Thank you in advance for taking the time to look at my question :-)
I'm 16, have graduated high school, and have no idea what to do with my life. I've often thought about nursing because I'd love to spend my life helping others, and the medical field has always appealed to me. In just 2-3 years, I could be doing something rewarding with my life. Plus, I grew up without much of anything, so a salary of $50,000 per year just makes it all the more appealing.
I have a lot of questions though, that I need answered. Please, help!
Nurses:
Were you, or are you squemish? Blood, guts, bodily odors and such are just nasty and scary to me. Do you get used to it after a while? Or if you don't like it to begin with, will you never get over it? Would I be able to get over it?
Do you need more training to help in specific fields, or would an Associates Degree cover you working in a digestive center or somewhere else?
Is it hard being on your feet all those hours? Or is it something you don't notice, because you're constantly "on the go"?
Is it hard to go to nursing school AND work a full time job? Is it possible? It's what I'd have to do.
Is it emotionally draining? Does it take a toll on your personal life and mental health?
Is it hard to give people needles and such?
Are you completely satisfied with your career?
Is it possible to get a job right out of college, with only a RN degree? Do hospitals and private facilities tend to go for those with more experience, or is fresh meat welcome? I never see any really young nurses, so I wonder...
I am at a point in my life where I am so confused, and am starting to feel lost. I don't want to waste my life, and I don't want to be unhappy, so please try to help me out, if you can. Thank you!
I'm working on my pre-requisites and also working full time. Something you may want to consider is getting a full time job at a college or university. I am working as a law enforcement dispatcher at a university. The advantage to this is one of my benefits is tuition assistance. My tuition and fees are paid for. I just pay for books and supplies (which I get on Ebay and Amazon-so I save at least 50% off the exorbitant university bookstore prices). My hours never change so its fairly easy to schedule classes. Look at CLEP testing as well. 5 of my pre requisites are Clep-able and will save me much time since I can only really take 2-3 classes a semester with work. Check with your school to see if they accept certain CLEP tests-just because a test exists doesn't mean your school will accept it.
I make more money then I did as a CNA and have more time to study and do homework while at work. Many of the things I have learned as a dispatcher will help me as a nurse. Dispatchers at 911 make much more money then I do but have far less time to study and have rotating day/night shifts. Since I'm right here on campus I often go directly from work and walk to my classes. I loved direct patient care but get more responsibility, autonomy, and experience with prioritizing in emergencies more often here. I'm very experienced now with having to call up grumpy sleepy higher up professionals at 2 or 3 am. I deal with all kinds of people at their best and at their worst. Even coworkers
Were you, or are you squemish? Blood, guts, bodily odors and such are just nasty and scary to me. Do you get used to it after a while? Or if you don't like it to begin with, will you never get over it? Would I be able to get over it?
You get used to a lot, but most of us have something that's hard to take. I used to gag hearing someone suctioned, but when I'm doing it, I have too much to think about to be bothered.
Do you need more training to help in specific fields, or would an Associates Degree cover you working in a digestive center or somewhere else?
There are a lot of opportunities with an Associates Degree, but more with a Bachelors. A given facility might only hire BSN's, but usually an ASN is enough to get a good job in some sort of bedside nursing, be it a hospital, clinic, or long-term care.
Is it hard being on your feet all those hours? Or is it something you don't notice, because you're constantly "on the go"?
It ain't easy--especially if you do 12-hour shifts. I think most nurses are tired at the end of the shift--even 8-hour shifts. But retail or fast food can be tiring, too. Nursing is physical, but it isn't laying bricks. The physical exertion is usually the easy part--as long as you use good sense and good body mechanics. If you protect your back, your feet will adapt.
Is it hard to go to nursing school AND work a full time job? Is it possible? It's what I'd have to do.
If you never had to worry about money, or your job, or kids, or anything but school, it would still be hard. Outside responsibilities make it even harder. But, yeah, it can be done.
A part time job in a hospital can be a great way to go, because they may be more flexible with your hours, if they think they might be able to recruit a good nurse in the process. But that might be hard to find at 16. Healthcare can be potentially a bit dangerous, so I don't know whether any facility is hiring minors. Some places do take minors as volunteers, but that doesn't help if you need a paycheck, though it would be a great way to answer some of your other questions.
Is it emotionally draining? Does it take a toll on your personal life and mental health?
