Man with Law Degree Considering Nursing - Page 3

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  1. May 2, '12 by
    for men with professional degrees other than nursing who have entered the nursing field, are/were you questioned about why you did not pursue/continue your other career path? if so, how did you deal with those questions, and what was the general response? and, have you been able to incorporate your previous education into your new professional life?

    answer: i earned a degree in history before going to nursing school (don't ask) and nobody ever asked me about it. however, having a good liberal arts education did, i think, teach me to think more clearly and analyze problems with greater skill. in my experience, there is no such thing as wasted knowledge; the more you learn, the better you should be able to think.

    for family men, how did you handle going to nursing school, being a father and a husband, and coordinating all of your various responsibilities?

    answer: nursing school is demanding. it will be a rough go, but nothing that you can't learn to manage, as long as your wife is supportive.

    for other "big guys" out there (i'm 6'11" and 320 lbs), have you ever encountered patients or fellow medical professionals who have been intimidated by you and have treated you differently because of your size? and is your size generally a boon or detriment to you professionally?

    answer: nah - not a problem.

    and, finally, probably the most practical question here, do they make really big scrubs???

    as a lawyer might say, "asked and answered!" at least, that is what they say on tv.

    the advice that i give to everyone who is considering nursing is to volunteer at a hospital or get a job as a nurses aid and find out what nursing really is. most people have no idea. then, in time, the answer will come to you.

    best wishes.

    Merced, subee, and JSBes like this.
  2. May 2, '12 by
    Quote from katnurseswims
    I don't see much about your post besides the "business" of nursing as a career to make some money. Honestly, be prepared for a lot more than that. I see people disregard the "taking care of people at their most vulnerable" aspect everyday and they don't last long in this career.
    First, thank you for taking the time to comment.

    Second, I am sorry my questions came across that way. It surely wasn't my intent.

    Finally, as far as taking care of people at their most vulnerable, I understand that is what the job requires, it is one of the motivating factors drawing me to the field, and it seems that only one without an understanding of what a nurse actually does on a daily basis would fail to recognize this. As stated before, I have discussed the possibility of entering the field with my wife quite extensively. Additionally, I stated in my initial post: "do I really want to be a nurse, i.e., do I really know what it entails? Yes." I guess I should have more explicitly stated that I understand nursing is a vocation as much as it is a career choice.
  3. May 2, '12 by
    I became a nurse because I was a corpsman in the Navy and it was natural progression. I had a basic background and was able to do a reasonably good job. I was able to get my LPN by taking the exam only which was offered to veterans when I got out. The first job I got as an lpn offered a competitive scholarship program which I applied for and even though at first I was tenth from the top, I got the scholarship which also paid full salary and with my veterans benefits I had no trouble supporting my family through nursing school. If you do indeed want to become a nurse what other people think about your choice is their business and should not have anything to do with the choice you make. I think you should really think hard before you go into nursing because I do not believe you really know what you want to do in life or are not really ready to commit. That is evident from your own post.


















    Quote from JSBes
    So, you wanna be a nurse? Yes. But, I have a few concerns. Here is a quick synopsis of my background:

    • Union Ironworker, got injured on the job, started college while recovering from a couple knee surgeries
    • Recovered nicely from surgery
    • Began educational career as physics major
    • Switched to Political Science, earned BA
    • Went to law school, because it seemed like there was the possibility of making money while helping people (wanted to be civil rights attorney)....unfortunately I simply drank the law school recruiting cool aid and didn't do enough research beforehand
    • Graduate law school May 2011
    • Legal field tanked with economy, law school soured me on the practice of law, there are no remotely remunerative jobs available for would be civil rights attorneys, and working 80-100 hours per week is unsustainable if I actually want to be a present father and husband
    • Wife & I decided I'd stay home with our daughter (7 mos) because she has a great career already as a......NURSE
    • Re-evaluate career choices, my wife and some other friends (nurses) suggest nursing school

    For the past few months, in an attempt to get a feel for what it's like being a man in the nursing profession, I've been trolling around the internet, asking questions of my sister (a nurse for 20 years), my wife, and my friends. The questions I've answered positively for myself are the following: do I really want to be a nurse, i.e., do I really know what it entails? Yes. Do I understand that I may have to work somewhere I don't want to work initially just to get my foot in the door (i.e, I'm fascinated by ICU & ER nursing, but understand that MedSurg may be the only work available)? Yes. Do I understand that my law degree will not be immediately applicable? Yes.

    But, these are the questions I have not answered, which I'm hoping the individuals on this site may be able to help with:

    1. For men with professional degrees other than nursing who have entered the nursing field, are/were you questioned about why you did not pursue/continue your other career path? If so, how did you deal with those questions, and what was the general response? And, have you been able to incorporate your previous education into your new professional life?
    2. For family men, how did you handle going to nursing school, being a father and a husband, and coordinating all of your various responsibilities?
    3. For other "big guys" out there (I'm 6'11" and 320 lbs), have you ever encountered patients or fellow medical professionals who have been intimidated by you and have treated you differently because of your size? And is your size generally a boon or detriment to you professionally?
    4. And, finally, probably the most practical question here, do they make really big scrubs???

    I apologize for the length of the post, but look forward to any and all responses. Thank you all in advance for your time and help.

