Decision to stay in nursing school or not? Please help!

ktwlpn, LPN · Sep 15, 2003

Originally posted by sharilou
Hi everyone,

I am currently starting my 2nd year of nursing and am in a dilemma. I go to school part-time, but I have the full time load. I attend clinical every other weekend. I find the book knowledge very interesting but when I get to clinical, I don't enjoy it very much. I like the patient contact, but I always feel like I don't know what I am doing. My instructors are harsh and critical and I don't feel comfortable to even ask a question without feeling like I should have already known it.

All this aside, I am currently working in Real Estate and find it much easier for me to do. i enjoy meeting new people and helping them to find houses or selling their own.

My question is: Is nursing school a good indicator of what it will be like in Nursing? In other words, should I be enjoying nursing school now? I have attended school for other professions, and found it wasn't much different once you started actually doing the job. If you have any answers to these questions, please feel free to email me.

I am seriously considering quitting the nursing school as I feel like "a fish out of water "most of the time.

Also, I am 46 years old, will I have a hard time finding a job once I get out of school? Is their age discrimination in Nursing? Will it be too tough on the body at my age? I already have my B.A.

Thanks.

We all have felt that way and still have those days after years of experience.Medicine changes sooo fast that we are constantly learning.Instructors seem to want to make students miserable-maybe to make sure that they can stand up under pressure? Once you find your niche and get over the new grad jitters(give yourself a yr to settle in) you will become more confident in your skills..If real estate fulfills you and you can afford to waste the time and money you have spent to become a nurse then quit...If you really WANT to be a nurse the go for it..Only you know what is in your heart-

Katnip, RN · Sep 15, 2003

First, I was 46 when I graduated and got a job right away. So no, there isn't discrimination, though it might go the other way. Manager and several others I talked to actually like hiring more "mature" people.

Not every place is like this. Some are horrors. Choose carefully.

When I was in school I almost quit. Especially during adult health clinicals. It's not the same for me. I chose a hospital where the environment is much more supportive than it was in school. I started in critical care, and they repeatedly tell us they don't want us to fail, to ask questions no matter how stupid we might think it is.

Many hospitals have much more involved orientations where they put a lot of time and money into new grads. It's in their best interest to make good nurses out of us. They also know new grads really don't know a whole lot, so most expect to do a lot of teaching. If they don't, you're in the wrong place.

It's still no bed of roses, though. It's a tough job and you will always be coming up against politics, the occasional nasty doc, difficult patients and managers.

The bottom line is-do you get enough satisfaction working with patients to be able to put up with the grind of school, and feeling like a fish out of water for a good year after graduation.

TeenyBabyRN · Sep 15, 2003

Sharilou,

I don't think I have ever met a nurse that enjoyed clinicals in nursing school. (I know I sure didn't). The feelings of uncertainty will lessen with time and experience.

Remember one very important thing: Nursing school clinicals do not expose you to all that nursing has to offer. Most of what you are exposed to in clinical is Med/Surg nursing. M/S is great for some, but not for everyone. I HATED clinicals and in 7 years as an RN, I have NEVER worked Med/Surg because I knew from clinicals that it was not for me. There is just simply not enough time in a nursing program to expose students to everything. Nursing school functions to teach the essentials of nursing (assessment skills, time management, pathophysiology, pharmacology, etc, etc.) You will still feel like a student for, probably, your first year as a nurse (the first year is the toughest!) for that very reason - the "real world" has little to do with the nursing school experience. Don't worry! You will have a preceptor with you at first and preceptors are usually VERY open to questions. In fact, they usually encourage questions since that is how you learn. You won't be expected to know everything as a new grad. (If you are, RUN to find another position!) Try looking into different areas of nursing (a good place to start is discovernursing.com) and see if any area particularly interests you.

I cannot imagine that you will have any difficulty finding a job after you finish school. It may not be the job you want or in the area that you want, but it is clinical experience that goes on the resume to get you that job that you want. I would not worry about age discrimination. After all, although some nurses are still working in the positions they hired into as new grads, that is the exception rather than the rule. Nurses shop around and hospital hop. A hospital would like to think that everyone they hire is going to stick around for 20-30 years, but they know better. My unit just hired several new grad nurses and only one of them is in her 20's. The rest are in their 40's and nursing is a 2nd career for them.

