Decided Now Not to Pursue Nursing????

sissyboo · Jan 28, 2007

Yes! I was beginning to think I was the only one. I have ALWAYS wanted to be a nurse, but after I worked as a CNA some and saw how much nurses really have to do--I became kind of scared. Then I soon started pre-reqs (I'm to start nursing classes this summer) and it all seems kind of scary. I know how you feel about retaining all the information--A&P has lots to learn! I'm currently in A&P 2 with the same instrutor and have some trouble recalling info from the last semester. I think with time it will become easier--especially when you get to using the info daily. I don't think being "older" is your problem--it's alot to retain for all of us! Lots of people before you did it, you can too!...Good Luck!!

smkiya, BSN, RN · Jan 28, 2007

The median age in my graduating class was mid thirties. Two of the five students who received high honors were 48 and 50 respectively. Think about pre-nursing classes, nursing classes, and your first-year in nursing in terms of building a house. You can't build a house with one brick, as it takes many, many layers of bricks and even then it's not completed. People add additions, remodel, etc. There is a lot of information to retain, but the information will build and become clearer as you progress. My best suggestion for you now is to try and visualize what you've learned. Apply the concepts that you know well and build upon them. When you are laying in bed awaiting sleep, think about how you are breathing, visualize your lungs expanding, the blood flowing from your pulmonary artery into the lungs to fill with the oxygen you just inhaled, visualize the CO2 being pushed out of the blood by the O2, into the lungs and out of you mouth as you exhale.... When you eat, visualize the food traveling through your GI tract, when your heart beats, see the blood traveling. I hope these are helpful suggestions as I know that memorization is not the key. It will be helpful for definitions and terms, but it is also just as important to understand the process. As I've said, as you progress you will keep adding bricks and soon it WILL resemble a house... it will get easier. Nursing school is difficult but is an achievable goal. Don't be discouraged, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I hope this helps. Good luck in whatever decision you choose.

nurseangel47 · Jan 28, 2007

Good advise, smkiya. I, too, had and still have many thoughts of whether or not it was a good decision while in nursing school and sometimes since I've been practicing, as well. I've been an RN for 20 yrs. Have only recently decided to take a break from it and work in a non-nursing (and VERY low paying but FUN job instead!)...no, cannot afford to. But doing it for my sanity and physically challenged (older, not cared for) body! LOL

Good luck. You CAN do it! I had two young ones and a traveling for a living husband at the time (27 yrs old) I decided to pursue my life's dream of becoming a nurse. If I can succeed and pass nursing school and the requirements. Anyone with the drive and determination can do the same.

RNfromMN, BSN, RN · Jan 28, 2007

I'm not discounting how you're feeling at all, but I really do think that a few weeks into a pre-nursing class is really early to decide whether or not the entire profession of nursing is for you.

A&P is the really tough stuff, but it's just one part of nursing of your nursing classes. I think most people will agree it's the hardest of all the pre-req classes. Personally, I barely scraped by in both A & P I & II with Cs...I had to take Chemistry twice...I dropped Microbiology the first time I took it & had to take it again in order to pass.

I can't believe you guys think you're the only ones who feel this way! Before I got into the nursing program, everyone that had already been through it told me there will be numerous times you will doubt whether or not you want to be a nurse - I expected it.

I think it's safe to say most of what was taught in A&P went over my head...I just found little tricks to remember it for the test...I remember telling myself that "Thumbs are totally radical!" to remember that the radial bone is on the thumb side of the hand. And once...oh, I hope I can describe this right, because really proves that there are some things you don't actually have to learn to pass the tests...Okay, I remember the test was on DNA...& the teacher had made up these pieces of construction paper with cotton balls taped to them & a bunch of lines he drew connecting the cotton balls, or something...basically, it looked like a kindergartner's art project & it meant nothing to me! Each piece of paper was supposed to represent a different phase of cell replication, but to me they just looked like a bunch of tornado's of different sizes - had no idea what they were supposed to represent. So, I remember making up flashcards to try & remember this for a test & my flashcards actually said, "2 little tornados" & the other side said, "Mitosis." And another one was something like, "1 big circle that looks like it's angry @ the circles next to it," & the other side of the flashcard said, "DNA replication," or something.

I'm not gonna lie - the fact that most of that stuff went over my head does make it a little harder for me now that I'm in the program, but not too much. I just have to do a little more reading that I think most of the other students do.

Good luck! Remember, even though it's important to know some of the basic functions of A&P, how many nurses do you think are actually recalling that "epithelial skin cells are avascular & are generally packed close together & have thin layers of tissues" when they're caring for their patients?

WDWpixieRN, RN · Jan 28, 2007

I think you should do the best you can studying for the test, and then go see how you do before you spend too much time doubting yourself. You might have higher expectations of how difficult the material's going to be vs. what you can remember. (Please come back and share with us how it went!!)

I am 51 and just starting my second semester of a ADN program. I had avoided the sciences like the plague all through high school and my first bachelor's degree in Business (which I just finished in '99). I was petrified when I started taking nursing school prereqs as I really had no idea how I'd do. I wasn't the 4.0 star student, but I more than held my own through A & P I and II, microbiology, chemistry, human growth & development, etc., averaging about 3.7. My biggest downfall was NOT knowing the metric system before I took chemistry -- the first test was a real struggle and I wish I had understood it before I took the 8-week online summer course! (I needed to complete it to apply to the program without waiting another semester)

Yes, it's a lot to learn; yes, I missed reading my favorite novels and watching TV when I wanted (lol); yes, I was crabby a lot and wondered how I'd manage, and yes, I was relieved when I made it through another semester and got a break!! But do I think my age was/is a hindrance? Heck, no....I think I'm more motivated and have a LOT more life experience/knowledge I am bringing to my education. I see a lot of younger students really struggling with so much that's new to them just because of their age.

