Should I do nursing or follow my dreams?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I decided to do nursing last year. I wanted to be a broadcast journalist or print journalist or editor. But, I decided that it was too much risk to go to school and get a degree in a field where it's difficult to find a job. (Much less a well paying one...)

I don't particularly like nursing (HATE hospitals. HATE THEM.) or science. I do really enjoy health and nutrition and psychiatry. I was really looking into PA school (Nursing seems like the most logical major to lead to PA school...) or getting a Masters and being a NP.

Nursing has many things that are important to me. Job stability, good pay, benefits. My only real concern are the 12 hour shifts or overnight shifts. I don't ever want my job to become my life. I want a family. I want to be able to travel a little. I want to be able to save money.

I also don't want to regret my decision to become a nurse. I don't want to regret not going for my dream career in journalism.

What do you think? Could someone maybe give me the pros and cons of being a nurse from a nurse's prospective?

Hi there. Like you, I love psychology, wellness, nutrition and writing and I can't decide. I have my BS in psych (worthless!).Nursing is an excellent option for income and stability. RN's can work in many specialty's in many environments with flexible hours. Here are my thoughts for you. With a degree in a specialized field(nutrition,nursing etc) you can be an "expert writer in that field" as opposed to an "at large journalist". Meanwhile you have a stable job in an in demand field. RN licensure is fairly standardized nationally, not so with psychology or nutrition/dietetics. A Masters degree will be required in those fields in most states with heavy unpaid clinicals. Masters degree are hard! I have not found out yet how nurses can be counselors or nutritionists yet but I will update you.

At the very least get your science/math courses and decide later. You can get a BS in dietetics to get RD (registered dietician) also but will do food service internships which may not appeal to you.

Anyone with ideas on how to combine my love of the health/counseling/nutrition fields ?

I agree with some of the above posters, while nursing does not have to be your dream job in the strictest sense, while nursing doesn't have to be " I wanted to be a nurse since I was 10 years old!", at the very least you have to be able to tolerate the profession and put in enough effort to be good, proficient at the profession. I am sure there are accountants, cpas, teachers, etc.... Whose dream job is not teaching or accounting or business etc.... But are still good accountants and teachers nonetheless.

The point is whilst your profession does not nesscairly need to be the dream job, it should afford some sort of personal interest and it should exert some sort of purposeful effort that ensures you do a good job - il leave it to others to define what is good

Specializes in Telemetry.
Nursing is an excellent option for income and stability. RN's can work in many specialty's in many environments with flexible hours....Meanwhile you have a stable job in an in demand field.

*cough* *cough* Try telling that to the many unemployed, underemployed, and underpaid nurses out here. Work can be scarce and some places are cutting pay/benefits.

Specializes in Addictions/Mental Health, Telemetry.

Why on earth are you thinking about becoming a nurse??? You're going to hate it!!

It seems like the perhaps you haven't done enough research yet. Yes, like most everyone on this thread is saying, nursing doesn't seem like your choice. But only you will know after you realize what it really entails.

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