A bit discouraged

Sam I Am · Nov 2, 2009

From my experience as both a tech on Med/surg for 2 years and as a nursing student, I can tell you that Med/Surg is the armpit of nursing. It is constantly understaffed and overworked, in addition to being a dumping ground for the patients that no one else wants. I have nothing against med/surg nurses or techs, I'm simply stating a fact. It's hard work, and is often under appreciated or "looked down" on by other nurses.

Having said that, working in a specialty area is MUCH different. I currently work in an ICU stepdown unit and also get floated to the ER/ICU a lot. Those areas are totally different; staffing is usually better, there is a lot more autonomy, and you're treated better by other staff. Sad, but true. Personally, I feel that med/surg should get more respect, but they don't.

Don't judge the entire nursing profession by 1 area or 1 hospital; it's a great profession. In addition, the clinical experience as a nurse will be invaluable to you as a PA or NP. I don't know much about CRNA, but I don't imagine that clinical experience would matter that much since you'd just be putting people to sleep.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Nov 4, 2009

I second the don't judge the entire hospital by one section. I love my current floor, ortho/neuro/detox, and detest med/surg. I always think about moving on to the ICU, but I just don't know. I get stressed by events when they don't occur....

I think every area has it's own postives and negatives. I felt like being a tech really gave me a leg up on everyone else.

I don't worry when patients or others ask me "oh are you going on to be a doctor?" I enjoy taking care of patients, and seeing them consistantly, and NOT getting called when I'm off the clock. I tellthem I don't want to be a doctor and have to deal with all the extra stuff.....

good luck with whatever you decide...

HumptyDumpty · Nov 4, 2009

Dude, you sound exactly like me. I got my first bachelors in biology/chemistry, couldn't find a job and decided "what the hell" lets go into nursing. I am wrapping up my accelerated BSN program and was denied admission into a NP program (I was planning on graduating with the BSN and jumping right into a grad program) because I have no experience but 2 degrees with a 3.7 GPA... Give me a break. Seriously man, go to PA school if your end goal is to be a mid level provider. Skip the nursing crap.

JayVArn · Nov 4, 2009

It sounds like you would be happier in PA school. I'm in the ICU and there is a lot of butt wiping (I still really like it and am really happy where I am). That would be the fastest way to get to your goal

K.P.A. · Nov 5, 2009

I suggest talking to nurses who like their jobs.

If they suggest another career...

synbadd · Nov 8, 2009

i ran into the same thing with an ATI test. What we were taught and the answer ATI wanted were totally different. I dont like ATI because its not taylored to your individual program. Its very discouraging when half the questions you are just blindly guessing cause you have never been taught the material

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 8, 2009

I love nursing, although it took awhile for that to happen.

Consider that NPs often have wider scopes of practice than PAs.

And forget anyone who doesn't get that you're a guy who wants to be a nurse. I have worked with great nurses who happened to be men and compassion is not an exclusively female trait.

And remember, as a guy you WILL advance faster than the women. Not fair, but reality. And an advantage.

Every area of health care is overburdened with total care people. If they're not total care they pretty much get sent home.

Good luck. A BS in bio doesn't open many doors. You need a doctorate to really get anywhere, so why people wonder why you want to be a nurse is beyond me.

RNandRRT · Nov 9, 2009

Everyone I ever was in contact with was very supportive. Family, friends, and co-workers.

If it's what you really want to do, just do it.

OTAS · Nov 11, 2009

Nursing will be a second career for me (after 20 years in advertising), and a number of my nursing friends (both men and women) attempted to dissuade me from pursuing it. I'd say the pros and cons were about 50:50. Nonetheless, I trusted my gut and decided to go for it. I've had a few second thoughts along the way, but they're more and more rare as I get closer to graduation (next May). I think I made a good choice.

