I think I really want to become an RN

If you don't want puke and poo then the ER may not be the place. If you want blood and guts then the OR is the place for you.

RNs in acute care typically work x3 12hr shifts, typically 7 to 7.

Please do not expect nor hope that Nursing is anything even close to what you see on TV.

Cons? HARD WORK, very fast paced, long hours, physically and mentally draining, being assaulted at work, high risk of contracting disease, VERY HIGH rate of work related injury, seeing everyone at their very worst, getting yelled at by everyone, having 100% responsibility over everything yet 10% control, dealing with bodily fluids including spit, vomit, feces, blood, semen etc, dealing with mentally unstable people that want to eat your face off Hannibal style.

Pros? Fairly stable/available jobs in a otherwise poor economy. Fairly high rate of pay for a new graduate compared to other careers...being able to go home and know that you made a difference...a difference in someone's life....a difference in your community, your country.

Reality check here. How's your science & math background? Did you take the full load in H.S.? To be honest, a lot of people 'hit the wall' when faced with microbiology & chemistry - and decide nursing is not the way to go. If you have the intellectual firepower, it shouldn't be a problem. Be prepared to STUDY and work for those grades like you never have before. GPA is very important for acceptance to a nursing program (> 3.5 is a must), so don't slack off on your pre-requisites.

In the meantime go meet some nurses. Find out more about them & learn about the real world of nursing. Believe me, feces is not on the 'worst ever' list for a lot of us.

We actually have a lot in common with hotel management - demanding guests, complaints about the food, the furnishings, lack of room service, etc.

I'd agree with both posters...if you don't mind blood and guts but object to other bodily fluids, then OR might be right for you. You should be pretty good in science. And patients can be a lot like demanding hotel guests.

I'd add that while probably a majority of nurses do 3 12 hour shifts, some still do 5 8 hour shifts.

I'd agree with the pros and the cons. But I'd add a few pros:

Teamwork with other nurses and doctors. Positive patient interactions. Plenty of extra time if you work 3 12s a week (or a part time job if you like). The flexibility to do a wide variety of jobs in a wide variety of places, especially after you've gotten that year or two of experience.