How to know if Nursing is right for you?!

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · Jan 7, 2014

I would strongly suggest getting your loans paid off with your present degrees before you go into something that you're not sure you'll even like. It sounds like it was a whimsical passing remark and that you may have some interest in medicine, but that's really not the point when you've got a family and preexisting debt.

There is no way to know you'll love nursing before you commit. Further, there's no guarantee that you won't love it for a few years, burn out and run like hell to the closest profession that'll accept you. Let me put it this way--if don't know you that you want to pursue nursing, no one can tell you that you should. It's something you simply have to know for yourself.

Nurisng school is a huge commitment financially. Many people struggle to pay off their debt from their nursing education alone. With you already owing $100K and having a child to support, I cannot in good conscience recommend that you even consider more schooling.

lovemydogs91 · Jan 9, 2014

I don't think anyone KNOWS if nursing is right for them until they actually get into it. You can be aware of your personality and characteristics that would make for a great nurse, but like I said, you won't actually know until you do it. There's no concrete answer. But like @SoldierNurse22 said, it probably wouldn't be a great idea when you're already in debt. That along with your spouse not making much money and having a young child would make it pretty difficult to get through; nursing school is stressful enough.

That being said, if it's something you really think you'd want to do, then by all means you should go for it. You can do anything you set your mind to. Just be aware that the job market for new nurses isn't much greater than other professions. At least not lately... hopefully that will change though. Regardless, best of luck to you in whatever you decide to do :)

MrsPine09 · Jan 10, 2014

Thank you both for your responses! After rereading my post, I realize I should have worded it better. When I said, "How do you know if nursing is right for you" I meant how did you know it was a career you were interested in? Like Lovemydogs91 said, was it based on your personality or certain characteristics? Perhaps someone in your family is in the medical field and that's how you became interested. Anyways, I am not the type of person to make such a huge decision that would not only affect me, but my family as well. I don't do things based on a "whimsical passing remark". I'm trying to research and gain as much information as I can before I take such a huge step. Which is why I am here on this board asking questions. Lastly, going back to school right now may work out in my favor as I could be eligible for financial aid and/or scholarships. Again, not something I would just dive into without doing plenty of research.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Jan 10, 2014

I would certainly echo some of the above comments in that I would highly suggest getting your existing student loans paid off, or nearly so, before embarking on something expensive like Nursing School itself. I got into the healthcare field a few years ago by becoming an EMT. It wasn't that expensive and once I found a job as an EMT, I found that while the driving and such was a lot of fun (it really, really was!) I found that I much preferred to be in the back taking care of the patients. Over time, I ended up becoming a Paramedic and found that I really do like working closely with patients. Life got in the way and I had to change careers for a while. After a few years of that, I came to the realization that Patient Care is where I really need to be, so I took stock of my own situation and realized that Nursing could provide me the opportunities that I was looking for, not the least of which is some career flexibility.

I can honestly say that I really love Nursing for what it is. If I hadn't had the exposure to Nursing that I'd had before, I probably wouldn't have considered it a good career choice. I'm glad I made the decision that I did to be a Nurse. Those Nurses I worked with a long time ago really pointed the way for me, though they didn't know it back then.

How do YOU find out if Nursing is right for you? See if you can do some job shadowing for a while. Maybe become a CNA or work as a PCT for a while. It's not expensive to get into but the hours and pay can be pretty dismal. It will give you an opportunity to see what goes on in more depth and detail and gives you some hands-on time with patients to see if you really want to be that involved with their care. If you find you don't like that environment, you've only spent at most a few hundred and learned something extremely valuable: what you don't want to do.

I would much rather see someone become a CNA and realize they don't like working with patients than someone who is essentially trapped into working as a Nurse to pay off the loans and completely hate the job they do.

First things first though, get those student loans substantially paid off ASAP because you do NOT want that coming back to haunt you. Those loans are usually not dischargeable in bankruptcy... meaning even if you clear the slate of other debts, you'll still owe on those.

Yamamama · Feb 10, 2014

MrsPine09, I think if you are questioning if you would like to take the plunge then you aren't ready. You know that no one on an internet forum (who doesn't know you) can really answer the question if it's right for you - only you can.

Having said that. I will echo what akulahawk said about working closely in patient care for a bit to get the feel of what a nurse really does and then you will have more information to make your decision. Having grown up with a mother who is an RN and a father who was a doctor, I didn't think I was very interested in medicine. When my life's passion intersected with working in a hospital - and working closely with the nursing staff - that's when I knew I should take the plunge. I have been working in a large teaching hospital for 2.5 years and it seems like the time is right for a number of reasons. I, too, have a spouse and children and this is a decision that has taken a LOT of time to mull over and especially talk over with my husband as it affects us all. So, I will pursue nursing school now - I just told my mother today and she said that she has known for years that that is what I should do! Good luck!

Marsha238612 · Feb 10, 2014

I'm sorry for being a Debbie Downer, but you owe too much money in school loans, and pursuing another career path will only increase that 100k debt.

If it's plausible to go to CC and pay classes as you go, by all means go for it. Volunteer, shadow a nurse and see how you feel.

But my best suggestion is to not get into any more debt.

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