I wish I could be more encouraging about nursing not being hard on the body, but in most clinical areas, it is. I work in NICU and PICU. If you were to listen to some, all NICU nurses do is play with 1-2 pound babies all day...it is much more involved, believe me. Hours at a time on your feet with a lot of bending and stooping and moving equipment around - can be very physically taxing. There are always options in nursing though, including non-clinical nursing positions - these almost always require at least a year or two of clinical experience, however.

I hope this helps and Best of luck to you!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 15, 2003

Clinicals was sheer torture and nothing like the real world. I doubted myself every single day. Take a look at the nurses at the hospital where you do clinicals, ask yourself is this something I would enjoy doing. Sounds like you're not enjoying the school experience, but say you enjoy patient contact.

But there is a lot to nursing beside patient contact, there's paper work, etc. etc.

I haven't noticed any age discrimination. The average age of the nurses I work with is all over 40, myself included.

Mint Julip · Sep 15, 2003

Hi Shari - I'm sorry you are having such a hard time

I don't think anyone can give you a definitive answer on what you should do. This is a decision that you have to make on your own. I wouldn't feel right if I encouraged anyone to quit school.

I know people that have gone into nursing only to find out later that it just wasn't for them. It isn't a profession for everyone. I will say however that I hated nursing school. I couldn't wait for it to end. I doubted myself and my abilities more than once. I stayed because nursing is what I have ALWAYS wanted to do and I still feel that way. Everything else aside I have found a career where I feel at my best.

I don't think there are too many students who don't feel stressed out or overworked. Unfortunately that is part of the territory and it doesn't go away once you start practice. You have to develop thicker skin and learn to deal with it effectively. I wish you the best in whatever you decide.

deadend · Sep 15, 2003

hi I am a new grad also, Had been an LPN for many years prior Have you ever thought about MDS it is the feild that I love pays good not much patient contact but it keeps you thinking and keeps your skills sharp (I am almost 50) your age and life experience will go a long way in shaping your career. My med surg instructor was one of the worst and I had him for 2 years, nsg school is nothing like the real world .hang in there you will find your niche

nurseaboveboard · Sep 15, 2003

I say stick with it! I still remember what it was like during clinicals, even though twenty years have gone by. I'm back in school and I'm fifty-three! So...you go! I don't think you'll regret it!

renerian, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2003

I personally think nursing in any setting is way harder than school. In school I always got breaks LOL, not as a nurse. Just my thoughts. I am curious to see if anyone else agrees with me as I seem to be the only one thinking this way. I have several friends who got out of nursing and went into real estate and make double to triple what I make.

renerian

Randall · Sep 16, 2003

Hi,

I just graduated in May---Clinicals were horrible. I am 43 and have worked in several different professional occupations. Nothing compared to the torture of clinicals. I graduated #1 in my class and felt completely inadequate. Each week I rejoiced as I left the clinical site. The instructors were "harsh and critical" for the most part also.

Hang in there and get your degree--you've already come this far. Then you can make the decision to pursue a career in nursing or real estate.

Good luck!!!

Randall

maureeno · Sep 16, 2003

having clinical every other weekend

is infrequent

and bound to make anyone feel unsure

CrazyNurseD · Sep 16, 2003

Sharilou,

I can remember feeling the same way about a month ago. I was sitting at my desk at home doing homework and began to cry and cry and wonder if what I was doing was the right thing. I would get so nervous before and during clinical that I hated the thought of it. I seriously would get sick to my stomach, almost passed out in a patients room with my instructor by my side. LOL But I new that that is what I have to do to get through school. I also feel that no matter how much I study, how much I think I know, I still feel lost alot. But people have always told me that it will come with experience.

As for getting a job at your age. I dont think that will be a problem.. There is such a demand for nursing. And maybe you are not a nurse who will work in a hospital, there are lots of different areas for you to explore.

Hang in there...

From one student to the next it will be ok..

*Danielle*