Here's what I've learned about career advice from other nurses: It's important to remember that people go into this profession for a variety of reasons, only some of which relate to the actual nature of nursing work itself. Some entered the profession because their mother or other relative was a nurse, and simply followed in the family footsteps. Others became nurses because nursing paid enough to provide a measure of financial independence sufficient to allow them to move from small towns to a bigger city, emigrate to another country, or achieve other purely practical goals. I've had older nurses tell me that they went into nursing because it was--in the past--one of only a very few career options for women.

My (admittedly limited) experience in my nursing-school practica has shown me that nurses who entered the profession because they were drawn to nursing work itself are generally happy in their jobs. Even the ones who've been doing it for 20 years or more often still have a lot of heart and enthusiasm for what they do. They're the ones who are willing to share their experience with students, spend some of their limited time answering patients' questions or reassuring family members, and they're the ones who continue to learn and grow as nurses. I've been fortunate to work with a few of these nurses during my program, and they've helped confirm my confidence in my decision.

If nursing work appeals to you--both the physical and emotional aspects, both the technical stuff and the 'dirty' work--then I would encourage you to pursue it. But: If you've ambivalent about the work itself and you're approaching nursing as a means to another end, I'd urge you to think twice. You could very well end up like some of the nurses who attempted to discourage you from entering the profession.

One more thing: nursing is huge and varied profession. If med/surg isn't your thing, you might try a specialty practice. I'm currently working as an ESN (employed student nurse) on a cardiac surgery/cardiology ward, and I really enjoy it. The patient load is manageable (4-5 on days, 6-7 on nights; mine is less than that because of my student status) and nurses have quite a lot of autonomy. The working relationship with physicians is very collegial, and there's a lot of respect for nurses' work. It's what I expected nursing work to be like.

As for being asked why I didn't decide to be a doctor, it happens from time to time. It doesn't bother me, though. Perhaps that's because I'm too old (53) to contemplate 8-10 years of med school and residency. I've identified another reason since being in school, though: I've seen what doctors' work looks like, and I prefer nursing work. I spend more time with patients and have had the opportunity to develop some good therapeutic relationships. That's very rewarding for me, and I don't think I'd get the same satisfaction from being a doctor.

'Sorry for the long post, but it sounds like you've got a big decision to make and I hope I've been helpful.

Good luck.

ArkansasFan · Nov 14, 2009

I'm with you. I have what is on most days a cool job although I'm about to the point where I'm tired of doing it. I like change in the work place A LOT.

That said, I have a B.S. as well, and there's not much that I can do with my degree. I even taught h.s. biology for a while although I took no education courses in college and literally sat through a seminar to get a teaching license. The jobs I've had were jobs with which a degree of some sort was only a requirement or where I got paid more as a result of having it. Along with my B.S. I just happen to have all of the prereqs for nurse school, but I lack organic chemistry usually required by PA school and always required by med school. I also lack physics. How I got out of that is interesting.

Frankly, I don't want to take those classes, and I'm really skeptical about amassing the debt of med school and spending four years studying. Although that area is interesting to me intellectually I feel like I'd eventually get tired of reading about it. I'm also very much afraid that President Yomama will take away any perks associated with being a physician.

At any rate, I'm once again considering nursing school having previously (just this year) ruled it out entirely. Like you, I ultimately want to do other things with it. I used to work some as a paramedic and have for several years thought about transitioning from EMT-P to RN via an abbreviated course, however, I let the paramedic certification lapse while keeping the basic EMT cert. I have no intentions of working on an ambulance again, and I don't have time to keep current so I let it slip by the wayside. I was in paramedic school at a community college near where I got my B.S. degree. Neither institution knew that I was enrolled in the other. I took 36 credit hours one semester (fall 2001). Paramedic school did give me a significant interest in working as a CRNA.

I think becoming a PA would be more difficult than becoming an MD/DO in many respects. There are less schools, there is an increased demand for PAs, and I keep seeing the profession listed as "hot" which is going to attract more people to it making more competition for getting in. Additionally, a lot of qualified premeds don't want to subject themselves to the misery of medical school and residency. Also, PAs aren't that common in my state, and I don't want to move for long.

