Confused about nursing

[sergel02, BSN]

Hi all I'm a male student and i decided I really want to be a nurse practitioner. The problem is, I still have so many questions and its kind of overwhelming.

I'm a first year college student and I plan on transferring to UC Irvine's nursing program because of the area. What makes one program better than the other? I mean does it matter, since you're going to have the same degree in the end?

I'm not sure what to expect if and when i get into nursing school. I don't know what classes I should expect. I heard we have to do clinicals, whatever does are. And I think i need volunteer experience to get into the program.

Also, I'm not too sure what I do after I become a practitioner. I expect to graduate with my Bachelor's in 2014 hopefully. I think my master's program will take 1-2 years, but I'm not sure. I only know about nurses in the ER or ICU, which i don't want to do, or traveling nurses or nurses that wok with doctors. I know practitioners can open their own practices depending on the state. I'm not sure what kind of schooling and classes I should expect, I know lots of science probably.

I heard nurses typically work 3-4, 12 hour days a week also.

I know I want to be a nurse, but I'm really confused about a lot of the aspects of it, and what's true or not. Any help would be appreciated. :)

[thenameismac]

wow. you have a lot of questions. I think that you should probably pick up a book from the library on the careers of nursing. Nursing is demanding and the programs are competitive. I would like into what nurses actually do before diving in head first on how to get there. You may decide that you don't want to do it after all. It sounds like you have a very very vague idea about what nursing is all about.

Also, how do you plan to graduate in 3 years with a bachelors? Do you already have a degree?

I think the best way to describe what clinicals are is you pretty go on location to a hospital or nursing home (or maybe a lab on campus) and be taught and practice your skills. You have a lot to learn.

Talk to an academic advisor and they will definitely give you some resources (hopefully).

[sergel02, BSN]

I know that I do want to do nursing, out of all the careers out there. I did an entire report evaluating why I would want to, but actual information on the details isn't very apparent. And A Bachelor's usually takes 4 years to get, and this is my first year of college. I've seen counselors, but they are more confusing than helpful.

[Wanna-B-RN]

Do you happen to know any nurses? I am lucky enough to have several friends/family that are already in the nursing profession so I get a lot of my questions answered that way. I don't think it really matters which school you go to as long as it is accredited. I am applying for the nursing program at my local community college and will only have an associates when I graduate. After that I will get my Bachelors at either a private or state university. Clinicals are when you are actually performing nursing tasks at places like nursing homes, hospitals, and mental care facilities. It's on hands training basically. Usually nursing programs are very intense because you are trying to learn so much information in such a small period of time, but if it's really what you want then you can do it! I wouldn't recommend working full time and being in a nursing program. I have 2 small children but luckily don't have to work. I'm not sure about the volunteering as my school does not require it, but you should be able to go to your schools website and look up all of the requirements. You probably will not be able to be a NP with just a masters because they are now requiring all NP's to have a Doctorate of Nursing. There are many fields that you can go into with nursing. Pretty much anywhere there are doctor's there will be nurses. Actually, I think this is the link you may need for more info... hopefully we are aloud to post links, I am new to this site. UCI Nursing

[elkpark]

You probably will not be able to be a NP with just a masters because they are now requiring all NP's to have a Doctorate of Nursing.

This is not true, actually -- it's a proposal by some of the academic nursing organizations, and a lot of graduate programs are converting their MSN programs to DNP programs, but there is no requirement, so far, in any state, that NPs must be doctorally prepared to get licensed. However, there's a lot of confusion about this because a lot of folks, particularly in nursing schools, are talking like it's a done deal.

OP -- Welcome to allnurses! :balloons: I'm also curious about how you decided you want to go into nursing when you clearly know so little about it. I encourage you to maybe sign up to volunteer at your local hospital so you can get some first-hand, real-life experience with healthcare before making any kind of committment. Best wishes for your journey!

[Music in My Heart]

I'd just like to caution you. On the one hand you say that you're sure that nursing is for you but then you focus on being an NP.

Granted, NPs technically are (more accurately, IMO, *were*) nurses though they actually practice medicine more than nursing. I'd caution anybody whose goal is to be an NP or CRNA (especially) to consider whether they are willing to be "just" a nurse before embarking on the long and expensive journey.

[sergel02, BSN]

mhm not exactly the response I was hoping for.

I really like helping people, and i want to have a direct effect on healing them. I'm very good with people, and I never lose my patience or temper. I'm very good at the sciences too. I like the idea of being able to heal people, its something that I've always wanted to do. I'd like to learn something that can also apply out of the workplace.

But again, no one has really answered what you learn in the program and what a NP specifically does. I know they have a lot of autonomy and require more schooling. They are almost like doctors in a sense.

[strawberryluv, BSN, RN]

Why won't you google it? You have a highspeed information filter at your finger tips-USE IT.

You can find anything you want on the internet, you just have to TYPE IT to find it.

[Jingles39]

Um, or, you could always just check out the actual NP section of the forum here. Looks like it's packed with all sorts of wholesome NP informational goodness ........

Nurse Practitioners (NP) - Nursing for Nurses