Hello! I'm currently 18 years old and I will be attending a 4 year university this fall. My major is microbiology, I picked that because the nursing major is SUPER impacted and I didn't want it to hamper my chances of being admitted. I know microbiology is a course you need to take for nursing so I hope, with the help of my counselor, I can transfer!
I've never been great at science or math (I enjoy writing and english much more), but I always like to push myself. Also the abundance of jobs and necessity for this profession is a plus! Im a people person and I enjoy taking care of others and impacting their lives. With that being said, I heard nursing can be extremely challenging and nurses like to "eat their young" when on the job. All of this makes me extremely reluctant but i still really wanna do it. I don't do too well with confrontation and it makes me anxious to hear nurses can be bullies. Any advice? Can anyone truly do it if they set their mind to it? And most importantly if I do pursue this I will be receiving a BSN, is the extra work for the BSN worth it?
Any comments would be helpful, thanks for your time :)
Hello! I'm currently 18 years old and I will be attending a 4 year university this fall. My major is microbiology, I picked that because the nursing major is SUPER impacted and I didn't want it to hamper my chances of being admitted. I know microbiology is a course you need to take for nursing so I hope, with the help of my counselor, I can transfer!
I've never been great at science or math (I enjoy writing and english much more), but I always like to push myself. Also the abundance of jobs and necessity for this profession is a plus! Im a people person and I enjoy taking care of others and impacting their lives. With that being said, I heard nursing can be extremely challenging and nurses like to "eat their young" when on the job. All of this makes me extremely reluctant but i still really wanna do it. I don't do too well with confrontation and it makes me anxious to hear nurses can be bullies. Any advice? Can anyone truly do it if they set their mind to it? And most importantly if I do pursue this I will be receiving a BSN, is the extra work for the BSN worth it?
Any comments would be helpful, thanks for your time :)
Microbiology may be related to the area that you want to pursue, but it's not in fact IT. So I think if you Really have a love for Micro, then who are we to tell you not to pursue it! Go for it! But you need to pick your major based on what career path you want for yourself. For example, I earned my BS in Psychology emphasis in Counseling. I wanted to be a Neuropsychologist. Now, I could've said: I want to be a psychologist, but I think a social work degree would give me such a good basis before I am one. But it would make more sense in that example to just pursue a degree in Psych; and in your scenario that would be a BSN. If you ultimately want to be a nurse, I Would strongly encourage you to earn your BSN at that university, to answer your question. But that doesn't mean that you cannot double major. I did as well! I earned my BA in Spanish! But double majoring isn't for everybody! It's quite the load to take! Now I'm starting my nursing career, and I'm considering going all the way to masters level to be an advanced practice nurse in neuro (APRN). If you'd like to hear what path I am taking, as there are many, I can do so if you'd like. I say all this to say that double majoring is cool! But make sure you don't waste time or money on something that doesn't put you a step into the right direction on your career path. In your case, I think BSN makes the most sense. I know plenty of friends of mine that are nurses now whose majors were micro, biology, chemistry, etc. but they still ended up having to earn a BSN...so just weigh that. Hope this helps! Please be sensible and don't make any quick/rash decisions about your major/future career! You've got this! Stay encouraged!
Strange? In what way. Nursing is a helping profession, but not because we help patients. We help promote well being. Volunteers are helpers. Nurses want compensation. And we should be paid, and paid well. I guess in a way we help, but it isn't a given that patients "want" help. Giving it real is empowering.
Thank you so much!! By far the most helpful answer, this is exactly why I posted this question. I think shadowing would be a wise choice. I have a great local hospital here with many shadowing opportunities, I appreciate the feedback. Again thank you!
For what it's worth, take what people say here with a grain of salt. I think firsthand experience, shadowing where you can by volunteering, and reaching out to actual nurses that you can talk to and bounce ideas off of in-person will prove to be invaluable. As you've said, you've received more discouraging and crude comments than helpful ones. With that being said, I wouldn't exactly use them as primary sources to deter you from your goals. But as someone who has received 2 previous Bachelors in different, and is just now starting my nursing journey, I think you are taking a wise step in reaching out! Definitely keep asking more questions, you need to research more so that you can corroborate some of the comments that have just been thrown there (i.e. There is a nursing shortage), and you need to speak in person to a variety of nurses, and lastly get out there. Get exposure. See what you can. Saying that you want to help people, and that that is why you want to do nursing, is neither a cop-out nor inherently naive answer. I think your heart is in the right place, but you Do need to educate yourself in those ways I stated above in order to make the wisest decision for yourself. Don't let others discourage you, just make an informed decision. Best of luck to you!
Hi. Who was crude? Can you point out the crude post, please?
Microbiology may be related to the area that you want to pursue, but it's not in fact IT. So I think if you Really have a love for Micro, then who are we to tell you not to pursue it! Go for it! But you need to pick your major based on what career path you want for yourself. For example, I earned my BS in Psychology emphasis in Counseling. I wanted to be a Neuropsychologist. Now, I could've said: I want to be a psychologist, but I think a social work degree would give me such a good basis before I am one. But it would make more sense in that example to just pursue a degree in Psych; and in your scenario that would be a BSN. If you ultimately want to be a nurse, I Would strongly encourage you to earn your BSN at that university, to answer your question. But that doesn't mean that you cannot double major. I did as well! I earned my BA in Spanish! But double majoring isn't for everybody! It's quite the load to take! Now I'm starting my nursing career, and I'm considering going all the way to masters level to be an advanced practice nurse in neuro (APRN). If you'd like to hear what path I am taking, as there are many, I can do so if you'd like. I say all this to say that double majoring is cool! But make sure you don't waste time or money on something that doesn't put you a step into the right direction on your career path. In your case, I think BSN makes the most sense. I know plenty of friends of mine that are nurses now whose majors were micro, biology, chemistry, etc. but they still ended up having to earn a BSN...so just weigh that. Hope this helps! Please be sensible and don't make any quick/rash decisions about your major/future career! You've got this! Stay encouraged!