Despite all of the above, the biggest hold up I have about becoming an RN is my personality. I am not by any means a nurturer and am fairly aggressive in the workplace. I'm also a bit anal-retentive. I have no problems with taking physician orders and administering meds and performing other nursing duties albeit wiping butts isn't all that wonderful of an idea to me. Anyway, when I see compassion, and care, and caring, and other such words it makes me think "oh please!" Now, it's not that I'm a giant a-hole or anything because I'm not, and I never had any problem being compassionate with my patients as a paramedic. That's a facade though. When I was a teacher, for example, I'd hear sob stories and just reply with typical "life's tough, get over it, or similar phrases." I know nurses "don't do medical stuff" but seriously that's what I'm interested in. The reason I'm drawn to healthcare is because you have people (physiology) who are sometimes interesting to talk to, disease (microbiology and such), how the disease screws them up (pathophysiology / pathology), and then everything that goes along with that. Being involved with and learning about that is interesting. In short, I'm interested in health and not hospitality.

By the time I did nursing school and got a few years of nursing experience in critical care I don't think I would want to go back to being a full-time student which is what CRNA school would entail. Becoming an FNP would be somewhat more student-friendly, and I'd like to take those advanced courses. Whether I'd work as one is another issue. As I sit here typing this "administration" is the avenue that would ultimately be more appealing to me. I'm a law enforcement officer and have been fortunate enough to "promote" into an administrative position. I like directing law enforcement, budgets, reports, personnel, being a supervisor, application of law and procedure, and all of that. It appeals to my meticulous nature. Even if I quit this I'd like to remain a reserve officer somewhere.

So in summation, I have no clue what to do here, and this reply will in no manner be of any assistance to the OP.

Hey guys,
So here's my background in as few words as possible.
I'm a college graduate with a degree in cell bio and am interested in nursing due to the versatility and advancement potential. I currently work at an urgent care center as a medical assistant, but I also have experience from a med/surg floor as a tech. I was recently accepted to an accelerated RN program at my local community college.
Here's my predicament: I've been discouraged by the majority of the nurses that I've talked to about entering the profession. Most would not recommend it as career that they enjoy. I also really did not like what I saw on the med/surg floor I worked on. Given 14 patients where 8 of them are complete care is not cool. At all. I sort of feel like people will look down on me as a male nurse. The whole "Why isn't he a doctor?". Also, when I go to advising, people look at me like I'm crazy for going in the nursing direction with my current degree in hand.
This is a bit disconcerting because I'm currently torn between waiting it out and becoming a PA or going forward with the nursing profession with the potential of eventually becoming an NP or CRNA. The latter does require experience in the nursing field (duh), but I'm bent out of shape about it because I'm worried I'll be miserable while waiting to gain the experience necessary to move on. Also, if things didn't work out with the advanced degree, I wouldn't want to hate my life.
It is 2 years to a BSN then the extra years for the experience and graduate school. PA school is also a couple years. My grades aren't an issue.
What do you guys think? I feel like most people are discouraging and I'm concerned. I hated my experience as a tech on the med/surg floor. It was simply wiping 8-14 butts non-stop with vitals in between. Will the ICU be different, or will I be miserable? Am I having illusions of grandeur with the NP/CRNA path? I am also male, so I'm very curious if anyone other guys went through the same thought process.
Any advice, encouragement, criticism, etc. welcome. Thanks in advance.

Bob_N_VA · Nov 25, 2009

All things being equal, I would probably opt for the PA program over the nursing. You will greater autonomy as a PA, but probably more job openings as a nurse. Salary wise, PA will pay more unless you go into a specialty as a nurse.

I'm old enough not to worry too much about what other people think about my career choices. I would spend some more time contemplating your options, the answer will come. You are making a life changing decision, don't rush it.