Hang in there and give yourself a chance...if you're concerned about the job itself, see about shadowing some nurses or really do some investigating into the options within nursing. At my age and with a limited resume, I felt like this was a career that would offer me many options through this next chapter of my life in the working world!!

smkiya, BSN, RN · Jan 28, 2007

"Thumbs are totally radical!" to remember that the radial bone is on the thumb side of the hand.

I love that!!!!

mammaoftwo · Jan 28, 2007

Thanks for all the replies, I think I am having a REALLY bad weekend. You see I have two small boys, ages 5 & 8 ( adopted, have had since they were 5 months & 2 years of age) my husband was sent to prison 9/2/04 & has been out of the home since 12/28/03 & IS NOT coming back home to live. In the meantime, my mom died 6/25/05 & then my baby sister (age 33) was killed in a horrible wreck 8/24/05. There is only my brother and me left in our family (out of six siblings) both parents are dead. I have a lot to deal with, believe me, both boys are ADHD and the 8 yr old is also bi-polar. I have always wanted to be a nurse, have a lot of hands on experience - I nursed my medically fragile son from six weeks of age until his death at the age of 9 1/2 yrs in 1994. Nursed my dad the last 4 months of his life (cancer) - I know what nursing is about, I know what it entails and yet I still want to become a nurse for the reason I really care about people and want to help them. I know how critical a good nurse can be to a family when loved ones are dying. I actually thought nurses had to remember everything we are being taught about the cells, tissue, the layers etc., etc.

DUH!! I have already completed my CNA training and gotten my certification, taken my health provider cpr training - sometimes I am my own worst enemy - I tend to sabotage myself when I am really close to something I have worked for and wanted. Thanks for listening to all my ramblings - I will continue on and I will make it. I have to keep reminding myself that I am a survivor (a whole nother story). Blessings to all.

WDWpixieRN, RN · Jan 28, 2007

Wow, you have had a lot to deal with....and NS with all you're still dealing with will be a lot to take on...but from your reply, it's obvious you've got a leg up on a lot of us that never spent any time in a health-care setting...use the training you've got, talk to nurses EVERYWHERE you go (your physician, your kids', in the grocery store) and get lots of points of view...they won't all be positive, but if YOU want this, you CAN do it...be sure to check in here as there's lots of great reinforcement and knowledge to be gleaned....but just remember your age won't be a hindrance....at 51, I am not the oldest in my class and I think I've seen some who look nearer to 60's in the 3rd semester classes!! Best wishes...you do sound like a survivor!!

DesertRain · Jan 28, 2007

mammaoftwo, not only do I believe you can do it, I think you deserve to do it. I think that it would be fantastic for you to accomplish something for yourself this time as it seems like you have spent so much of your life probably making sacrifices for others. I agree with all the other posters who say it's not the age. Many people are quick to assume that nursing students are all fresh out of highschool and young. Not so. I am 28, a single mom with 2 kids and still tend to be one of the "young" kids at school. A good friend of mine at school is in her mid-fifties and she does much better than me. I think it is due to experience and being aware of how your mind and body works, nevermind not having the social distractions. A&P is hard. I was struggling through them. I did well only because I busted my behind. I had to avoid reading posts about the 4.0 students because I always assumed that all of this was natural. But now, I realize that everyone who gets so far has put in the effort to do so. The prereqs are very hard and I will beg to differ with anyone who says otherwise. I also know what you mean about being your own worst enemy. I have done that to myself time and time again but it always led me to be a quitter and I don't want to be a quitter anymore. I posted this poem in the forums a while back if you haven't had a chance to read it here is the link : https://allnurses.com/forums/f198/those-you-who-feeling-down-lately-199571.html

I hope you keep your chin up and keep pursuing your dreams!

Ado Annie, ASN, RN · Jan 29, 2007

I'm going to agree with the encouraging posts above, AND tell you that it isn't just sometimes that I wonder if what I'm doing makes sense -- it's every day. So far, I'm still in it. Anatomy was a lot of memorization. So far, Physiology seems cool. Honestly, though, every day I have to decide it's something I want to pursue. This board helps -- and helps me believe that at least if I follow this thing through all the way I will have done it with my eyes open.

Good luck.

NativePapillon · Oct 12, 2008

The median age in my graduating class was mid thirties. Two of the five students who received high honors were 48 and 50 respectively. Think about pre-nursing classes, nursing classes, and your first-year in nursing in terms of building a house. You can't build a house with one brick, as it takes many, many layers of bricks and even then it's not completed. People add additions, remodel, etc. There is a lot of information to retain, but the information will build and become clearer as you progress. My best suggestion for you now is to try and visualize what you've learned. Apply the concepts that you know well and build upon them. When you are laying in bed awaiting sleep, think about how you are breathing, visualize your lungs expanding, the blood flowing from your pulmonary artery into the lungs to fill with the oxygen you just inhaled, visualize the CO2 being pushed out of the blood by the O2, into the lungs and out of you mouth as you exhale.... When you eat, visualize the food traveling through your GI tract, when your heart beats, see the blood traveling. I hope these are helpful suggestions as I know that memorization is not the key. It will be helpful for definitions and terms, but it is also just as important to understand the process. As I've said, as you progress you will keep adding bricks and soon it WILL resemble a house... it will get easier. Nursing school is difficult but is an achievable goal. Don't be discouraged, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I hope this helps. Good luck in whatever decision you choose.

Well put. That's how I operate. You have to break information down and make it, make sense to you. That's why we need talented educators. :yeah: