Contemplating a career in nursing-help me!

Hi SizzlnSara,

First, I would like to tell you that I definitely see where you are coming from. When I was 18 I was accepted into my community college's nursing program...I just wasn't ready..now I'm attempting 18 years later and though I still feel a little nervous, I'm still going for it. I've always been pulled in the medical field and have been working for the past 10 years as a medical secretary/transcriptionist. I feel that that experience really helped me. I worked with medical professionals that have inspired me to work in this profession.

There are times that I think that if I stayed the course when I was 18, I might have reached the goals that I have set for myself NOW...but I know that for me, I wasn't ready and mature enough at 18 to help either the patients or even myself.

If you do go forward with the nursing (and I wish you all the best), you'll be a RN and making a decent salary...a lot more than many of your fellow high school students...and I do see now that there are so,so many options in nursing...not just bedside and you can continue your education while working and many times have your job pay for this education.

You have to just sit down and think of how you feel, if you have the commitment to take these next 2+ years and study real hard. Check with the school, maybe you can postpone for one year and get a year of work experience before getting into the program. Believe me, after working, you look forward to the going back to school.

Good luck!

Hi Sara. I think you got some helpful advice from the previous poster.

It's good to know that nursing is still a field that people look upon as an altruistic field. The problem is that, in many circumstances, not enough is learned early on about the field and many people come into nursing and discover they are in something akin to a bad marriage. You indicate that you want both personal and financial satisfaction in nursing. I am one who believes that you can find that depending on how well you learn nursing;not just the performance of skills as a nurse but learn about the dynamics of health and medical care, because it is an industry. I encourage you to read posts on this bb for starters. I then encourage you to talk with a career counselor. More importantly talk to some practicing nurses from different backgrounds and settings. Read nursing journals and other related journals. You can make your nursing experience into a success, but you have to plan carefully and plan well. This goes for any occupation you go into. Also, while you're looking for earning power, be willing to start at entry level and work your way up or around. Realize that managerial level positions, particularly mid-management, are leaner than the past, because work is more decentralized today. Consultants, contractors, and entrepreneurs tend to make more than traditionally employed managers. So, it is not always necessary to go the traditional route to make money and make a difference. In addition, people in the work force are finding that they need to be capable in a number of areas to be marketable. I suggest that if you go into nursing to not limit yourself to that field. You're at an age where you can work toward getting knowledge and experience in multiple areas. Best wishes.

Sara,

Here's the really cool thing about nursing: you could change specialties every year and never run out. Once you have that degree in your hand, it opens up a lot of doors--many of them nontraditional. You can work in a hospital, school, or home health-care setting; or you can travel all over the world, become a consultant, or start your own company or website. I am 35 and have worked in 1 traditional hospital job and had 3 "nontraditional" jobs which gave me opportunities I never dreamed of back when I got my first "Little Nurse" kit when I was 6 years old. The possibilities are endless. Create your own job. Getting a nursing degree is only the beginning, but it's a great place to start.