Advice wanted: should I continue with nursing at this point?

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Hello everyone, I am new here and this is my second post on allnurses. My other one is in the OR forum :)

Some background on me: I am 27, have been working on a nursing career since about age 19 (many personal issues made the going slow), I have almost 4 years of experience working as a CNA and I am licensed in CA as an LVN but have never been able to find work (not sure if I need to somehow submit proof of titles? I know the rules are strict around here).

Anyways, I have all of my BSN pre requisites completed for most CA CSU's and was accepted to several, and planned to start one this Fall. Unfortunately, I was falsely accused of a crime and had to drop everything to fight it, the case ended up being dismissed but now I have to re apply all over again. The legal fees of my defense attorney left me in colossal debt and I am now wondering if, even if I do get accepted to a program, would it be worth it? I am in huge fear of getting even further into debt from school, and graduating without significant job prospects. I have friends finishing RN-ADN programs and having to move to obscure parts of the country to work part time noc shift jobs in nursing homes just to find employment. I have read in the papers that RN's without BSN's are being hired in some places to work as CNA's because there is not enough work left anymore due to the economy.

I may or may not be accepted to a BSN program the second time around, I was already denied for Spring admission to the program that previously accepted me last Fall, and I am now applying to start Fall 2014. I am applying to an RN-ADN program as a backup, but it seems that I will almost certainly have to get a BSN after that before I will be hired anywhere.

I am sure that many of you posting here are passionate about your nursing careers, and I have a great deal of respect for that. However, I must be honest here: I am not passionate about nursing as a career. I chose it because my guidance counselor told me there would always be opportunities for nurses, employment would be good and scheduling flexible, but this does not seem to be the case at this point. I am confident that I CAN do nursing, I know I can handle all the dirty work/diapers/blood etc because I did some of the dirtiest of it with 12+ patients at a nursing home for several years, but I was always doing it with the assumption that there would be an eventual payoff of a middle class lifestyle with a flexible schedule. This seems possibly to have been an incorrect assumption.

I should also add that while I was praised by my nursing instructors in LVN program for knowledge, test performance, and execution of skills (IE insertion of folley catheter etc), I have always struggled with patient interaction. I have always been somewhat socially awkward, and sometimes this offends people.

TLDR: 4 years CNA experience, licensed LVN who has never been able to find work, finished with BSN pre reqs and was accepted to several BSN programs but had to abandon them due to life disaster, re applying for next fall but not sure if I should pick a different career due to waning opportunities in nursing and lack of real passion for the field and my lack of aptitude for interpersonal relations in spite of excelling in the technical aspects of nursing. I guess my question is less CAN I do nursing than SHOULD I continue with it at this point, or try a different career?

Lastly, I'm sorry if this comes off as a huge pile of negativity, its not intentional, I am just wondering what I should do with my life.

Thanks for reading all!!!

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I don't have a passion for it and I constantly get high reports from patients after they do their discharge surveys. Just because you don't have a bleeding heart love for a job doesn't mean you can't be good at it. Don't let the uber obsessed and enthralled students fool you, most have never touched a patient and their opinions will change as the years pass.

Best of luck...remember it's just a job.

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Thanks Dranger!

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Maybe you should just see what other majors are offered at local colleges and see if anything interests you! I started out wanting to be a band director and got a music degree before I decided I wanted to do nursing instead. Random, I know, but I guess it just proves that you never know what type of career you might really love until you do research! It's a big big world with lots of opportunity and you are still young! I am 25 and just now trying to get into a nursing program. Good luck, keep us updated!

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Maybe if you like healthcare and technical stuff and want less people interaction...microbiologist or lab tech? Just a thought!

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This sounds like a good idea. Do you know if these careers have the flexibility, opportunities and pay scale anything like nursing?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Reality check - true story

My neighbor's twins graduated a few years ago - both very bright & motivated. The daughter decided to go for nursing (BSN) & the son (against his parents wishes) enrolled in a local tech school for HVAC. Daughter graduated last May... and was only able to land a part time MS night job. She is still looking & getting a bit desperate since she is still (financially) not able to live on her own. Son was recruited by a major company during his last semester of the 2-year HVAC program & the company paid back his loans in return for a 2 year work commitment. He is now a first-line supervisor. He told me that he made $80k last year.

You be the judge. I have also heard great success stories associated with other 'skilled trades' such as electrician. There is a huge shortage & jobs are plentiful in my part of the country. Nursing - - - not so much.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

If you already have a mountain of debt and aren't absolutely convinced that you want to do nursing, I'm not going to advise you to just go for it. Investigate nursing thoroughly, along with any other careers you might be interested in. Then a cost/benefit analysis about the reality of taking on more debt to pay for school.

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see if the counselor at school would do an interest inventory test with you............

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Specializes in Ortho, Case Management, blabla.

If you really want it, do it.

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..............

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Thank you all for the advice! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and write your thoughts.

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