Considering a career in nursing

[jess91877]

i am currently considering a career change into the field of nursing. the reason: i feel i am being called by god to do so (who commands us to care for the sick and weak). also, i feel no personal satisfaction from the work i am doing now, and have even gotten to the point i come home from my job crying.

my background consists of a degree in chemstry and a minor in marketing. orginally, i wanted to be in business, maybe pharmaceutical sales, chemical information, etc. when i graduated, i ended up working in a production lab due to my lack of experience, where i would analyze and help operations fix equipment. actually, i loved the job for many years. i was on nights (which i actually liked), but felt if i stayed there i would never reach my goal to work in business.

fast forward a few years later, and i have a job in chemical information systems, and guess what...i am not happy at all. i felt like all these years my goal was based on this ideal of making good money, exceling in business, etc. i feel as though my goals were in vain, and now i want to selflishlessly reach out and help people, and do something that would fulfill my purpose in this life, regardless of money. also, i think sitting in front of a computer all day is as boring as a profession as humanly possible (i'd love to get up and walk around more). after much prayer, thoughs of working in healthcare and helping patients have surfaced, and i am thinking of following through on these feelings.

first, i am considering applying to a local community college to get an adn/rn degree in the evening and weekends (since i don't want to quit my job, and want to pay for my schooling as i go). school take 3 years while i am working. so, all this being said, i have a few questions:

1.) has anyone else ever felt "called" to this profession? or, am i crazy?

2.) does anyone else here have a science degree, and went back for nursing? did having a science degree help your marketablitity when finding a job, or no?

3.) longterm, i figured i would go to community college to get an adn, then a bsn later on? is this an advisable route for part-time learners?

4.) i am a reserved person, but have a very caring side to me which yearns to come out (can't in the business world, i would be eaten alive). i'm a good listener, and like to let others do most of the talking. also, i like to do work quickly and accurately, and don't like to make people wait. according to myers-brigg, i am an istj. would these personality traits be beneficial to the profession, or would my quiet nature hinder me?

5.) worried about jobs when i finish the program...is there a good amount of jobs in nursing (i live in pa), and would most hospitals or home health agencies take someone with an adn and a bs in something else? also, my husband is going back to school as well to become a minister. there is a good possibility that i may have to relocate for him to find a church, maybe to another state. can i basically get a nursing job anywhere in the us, as long as i get certified for that state?

6.) do most people start their nursing career at hospitals, and if so, what area's of the hospital and which shifts. like i said, i love 3rd and 1st, and even heard there is a demand to work the graveyard???

7.) should i join a local ambulance or volunteer at a local hospital to observe, and see if this is what i'd like to do and gain hand-on skills before i start clinical. also, i am still a bit sensitive to needles and large amounts of blood, how does one desensitize themselves. i am guessing exposure, but i'd like some advice on this. for example, i rent an apartment inside a funeral home, so i am exposed to the dead all the time. the longer i lived there, the more i am used to it and it doesn't even phase me. having a dead person in my home became enjoyable...better than having a noisy neighbor blasting a radio afterall :-)

any advice or pointers are greatly appreciated...i am talking to a admissions counselor at the local community college tommorrow, so i should get more information off her.

thank you in advance,

jessica :)

[ECMOismygame]

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[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Yes, many nurses feel called into nursing so you're not alone there. There's been a few threads here, you can do a search and find other like minded persons. I'm going to a Christian school for my RN to BSN and that's in their philosphy of Nursing, that Nursing is a science and an art, called by God.

The science degree will help you in nursing because it is science based, but not sure it will give you an edge in the job market.

The latest predictions I've read predict the need for RNs to continue on into the near future. Probably you will have no trouble getting 3rd shift if that's what you're after.

I went the route you're choosing. I've been an ADN RN for 15 years and am now getting my BSN. Please don't wait as long as I have. I worked full-time through my ADN program, and am still working full time through the BSN. I always advocate going straight for the BSN but that's not always possible.

Nurses need to have a proactive personality. You need to be advocates for both your profression and the patients. Administration loves quiet reserved people that allow them to do all the dictating. But that will get you nowhere, you need to know when to be assertive and when to sit and listen. Patients need gentle teaching and guidance and count and you to guide them. You need to learn how to advocate for yourself and your patients with the strong egos and personality of MDs, rather than blindly follow orders. These are skills that you can acquire. It sounds like you are self aware enough to know your strengths and weaknesses. Your personality will fit in just fine with nursing, but like all of us, we needed a little fine tuning to be the best nurse that we could be.

You become densensitized to the icky's of nursing over time and through repetition.

I started nursing school without any hospital experience and did fine. However, I was the only one in my group that wasn't a CNA or an LPN and I felt that was a disadvantage at the beginning because I didn't know what I was doing and they just jumped right on into it. So observation and volunteering is probably a good idea.

