Asking Advice from the Allnurses Readers

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

Hello Nurse Beth,

First post here. I'm really struggling to make a decision on my career path and am asking for any insight/wisdom from you and all the nurses here that could help me.

I'm 23 years old and have been working as an office administrator at a tech startup in the SV for a year now. I have been offered to join the marketing department by the VP Marketing, which is a GREAT opportunity for growth and mentorship.

The company itself is overall very "happy"..free lunches, flexibility, friendly people, it's kind of like a family. However, I am so unhappy day in and day out and get depressed thinking about going into work for a full day. It could be unhappiness that I need to fix within myself or it could mean that I'm not meant for the tech world.

Meanwhile, I've been reconsidering going back to community college to finish my pre-reqs for a Direct Entry Nursing Program, which was what I was planning to do before joining the tech startup. However, I would want to quit my job to focus on this full-time.

I have a 3.98 from my university, and so far have taken inorganic chem (A+) and developmental psych (A) for science pre-reqs. I'm also a certified EMT (although I don't practice).

I know the grass is always greener, but I need to make a decision soon, and am wondering if some nurse practitioners/MEPN students have any advice for me. Do you have a similar experience? Do you enjoy what you do? Do you regret it? Do you think I should leave a promising marketing career for advanced practice nursing?

Any insight would be MUCH appreciated. Thanks so much.

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Dear Unhappy,

Welcome!

You certainly have the scholastic aptitude with your high GPA, and the fact that your employer is promoting you speaks to your work performance. That means you are most likely talented enough to have your pick of careers.

But that is not your problem. You know that you are unhappy in your current position, but you're not sure why.

Have you ever considered taking a reputable career aptitude test? Aside from giving you results, it would cause you to reflect on your innate abilities, passions, and what brings you joy . Helping others? Connecting with others? These are a couple of things nurses say are gratifying in their jobs.

Is there someone in your life who you trust to give you personal feedback? Maybe your parents, or a close friend, or a past teacher?

I am not a Nurse Practitioner, but I can tell you I don't regret going into nursing. It offers so many opportunities and options. I'm hoping some NPs will respond to your question. There's also an Advanced Practice Nursing Forum here that would be perfect for you.

It is a big commitment to start down the scholastic path to NP and I wish you the best in you decision.

Best wishes,

Nurse Beth

Author, "Your Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job"...and your next!

[cleback]

I'm a bit curious why you have the emt and do not practice. The reason is I would normally encourage people to get exposure to healthcare before quitting their jobs and switching careers. I'm a bit concerned that you have already been exposed and chose not to pursue it. (Of course, np and emt are pretty different, but likely more similar than tech)