    Jim.
    jtmarcy12 and JSBes like this.
  4. May 2, '12 by
    Thank you all for the numerous, well reasoned, and timely responses. I appreciate that you all took time out of your busy schedules to answer my questions and offer advice.
    Last edit by JSBes on May 2, '12
    chevyv likes this.
  5. May 2, '12 by
    I can't answer all, but I will answer a few. We had one guy in our class, and we absolutely loved it. We all joked around, spoiled him, coddled him etc so you will be ok.
    You have a law degree. Nurses with a law background make good money in the court rooms.
    The military will snatch you up with a law degree and nursing degree. You are pretty tall. You may have to lose a lil wt, but not much due to your height. good luck


    Quote from JSBes
    So, you wanna be a nurse? Yes. But, I have a few concerns. Here is a quick synopsis of my background:

    • Union Ironworker, got injured on the job, started college while recovering from a couple knee surgeries
    • Recovered nicely from surgery
    • Began educational career as physics major
    • Switched to Political Science, earned BA
    • Went to law school, because it seemed like there was the possibility of making money while helping people (wanted to be civil rights attorney)....unfortunately I simply drank the law school recruiting cool aid and didn't do enough research beforehand
    • Graduate law school May 2011
    • Legal field tanked with economy, law school soured me on the practice of law, there are no remotely remunerative jobs available for would be civil rights attorneys, and working 80-100 hours per week is unsustainable if I actually want to be a present father and husband
    • Wife & I decided I'd stay home with our daughter (7 mos) because she has a great career already as a......NURSE
    • Re-evaluate career choices, my wife and some other friends (nurses) suggest nursing school

    For the past few months, in an attempt to get a feel for what it's like being a man in the nursing profession, I've been trolling around the internet, asking questions of my sister (a nurse for 20 years), my wife, and my friends. The questions I've answered positively for myself are the following: do I really want to be a nurse, i.e., do I really know what it entails? Yes. Do I understand that I may have to work somewhere I don't want to work initially just to get my foot in the door (i.e, I'm fascinated by ICU & ER nursing, but understand that MedSurg may be the only work available)? Yes. Do I understand that my law degree will not be immediately applicable? Yes.

    But, these are the questions I have not answered, which I'm hoping the individuals on this site may be able to help with:

    1. For men with professional degrees other than nursing who have entered the nursing field, are/were you questioned about why you did not pursue/continue your other career path? If so, how did you deal with those questions, and what was the general response? And, have you been able to incorporate your previous education into your new professional life?
    2. For family men, how did you handle going to nursing school, being a father and a husband, and coordinating all of your various responsibilities?
    3. For other "big guys" out there (I'm 6'11" and 320 lbs), have you ever encountered patients or fellow medical professionals who have been intimidated by you and have treated you differently because of your size? And is your size generally a boon or detriment to you professionally?
    4. And, finally, probably the most practical question here, do they make really big scrubs???

    I apologize for the length of the post, but look forward to any and all responses. Thank you all in advance for your time and help.

    Jim.
  6. May 2, '12 by
    A) People don't ask me too much about "why" nursing. I find they just accept you.
    B) I am a father but didn't go to a traditional program. It will be bad, but relatively short compared to law school.
    C) Your size will be an asset as nursing can be very physical, although treatment rooms can be pretty tight sometimes.
    D) I'm normal sized so I dont' know about scrubs...

    What about legal nursing? Once you get some experience there are opportunities for this speciality, and your background would be a cinch.
  7. May 2, '12 by
    Follow your heart, but by all means make sure you look before you leap. I am a lawyer, and should have followed this advice before law school. But I did follow it for nursing school, and I am reaping the rewards as a result. Thankfully, everyone in my family and friends around me have been very supportive of my change in career and admire my courage to make such a switch. But unfortunately there are nurses out there that feel we are disillusioned and wonder how we could possibly leave a legal career for something like nursing. I don't listen to the latter, I just follow my heart, and so far I have no regrets! Best wishes in whatever you decide!
    hoplite07 likes this.
  8. May 2, '12 by
    Just follow your heart to what you like to do. Being a male in the nursing profession for last 30 years since graduated from high school, i have no regret at all that i've chosen this noble and definitely a challenging profession. It is more than just for good career path but the satisfaction seeing your patients laugh and smiles, really makes your day.
  9. May 2, '12 by
    For men with professional degrees other than nursing who have entered the nursing field, are/were you questioned about why you did not pursue/continue your other career path?

    All the time; I was an engineer.

    If so, how did you deal with those questions, and what was the general response?

    It actually makes for very good conversation and interview banter. People are intensely interested. You get asked a lot, so I have a few canned responses I pull out for different situations. The general response is overwhelmingly positive, especially within healthcare. There are a few people in my family who still don't understand why I left engineering, but they still think I was Tony Stark. Seriously.

    And, have you been able to incorporate your previous education into your new professional life?

    All the time. I was a Project Manager so juggling/prioritizing multiple tasks at once while dealing with people from varying backgrounds across a spectrum of personalities was indeed very helpful experience. Not to mention regularly running into situations that I had to learn quickly on the job.

    For family men, how did you handle going to nursing school, being a father and a husband, and coordinating all of your various responsibilities?

    Got nothing for you here. I just got two cats and we are not on all that good of terms.

    For other "big guys" out there (I'm 6'11" and 320 lbs), have you ever encountered patients or fellow medical professionals who have been intimidated by you and have treated you differently because of your size? And is your size generally a boon or detriment to you professionally?

    I know some other male nurses who are large individuals. If they are treated differently due to their size, this first impression quickly fades away after you get to know them. Your coworkers will react to how you behave.

    And, finally, probably the most practical question here, do they make really big scrubs???

    They sure do.
  10. May 3, '12 by
    lawyers that have nursing degrees are difficult to come by and nursing law is a specialty in itself. it can be quite lucrative when you are a hospitals legal counsel.
    Last edit by Harrison on May 3, '12 : Reason: spelling