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 :)
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*
We were honest and supportive and OP "closed the thread" and decided not to be a nurse anymore.
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 don't think the person you are speaking to is a nurse, so she doesn't know what she doesn't know.
I am not discouraging you. Read my posts here to you. Read them all. No one was crude. The NURSES that responded were trying to be honest.
No one has been discouraging but they have been completely honest with you. It's not all unicorns, rainbows & sunshine all the time.
Okay, I appreciate the honesty. Theres not much more I can say, if you don't think the tone of anyone here was a bit discouraging then that is fine, I'm by no means a confrontational person and I usually get along with everyone.
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).
So, take a good look the post I quoted. It clearly demonstrates that you really don't want honest answers from people who have actually spent years, and sometimes decades, as actual practicing nurses. You want warm fuzzies and empty platitudes from a non nurse.
Do you see the flaw in your thinking?
If any of the previous posters (who, by the way, have given you very well thought out and articulated advise) seem less than encouraging to you, then you need to take a good look at yourself and figure out WHY you can't (or won't) accept that they are attempting to give you a realistic picture of a profession that the average civilian can't begin to understand.
You're just getting ready to start college. You have 2 years of pre-reqs to take and pass with very good grades before you declare a nursing major. There's a good reason that universities don't have students formally declare a major before their third year.
Eighteen year olds are a lot like pre-schoolers. Ask a 4 year old what she wants to be when she grows up, and you're likely to hear something along the lines of "I want to be a doctor...or a ballerina...or a pony!" I'm not being flippant or sarcastic, I'm telling the truth. You may change your mind 2 or 3 times before you declare your major.
I, myself, am in my fourth decade of nursing. Have I liked every experience I've had? Nope. Have I ever wished I'd gone into something else, like Meteorology (truth-for awhile I flirted with the idea of being a storm chaser in college)? Yep. Am I glad I became a nurse? Ultimately, I would have to say yes.
Nursing has changed a lot over the past 37 years. I'm about 6 years from retirement, so I'm quite willing to let you youngsters handle the exciting stuff (I worked in the ER of a large Pediatric hospital when I was in school. Loved, loved, LOVED it. Would I do it now? No way). Hospice is my niche now.
Ultimately, you're going to have to make up your own mind. You have been given some good information: There is no nursing shortage. Diploma mills are churning out so many new grads that many look for their first job for months or years after earning their license. Nurses work hard. Period. They are not afforded the pay or respect given to physicians for one reason: they do not generate income to hospitals and facilities. Nurses are actually a minus as far as business offices are concerned. They take money in the form of salaries, yet their work cannot be billed, so there is no remuneration from the government or private insurance. They are subjected to abuse on a daily basis, and management sides with patients and families for the most part, because God forbid they get a negative Press-Gainey survey back.
We aren't telling you these things to be mean, or to burst your bubble. We're telling you these things because we've lived them. We know what we're talking about. Giving you a unicorn and rainbows confetti filled fairy tale about nursing would not do you any good.
So, take a good look the post I quoted. It clearly demonstrates that you really don't want honest answers from people who have actually spent years, and sometimes decades, as actual practicing nurses. You want warm fuzzies and empty platitudes from a non nurse.
Do you see the flaw in your thinking?
If any of the previous posters (who, by the way, have given you very well thought out and articulated advise) seem less than encouraging to you, then you need to take a good look at yourself and figure out WHY you can't (or won't) accept that they are attempting to give you a realistic picture of a profession that the average civilian can't begin to understand.
You're just getting ready to start college. You have 2 years of pre-reqs to take and pass with very good grades before you declare a nursing major. There's a good reason that universities don't have students formally declare a major before their third year.
Eighteen year olds are a lot like pre-schoolers. Ask a 4 year old what she wants to be when she grows up, and you're likely to hear something along the lines of "I want to be a doctor...or a ballerina...or a pony!" I'm not being flippant or sarcastic, I'm telling the truth. You may change your mind 2 or 3 times before you declare your major.
I, myself, am in my fourth decade of nursing. Have I liked every experience I've had? Nope. Have I ever wished I'd gone into something else, like Meteorology (truth-for awhile I flirted with the idea of being a storm chaser in college)? Yep. Am I glad I became a nurse? Ultimately, I would have to say yes.
Nursing has changed a lot over the past 37 years. I'm about 6 years from retirement, so I'm quite willing to let you youngsters handle the exciting stuff (I worked in the ER of a large Pediatric hospital when I was in school. Loved, loved, LOVED it. Would I do it now? No way). Hospice is my niche now.
Ultimately, you're going to have to make up your own mind. You have been given some good information: There is no nursing shortage. Diploma mills are churning out so many new grads that many look for their first job for months or years after earning their license. Nurses work hard. Period. They are not afforded the pay or respect given to physicians for one reason: they do not generate income to hospitals and facilities. Nurses are actually a minus as far as business offices are concerned. They take money in the form of salaries, yet their work cannot be billed, so there is no remuneration from the government or private insurance. They are subjected to abuse on a daily basis, and management sides with patients and families for the most part, because God forbid they get a negative Press-Gainey survey back.
We aren't telling you these things to be mean, or to burst your bubble. We're telling you these things because we've lived them. We know what we're talking about. Giving you a unicorn and rainbows confetti filled fairy tale about nursing would not do you any good.
I wish you luck wherever your path takes you.
