After working in healthcare, now confused about my path (advice?)

[yourbrah]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for a little advice here. I'm a pre-nursing student and i've completed all my pre-requisites to transfer to a 4-year university. As of right now everything is set up to get into the nursing program next fall. I've worked very hard and have gotten A's in all my major pre-req classes, have a 3.7 gpa, and have done well in all the other major requirements...my counselors are telling me I have a great chance of getting into the program.

Now here is my dilemma: I'm currently working as an EMT and have been exposed to a lot of things and am starting to second guess my decision to pursue a degree as an RN. I feel like i've worked so hard and i've come too far to turn back. I thought I could handle it before, but even as an EMT some of the odors and other things that come from patients and their diapers etc. are unbearable...I don't know if I can handle doing this among other things as a career.

What are your thoughts? I feel like I will be set back a couple years if I change the direction of my pursuit...are there any recommendations for alternative options/careers that would utilize the education I already have?

[guiltysins]

There are a lot of different areas of nursing, unlike EMT. You can work in an area where you are least likely to encounter those kinds of things like Psych, Mother/Baby ect. You can also work in an outpatient setting like in a clinic, public health or home health with relatively healthy patients. You could go on to get your MSN and become a nurse practitioner.

Of course to do all of this you need to survive nursing school. There are a lot of things I know I don't want to work in after school, but I know I have to just suck it up and get through it while I'm in school, and I'm prepared to do that, but there's a lot of avenue's for nursing, you just have to find something that you like about nursing and focus on it, then find a position where you can do that.

You could also consider other health programs with similar pre-reqs like ultrasound tech, radilogy tech, physical therapy, speech pathology.

[luvthegsp]

Now here is my dilemma: I'm currently working as an EMT and have been exposed to a lot of things and am starting to second guess my decision to pursue a degree as an RN.

Like the director of my nursing program has stated many times: unless you have worked as an RN, no other experience compares.