Absolutely nobody around me wants me to be a nurse. I am currently a Realtor and everyone thinks I should stick with it. I HATE REAL ESTATE! You don't know where the next check is coming from, it is SO expensive to get started and keep going, I have to work from home so I feel like I am always working, it is cut-throat, greedy and most importantly, I get no satisfaction from it.
I have wanted to be a nurse for three years now and was suppose to start LPN school last fall, but I got pregnant and the school requested me to not start b/c the baby was due in the middle of the program. That worked out b/c he ended up a preemie. But they saved my spot for this year.
I have had to do everything secretly. My financial aid, I am studying up on A&P, I even have a second job to carry me through paying off the credit I had to use for real estate so that I can use that credit for books and such.
Did anyone here ever have to go up against anyone to become a nurse? I really want this, but I don't know how to handle it. When you are doing something as tough as nursing school, you need support. No matter what I am going to school...that is one thing I am sure of.
Specializes in Lactation Ed, Pp, MS, Hospice, Agency.
Follow your heart!
My story (brief) My MIL & DH have been against it. My MIL b/c of my LD's. She literilly made me feel terribly & it nearly destroyed our relationship. I got my acceptance letter last wk & told my DH to NOT tell her. Luckily she's in CA. I figure I might be able to make it through the holidays? Before she finds out. That, plus 1 yr will go by fast! My DH is worried how I'll do. He was mad at first about my acceptance letter, but now understands that I am doing this for us! He can retire in another yr & I'll wk!
The whole time I was a NA people, including and mostly my mother, said I should become a nurse. I compromised by becomeing an MA, but I know two very important reasons I'm not in a hurry to become a nurse, both of which come from REPEATED past esperience: 1. I KNOW I won't be good with the stress. ANd 2. I flunk all my classes when I have to work AND do school. I can't devote enough time to work AND blass so I end up with teachers AND bosses telling me I need to work harder.
I wish there was something out there (besides the military, who's physcial I can't pass) that paid you for going to school. Then I wouldn't have to worry about bills and the cats and where I was going to live and when I was going to be able to eat and all those numerous other things that cost money that you don't have as a student.
Specializes in Post op care with Plastic surgery Pat.
I think you should do what you want to do...Don't spend your life in a profession you dont love or someone else picks for you...I say this because I have a dental hygiene degree I dont use because my boyfriend made that descion for me when I was in my early 20's...Then I went back to school for nursing and got frustrated and went into respiratory but stop because of a pregancy 7 years ago...I lack a year having a bachelor in respiratory...
So where does that leave me...Still AGING and not doing what I want...
I now stay at home and work partime as a aide for a plastic surgeron.. All that education I never used because I didnt listen to myself...
I have tried to go back to do nursing and now they say they wont reconize my basics because there too old so take them over..at my age I'm not sure if I'm up for the rigors of nursing school...So my point is and I have one "HA! life keeps going even if you decide or not...SO live your dream...
Donna In TEXAS:)
Absolutely nobody around me wants me to be a nurse. I am currently a Realtor and everyone thinks I should stick with it. I HATE REAL ESTATE! You don't know where the next check is coming from, it is SO expensive to get started and keep going, I have to work from home so I feel like I am always working, it is cut-throat, greedy and most importantly, I get no satisfaction from it.
I have wanted to be a nurse for three years now and was suppose to start LPN school last fall, but I got pregnant and the school requested me to not start b/c the baby was due in the middle of the program. That worked out b/c he ended up a preemie. But they saved my spot for this year.
I have had to do everything secretly. My financial aid, I am studying up on A&P, I even have a second job to carry me through paying off the credit I had to use for real estate so that I can use that credit for books and such.
Did anyone here ever have to go up against anyone to become a nurse? I really want this, but I don't know how to handle it. When you are doing something as tough as nursing school, you need support. No matter what I am going to school...that is one thing I am sure of.
Specializes in Maternal Infant, Adult Med-Surg, Adolesc.
Why did you find that nursing wasn't for you? Which degree did you obtain (ADN, BSN . . .) Where were you working? (hospital, setting. . .)
I don't think this reply should have come to me. I am a nurse, have been for more than 30 years, and will forever be a nurse. My mom was a nurse for more than 40 yrs and I will follow in her steps, abeit reluctantly at first. Started as an ADN, advanced to BSN/MN and finally PhD. Wouldn't change it for the world ... tremendous opportunities ... applies to my personal life in making me a better mom, wife, caregiver, person ... I think all young women should be encouraged to go to nursing school ... just as young men should be encouraged to go into the military ... started in the hospital then moved into teaching ... worked all areas of the hospital, long-term care, pediatrics, maternity.
