Is nursing right for me or accounting?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hi, as of now I am a nursing major. Right now I am taking the pre-reqs and I am hoping to get into nursing school for this Fall 2017. They sent me a letter that I have been conditionally accepted meaning if I complete all the requirements with certain GPA, I will be fully accepted.

However, the science classes are really getting to me. I've taken A&P 1 twice already to improve my grade. I made a C (79 to be exact) the first time, but now I can't get higher than a 70. I also have to take a biology class and I'm not doing so good in that class either. I feel that if I can't handle those classes, I will have a really hard time in nursing school. And then, I have to take A&P 2 in the summer so I worry that i may not meet the requirements to get full accepted.

I have been thinking about changing my major to something else like accounting. I say this because I really enjoy math; it's my favorite subject. The problem is that I don't want to do something and regret it later. I've talked to a lot of people but have found no help because they "expect more or have higher expectations of me" telling to go to med school and "that I can do better than that (accounting)." Everyone tells me that I should just do nursing

I really do enjoy helping people which is why I wanted to go into nursing. I just want to do something I'll enjoy. I'm not worried about how much money I'll make. I worry with nursing because your exposed to all these diseases and have unpredictable shifts. I also hear how nursing students spend late nights studying. I may just need more discipline on studying because I am really lazy and barely study.

I could really use someone's help like how did you know nursing was for you? Or how was nursing school? Should I just switch to accounting since I'm having all these doubts? Does nursing require math? Should I just switch to something else math-related? Also, I'm sorry for the long post)

(One more thing, I also got my CNA certification, so I have a little background and I did enjoy it and people see me as an introvert which is completely different than being shy)

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

No one but you is going to know what is right for you. I've been a nurse for four decades, and it was right for me. But at one point, I was so burned out I wanted to be an accountant, and perhaps that would have been right for different reasons. The accounting classes I took were fascinating. YOU are the one who is going to have to live with your choice, so don't get too hung up on other people's expectations. (If you are struggling with sciences, you absolutely do not want to go to medical school, even if your grades were high enough to be accepted into medical school.)

Hate sciences and love math -- accounting might just be for you. As a CNA, you should have at least some exposure to what nursing is all about. Introversion makes it more difficult, but is definitely not a deal breaker. I'm an introvert and I know many capable nurses who are also introverts.

"Helping people' is something that you can do in many careers, not just nursing. I'll go so far as to say that people who go into nursing as a "calling" (people who go into the profession without a clear idea what it's all about because they're just so darned compassionate and altruistic) have a harder time than those of us who went into it because it's an interesting and challenging profession with flexible hours, a middle class salary and decent working conditions (as opposed to construction work, the oil fields or any job that has you outdoors in wind, hail, sleet and hot weather). I can make a case that a person who loves math and understands accounting can help people to deal with things like taxes and other financial issues that most of us neither like dealing with nor understand.

Since accounting interests you and you have no guarantee of being able to continue your nursing education at this point (conditional acceptance), why not go ahead and look into accounting. Talk to someone at the school of business and get a good idea of what is required to get an accounting degree, what the job would look like and what the job PROSPECTS look like. Then you'll be more informed and can hopefully make a better decision.

Firs of all, you are not a nursing major yet. As you stated you have not been fully accepted into the program since it looks like you still have to take and successfully finish a few course, and most important, pre-reqs. Also, you keep going back and forth between nursing and accounting which is why I sensed a trail of indecisiveness. Truly, you cannot choose a career just because you like helping people, therefore, becoming a nurse. Many professions out there deal with people-helping aspect. Teachers, for example, help "little" people. My point is, right now is the time for YOU to figure out what is best: nursing, accounting or, maybe, even a third career option. Not to be discouraging, anatomy is very important in nursing and, most likely than not, how well you do in your pre-reqs is a good predictor how well you will do in the nursing school. So, think twice: weigh in all pros and cons.

Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

If you're self-described as a "lazy student", I would not go to a nursing program. It can be very intense with having to study for lecture exams, plus skills exams, physical assessment exams, medication math tests, skills lab homework and written assignments. On top of it all, you still have to go to clinicals and get your clinical assignments done (assessments, labs, procedures, nursing diagnoses, etc.)

You can "help" people in just about any profession, so don't limit yourself to just one choice (nursing), if that's not what you are really enthused about studying. You could be a mathematics teacher. Or perhaps you enjoy Calculus and want to study advanced Physics? Finance, accounting, actuarial science (which involves complex math), statistics, etc., may all be fields you want to look in to. Actuaries make pretty decent money, often times starting at a better salary than new grad accountants.

Bottom line: you need to decide what is the right fit for *you* and not worry about what everyone else thinks.

Thanks for responding! I have actually started looking into another major (computer science to be exact) I just hope that I can make good enough grades in my science classes so my GPA won't go down. Also, it may take a little longer for me to graduate since I'm changing majors so late.

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