Should I become a nurse for the money??

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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i am 16, and i am going to be a junior soon, and i have to start getting ready for sat's, and act's. you know the whole high school/college process, but anyway's everyone keeps telling me to become a nurse.

i love to help people, but at the same time i like to be alone, or with a few people. when i see pictures of people suffering i want to help them. especially in underdeveloped countries. i've gone back and forth between choosing to become a nurse, but a part of me keep's saying no it's not for me. i feel like, if i don't become a nurse, and save lives then i am worthless. plus i am horrible at science. i am taking chemistry right now, and i have a 69%/d+ in the class, and i am not passionate about science.

i thought about becoming a pediatric travel nurse. i don't like hospitals all that much. the blood doesn't bother me much, but it's the diseases, and other stuff such as ring worms, sores, and etc that makes my body queasy, and hard to concentrate. i literally can not look at them. i do feel like nursing is the only way that i can help people.

i thought about becoming a special education teacher to younger kids, and teaching abroad also, but everyone say's not to become a teacher, and i'm not passionate about teaching.

i am passionate about mentoring younger kids/teens, and helping them better themselves, and teaching them self respect. i want to help people in underdeveloped countries, and in bad circumstances, and teach people about std's, but many people keep telling me to become a nurse, and the pay is good, but i'm not passionate about it. honestly i do not know what i want to do, but i want to have an ok paying job $35,000-$40,000 for a single person. what should i do. i am going to be in the 11th grade in 5 months, and it goes by fast and then bam senior year is here. what on earth am i going to do!!!! should i just settle and become a nurse? people keep telling me that i only live once, and that i should follow my dream. i love to help people, but at the same time i like to be alone. i am horrible at science, and bad at math. i am more of a doer. i like to do stuff.

sorry for the long message

thanks for your response. I'm looking at going into soecial education. I live in Florida and FSU offers a BA/MA special education program which you get both degrees in 4 or 5 years. I want to double major but I don't know in what other field . maybe criminology. But I want to reach special education abroad also and help kids with disabilities to get the chance to learn because everyone calls them "worthless"

Hehehe...I'm sorry, I'm just giggling over the idea of entering nursing "for the money".

But seriously, the answer is no. Not for the money. Taking care of people is something you have to enjoy doing. And you also need to develop a high tolerance for all the non-care you do, like paperwork, having to work off-shifts, weekends and holidays. You need to develop a thick skin--you can do your very best work, following all the practice guidelines and even go the extra mile, only to be repaid with ingratitude and suspicion from patients and family. You can't let this get to you.

You say you're terrible at science. Your first nursing courses will be nothing but science, so you'll have to get good at it.

On the other hand, being a nurse has given me the flexibility of working shifts around my husband's job so we could avoid the hassle of day care. I also work part-time, so I've been able to pursue other employment interests. And working for agency has exposed me to many different care settings (although you can't work agency until you've worked at a job in a hospital or long term care, usually for at least a year).

I admire your passion, but for the well-being of the lives that will be put in your hands... Please don't become a nurse just for the money.

Have you considered occupational therapy?

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

"should i just settle and become a nurse? "

if you think becoming a nurse is settling in any way, don't do it. whoever told you it is easy has not gone to nursing school or worked as a nurse.

Everyone make nursing sounds so horrible. It's not really encouraging for those interested in it. I am currently a CNA and I have a great time working in the nursing home. I am doing my prerequisites for my BSN and I am extremely excited about it. You just have to know what you are getting into before you make that decision. Don't' speak so negatively about the profession in order to steer someone away!

Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele.

Deciding what you want to do with you life is hard. I am 34 and I still don't have a handle on that question because my priorities have changed. You need to do what makes YOU happy, not what PEOPLE tell you. If you are not good at math and science then it will be really hard for you to make the grades necessary to get into nursing school.

For now I suggest that you concentrate on getting into college as a liberal arts or undecided major. Spend a year or 2 taking core curriculum classes and electives from different subjects that interest you.

No matter what.... do not choose any career based on the money. If you do that then you will find that you do not enjoy your work and you will not want to go to work every day.

Specializes in Hospice, home health, LTC.

I would encourage you to find another career. Nursing is so much more then just the money, and if you are not PASSIONATE about people's problems and trying to find a way to help them then you have no business being a nurse. Period, end of discussion.

