Quit my job! Wah .... advice?

[ChiaLing]

Yikes ... I finally took the incredibly frightening step of leaving my job so I could fully devote myself to becoming a nurse!

I am excited, but also scared out of my mind! I still a nagging voice of doubt in my head that tells me I'm insane. I have a B.A. in molecular and cell biology (was pre-med, but chickened out) and have been working in biotech the last two years. While I didn't actually hate the job, I just kept thinking about how I had always wanted to be in healthcare and not at a lab bench or torturing mice, and I kept wondering, "Shouldn't a job be more fulfilling than this?"

Someone a while ago suggested nursing, so I've been exploring it. The past semester I've been juggling work, volunteering, and taking an evening anatomy class.

I've been mainly looking at acc. BSNs and MEPN programs, but now I'm wondering if maybe I should just start with an ADN program at a CC first before trying to get into NP programs...

Some more personal background: I'm of Chinese descent, though culturally American through-and-through ... and my family is not making it easy for me to choose nursing over something like medicine (or even molecular biology, for that matter).

Have people here been in a similar situation, where they've become sort of disillusioned by working in research and decided to switch to nursing? I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance that I'm not making some huge mistake.

Any other advice or suggestions from anyone are also much appreciated!

Thanks so much for reading the rants of a nite owl ... (whoo whoo)

[WDWpixieRN, RN]

Good call noticing the date of the original post!!

But while we're at it, I just gave my final 2 weeks' notice yesterday and can only just echol what others have said here....my gut is in a huge knot and I worry about what I will do for extra $$$ the next 2 years!!! ARGH!!

Just trying to keep my eye on the goal and hope I survive my first semester toward my ASN!!

[ChiaLing]

Wow, I had almost forgotten about my initial post!

Just for fun I thought I'd update. My, the things that happen in two years!

I got accepted into a direct-entry MSN program and am now finishing up the 3rd of 4 pre-RN semesters! I will be eligible to take the NCLEX in January 2007 and I LOVE nursing school and clinicals. I am so glad that I decided to take that leap into nursing!

Once I get my RN, I'll be working full-time (probably in med-surg, as I want to get a good foundation) as I continue graduate studies part-time. If all goes as planned, I'll be graduating in 2009 with an MSN/FNP.

As for my parents, well ... my mother came around and seems excited for me. My father is still kind of on-the-fence about nursing, but is slowly showing some more support. I try not to let his attitude affect me though - after all, I am an adult, and I need to do what makes me happy in life.

I would encourage anyone who is interested in nursing to explore your options - there are so many choices available to you as a nurse.

Thanks for all the encouragement, folks!