Dear Nurses, its me...Debbie

[dklouda]

Dear Nurses,

Its me Debbie. Do you think there is room in nursing for someone like me? I am 42 years old, my kids are now off to college and Im trying to find my niche. Ive always thought I would like to be a nurse. I have worked as a cna in a nursing home in the past and I see what the lpn's do which is mostly pass meds and do treatments (im sure they do other stuff as well, that I just dont see), anyhow, I think i could pass meds, chart and do treatments. I am very empathetic and caring and people always tell me they feel they can tell me anything. I am very trustworthy and always on time.

However, I dont like chaotic environments and I think a trauma type of environment would be overwhelming for me. When im nervous theres no hidindg it. I get the deer in the headlights look and i look stiff. I find myself feeling drained if im around too many people all day. I am on the shy side so I am not assertive and I have a pretty poor sense of humor and tend to be more on the serious side. I do have a natural interst in medicine and how the different body systems work. I have a special interest in kidneys and livers and i think looking at bones on xrays is facinating.

Do you think there is room in the healthcare field for me? Im deciding between lpn, rn or rad tech. What do you guys think?

[NurseFrustrated]

Nursing can be a rewarding field if you find the right job for you and work in a good environment. The job market isn't that great right now though, unfortunately. One thing to keep in mind about nursing is that in most job it can turn chaotic at any moment. A patient can take a turn for the worse at any time, whether you work in a trauma center, hospital, clinic, or a school. As the nurse, the responsibility of handling the situation is on you as the doctor isn't usually right there. Even if handling chaos isn't something that comes naturally for you, it's something you can learn to be better at with experience. I did. I used to be on the shy side before I became a nurse but it made me become assertive. You have to be assertive and you have to develop a thick skin because you have to deal with people from many different departments, irate doctors, family members, sometimes angry patients, and have to be charge over people who oftentimes don't want to do a whole lot of anything. Not to be negative or discourage you, but this has been my experience as an RN for 8 years.

[MoopleRN]

Dear Debbie, it's me... MoopleRN

Be a registered nurse. Go for it. What do you have to lose? Your concerns about the chaos/trauma.... once you have the education it will give you confidence. Once you're on the floor, you'll get the experience that will give you more confidence. It sounds like like have a LOT to offer.

Be a radiology tech. Go for it. What do you have to lose? You don't talk about any concerns in this field... It sounds like you have a LOT to offer wherever you decide to go. Something to consider might be the bedside aspect that you'd have as a nurse vs the short term interaction you'd have as a rad tech.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I agree with the PP - go for it! "Motherhood" is a time-limited career & it's a really good idea to be able to support yourself just in case your life takes an unexpected turn in the future. In my area of the country, Radiology techs are not having difficulty getting jobs... particularly if they are in a sub-specialty like ultrasound or MRI.

Best of Luck to you Debbie. Keep us posted on your progress.