Yeah I see what you're saying. and as hard as it is to admit that my thinking is flawed, I will. Its just with the way everyone is explaining their job it sounds miserable and that may be the honesty but I was also hoping that people would include some positive factors. I understand spoon feeding me what I want to hear isn't right either, I appreciate the time you took to write that answer. I will take it all under consideration and I realize I have a lot of time before any concrete decisions must be made. Thanks
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
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).
You do realize you are taking advice from a prenursing student right?
I was simply going to major in microbiology and then transfer into nursing. It is a lot easier to transfer if the majors are relevant to one another. Like for example it would be a lot more difficult for a communications major to transfer into nursing. I'm really new to this so I'm kinda just learning as I go along. No my counselor is not a nurse she is simply giving me the knowledge she has about major changes because that is her area of expertise.
That's really strange, in my school and many others that I know of, those taking prerequisites for nursing can either declare themselves a Pre nursing major or general education major. Getting accepted into the nursing program isn't really actually a formal change in majors for most.
And no, it would not be more difficult, because WHAT you declare your major to be is irrelevant, as long as you are completing the required classes.
I suggest you speak to an actual nursing counselor before you move on, because it doesn't sound like this person is giving you the right information.
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!
I think I understand what you mean. But I think someone forgot to explain to you that admission to a nursing program is usually separate from admission into the school in general. You should have been able to apply as general education, undeclared, or pre-nursing-student. So for example, I applied to the college I went to as Pre nursing. After I completed my prerequisites I applied to the nursing program within the school, it wasn't a transfer of major so to speak.
But that's kind of irrelevant since you are working on your prerequisites.
Nursing is not for everyone, and often it's not what people envisioned it to be. I for one, never thought of nursing for years because I totally underestimated the science and critical thinking involved.
I'm a nerd. I'm loving nursing as a while. I love the science behind things. I love the various routes you can take within nursing. I love the idea of being the final checkpoint for basically everything that happens to your patient. I like the critical thinking and solving problems. "helping people" in the general sense had very little to do with why I applied to nursing school.
I want to be a Midwife, to give other women the empowering experience I had for my last birth. I want to provide evidence based care. In the end, it just so happens that doing that ultimately helps people.
So yes, it can be done. People being bullies and "eating their young" is NOT exclusive to nursing. I worked for multiple companies in retail, retail management, and offices for the past 10 years. That ish is everywhere.
BUT I did alot of research into my area schools and the local job market. What kind of pass rates do the schools have. Do the local hospitals hire their graduates. What kind of jobs are available when I graduate? How competitive is it? How long do graduates in my area take to find a job?
It behooves you to find these answers for yourself! Call around to the local hospitals and ask if they allow you to shadow nurses to see what they actually do. Work as a CNA to see if Healthcare is something you can do long term (while remembering work as a CNA and a nurse are 2 completely different things).
That's really strange, in my school and many others that I know of, those taking prerequisites for nursing can either declare themselves a Pre nursing major or general education major. Getting accepted into the nursing program isn't really actually a formal change in majors for most.
And no, it would not be more difficult, because WHAT you declare your major to be is irrelevant, as long as you are completing the required classes.
I suggest you speak to an actual nursing counselor before you move on, because it doesn't sound like this person is giving you the right information.
Ohhh okay, I understand what you're saying! For example, I could be an anthropology major for all they care as long as all my prerequisites for the nursing program are fulfilled? But does that apply to receiving a BSN as well? also how competitive is it to enter a nursing program? I know science classes can be very hard so will my grades in college need to be good in order to enter one?
I think I understand what you mean. But I think someone forgot to explain to you that admission to a nursing program is usually separate from admission into the school in general. You should have been able to apply as general education, undeclared, or pre-nursing-student. So for example, I applied to the college I went to as Pre nursing. After I completed my prerequisites I applied to the nursing program within the school, it wasn't a transfer of major so to speak.
But that's kind of irrelevant since you are working on your prerequisites.
Nursing is not for everyone, and often it's not what people envisioned it to be. I for one, never thought of nursing for years because I totally underestimated the science and critical thinking involved.
I'm a nerd. I'm loving nursing as a while. I love the science behind things. I love the various routes you can take within nursing. I love the idea of being the final checkpoint for basically everything that happens to your patient. I like the critical thinking and solving problems. "helping people" in the general sense had very little to do with why I applied to nursing school.
I want to be a Midwife, to give other women the empowering experience I had for my last birth. I want to provide evidence based care. In the end, it just so happens that doing that ultimately helps people.
So yes, it can be done. People being bullies and "eating their young" is NOT exclusive to nursing. I worked for multiple companies in retail, retail management, and offices for the past 10 years. That ish is everywhere.
BUT I did alot of research into my area schools and the local job market. What kind of pass rates do the schools have. Do the local hospitals hire their graduates. What kind of jobs are available when I graduate? How competitive is it? How long do graduates in my area take to find a job?
It behooves you to find these answers for yourself! Call around to the local hospitals and ask if they allow you to shadow nurses to see what they actually do. Work as a CNA to see if Healthcare is something you can do long term (while remembering work as a CNA and a nurse are 2 completely different things).
Thanks! I think I was a little frustrated because I'm aware that nursing can be extremely difficult (well I can't say completely, because I'm not a nurse myself), but this women i know is a retired nurse and she told me the hardships of working an everyday job as a nurse and how messed up the healthcare system can be, so I was kinda looking for something else on this forum but your advice is very helpful! But if nursing school is hard, being a nurse is extremely difficult and getting a job after graduating isn't as easy as i thought, why do so many people want to go into this profession? Like nursing is a very impacted career these days
Farawyn
12,646 Posts
We were honest and supportive and OP "closed the thread" and decided not to be a nurse anymore.