The Real World of Nursing

Yankee in TX · Oct 18, 2003

Nursing is a hard but rewarding field. There are days I feel stressed to the max. And nursing school was very taxing. But when one patient or family member says " thank you" or " you really care", it makes all the difference in the world. Those are the days that make it worthwhile. The money can be a great benefit but if you don't like what you are doing, nursing won't be the job for you.

TheMagicCookie · Oct 29, 2003

Ok, I'm a Junior in HS and I really want to be a nurse. I hate the thought of how long and how far away nursing school is, I just wish that I could start my job as a nurse right now. I am a very responsible person and I truly love to help people out, I also like humor in my life. My only concern is that I will lose this passion for nursing, not that I'll get bored of it, but I'll realize it's not what I dreamed it would be. I know it's not always a glamorous job and that it's very stressful at times. When I hear about the pro's of nursing in threads such as a patient saying "thank you" or knowing that you've brightened their day, I think of myself being able to do that and how good it'll make me feel. The con's don't seem to be scaring me too much, I am definetly not afraid to get my hands dirty, I've worked with horses 5 years and have never minded getting dirty, it just means I did a good job.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, did you have a passion like this before nursing school, and have you kept it? and Does my interest in nursing just seem like a fad to you, since I'm so anxious to get started but am unsure about the future?

I've read many posts on this board, and it helps me to think that many, many other people have the same fear as I do and don't want to fail. Math and Science are definetly not my strong point, but I think I can work through that. One of my best friends is a nurse and she thinks I would make a good nurse, or a doctor(I'm not so sure about that!) but I think I'm lacking in the confidence department, is that a bad sign? I am currently involved in a medical explorers program and I love it, I can't wait until the next meeting.

Thanks for reading my post and helping me out, I know everyone else has the same worries I do, I'm just concerned that it is a fad and that I won't cut it as a nurse:uhoh21:

Evie · Oct 31, 2003

TheMagicCookie,

you will come to realise within the next few years whether it is what you want to do or not. i am at uni now, just finished 2nd year of 3yr bachelor of nursing, and i absolutely love it.

when i was at school (only a few yrs ago), i was very interested in a career in health only i thought that med was the one for me. i had always wanted to be a GP. when i was at school, nursing was the career that the academically middle-of-the-road girls seemed to choose. the profession wasn't really promoted to us which was unfortunate. so, i set out after school with med school in my sights, and i started a science/arts degree.

WELL!

after 2 years of that i got sick of it. i had lost interest and confidence in my academic ability and i thought that i was only dreaming when i thought i wanted to be a doc. but one day, my mum asked me 'so, what do you REALLY want to do?'.. and i said - NURSING..

after that i haven't looked back. admittedly, i have had my moments where i have been at uni, looked around and thought, no, i really want to be a GP still - but then i have gone out on prac into the hospitals and just felt the passion re-ignite in me. i never ever thought that i could love a job and study as much as i do now, and feel so passionate and look forward in such anticipation to a career. while this still may be idealistic in some care settings, i am slowly coming to realise that the nursing and medical staff complement each other as they provide different types of care, rather than nurses being subordinate to doctors.

what excites me most about entering the profession of nursing is the scope for travel, endless career opportunities, pretty good money (even here in qld!) and flexibility in working hours. i would go insane working 9-5 mon-fri. i think nursing can be a fantastic career - if that's what you make of it. don't forget, it is all about attitude!!!

good luck working everything out in the next few years - i remember it well and how confusing it can be trying to make big decisions. just take your time and listen to your heart!

edogs334 · Oct 31, 2003

MajicCookie,

I'm a junior in college (psych. major) and have only recently decided that nursing is what I want to do after I get my BA. I know almost exactly what is feels like to have to put off being in a career that I am passionate about....I'm in the thick of college schoolwork right now. Delayed gratification is hard, especially for people like me (and possibly you) who know what they want to do, but have to endure a lot of schooling to get there. However, think about it, you have to have a good didactic (classroom) background if you want to be a good nurse...you wouldn't know the first thing about patient assessment, treatment, or medications, etc, if you didn't go to RN school first. So keep up the perserverence and you most likely be able to do what you want when your time comes. By the way, if you want some really hands-on experience in the medical field right now, you should do something like volunteer in a hospital or (even better) become an Emergency Medical Technician. I myself am currently an EMT. I think that it's a lot of fun and (contrary to what some people think) you can learn a lot about medicine from being an EMT and providing care to patients on an ambulance.

Good Luck,

Ian

TheMagicCookie · Oct 31, 2003

Thanks Evie and edogs!