Good luck to you! Sounds like you're putting a lot of thought into this which is a good idea. :)

[BabyRN2Be]

1.) has anyone else ever felt "called" to this profession? or, am i crazy?

no, you are absolutely not crazy. i feel like i've been called by god to do this profession. if you feel like you are crazy for doing do, welcome to the boat because there are a lot of us. :)

2.) does anyone else here have a science degree, and went back for nursing? did having a science degree help your marketablitity when finding a job, or no?

it will help you in your classes (principles of chem, chem i if you get your bsn, biology, a&p) if you are great in science, but i'm not sure if it will give you an edge in the job market.

4.) i am a reserved person, but have a very caring side to me which yearns to come out (can't in the business world, i would be eaten alive). i'm a good listener, and like to let others do most of the talking. also, i like to do work quickly and accurately, and don't like to make people wait. according to myers-brigg, i am an istj. would these personality traits be beneficial to the profession, or would my quiet nature hinder me?

jess, it looks like a mixed bag here. as someone said, it might hinder you when you need to stand up to management gone awry, but i believe that you have a lot of the qualities essential to being a great nurse. and if you can work quickly and accurately, you'll have no problem with charting.

5.) worried about jobs when i finish the program...is there a good amount of jobs in nursing (i live in pa), and would most hospitals or home health agencies take someone with an adn and a bs in something else? also, my husband is going back to school as well to become a minister. there is a good possibility that i may have to relocate for him to find a church, maybe to another state. can i basically get a nursing job anywhere in the us, as long as i get certified for that state?

you don't need to worry a bit about that. my mom didn't want me to become a nurse (she was a nurse herself). i work in l&d (not as a nurse) but i work closely with the nurses and i know what the profession is like, and it's something i will love. i went into another area and i'll always regret doing that. whenever i see the jobs posted in hospitals, there are always tons of jobs for nurses, and nothing for the other field i went into. it's the same way all over the country so you won't have a problem there.

6.) do most people start their nursing career at hospitals, and if so, what area's of the hospital and which shifts. like i said, i love 3rd and 1st, and even heard there is a demand to work the graveyard???

in some areas of nursing, it's not uncoming to start on 3rd shift, especially in the "popular" areas - anything working with babies. :) i don't believe you'll have much trouble finding anything on 3rd shift, but first shift might be a bit harder to come by. it just depends on your field.

your other questions i didn't feel as qualified to answer to i'll let others look at them. i wish you the best of luck in getting your degree!

katherine

[Mijourney]

1.) Has anyone else ever felt "called" to this profession? or, am I crazy?

I feel nursing is a calling for many people. It was for me. But, I think that even with nursing being a calling, you need to chart your specific goals. It ends up being a calling and a career.

2.) Does anyone else here have a science degree, and went back for nursing? Did having a science degree help your marketablitity when finding a job, or no?

I don't feel that a science degree helps your marketability, but the fact that you majored in a science will make you a strong nursing student.

3.) Longterm, I figured I would go to community college to get an ADN, then a BSN later on? Is this an advisable route for part-time learners?

With you already having many general ed courses behind you, is there any reason you can't go ahead and go part time for a BSN or even an MSN if that is your desire?

4.) I am a reserved person, but have a very caring side to me which yearns to come out (can't in the business world, I would be eaten alive). I'm a good listener, and like to let others do most of the talking. Also, I like to do work quickly and accurately, and don't like to make people wait. According to Myers-Brigg, I am an ISTJ. Would these personality traits be beneficial to the profession, or would my quiet nature hinder me?

I think nursing is appropriate for any trait because I believe that no one is 100% of one trait. Nursing is so all encompassing. Once you get your initial two to five years of bedside practice in, you may discover that you are called to go into nontraditional practices of nursing.

5.) Worried about jobs when I finish the program...is there a good amount of jobs in nursing (I live in PA), and would most hospitals or home health agencies take someone with an ADN and a BS in something else? Also, my husband is going back to school as well to become a minister. There is a good possibility that I may have to relocate for him to find a church, maybe to another state. Can I basically get a nursing job anywhere in the US, as long as I get certified for that state?

Come on and join us, there are many traditional Nursing Jobs and growing numbers of nontraditional jobs all across the country. You may want to make sure and check with the placement or career services office of the school you decide on to see what their placement rates are.

6.) Do most people start their nursing career at hospitals, and if so, what area's of the hospital and which shifts. Like I said, I love 3rd and 1st, and even heard there is a demand to work the graveyard???

I started my career in the hospital and worked both the floors and the units. I worked all shifts and thought that it gave me a great cross of skills that I've been able to apply to home health and corporate nursing.

7.) Should I join a local ambulance or volunteer at a local hospital to observe, and see if this is what I'd like to do and gain hand-on skills before I start clinical. Also, I am still a bit sensitive to needles and large amounts of blood, how does one desensitize themselves. I am guessing exposure, but I'd like some advice on this. For example, I rent an apartment inside a funeral home, so I am exposed to the dead all the time. The longer I lived there, the more I am used to it and it doesn't even phase me. Having a dead person in my home became enjoyable...better than having a noisy neighbor blasting a radio afterall :-)

I recommend that you volunteer or become a CNA to get your hands dirty. I started off as a CNA and can't tell you how much that helped to reduce the fear of exposure to bodily fluids and sick people and their families in general.

