First let me say how happy I am to have found this place. What a great resource. I have been reading through past posts for the last three days (I'm on page 35) and have finally decided to post. Everyone seems really supportive, and honest.
I have just started a BSN program this fall. I was excited, nervous, anxious, and proud. At orientation I was happy to see that what I was feeling was right along the same lines as everyone else. However, when classes got started I sensed what I was feeling wasn't quite the same as everyone else. The others were nervous, and anxious because they were starting something new that was foreign to them. While that thought was running through my mind I was more nervous that I had made a mistake. The more classes that we got through the more I was getting scared, and it is really looking like I'm not going to love this nursing thing.
I always knew I wanted to go into the health care field. I had essentially narrowed it down to PT (or PTA) and nursing. I went with nursing because of the wide variety of areas to go into (including the option of masters and doctorate programs), job security, pay isn't half bad, I love knowing how things work, why they break, how to fix them, and usually I have a good way with people. I'm pretty laid back, can be kind of emotional (I tend to take things personally sometimes), and fairly shy. I'm confident that I could work through those things and make some of them work in my favor even but I'm not sure if the feeling of "not liking" nursing will pass after I graduate and I'm able to find somewhere I fit in (if I'm able to find somewhere to fit in).
I'm starting to think I should have done PT in some capacity. Job outlook isn't too bad for PT or a PTA. Pay isn't the same, but that isn't my main concern. All work can be stressful, and no job can boast having 100% satisfaction. It seems that PT/PTA would not be as stressful (does that make some sense)?
There are so many possibilities with nursing, which I love. I'm just not sure if I'd be able to handle going through NS (with certain things that I'm not loving) and then have a job for a few years that I don't like either just to get into a different specialty area or apply to a masters program. Has anyone really disliked what NS was and then ended up loving nursing after graduation?
Wow this got really long, sorry.... but thanks for having this place.
TakeTwoAspirin, I take what you said a compliment. I am however, only in my early 20's. I am though and have always been a little more on the mature side. Not numerically but in other ways. Thank you kindly for your kind words.
Is is possible for a new grad to go into specifc fields that don't deal as much with bedside? Is it highly recommended for a new grad to do a few years first and then start looking in other areas?
There are a couple of schools of thought on this. Many say that a year or so of bedside makes you a better all-around nurse. Others say, find your bliss and do what makes you happy. Facilities are increasingly recruiting new nurses to non-bedside specialties, so the choice will probably be yours to make (at least for the foreseeable future).
I agree with previous posts - trust your instincts.
Nursing is not for everyone - and you're wise not to go down this road if it isn't for you. My oldest daughter got to about where you are now and faced the same hard decision -- she ended up changing majors and is now working in biomedical informatics.
Your pre-reqs are fairly interchangeable with other health careers. PT & OT are both wonderful careers. From what I have seen, there is much less stress associated with all of the "needs meeting" that nurses have to do. Nursing is much more emotionally taxing than most other careers - and the whole "making life or death decisions" thing is really off-putting to a lot of people (like my daughter).
I have worked with nurses (and docs) who really don't like what they are doing - it ain't pretty. Patients deserve better.
I couldn't agree more with patients deserving better. If I was truly unhappy I couldn't fake it. I wouldn't be able to do it day after day. I would have the courtesy to leave the field. I guess I should also say opportunity to leave the field. I know some people are in certain circumstances that may prohibit them from freely leaving and I meant no disrespect to them at all. I have great respect and admiration for all nurses.
I suppose that in certain areas it is much easier to find non bedside job opening so that is something to think about also.
I have been reading through some of the specialty areas and will continue to do so. I also set up an appointment to talk with a professor and counselor.
Thank you all very much. I'm still enjoying, reading, and learning quite a bit from old posts and other forum areas. I really appreciate all the responses. Thanks again
I was really amazed when I read your post because it sounds like something I would write. I was going to go into PT but... 3 years of expensive DPT school, a lot of PTs do administrative work while PTAs do the exercises with the patients, observing PTs do hours of assisted range of motion exercises isn't the most exciting or interesting, and the PT students are really sports minded while I know nothing about sports. You should really observe in a PT clinic if you are considering it. Anyway, I started NS and I'm not really sure if this is for me either. I am incredibly anxious because I'm worried about making any mistakes that could harm a patient and stressed about completing all the assignments. I'm in a med/surg clinical rotation and not crazy about it. I don't know if this is a phase or if I truly don't like nursing. A couple of people have commented that I've lost my enthusiasm and energy. I'm afraid if I quit NS I'll really regret it. If I don't quit I may be tied to a career that I don't care for. When I've talked to my peers they seem like they got into nursing just for the money and they seemed stressed (but not enough to want to quit). I just wanted to share this with you to let you know that someone else is going through this too.
I switched my major from business to nursing, because i realized i love medical sciences, i love learning about anatomy, microbio, nutrition, etc
so i decided on nursing as my career, mid-way thru my second semester i realized i just didnt want to do it, i mean i LOVED lecture bc i loved learning about the disease process, but i hated clinicals and i hated the job of being a nurse
well its been 6months later, and i can say i still sometimes i fee like i should of stuck with nursing, but i realized why, because im scared that I dont know what else i will do? i am finishing up my degree in public health and hope to get a health promotion job, but i still have that fear, getting a job in nursing is much easier
I think one way to figure out if its for you or not, is to look beyond the career opportunties and the pay and think about the worst possible situation in nursing and whether you would still want to do it?
if you still have that passion, i believe nursing would be for you
avsmch - It is nice knowing I'm not the only one feeling that way. So thank you very much for sharing that with me. Especially since you thought about PT. I'm a triathlete and am pretty sports minded (one of the reasons I was initially drawn to PT). I did though also have thoughts of PTA since it's only two years. I feel like the odd man out in NS. It seems everyone else but me isn't having these feelings. I mean they're nervous, but they still feel like they've made the right decision.
nads786 - I can really relate. I too love lecture. It is definitely the highlight. I can also relate to the fear of having to find that other career or job opening. Your last sentence has a great question in it. I had never looked at it that way before. Thank you for that very much.
Thank you both for sharing your experiences and advice. I really appreciate it.
RunHard
25 Posts
TakeTwoAspirin, I take what you said a compliment. I am however, only in my early 20's. I am though and have always been a little more on the mature side. Not numerically but in other ways. Thank you kindly for your kind words.