Don't become a nurse fir the money. Do something you're passionate about! You could be an aid worker, social worker, foster parent, sexual councelor (maybe at a crisis pregnancy center or sexual education program), use your brain and think about what you are passionate about. Don't think nursing is the only profession where you can help people. There are tons of needs out there, find one that you are passionate about meeting Anne work to meet it!

Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.

plus i am horrible at science. i am taking chemistry right now, and i have a 69%/d+ in the class, and i am not passionate about science.

i don't like hospitals all that much. i do feel like nursing is the only way that i can help people.

should i just settle and become a nurse?

no. there are a lot of other ways to help people.

at the same time, you have plenty of time to change your mind. good for you for taking the time to think this over and gather opinions. you'll probably end up pretty good at whatever you choose.

Specializes in none.

i am 16, and i am going to be a junior soon, and i have to start getting ready for sat's, and act's. you know the whole high school/college process, but anyway's everyone keeps telling me to become a nurse.

i love to help people, but at the same time i like to be alone, or with a few people. when i see pictures of people suffering i want to help them. especially in underdeveloped countries. i've gone back and forth between choosing to become a nurse, but a part of me keep's saying no it's not for me. i feel like, if i don't become a nurse, and save lives then i am worthless. plus i am horrible at science. i am taking chemistry right now, and i have a 69%/d+ in the class, and i am not passionate about science.

i thought about becoming a pediatric travel nurse. i don't like hospitals all that much. the blood doesn't bother me much, but it's the diseases, and other stuff such as ring worms, sores, and etc that makes my body queasy, and hard to concentrate. i literally can not look at them. i do feel like nursing is the only way that i can help people.

i thought about becoming a special education teacher to younger kids, and teaching abroad also, but everyone say's not to become a teacher, and i'm not passionate about teaching.

i am passionate about mentoring younger kids/teens, and helping them better themselves, and teaching them self respect. i want to help people in underdeveloped countries, and in bad circumstances, and teach people about std's, but many people keep telling me to become a nurse, and the pay is good, but i'm not passionate about it. honestly i do not know what i want to do, but i want to have an ok paying job $35,000-$40,000 for a single person. what should i do. i am going to be in the 11th grade in 5 months, and it goes by fast and then bam senior year is here. what on earth am i going to do!!!! should i just settle and become a nurse? people keep telling me that i only live once, and that i should follow my dream. i love to help people, but at the same time i like to be alone. i am horrible at science, and bad at math. i am more of a doer. i like to do stuff.

sorry for the long message

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there is a lot of other jobs to do for money that do not pull at your personal life. go into banking, investment broker, and so forth. nursing is full of tears and fears. read some of the post here. mortuary science. mba. there are hundreds of unemployed nurses.

Specializes in Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Nursing.

Investing in real estate rental properties is a great way to make incredible money. You can invest in real estate passively, part-time, while working full time at a job in another field that will give you satisfaction and good health benefits. I'm a nurse (part-time, 32 regular hours, not including OT, per week for the benefits) working nights (am at work right now!) and also have my real estate broker's license along with 10 rental apartments (low income, Section 8 housing, primarily...which helps make you feel you're making a difference in itself). The flexibility of being able to work any of 3 shifts with nursing has changed my life and is a major reason I love nursing. I make $80,000/year in nursing + $80,000/year from my rental apartments. I would strongly encourage you to find a job that you enjoy (nursing is wonderful!) and do that plus get into owning and renting residential real estate part-time. When you get involved in rental real estate you will be absolutely amazed at how much money you can make from it as a side business to your primary occupation. Real estate can function as your own personal 401K and retirement strategy as well as something like a "family business" that you can pass down to your heirs. Once you get older you'll find out that working harder is not always better. It's better to work smarter and not trade your hours for dollars, rather, leverage your money where in effect you duplicate yourself and you're earning money in addition to working your job. You are so young, I wish I would have known about the power of real estate at age 16 instead of just learning about it a little before 30 as I did. I would have been financially independent at age 36 right now. One of my friends started young (at age 21) in real estate and he owns 890 apartments right now and will be retiring at age 55 earning a $500,000.00 per year income and $10,000,000.00 net worth from his paid off buildings. Amazing.

Thankyou all for your responses, and for becoming nurses And taking care of us people : ) . What other advice would you give to those that want to become nurses.

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