Am I in nursing for the wrong reasons?

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Today was the my second day of clinicals, and I couldn't help but feel more interested in the condition than the patient. My true motivation to enter nursing was to help others and make a difference in their lives, but today I realized that doesn't fill me with nearly the same excitement as learning about their pathology and treatments. Should I have went into medicine? Maybe it's because I was assigned to a rehab hospital, but I was hoping for a bit more excitement than passing out meds and asking a disgruntled patient how they were feeling.

Specializes in Public Health, Maternal Child Health.

Its your second day :) nursing isnt always exciting. Once you learn a little more and can be trusted to be present during more exciting situations, you will see ALL the wonders of nursing. Again, its your second day! I'm not even sure I can decide if I like an ice cream flavor after 2 days of eating it...let alone my future career. Give it time before jumping to any conclusions. Wait until you see your first surgery, or see a baby being born, or hold a crying family member in your arms whose loved one just died on your shift. Give it time.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

If you think you want "excitement", wait until you're a nurse-some days, you'll be wishing that your are back in school... ;)

"Excitement" is relative; however I'm nursing school the best reason you are eased in is that when a critical moment or "excitement" occurs you would either a) have enough insight to help minimize complications, at least to their assigned nurse and your CI and b) you will be able to help your pt as much as possible appropriately, and you can't do that until you have a grasp of the basics-crawl before you walk, so to speak.

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ED nursing might be a good path for you to explore. I hear they see just about everything.

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Rehab is not exciting or for everyone. Personally I love the thrill of super sick icu patients and ER patients. Other people can't stand those types of patients. It's okay to have a niche.

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It gets better. While I know and appreciate my first 6 weeks of clinicals were at long term care, by the 3rd week I was getting bored. No way you could tell from the care I gave, but boring nonetheless. All their conditions were chronic and managed. I did take the initiative to follow the LPN around during a med pass or two if my patient didn't need me, or watch some wound care procedures for the 1st time.

Now I'm in my 3rd week of clinicals at the hospital and it's much more interesting. Exciting not so much, but things are coming together and making sense. Connecting the dots between lecture and lab and a real live person. Granted, while most of the patients have been assigned have still been 75+, still it's quite the change. Especially now that our instructor is slowly letting us chart our assessments and we start med passes this week.

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Please. Quit.

Jeeze, man. And they say nurses are compassionate...

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