Deciding if nursing is for me

OlivetheRN, ADN, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2013

That's a whoooole lot of information you're asking for in one post. My suggestion: poke around on the forums as you will likely find answers to all your questions in various ones. I'm a recent new grad and have only been reading the forums for probably a few months but have learned a ton of stuff just by doing searches and reading :)

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2013

I look online and see stories about how so many people drop out of nursing school saying how hard it is and it is very difficult saying how hard nursing can be saying that people go home crying after work.

It is difficult. But I have never gone home crying. A lot of how you turn out has to do with the tenacity with which you approach school, and ultimately, your goal.

What skills are RN allowed to do in hospitals.

This question is way too broad. We assess patients, start IVs, give meds, educate patients and families, advocate to physicians/PT/OT, communicate with other members of the team, control pain, help patients walk after surgery...and that's just in the first 2 hours of the day sometimes!

Do you guys pass a lot of meds to your patients.

Short answer--yes.

Do you have to specialize to work in the ER or labor and delivery surgery, ICU.

Usually, specialties come after you're experienced in med-surg. Many of these specialties require more education/classes/orientation in the hospital.

What is a good unit to start working on if you go a hospital job as a new grad.

Med surg. If you can't find a med surg job, wherever you can get hired!

Is it still possible to get an RN job in a hospital without a bsn.

Yes--you can get an associate's degree (2 years) or become an LPN, though LPNs aren't used very much anymore.

Was all this information in school hard to learn.

Yes. It required a great deal of drive and dedication.

I am trying to teach some of these things to myself where should I begin. Biology, microbiology anatomy so on.

That's fine, but you will learn a lot of this in college in a very structured environment. I always have a hard time learning brand new concepts on my own. I tend to prefer a classroom.

Is it hard to make care plans one of my biggest concerns about becoming a nurse.

In nursing school? It's not so easy. Most charting systems have pre-made care plans that you can personalize. It's pretty easy.

What are the skills that RN allowed to do.

Way too broad; depends on where you work (both department and state).

I am just curious about working in a hospital. I work in a nursing home and from what I see they just follow the doctors orders like vitals signs every shift complete blood count on so and so this resident needs their medication at 6 am.

Watching a nurse and doing what a nurse does are two very different things. When you see her charting or "just following orders", there is much more going on...or at least there should be. You have to consider before you give certain medications what the effect will be on the patient. Is it safe to give based on BP and respirations? Does the pt have a med ordered that they're allergic to? (Yeah, that's happened!). There is a lot in nursing that goes on out of sight that you cannot see.

They chart what time they give their medication or anything else.

Chart everything. If you don't chart it, it wasn't done.

I just worry about doing assessments and stuff. Is it hard to learn how to do assessments.

There is a learning curve. You're not expected to do everything all at once.

I enjoy being an aide but being a nurse is a lot different than being an aide.

True, and you're wise to recognize that.

You have to teach your patients and family and educate them on certain things I have got to know if this something I am going to at least like or enjoy.

Shadow a nurse in a hospital. See what you think! Otherwise, you'll never know.

What are skills you do in a hospital.

Again, way too broad and greatly varied.

As zipzip said, look around AN. There's a lot here to read about!

SleeepyRN · Jul 21, 2013

I look online and see stories about how so many people drop out of nursing school saying how hard it is and it is very difficult saying how hard nursing can be saying that people go home crying after work.
It is difficult. But I have never gone home crying. A lot of how you turn out has to do with the tenacity with which you approach school, and ultimately, your goal.

What skills are RN allowed to do in hospitals.
This question is way too broad. We assess patients, start IVs, give meds, educate patients and families, advocate to physicians/PT/OT, communicate with other members of the team, control pain, help patients walk after surgery...and that's just in the first 2 hours of the day sometimes!
Do you guys pass a lot of meds to your patients.
Short answer--yes.

Do you have to specialize to work in the ER or labor and delivery surgery, ICU.
Usually, specialties come after you're experienced in med-surg. Many of these specialties require more education/classes/orientation in the hospital.
What is a good unit to start working on if you go a hospital job as a new grad.
Med surg. If you can't find a med surg job, wherever you can get hired!
Is it still possible to get an RN job in a hospital without a bsn.
Yes--you can get an associate's degree (2 years) or become an LPN, though LPNs aren't used very much anymore.
Was all this information in school hard to learn.
Yes. It required a great deal of drive and dedication.
I am trying to teach some of these things to myself where should I begin. Biology, microbiology anatomy so on.
That's fine, but you will learn a lot of this in college in a very structured environment. I always have a hard time learning brand new concepts on my own. I tend to prefer a classroom.

Is it hard to make care plans one of my biggest concerns about becoming a nurse.
In nursing school? It's not so easy. Most charting systems have pre-made care plans that you can personalize. It's pretty easy.

What are the skills that RN allowed to do.
Way too broad; depends on where you work (both department and state).

I am just curious about working in a hospital. I work in a nursing home and from what I see they just follow the doctors orders like vitals signs every shift complete blood count on so and so this resident needs their medication at 6 am.
Watching a nurse and doing what a nurse does are two very different things. When you see her charting or "just following orders", there is much more going on...or at least there should be. You have to consider before you give certain medications what the effect will be on the patient. Is it safe to give based on BP and respirations? Does the pt have a med ordered that they're allergic to? (Yeah, that's happened!). There is a lot in nursing that goes on out of sight that you cannot see.

They chart what time they give their medication or anything else.
Chart everything. If you don't chart it, it wasn't done.
I just worry about doing assessments and stuff. Is it hard to learn how to do assessments.
There is a learning curve. You're not expected to do everything all at once.

I enjoy being an aide but being a nurse is a lot different than being an aide.
True, and you're wise to recognize that.
You have to teach your patients and family and educate them on certain things I have got to know if this something I am going to at least like or enjoy.
Shadow a nurse in a hospital. See what you think! Otherwise, you'll never know.

What are skills you do in a hospital.
Again, way too broad and greatly varied.

As zipzip said, look around AN. There's a lot here to read about!

I hope OP appreciated your time with responding. That was a lot of info you gave him. Hopefully others will read your post to benefit from it too.