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.
It is just a job. But as with all jobs, it has to be one you like doing, or you are going to hate it for the rest of your life. I did jobs I absolutely hated. Dreaded to go to work everyday and never giving it my all because I hated it so bad. The medical field has always fascinated me so I decided to go for nursing. If I had it all to go over again and I was in my 20's I would do something like microbiology or a physician's assistant. I have to be able to support just me and my son soon, so I am going this route. I am sure I will enjoy nursing also. I did retail, insurance, and pharmacy tech and disliked all of them. So I did a lot of job jumping and then settled back into retail because it paid the most. I quit when I got pregnant and have been a SAHM for 8 years. Take some time and consider your options. There are so many out there.
NurseGirl525, ASN, RN
3,663 Posts
It is just a job. But as with all jobs, it has to be one you like doing, or you are going to hate it for the rest of your life. I did jobs I absolutely hated. Dreaded to go to work everyday and never giving it my all because I hated it so bad. The medical field has always fascinated me so I decided to go for nursing. If I had it all to go over again and I was in my 20's I would do something like microbiology or a physician's assistant. I have to be able to support just me and my son soon, so I am going this route. I am sure I will enjoy nursing also. I did retail, insurance, and pharmacy tech and disliked all of them. So I did a lot of job jumping and then settled back into retail because it paid the most. I quit when I got pregnant and have been a SAHM for 8 years. Take some time and consider your options. There are so many out there.