Can anyone offer some advise???

manna, BSN, RN · May 24, 2006

Do you have any friends or family members who are nurses?

Maybe ask a local healthcare facility if you can come in and shadow some of their nurses, or do volunteer work there? Have you ever worked in any sort of healthcare facility?

Good luck!

3rdgenRN2B · May 24, 2006

My mother and grandmother are both rn's. My mother has mixed feelings about her profession-at times she tells me to go for it and she can't wait to attend my pinning ceremony and at other times she tells me not to even consider it. My grandmother just told me the other day that she thinks I'd make a great nurse and she's so proud of me for wanting to pursue it. And it seems that every time I turn around some else is saying they're going to school to become a teacher....I love the idea of helping people and just job stability of nursing as well as the flexible schedules, etc etc etc however then I'll talk myself out of it because I remember how sad i felt when my mother had to work any major holiday-I would hate to do that to my own family.....

I'm so confused.

burn out · May 24, 2006

One thing you may want to consider is job opportunities and salary. I started out wanting to be elementary ed. teacher but changed fields when i realized that jobs were not that available and with the declining in population after baby boomers I don't know what the job market for teachers is going to be. Also, the teachers that I do know do not even come close to what I am making even the starting salary for teachers in my state are far less than a starting RN.

gr8rnpjt, RN · May 24, 2006

You could always go into school nursing after you graduate. Then you would work school hours and have the summer off!. I knew a girl who did this and she is even in the teachers union!. She recently took 2 years paid maternity leave in order to stay home with her baby!

LuvMyGamecocks · May 24, 2006

The options for RNs are SO extensive that you may not work in a hospital. Nurses, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't hospitals and LTC generally where you should be concerned about holiday schedules? DON'T give it up because you're worried about working holidays...there are other options for RNs.

Lucky for you , you've come to the right place. Take a day, evening, morning, afternoon, etc. to peruse through this forum and some of the areas of nursing you MIGHT be interested in if you were to choose to go into nursing. You may find your own answer by reading about the experiences of others.

Good luck!!

bleppity · May 24, 2006

You could always become a nurse, get your MSN and become a nurse educator! We desperately need those, or at least in MS we do. That way you can say you're a nurse and a teacher. :)

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · May 24, 2006

Try to think of what you really want to do when it is in regards to people! Do you wish to see them for a while and then maybe again later, wish to see them frequently but not for long periods of time, or total time with a person. I found that that was a question I should have asked myself before I went into nursing!!!

Now me, always was a medic by heart...however I really liked to help folks for short periods of time and move on...not that I don't like folks...on the contrary...but I was more atuned to acute care like in an ER, or perhaps a medical office instead of being in what I wound up doing which was LTC and Hospital floor.

SO finding that out honestly in yourself is a good start...just how much human contact do you wish per shift, day, week, month??? That can help focus in different areas of both education and nursing.

With that in mind...nursing...well great field for variety, money, and always having a job somewhere..LOL...but can you handle blood/vomit/poop/pee/respiratory secretions you will have to suction/ drainage tubes in various areas...you name it! Does the idea of touching someone with a infectious disease give you the ebbie geebies? Are you comfortable with end of life issues or death? Can you handle work collegues that may not be the sweetest on the grapevine? Can you multitask as fast as the tazmainian devil..LOL!? Do you know CPR or have done it?

These are just some of the realistic not so pleasant parts of a nurses job...so good to keep those in mind...and I didn't touch on the ethical/moral delemas we face daily... However, there are rewards...seeing a little one born or go home with mom/dad after an appendicitis with a smile. Hearing a heart felt thank you from a patient who you can tell thinks the world of you! Having a doc pat you on the back and say "good job! What a great Idea you had!". Saving a patient! Finding resources for a patient that needs them badly. Finding that one drug or combo of drugs to take someones pain away for a while...which I will tell you is usually very gladly accepted by the patient! Holding a small hand and knowing they trust you! And going home feeling that you really did do something big (rare sometimes...but does happen! LOL!).

Many questions, and perhaps many answers too...so I would stick with the first question...how much human interaction do you wish for in a day and start from there :).

Good luck :)

3rdgenRN2B · May 24, 2006

Wow, thank you all so much. What does is take to become a school nurse or nurse educator? Both very interesting options. I really want to pursue this but I also feel a little nervous....this fall I'm registered for a&p 1 as well as child psych-I really admire my mother for what she does-she has been an inspiration no matter what she says....anyway, I think I would go crazy if i had all summer off :uhoh21: !!!!

Anyhoo, i love this sight. It is such a wealth of inspiration. I cannot think of any other career where there is such a sense of community!!!