Yes everything you are saying makes complete sense. I just picked microbiology because the nursing major was extremely competitive and I knew if iI applied with that major, my admission would be rejected. Ive earned good grades throughout high school but I knew there were far more qualified students applying as a nurse, so microbiology just seemed relevant and made sense. I would love to hear what path you are taking, I'm trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can!
Specializes in Psych., Rehabilitation, Developmental Di.
A BSN is always good for your career. It will not make you a "better" nurse. More education is a plus. I did some teaching after returing. One of my pet peeves was to shed light on the "I like helping people" reason for being a nurse. We help, but nit in the traditional sense. We help promote well being. We help deliver health care. If you think you're going to just help people, it's just not so. It's complicated, keep asking questions. You have plenty of time. Good luck.
She didn't receive disparaging comments, she received realistic ones. Is there a nursing shortage? No. Not for newly licensed nurses there isn't. Do nurses get bullied? Yes. But so do people in every other type of work. It's not just specialized to nursing.
I'm sorry. To be clear, our tone, and patience with her is what can help in leaving her feeling either discouraged or encouraged. I agree with you though, we could give her the most best conceived and enlightening answer on the planet, and whether she's encouraged or not will still be up to her. But honestly my point was only to point out to her that some people Didn't speak to her very politely or patiently. And to just take what they've said with a grain of salt. She's 18. Think about how much patience you needed from someone at that age....at any rate, I'm not that good at this tit for tat stuff so Ima' just go on ahead and just leave this right here.
*backing away slowly before I piss anybody else off*
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I'm sorry. To be clear, our tone, and patience with her is what can help in leaving her feeling either discouraged or encouraged. I agree with you though, we could give her the most best conceived and enlightening answer on the planet, and whether she's encouraged or not will still be up to her. But honestly my point was only to point out to her that some people Didn't speak to her very politely or patiently. And to just take what they've said with a grain of salt. She's 18. Think about how much patience you needed from someone at that age....at any rate, I'm not that good at this tit for tat stuff so Ima' just go on ahead and just leave this right here.
*backing away slowly before I piss anybody else off*
I'm not "pissed off" & no one has but anything but honest with her. The same way they will treat her in school & the nursing program. If she can't handle this, she can't handle nursing.
Thank you so much!! By far the most helpful answer, this is exactly why I posted this question. I think shadowing would be a wise choice. I have a great local hospital here with many shadowing opportunities, I appreciate the feedback. Again thank you!
You're very welcome! I'd also encourage you not to really engage much with those who aren't really trying to make peace here. If they're ruffling your feathers, it may just be best to say your piece, and then leave the rest alone, and just filter through your thread to see what facts everyone has given so that you can take itback to your counselor, and nurses in your area, so that you guys can dialogue. Don't go back and forth. Have a good one!
I'm sorry. To be clear, our tone, and patience with her is what can help in leaving her feeling either discouraged or encouraged. I agree with you though, we could give her the most best conceived and enlightening answer on the planet, and whether she's encouraged or not will still be up to her. But honestly my point was only to point out to her that some people Didn't speak to her very politely or patiently. And to just take what they've said with a grain of salt. She's 18. Think about how much patience you needed from someone at that age....at any rate, I'm not that good at this tit for tat stuff so Ima' just go on ahead and just leave this right here.
*backing away slowly before I piss anybody else off*
Thank you for your patience I genuinely asked this question for honesty, yes but I was surprised that mostly ALL the feedback given was negative. I appreciate you taking time to be honest AND kind (cause believe or not you can be both).
I'm not "pissed off" & no one has but anything but honest with her. The same way they will treat her in school & the nursing program. If she can't handle this, she can't handle nursing.
Okay well you can get your point across without being discouraging. And if thats true about school and a nursing program, and thats how i will be "treated" well then I will find that out very soon, and I hope to prove you wrong.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Okay well you can get your point across without being discouraging. And if thats true about school and a nursing program, and thats how i will be "treated" well then I will find that out very soon, and I hope to prove you wrong.
No one has been discouraging but they have been completely honest with you. It's not all unicorns, rainbows & sunshine all the time.
Shanty3710
42 Posts
Microbiology may be related to the area that you want to pursue, but it's not in fact IT. So I think if you Really have a love for Micro, then who are we to tell you not to pursue it! Go for it! But you need to pick your major based on what career path you want for yourself. For example, I earned my BS in Psychology emphasis in Counseling. I wanted to be a Neuropsychologist. Now, I could've said: I want to be a psychologist, but I think a social work degree would give me such a good basis before I am one. But it would make more sense in that example to just pursue a degree in Psych; and in your scenario that would be a BSN. If you ultimately want to be a nurse, I Would strongly encourage you to earn your BSN at that university, to answer your question. But that doesn't mean that you cannot double major. I did as well! I earned my BA in Spanish! But double majoring isn't for everybody! It's quite the load to take! Now I'm starting my nursing career, and I'm considering going all the way to masters level to be an advanced practice nurse in neuro (APRN). If you'd like to hear what path I am taking, as there are many, I can do so if you'd like. I say all this to say that double majoring is cool! But make sure you don't waste time or money on something that doesn't put you a step into the right direction on your career path. In your case, I think BSN makes the most sense. I know plenty of friends of mine that are nurses now whose majors were micro, biology, chemistry, etc. but they still ended up having to earn a BSN...so just weigh that. Hope this helps! Please be sensible and don't make any quick/rash decisions about your major/future career! You've got this! Stay encouraged!