Having second thoughts about nursing

[LifeIsGood76]

Hi everyone! I have been accepted into an ADN program and (after waiting a year) I will be starting nursing school in a week. The past few months I have been having second thoughts about the whole thing, and I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this. While I was waiting to start the nursing program, I became a CNA last year and have been working as a CNA since last July. I hate it. There are some aspects that I love, like taking care of the patients, but I hate the politics. I see the nurses and I'm questioning if I really want to do what they are doing. I know there are so many avenues that nursing can take you, and that is why I am sticking with it, but I am questioning if I even have it in me to be a nurse. I am frustrated because I worked so hard to even get to this point. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!

[frequentFLyER]

About four or five years ago I worked as a phlebotomist and was thinking of doing nursing but saw the same things. The nurses looked miserable so I spent up until now trying to figure it out and how to avoid that. From dental hygiene, to PA, to business, to education management. I can tell you from experience, every field is going to have politics and miserable people. I worked in a corporate office in education management and that to me was worse. All the politics, hierarchy, people not knowing what they're doing (lol) and no patient care. I wound up back in nursing (school) because I missed the hospital and working with patients. If you have that love of caring for patients and you do, you have to try to put blinders on and ignore the BS. Easier said than done some days. I just remember everywhere else has its own garbage but I'd rather be doing something extraordinary for someone else around it.

I think you will enjoy nursing school. You will have an advantage being a CNA and it is going to come naturally. If worse comes to worse and you get a few years experience as a nurse and can't stand it, like you said, there are so many avenues. You can go into informatics, sales, maybe different settings like clinics, insurance, etc.

Congratulations on being accepted! Enjoy it, you're about to hit the ground running.

[LifeIsGood76]

Thank you so much for your advice. I really appreciate it! :)