Advice...anyone??

[pmarcotte]

So I am currently enrolled in the special ed/ elementary ed program with about 2.5 years to go. I have all my gen eds done...but im thinking about becoming a nurse. my bf's mom is a nurse and she keeps telling me that i would love it. i have always gone back and forth between teaching and nursing and landed in teaching because there is less science..which i am not great in. So many things intrigue me about nursing...like all the different things you can do, the hours are flexible (good to raise a family in the future)...im just nervous to make such a change..any comments or advice would really help me. im at the point where its all i think about. i need to make the decision now before i get to deep in teaching classes..

ahhhh

[AtomicWoman]

Can you shadow your boyfriend's Mom one day (follow her around at work)? Or shadow another nurse? Can you volunteer at a hospital and see what it's like?

Nursing school will require a huge commitment of your time and energy, and you should definitely research it before making that leap. Read a bunch of the posts on all the different allnurses forums to get a feeling for what it's like to be a nurse. Just because someone else thinks you'll be a great nurse (which is always nice to hear!), that doesn't mean YOU will think it's the career for you. So take your time making this decision.

One other thing you can do is take some science courses at school, such as biology and chemistry. If you do great in them and love them, that will help you, because science courses are really important in getting accepted to nursing school. If you decide you just can't stand taking science courses... well, then you'll have to decide what to do.

Best of luck in whatever path you choose!

[txnursingqt]

I am just like you. I was attending the University of Texas in Austin and was going for special ed but I realized that what I really wanted was to be a nurse. It was really tough for me to finally make the change and to stick with it. I have often wondered if I am doing the right thing and I get scared thinking about starting NS. But as my mom and others who know me keep telling me - I am meant to be a nurse and that is my true calling. I fought it for a while but I know it is where I belong. All I can tell you is that you have to decide for yourself and not let others influence you. If teaching is what you want to then go for it! That job is also good for raising a family. And remember if you become a teacher and aren't happy you can always do a bridge to a BSN later on. They say that more and more young people today do not stick with one career for their entire lives. You are never stuck if you don't want to be. Good luck!!