advice on becoming a nurse

[kayjayheartsu]

Hey Everyone,

I've been in college for almost 2 1/2 years now. My GPA throughout school is a 3.0. I've never wanted to go into nursing but since the program I wanted rarely accepts anyone theres not much for me to choose from. I've heard some nasty stories, pros, and cons from my mom who was a RN herself. Also reading these forums most of them are negative nellys. So it makes me hate thinking of even going into nursing even more. No one states what kind of nurse they are, the ones complaining might be staff nurses there are tons of different nurses out there and I would like to know how they feel. I really have no idea what I would be good at. I have low self esteem but I try not to let it get the best of me. I'm very organized person. I love to clean. I'm patient but it depends on what situation I'm in. I like to get things done fast and to never be bored. I'm not that great at any subjects in school but I try my hardest. I don't have any talents or inspiration for a career. I want to get a masters degree in healthcare I've thought about OBGYN or nurse practitioner..but thats where my low self esteem kicks in that I'll never be good at anything. I can't handle gross things people say I'll get used to it which could be true. I just dont see myself wiping someones butt, to be honest I can;t stand cleaning up after my dogs mess. It makes me gag. But if I don't like something I'll probably quit. I have trouble following directions and have selective hearing I hope I won't always be like that though. I want to be able to have time for a family, to have enough money to get by, and like most aspects of my job. On a good day, I feel like I'll have time to learn and expereince everything, that it wont be as bad as people say it is, and I'll be a better person for making others happy and to feel better. I just don't want to make the wrong move. Theres nothing else I can do.

[lou12]

Have you considered shadowing nurses at a hospital, you could also shadow other health professionals in the hospital as well such as: pharmacist, social worker, respiratory therapist, ultrasound tech? Seeing them in action could give you some direction.

Volunteering may be an option too, helping out at a nursing home for instance, you can get another view of caring for people.

[tokyoROSE, BSN, RN]

What concerns me most is you saying you can't handle "gross" things, like not seeing yourself wiping someone's butt. That's the first thing I learned in nursing school! And it also concerns me when you say that if you don't like something you'll probably quit. I don't wanna get all judgmental here so....

Why don't you shadow your mom, who is a RN herself? See what her day is like. While you're there, talk to the other RN's about their jobs. After that I have no doubts you'll make up your mind about nursing school.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I have to confess that I sorta shut down after reading your sentence "I've never wanted to go into nursing . . . " Why bother? Give everyone a break and move in another direction.

[Lindzh]

Personally, nursing was the job that I always wanted, and when I was in school and after, I somewhat regretted my decision; while my roommate on the other hand always said she would never be a nurse and that's what she ended up doing and loves it. Shadowing is definatly a good idea, so you can see first hand what nurses do on a daily basis. There are areas in nursing that don't require direct patient care, but do require a few years of direct patient care experience to get into. Can you talk with your advisor at your school about your situation? Many schools offer career aptitude type tests to analyze your interests and abilities to hopefully point you in the right direction.

From my own experience, I love working with the patients for the most part, and I like that there are so many different areas to explore, so if you do get bored in one area of nursing, just try something else. And as far as getting bored, medical advances, the people you work with and for, all areas of nursing are constantly changing to keep you stimulated. I really do not enjoy the politics that go along with nursing, ie: paperwork and pleasing upper management and other accrediting bodies. Hope this helps, and good luck with your decision.