What am i doing with my life?

[RudeyMvp]

Here's my story. I'm 36, work in the printing field, make plates and do scanning, it sucks, so in 1998 i decide to go back to school.

I went for a A.S. in PC and Internet Programming...it took me 4 freaking years going part-time to get that degree. But the funny thing is,,,i got it,,but im not really motivated about it. Since graduating last summer, Ive applied at maybe 10 places, of course i havent gotten anything, but im not trying that hard either. Programming is ok, i was gonna get on the WEB side of it, but I wont get the time of day with just a Associates degree.

So i looked into an online program to get a bachelors in Information Systems,,but then i thought to myself,,,is this what i REALLY want?

Last week i was at my aunts, she isnt a nurse but works around them, she has no education in nursing, so shes some kind of assistant of a assistant i guess. Anyway, I was talking about how I'm still in printing and havent found a new job yet, then out of the blue she says, "You should be a nurse Tom! They need big guys like you in nursing." The wierd thing was, I didn't come out and say "Oh noway, thats not for me." But instead i said "yeah?!?! with a sense of curiosity. But I shoved it away from my brain cuz i just spent 4 years going to school! But at the sametime, I'm wondering if I went for the wrong thing by getting into computers.

Today, I took a personality test online and wouldnt ya know it...

I'm a "ISFJ" The Nuturer Personality Type!

IM NOT A INTJ Scientific Type hence programmer!

And wouldnt ya know it, under the ISFJ personality type one of the careers is...Nursing.

One should be happy, but I feel like a total IDIOT!

Everybody knows i went back to school at age 32 to learn computers,,,and now after im done at age 36,,,get into nursing???

Im just really confused,,,and bummed by what people at work are gonna say,,,everyday at work they ask me if i got a new job yet.

I know I shouldnt care what others think cuz its my life,,,but it is hard.

One funny thing that happened after i got done taking the personality test was, i kick back, star at the ceiling, grab the remote start flicking through the channels, and in the first 15 or so channels i flicked through,,,3 channels had scenes of hospital setting. Quincy was on, Sanford and Son was on where Sanford was talking to a nurse, and the Cosby show where Bill was in a hospital room talking to a patient. WHAT THE HELL KINDA SIGN IS THIS!

Im really down on myself for i think i majored in the wrong thing.

Thus, i fear if i go through a 2 year nursing program, will i pull the same stunt again of majoring in the wrong thing???

I guess the major thing I'm worried about regarding nursing is,,,

will i be able to handle the dying part?

Are there Nursing Jobs that dont deal with alot of death?

I know that patients dying is a part of the job, but I jsut wonder if i could deal with it. Any death is sad, but if i saw someone die before their time age wise,,,i just dont know how long i could handle that part of the job.

Sorry this was soo long,,,but im just really bummed out and really need advice.

[JenNJFLCA]

Rudey, I tried to "fight" (as jnette said) my true, deep down desire to be a nurse, but lost. I was afraid to tell my boyfriend and my family that I wanted to go to nursing school, but it turned out to be a great thing. They are so supportive of me. I am now in a BSN program, and I start clinicals next semester. My grandma is a nurse and she is SO excited for me. My 1st degree is in Marine Bio and I couldn't find a job in it. I am now a lab rat in a public health lab, and realized lab work is not for me, but helping people IS.

Listen to what your heart tells you and think about YOUR happiness. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks. They'll get over it.

Good luck!

[apexsw20trd]

same boat as you are brother.

i come from an accounting back ground with a nice fat check every motnh but i am not satisfied with what i do . i spend about8-10 hours per day in front of this damn computer and punch in numbers but this is not what i want. i see myself helping people and when my tiem comes looking back to see that i made a difference in someone life and mine.

i am about to leave a good paying job for about 3 years of school and $7 per hour part time jobs. but i know in teh end it will be the best career move i ever made. i wil be attending a community college for the ADN Rn program then get my BSN.

i am scared as HeLL but i have support from my wonderful girlfriend who by the way will be switching over to the nursing career with me and hopefully we will be ok.

yesterday my girl and i was at the beach in honolulu by the diamond head look out and stared out to the horizon and i asked if we will be ok with what we will be starting hard route toward a nursing education and we both agreed to help eachother in everyway we can.:) bring a tear to my eyes but that is how i will survive through teh 3-4 years of school. if its not for her i dont think i can do it.

good luck bro and dont give up. i like to think abou the good things that will come out of this.

[Ned the Red]

I've been lurking these boards for a few days and I see more and more people like me who are thinking of switching careers. In my case - I'm 51 and starting the spring semester to get A&P out of the way. Hope to start for an ADN in the spring of '05. So, I'll be 55 when I finally get out. But, I'm pumped about it all and ready to go. My wife came up with the idea (she's an RN) and convinced me by pointing out that:

1) There will be a nursing shortage for a LONG time to come.

2) There are so many areas of nursing that, if I want, I can go for some sort of desk job and never see a patient (not my plan, by the way).

3) With a BS in business I'll have the credentials to move into the business side (again, not my plan).

4) I'm a guy. And, for better or worse, it seems that in some ways men do better than women as far as promotions and pay.

5) Even if I decide to stay in my current career (once more, not the plan) I'll always be able to find a job as an RN.

Went to an orientation the other night expecting to be the line old guy in a crowd of younger females and was surprised to see that out of 30 there were almost 10 men. And one of the looked like he was about my age.

My wife tells me this will be the toughest thing I've ever done but I'm going to give it my best. You should too.

And, should I change my screen name from Ned the Red to something like Gramps?

LOL