I'm a recent Bio grad, not very fulfilling because of a heavy cellular focus and i wanted something more medical. I also had dreadfully boring teachers which didn't help so it kindof deterred me from becoming a doctor, however i did enjoy my labs and wouldn't mind lab work. I took a Nursing pathophysiology class and LOVED it. It was my first medical class, something I had been craving and probably why i enjoyed it a lot. The instructor was a NP and made the course very engaging and interesting. So i decided to become an NP.
I'm an introvert and I worry about going into nursing because i still have more of a scientific mindset which seems unusual versus the "touchy feely" characteristic perceived widely in nursing. I like nursing because of the patient care aspect, critical thinking and the invaluable experience you gain. However I really do believe nursing could be a very rewarding career for me, even though people often tell me I resemble more of a doctors personality.
So here is my question
1. Are their nursing jobs that combine patient care and laboratory type work? (I.E collecting and testing specimens "blood, urine, tissue". My ideal job would be working in a hospital 4 days a week ( 2 days in lab and 2 days on the floor) or splitting shifts between the floor and lab. Is this practical?
2. Are their certain specialties more scientifically focused?
I'm a recent Bio grad, not very fulfilling because of a heavy cellular focus and i wanted something more medical. I also had dreadfully boring teachers which didn't help so it kindof deterred me from becoming a doctor, however i did enjoy my labs and wouldn't mind lab work. I took a Nursing pathophysiology class and LOVED it. It was my first medical class, something I had been craving and probably why i enjoyed it a lot. The instructor was a NP and made the course very engaging and interesting. So i decided to become an NP.
I'm an introvert and I worry about going into nursing because i still have more of a scientific mindset which seems unusual versus the "touchy feely" characteristic perceived widely in nursing. I like nursing because of the patient care aspect, critical thinking and the invaluable experience you gain. However I really do believe nursing could be a very rewarding career for me, even though people often tell me I resemble more of a doctors personality.
So here is my question
1. Are their nursing jobs that combine patient care and laboratory type work? (I.E collecting and testing specimens "blood, urine, tissue". My ideal job would be working in a hospital 4 days a week ( 2 days in lab and 2 days on the floor) or splitting shifts between the floor and lab. Is this practical?
2. Are their certain specialties more scientifically focused?
Wow ixchel that's incredible. I respect doctors but i'd much rather be the eyes and hands in the situation.
So i guess nurses don't do lab work, maybe in clinical research perhaps. I have alot of different interests "surgery, forensics and many more. I want to be a Nurse Practitioner /Scientist
Clinical research nursing is what made me make the career change. I have done benchside/academic cancer research for 10 years but wanted to combine my skills. Then in my last job I worked directly with the research nurse and fell in love.
You may want to consider physician assistant, that is kind of similar to NP.
Annie
I was thinking the same thing. This might be a great option for you OP.
I was and still am into science. But switched gears as more IT focused verses natural sciences when I first went to school.
I'm also an extreme introvert to the point that I'm being tested for Aspergers. That being said I've been a nurse for 7 years. The biggest thing I've learned from nursing is that I really don't like people and would rather be off alone with no one around so I can do my work. That's why I'm going the IT route this time. If I was a tad bit younger I would attend medical school (never say never though) and pray that I match with pathology or anesthesiology.
I work in an outpatient clinic which for now is a little bit better than working on the floors because I don't have the added stress of dealing with not only the families but all the ancillary staff too. I'm ok one on one with patients but don't like all the other stimulation from everyone else.
If you're dead set on nursing there are positions that would allow you to be around less people. As far as scientific though I can only think of research and oncology working with clinical trials.
Oh and I'm not touchy feely at all. I don't like being touched, hugged, kissed none of that and I'm very stoic. I can empathize with my patients but I don't usually react the to emotions they're having.
Ironically its nurses who tell me I have more of a doctor mindset. They say I take charge and I always know what I'm doing but Ive seen most nurses with these traits as well. I apologize if my statements offended anyone. I was drawn to nursing because its more hands on and I'm a visual learner, so that works for me. I was under the perception doctors did all the patient care Ive also learned that doctors aren't all they're cracked up to be.
Nonyvole Thankyou. I was starting to think you have to have a certain mindset
Ahem. I don't have the label of charge nurse to have somebody else - who knows medicine, sure, but not the finer points of the minute-to-minute operations of the unit - tell me how to run the department.
I'm also am employee of the hospital, nor the physicians. So I answer to a different chain of command. The orders I take from physicians have to do with patient treatments.
I'm a science person and I love nursing. The doctor mindset thing is just a stereotype. Being calm under pressure is a great trait for anyone. Taking charge when other people hesitate, if you know what you're doing, will come in handy in any profession.
I went through a tough decision making process several years ago, trying to figure out what I wanted to do (research, teach, or clinical work), so I sympathize with trying to make an informed decision. From my perspective, the people here gave you good advice. :)
People often say I have the mindset of a doctor rather than nurse. But thanks for the all of your inputs. I just hope I can fulfill the scientific driven side of me within nursing. I'll probably look into research aswell
That's because "people" have no freaking clue what nurses know and how we use it. You can absolutely use your "scientific drive" in nursing, to the max. Don't listen to "people" who don't know much about what they're opining on.