I'd say challenging, rather than draining. You will feel like crying, at times. But the rewards are in proportion. Some patients will make you feel great, but more than that, facing a situation you find difficult and mastering it can be a real high. Some of my best days have been the ones I didn't hide in the med room, even though I wanted to, and even when things don't go as well as you'd like, you learn things you'll use next time you face a similar situation.
Is it hard to give people needles and such?
Sometimes, when I'm starting an IV or giving an injection, I tell my patient, "Unless something goes terribly wrong, this will hurt you more than it does me." So far, it has been true.
Are you completely satisfied with your career?
No. If it was all fun, all the time, I'd have to stand in line and buy a ticket. But that has been true of every job I've ever had. Even when I was self-employed, there were days when the boss was a jerk. But, mostly, I love my stupid job.
Is it possible to get a job right out of college, with only a RN degree? Do hospitals and private facilities tend to go for those with more experience, or is fresh meat welcome? I never see any really young nurses, so I wonder...
Well, you pretty much do have to go out and apply for a job. If your heart is set on a particular type of nursing, like Pediatrics or OB, you might have to look around a bit. If you want to work ER or ICU, you might need some experience. But there are lots of places with people whose whole job is finding new nurses.
In fact, nurses are in such demand that it pays to be sure you want the job that's offered. Go to an interview prepared to put your best foot forward, but don't be so focused on selling yourself that you take any offer. Find out what kind of orientation you'll get. Talk to some people who work there. You will find a job with a valid RN license. You might not get exactly the job you want, right away, but there's no reason to take a job you don't want.
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
hi, sweetnspicygal!
before i answer your questions for you, i'm going to give you some weblinks that will tell you about nursing and how to become a nurse that i want you to seriously check out and explore over the next days and weeks. the more you know, the better a decision you will make about your career. the discover nursing website also has a page that lists all the different specialties in nursing, what they are and how you can obtain mastery beyond basic nursing school in them to become a stand out career professional!
were you, or are you squemish? blood, guts, bodily odors and such are just nasty and scary to me. do you get used to it after a while? or if you don't like it to begin with, will you never get over it? would i be able to get over it?
this question gets asked a lot and always tickles me! since i worked primarily as a medical nurse and at one point for 5 years on a stepdown unit i saw (and smelled) pretty much every nasty bloody and other colored kind of liquid or goo that could possibly eminate from a body. the hospital had deoderizing equipment that we could place in the rooms to neutralize most of the odors. i was an iv therapist for 6 years and saw a good deal of blood. saw a lot of gi bleeders puking up blood from their bleeding ulcers as well. no, it never bothered me. you get desensitized to it over time if it does. the one thing that has always turned my stomach, however, has been little itty bits of brain tissue lying on the pillow cases of head trauma patients (those in the very immediate minutes after attempting to blow their brains out with a gun or got their head slammed into the windshield during a car accident).
do you need more training to help in specific fields, or would an associates degree cover you working in a digestive center or somewhere else?
a basic rn license will get you a job. most fields will give you any specific ojt (on the job training) that will be required. after you get your nursing license, you will, at regular intervals have to complete what are called continuing education units of study in order to keep your license depending upon the state you live in. each state has its own laws on how you have to accomplish this. most nurses do their continuing education requirements in the subject area that they work in.
is it hard being on your feet all those hours? or is it something you don't notice, because you're constantly "on the go"?
yes, especially if you are overweight. also, if you have a condition called "fallen arches" you might be a candidate to develop something called plantar fasciitis. i've had it twice and it's painful and not at all fun to have. the thing is to take measures to prevent it from happening by placing arch supports in your shoes all the time. podiatrists are the specialists who handle this kind of problem.
is it hard to go to nursing school and work a full time job? is it possible? it's what i'd have to do.
you might be able to work full time in the early part of nursing school, but not as you get toward the end when the studying becomes really intensive. i was only able to work part time during my last year of nursing school and shared an apartment and expenses with another nursing student. having a boyfriend and children can be a real hindrance to getting to your goal. one thing you can do, is become a cna (certified nursing assistant) as soon as possible and work at a facility that offers tuition reimbursement as a benefit to it's employees. this will help to pay for some of your cost of tuition.
is it emotionally draining? does it take a toll on your personal life and mental health?
i can only tell you about my experience. no, school itself was not emotionally draining. however, there were problems going on with my mother at the time which added to my stress. and, in my last semester of nursing school, i was found to have a malignant tumor in my thyroid gland that had to be surgically removed. i had to miss two weeks of clinicals and make them up in order to graduate.