I wish you the best with whatever you decide.

[BabyRN2Be]

7.) should i join a local ambulance or volunteer at a local hospital to observe, and see if this is what i'd like to do and gain hand-on skills before i start clinical. also, i am still a bit sensitive to needles and large amounts of blood, how does one desensitize themselves. i am guessing exposure, but i'd like some advice on this. for example, i rent an apartment inside a funeral home, so i am exposed to the dead all the time. the longer i lived there, the more i am used to it and it doesn't even phase me. having a dead person in my home became enjoyable...better than having a noisy neighbor blasting a radio afterall :-)

in my previous post i declined to answer this one, but as i think about it, i believe that i'm also qualified to answer it as well. i definitely would think that volunteering at any level would help you. first of all, it will give you a good look at what really goes on inside the medical community (it ain't like "er" :)). it'll give you a great feel for nursing as well.

i'm a volunteer labor doula and i have learned sooo much. it's been an invaluable experience. no book or tv program can give you the realism of what it's like to be totally soaked by amniotic fluid during the birth of a baby. no tv show can show you that every labor is different - i hate programs like birth story or birth day which shows birth as being very scripted, or every birth as a life threatening emergency. as a volunteer i've received the chance to watch an entire c-section for myself. on tv they blur out the more graphic stuff, but it is so cool to watch an uncensored c-section.

i know i mention babies an awful lot because, as my name alludes to this, i want to work with babies. at our hospital, the volunteers participate on so many levels.

1. a volunteer doula group (for short, a doula is a professional labor coach. if you get the time i encourage you to visit the http://www.dona.org to find out what a doula does). i've had some very rewarding experiences there, as well as experiencing the reality of fetal demise on l&d.

2. we have a cuddler group. this is composed of doulas who just hold, rock, and diaper well-babies in the nursery.

3. we also have a bundle buddies group. this is a very special group of volunteers who hold and cuddle babies who have been admitted into the nicu. i highly recommend this if you are considering this area and your hospital has this type of program.

there are other places that our volunteers work. kids krew helps out in pediatrics, some volunteers work the surgery waiting area dealing with the families and answering the phones.

i know that at some hospitals (i'm not sure if ours is one of them) you can volunteer to do clerk-like tasks in the ed. if this type of nursing is for you, i suggest you get a chance to do it. if you are squeamish, this is a good way to desensitize yourself. i've really never been squeamish, and i've watched whole c-sections without any problems.

call hospitals in your area and see what kind of volunteer programs are available in the area in which you want to work.

again, i do wish you the very best!

[Nurseinthemaking]

Everyone has pretty much answered your questions. I just wanted to give you a big hug. We have alot in common. I am in Nursing School, almost done and this is a career change for me. I always wanted to be a Nurse but never felt I could do it until one day, God basically slapped me up side the face and said, "Get your bootie over there and apply girl".

I never ever ever will forget the day I found out I got accepted. I have 4 kids so this has not been easy. I have burned many a many a many late nights studying. But my grades show how much work I have put into this and so do my clinical instructors pats on the back and evaluation.

It can be done!!! It is good you are a little intimidated but trust me, as much as you seem like you want to do this, YOU WILL SUCCEED!!!!

Big huggins to you!!!

[BESTRONG]

Hi jess91877

As I begin to read your post and the other response. I want to tell you that you are not alone. I'm fixing to graduate with my Associate Degree in business and I ask God what next he told me to go into Medical field, I said Lord what area in the Medical field he said Nursing and I said what area in the nursing field he said Pediatrics. As long you are doing GOd will he will bless you and empower you to reach out to the sick, and to show our compassion to those that need the love of Jesus in us. I dont have any medical background at all but GOd is leading and guiding me as well I have 6 class left to get my Associate of Arts degree that is require in the state of Fl in order for me to transfer to a university to work on my RN-BSN degree so I dont have any knowlege but GOd is going to strenghten me and help me make good grade. WHen GOd tell us or call us in a particluar field we have to either obey or not and I choose to listen to God. I am also a missionary at my church as well so you are not alone trust me God is going to use you in that field and by us being a child of GOd we can minister the gift of healing and let GOd anointing flow through us and the job will get done. I am very exciting about this career but I am also praying that I can go full time and not have to work full time because this is a whole new career and degree but I believe God is going to grant my request because the school that I am fixing to go to I must maintiain a 3.0 GPA and I'm also a single mother my daughter is 4 year old so with God we can do anything... Just seek God and ask him what the best route to do and he will lead and guide you contiue to seek him moment by moment and just before you know it he will speak to you spirit in what to do. GOd bless

Nicole