Am I doing this for money???

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Ok Everybody....I have a big question. I am not sure why I want to be a nurse. I am not one of those to whom this is my lifelong dream. I have no life altering experience that has made me want to be a nurse. Yeah , I was in the hospital a few times and was impressed with my care, but I'm not sure that is really why I am going thru all of this craziness of school. After 8 years feeling very bored in my first career, I talked to a few friends and family members who are nurses. Then I did some research and decided I would try it. I am very excited and I feel I know a great deal about what I am getting myself Into. I am very excited and the more I learn the more excited I get. I keep reading about how people can not make it if they are doing it for money, stability, or benifits ....Am I?? I am doing very good in school and WELL....I am just having a scary,moment. I just don't feel that need to care for or need to help yet..Does that come later. Should I stick to research or something??????EEEEK.... sorry this thread probably doesn't even make any sense.....TOO MUCH STUDYING!!!!!!!:confused: :confused:

Specializes in Med-Surg.

I think if you are determined to do it, it doesn't matter why you are doing it. If your only motivation is money, you may hate being a nurse and you may not be a very good bedside nurse. I will admit, the money and job stability was a huge reason I decided on nursing as my second career. I am also fascinated by medical things and I think I am a caring person--I have been a childcare worker for 11 years. My other option was teaching...It was going to take the same amount of time in school for me (I have a BA already) but the pay was the pits, and after weighing the pluses and minuses, nursing won.

What you could do is to make a list of all the reasons you want to be a nurse. Then investigate what you DO enjoy a lot. Can you fit that all into the nursing relm? For example do you want to be a nurse b/c you know that there will always be positions available? And on your list you have that you really enjoy working with law. Then you could very well get your degree and head into working for the state. KWIM? Try to incorporate your desires from both lists.

Make sense? :)

I think you're just being very honest with yourself. Nursing wasn't my life-long dream either. I'm doing prerequisites right now and some of the friends I'm making are those that have dreamed of nothing but becoming Nurses. I feel like a fake sometimes with them. We've all talked about why we've chosen Nursing,and I honestly tell them I always wanted to be a social worker...but after being in the field and all, I changed my mind. I looked around at what would incorporate my personality and likes, and found Nursing was an option. The pay is one factor as well. I don't honestly know of anyone that would go to their job if it didn't pay.......money is a reality.

We used to do foster care, and some people would say "so & so is just doing it for the money"... my reply was "So, as long as they do a good job, what does it really matter?" That is reality. No one does a job JUST for the money. Money isn't THAT important. For myself, I look at the wide scope of Nursing jobs and realize that I will be able to utilize a lot of my social worker skills in this field.

Hurray for you for being honest in your self assessment! You will find your niche and then you'll KNOW it. Congrats!!!

Cheryl Moore

Nursing is not my first career, either, nor was it ever a lifelong dream or "calling". It was more of a pragmatic decision, but, for the most part, has worked very well for me. I did know all along that I preferred to be responsible for my own work, and to do something that provided benefit to someone other than the owners of the company. Nursing does provide career autonomy, and I have found a particular area of nursing that I prefer -- as you will, also. One advantage of being a nurse is in the fluidity of the profession. It is constanlty changing with the times, and you will always find new learning opportunities and new fields of nursing coming into existence. You may be a more satisfied nurse for not having idealized the profession before you made your decision to enter it.

Nursing wasn't my lifelong dream. In fact I DIDN"T want to be a nurse and found out that the very thing I didn't want to do, I love doing! I always wanted to be an EMT. That didn't happen I went to nursing. I feel the need to help and care for sick people, but I don't think that you need to work in a hospital or major care setting to be a nurse. There are a host of jobs out there that being a nurse can move you along in. I would get the nursing degree or certificate.Know that while you're in school you will be exposed to many different aspects and areas of nursing. There is bound to be something that interests you that you can go into...like you said research. Last week, we had the opportunity to see a newly miscarried fetus. Yes it was sad, but very interesting. He belonged to a friend of one of my classmates as well. Anyway, he was very small, about 4 months gestation, and not deformed at all. He had everything fully formed and just needed to grow. I say"he" because you could see a teeny tiny member. My point is, I had never been in a lab before and found it to be very interesting. You never know what area might spur a major interest for you. I know a woman who did not want to be a nurse but went throughan LPN program as a stepping stone to occupational therapy. Keep at it and you'll find soemthing.:) Jill

Specializes in L&D, SICU.

I just wanted to say, YES! I feel exactly the same way as you (ntigrad)! This is also a second career for me, (well more like a second degree, since I don't consider what I did for that last 5 years a "career")...and I have doubts all the time. I just don't know if this is "me". I know I'm caring, I enjoy interacting with the people...but sometimes I just don't know. I won't even get into the details of you it cause you said most of it for me. Oh, except the money part. Not that nursing money is terrible...but I know I'm not doing it for the money because there are many things (ie in the business arena for example) that we could be doing (or studying) that would make us lots more money than nursing. Don't you think?

So for now, I'm going to listen to everyone's advice, and hope they're right, that I'll find the area that I enjoy most and feel more at home and more comfortable with my decision. And I hope you will too!

thanks for posting, it makes me somehow feel better knowing there others out there who have the same doubts and worries as me...

Wow! Thanks to everyone for the great replys. I have been second guessing myself lately for no other reason than my own indecisivness. Just been feelin real down lately.Guess its a self worth thing. Oh well.I am real thankful to all of you for letting me know im not alone. I am pretty sure its just school , work and well....life in general. Thanks!! :-))):kiss

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