Not sure if nursing if for me

[nhunt]

I am 32 and recently returned to college about a year and a half ago. I have changed my major many times because I cannot seem to choose a career path. I do know, however, that I want to be in a medical field. I just recently decided to try nursing and finished up all my pre-reqs. I just applied for the spring evening program and should hear if I am accepted by mid to late Oct. I am currently taking a CNA course to kill time and get some patient care experience and I absolutely hate it. I find myself shaking before walking into clinicals. I'm worried that maybe nursing is not for me and I should try cardiovascular tech instead. I just want to pick something and stay with it because I want to finish school so my husband and I can start a family. I know that being a CNA and being a nurse is completely different but I can't help feeling doubt. Am I overreacting? Does anyone else have similar thoughts? Any response would be helpful because my family and friends are tired of listening to me haha.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

I worked as a nurse aid (CNA) many years prior to doing my nursing training. I ended up moving into mental health and disability simply because the care loads were ridiculous and I was expected to be a kitchen hand, laundry maid, cleaner and a whole host of other stuff, as well as full cares for seven patients. Got to really hate it.

Absolutely love nursing. I'm in my dream job (district nursing) and it is brilliant.

[firstinfamily, RN]

It can be very discouraging to try to enter a field and not be sure if you are going to be successful. That could be part of your anxiety. What happens to you when you enter a patient's room? What exactly is causing you to be anxious? Did you have a negative past experience in a facility? There must be some type of reference point that is causing the anxiety. My daughter just graduated from ultrasound college. She really liked it and there was minimal patient care, and the focus is on diagnosis not the whole patient. There are still a lot of general courses to take with an emphasis on science.