is it hard to give people needles and such?
can you ride a bike? do you drive yet? do you have any recollection at all of what it took to learn how to ride a bike and what you felt emotionally? was it hard to get behind the wheel of a car for the first time (if you've done that yet)? giving a shot is no different. it is a skill you will be taught and will master by doing it over and over.
are you completely satisfied with your career?
absolutely. i've been an rn for 32 years. before i went to nursing school i was studying accounting and worked for a few years as a bookkeeper. hated not having contact with people and making a difference in their lives. however, my accounting experience carried over. i'm a really good organizer and my math skills are superb.
is it possible to get a job right out of college, with only a rn degree? do hospitals and private facilities tend to go for those with more experience, or is fresh meat welcome? i never see any really young nurses, so i wonder...
if you are living in a large urban city, the hospitals are probably going to come looking for you before you even graduate! there is a shortage of rns and it's really bad in some parts of the country. most facilities recognize that they have an obligation to assist the profession in bringing new nurses into the field and so there are many that have what are called new grad orientation programs that are designed to transition new graduate nurses into a first job out of nursing school. i can't explain why you haven't seen any really young nurses, but i was just in the hospital for surgery last month and one of my nurses was a new grad, most of the others were young and one had only been out of school 10 years. when i had surgery last year at another hospital every single rn was young and were from a temporary employment agency (not on staff of the hospital--which tells you how bad the shortage is in los angeles). yesterday i had a picc line inserted by a nurse who is the same age as me and who has been a nurse for 20 years! if you are living in boondocks usa your job choice might be severely restricted. there's a big world out here. i've moved across the country a couple of times and never had a problem finding a job. an rn will always be able to find work somewhere.
http://nursingspectrum.com/ - this online version of a job publication is loaded with advertisements for nursing positions. you can subscribe to it for free and have a paper copy sent to you. note that it is customized for different areas of the u.s.
once you get a license, every organization, nursing job fair and facility looking for rns to hire will put you on their mailing list. i get more junk mail from these people than i know what to do with! rns are in great demand and this demand is expected to increase.
let me also tell you that probably 95% of the nurses you'll run into will tell you that they worried about their decision to go to nursing school. we all worry about our decisions that are going to affect our future. am i making the right choice? what if it turns out that i don't like nursing? what if i flunk out? let me tell you this. no education is ever a waste of your life or your time. only you are responsible for continuing to experience any happiness or unhappiness in your life. at 16, that might not be a choice you have control over, but when you reach the age of majority, you can make your own choices and take responsibility for them. if you continue to wallow in unhappiness when you have the power to change it, who is at fault? by the time you get to my age you will have learned that everything you do in life is a learning experience and will come in handy at some point--even stuff like algebra and how to blow a bubble with bubble gum.
http://nursing.about.com/od/becomeanurse/bb/beforenurse.htm - "before you decide to become a nurse". things to consider about being a nurse. lots of links to information about what skills you need to become a nurse. and, what if you're really bad at math and science is discussed.
starlightwings
3 Posts
Hi,
I'm working on my pre-requisites and also working full time. Something you may want to consider is getting a full time job at a college or university. I am working as a law enforcement dispatcher at a university. The advantage to this is one of my benefits is tuition assistance. My tuition and fees are paid for. I just pay for books and supplies (which I get on Ebay and Amazon-so I save at least 50% off the exorbitant university bookstore prices). My hours never change so its fairly easy to schedule classes. Look at CLEP testing as well. 5 of my pre requisites are Clep-able and will save me much time since I can only really take 2-3 classes a semester with work. Check with your school to see if they accept certain CLEP tests-just because a test exists doesn't mean your school will accept it.
I make more money then I did as a CNA and have more time to study and do homework while at work. Many of the things I have learned as a dispatcher will help me as a nurse. Dispatchers at 911 make much more money then I do but have far less time to study and have rotating day/night shifts. Since I'm right here on campus I often go directly from work and walk to my classes. I loved direct patient care but get more responsibility, autonomy, and experience with prioritizing in emergencies more often here. I'm very experienced now with having to call up grumpy sleepy higher up professionals at 2 or 3 am. I deal with all kinds of people at their best and at their worst. Even coworkers
Best of success to you,
gentle day,
Lisa B