the opportunity to develop some good therapeutic relationships. That's very rewarding for me, and I don't think I'd get the same satisfaction from being a doctor.

'Sorry for the long post, but it sounds like you've got a big decision to make and I hope I've been helpful.

Good luck.