Confused

I want to be able to help people. I like the aspect of continued education and learning something new everyday. I want a job where I do something substantial to better the lives of others. I would be lying if I didn't say the salary as well.

Joseph Campbell said "If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Wherever you are — if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time".

The things that make me question nursing is the constant anxiety and self doubt that I feel. I don't have confidence in even the most basic skills. I worry that I won't be able to handle the stress. I've read that the hours are not as flexible as they seem. Mostly 12 hour shifts unless you somehow manage to land a job in a clinic or school. Im an introvert and tend to be more quiet. I tend to be sensitive and really take things to heart.

I guess I'm just looking for advice from people who know the career and what it really takes and also to see what areas of health care would you consider to be lower in stress?

Years ago, a Psychologist at a seminar said something like "In order to learn how to adequately deal with stress, we must experience stress".

Adequately dealing with stress is an endeavor which is learned through a trial and error process. If we can learn and use the tools in order to adequately deal with stress and feel confident in ourselves, we rise to a higher level of consciousness and, of course, dramatically reduce stress.

We also learn to adequately deal with stress through both good and bad Teachers by emulating the techniques of the good Teachers and avoiding the ways of the bad ones.

Emulate the ways of the good Teachers and institutionalizing those techniques within the realms of our own personality, applying those techniques as who we truly are and not as an Actor playing a part, will result in favorable outcomes.

These are general, and perhaps vague, concepts mischeerful. Specific examples given upon request.

The very best to you.

I am also introverted and reserved. In addition, I was once anxious.

I have gotten around my limitations by working in lower acuity areas such as long term care, physical rehabilitation, psych, and case management. The high acuity levels at acute care hospitals triggers my anxiety, so I avoid working at hospitals.