I fell in love with science in seventh grade and never looked back. I used my master's in nursing with beaucoup science content in critical care, research, and all sorts of other places (including AN!). You would love being in a big critical care unit in a research hospital-- there's always something there to learn, apply, and appreciate. Been there, done that, lovvvvvvved it.
You may want to consider physician assistant, that is kind of similar to NP.
Annie
No, it's not. PAs are good technicians and some have good diagnostic skills, but they cannot practice independently, ever, only as physician appendages. Advanced nurse practitioners are licensed independently and can practice autonomously in many, many areas of the country without being supervised and vouched for by a physician.
Also, there's a great body of performance that nursing does, even in hospital settings, that has nothing to do with the medical plan of care. I'm not talking about changing beds and doing baths; I'm talking about our legal and professional autonomous obligations to diagnose and treat human responses to illness and injury as part of the nursing plan of care, which we are legally obligated to develop and perform/delegate. Anybody who doesn't think there's a lot of science involved in that hasn't been paying attention.
I feel like I could have written this post myself. I have a bio degree and love the lab/research aspect of everything. But I also love a million other things... Don't know what I'll do once I graduate. Have you considered research nursing, working in clinical trials, etc? That way you can work with patients, keep active with certain skills, depending on what the trial requires, and also analyze the data afterwards? Its something that appeals to be greatly, and I don't think you would need you NP for it. But I know it can be hard for new grads to get into nursing, so you could get some experience first on a floor that "research heavy", which varies from hospital to hospital.
Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.
Of COURSE nurses can also be scientists. I have a very similar background to you, and there are plenty of jobs for introverts like us. Nursing research, clinical research coordinator, getting involved in Big Pharma, education, medical supply/device backside, nursing informatics, the list goes on and on.
One of my all-time favorite fellow nurses works on stroke codes and also runs stroke prevention and follow-up studies for high-risk patients. She gets to run a research study and then be the 'hero' at the bedside. How cool is that???
OP, I'm kinda confused on your post. You have a bio degree, which is the study of life at the cellular level. But you hated the cellular part and wanted to go into medicine but just decided to be a NP? You do realize that the basis of medicine is at the cellular level? Those of us in nursing school started with A&P which is the foundation. Many schools require biology now before even going into A&P. It's all cellular based.
I think what these people who are nurses are trying to tell you is you think with medical model of thinking over the nursing model. And to the person who though forensic nursing would be good, you do know that 90% of forensic nurses deal with rape victims? The nurse is the one who collects the evidence. That's where the "touchy feely" part comes in, you kind of help the victim get through the very uncomfortable act of collecting evidence. There is a big difference in the way a physician looks at things and how a nurse does. It's not that a physician is science-minded and takes charge, while the nurse just holds hands and follows doctors' orders. I think you took a patho class and loved it and realized that the medical field is very interesting. But you would have had many of those classes studying to be a physician. Many more than a nursing student.
Let's go over the difference first. A physician diagnoses and treat the disease itself. A patient is going to come in tell them their symptoms. A physician is going to look at all of the data, diagnose the disease, and prescribe a treatment plan to combat the disease. That all goes to the cellular level of thinking. The physician has to know how that drug is going to attack the disease or how it will treat the symptoms. Does it break down the cell walls, or does it affect a neurons in the brain? How does it affect how the body communicates with itself? Does it stimulate or block the production of hormones. That's all cellular.
A nurse on the other hand, looks at how the patient responds to the disease itself. What does my patient need at this moment? A nurse will look at vital signs and lab results. Are they better or worse? Should I give this med or hold it, based on say my patients heart rate or res or bp? Is this certain disease causing my patient weakness? Are they a fall risk? Is my patient in pain from this condition at this moment? What do they need? It can also be as simple as does my patient need an extra pillow or something to eat. But you many notice the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and you need to do something right at that minute. What could be causing them to be hypoglycemic. The nurse is the eyes and ears for the physician. You may need to call him and he may want to adjust something. There is just so much to it.
I am a very scientific minded person. I am also a touchy, feely person. We focus a lot on therapeutic communication in school. The nurse is the one who deals with the patient and their families way more than the physician. I often say the nurses are on the front lines every day. A doctor is in the background. Both play very important roles in the patient's model of care.
Each school is different. In my program we get all of our patho in three different medsurg classes throughout the program. I love it. I love learning the disease process and how it affects people. I also loved my pharm class. But all those required my A&P classes and the knowledge it gave me. During my prereqs I took an Advanced Physiology class and it was my best and favorite class. I really loved learning about neurons and how they work. I even took a neurobiology class from coursera for free and it was out of the University of Chicago. I could really study that all day long.
I don't want you to look at it as well, a doctor is this stuffy guy who just yells orders at nurses and they blindly follow them while holding there patients hands all day long. I've seen in clinical doctors going into patients rooms and sitting on their beds talking to the patient and really getting an understanding of how they are doing, while a nurse numbly walks down the hall with their noses in a med cart just giving out meds. And maybe you already knew everything I just posted, but I wanted to take the time to educate you just in case you didn't. Medicine is a very exciting field to be in if you want to do it. It truly is. I also know I had times while doing my prereqs where I was like, I just want to get to the nursing classes already!!! These classes are dumb!! When in fact pretty much all of them I needed to truly understand what being a nurse is about. I thought sociology was so boring, but now I realize it's importance in nursing and dealing with a diverse group of people and what those people face. Good luck in your endevours!!!
BeachsideRN, ASN
1,722 Posts
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