Am i doing the right thing?

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Hey everyone, im only 17 and going to university next year. I really want to become a nurse, but people are continuosly telling me, 'its such a hard job', 'its so sad', etc. And i understand, maybe not as much as i will in a few years, but i know its not going to be an easy job. Sick people are demanding and irrational and i'll have to deal with disgusting things. I also know that i'll be helping people, and making their lives easier even if they dont acknowledge it. But everyones opinion has me doubting my own, so if anyone has any advice or happy stories, that would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks so much,

Emily.

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Specializes in Adult Acute Care Medicine.

Sounds like you already have a good idea as to what nursing might entail.

I suggest shadowing several nurses (in different areas).

Although it is not easy, I do not regret changing my career.

Nurses DO make a huge positve impact.

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in PACU, Surgery, Acute Medicine.

Nursing is hard but I couldn't love my job more. Shadow so you know what you're getting into!

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Specializes in NICU Level III.

Definitely try to shadow. Not all nursing is the same or for everyone either. If I was on a med/surg floor, I'd probably hate my life. I don't know how they do it.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

Hi Emily! I don't know why a person who is not a nurse feels qualified to comment on it, but people often offer opinions that are best disregarded.

At the top of the page there is a tab called "Articles". It has 34 pages of firsthand experiences written by nurses themselves. I expect after reading them, you'll see the positive side of nursing lives. Warning: You May Cry :)

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

If you have time, try to volunteer some of your time in a hospital. Ask if one of the nurse managers would let you follow one of the nurses around for a shift. Nursing is a lot of things and it is a hard profession to sum up because there are so many speciality areas. A nurse can work in all different types of jobs. It is a very diverse profession. And you never know what you like until you get into it. Some nurses have to work in lots of different areas until they find the area that they like most. For the most part the pay is good and you can usually find a job where ever you go, especially after you have some work experience under your belt. I have been at it for 31 years, doing all types of nursing from med surg to administrative jobs and have had a wide range of experiences. It has been a very good profession for me. You seem to have a basic grasp of what you are getting into. If you are interested, go for it. We need good nurses to take care of us in our old age.

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