Thanks for your reply. I believe my previous post came to you because you are a part of this conversation thread that started with someone saying a lot of people have tried to talk her out of being a nurse. However, she was going from real estate agent to LVN, not to RN.
Although not in nursing school yet, I've seen enough to know I'm going to love nursing and welcome all the challenges. I also want to get a master's or nurse practitioner degree. I think women should pursue as much education as possible. One of the reasons some don't like nursing, is that they just have an associate's degree.
I don't think this reply should have come to me. I am a nurse, have been for more than 30 years, and will forever be a nurse. My mom was a nurse for more than 40 yrs and I will follow in her steps, abeit reluctantly at first. Started as an ADN, advanced to BSN/MN and finally PhD. Wouldn't change it for the world ... tremendous opportunities ... applies to my personal life in making me a better mom, wife, caregiver, person ... I think all young women should be encouraged to go to nursing school ... just as young men should be encouraged to go into the military ... started in the hospital then moved into teaching ... worked all areas of the hospital, long-term care, pediatrics, maternity.
I think nursing is definetely not for everyone...I've been working on a tele floor (PCU) for ~1 1/2 years. Everybody says you need to really give it a good 6months to year just to begin enjoying nursing. Sadly, I've discovered I hate nursing! My sister-in-law (a phys assistant) asked "don't you find it rewarding?" Sadly, all I could say is "NO"!
I'll be returning to school to earn a BS in Animal Biotechnology & Conservation. I've discovered that I'm not the type of person who can do a job I hate! I'll probably start off earning less than I do know, but my sanity & happiness are worth soo much more....
Basically, if you feel that nursing is your calling, go for it & best of luck to you!!! Have you considered working pt as an aide or tech, there is soo much to learn & any experience makes a world of difference:)
I find it interesting that I've seen several posts here and there by people who've decided they don't like nursing and want to do something else--as you say, it isn't for everyone--yet they still post on allnurses.com. I don't mean to imply that you shouldn't. It's an interesting and collegial board, and I'm glad to hear any intelligent opinion, as I'm sure most others are. But I do wonder if you feel there's an element of "once a nurse, always a nurse?"
I know that even though I no longer earn my living nailing sticks together, a part of me will always be someone who goes to a fine restaurant and says afterwards: "The food was very good and the service was excellent, but the miters on the crown molding were kind of sloppy..."
Anyway, best of luck with your career plans, wherever they may lead.
God these posts are so depressing. Makes me wonder why I want to enter the field at all....
No one is really happy for me either....going to NS, becoming a nurse. I don't think I can think of even one other professional field that has so much negativity surrounding it, which amazes me in some ways since apprarantly we need nurses...
There's so many posts on this site that aren't negative and depressing. I see nothing depressing about all of the posters to this individual supporting her decision...
Seriously, I think proving your nay-sayers wrong can go a long way towards giving you that extra push when you have to get up at 0500 AGAIN to start your millionth 18-hour school/work/homework cycle, or when you start thinking about how shooting for a 78 average wouldn't be *that* bad....
Here are some of the quotes that p*ssed me off enough to make it through nursing school:
"I don't see Rachel running around, taking orders from doctors and getting them coffee" (my ex-SIL)
"You're so smart...why don't you go to medical school? Nurses don't actually have to use their brains." (my ex-FIL, a dentist)
"Nursing isn't that hard....I mean, it's basically in the same category as being a secretary or a preschool teacher..." (my ex-husband- see the pattern?)
"Maybe you can find yourself a doctor to marry" (my mother :angryfire )
"The first time you have to touch someone's poop or vomit, you'll quit" (my best friend)
"you'll quit and go back into marketing when the economy turns around; you'll miss making a good salary" (pretty much everybody)
"you'll flunk out of school because you won't drive 100+ miles a day for 3 years" (my mother again)
"your life is too complicated right now with work, surgery, marriage issues...you should just take some time off from school and continue working here" (my unit manager in my CNA job- of COURSE she wanted me to stay there!)
I guess my point is this: having a *positive* reason for going into nursing is wonderful, and crucial. However, the drive to prove all your critics WRONG can keep you going when you really, really, REALLY want to quit.
Hey, it worked for me!
WOW! We run into the same people! My family especially my husband's family (who include 5 RN's and CNA's!!) have said the same things except way more demeaning and ignorant. They assumed because I worked full time that I couldn't succeed. Too bad I kick a** in clinical and do great in class. I know I'll make an excellent nurse. My husband is however, very supportive of me. And yes, for 3rd and 4th semester (ADN) I'll work under 30 hrs...!
The whole time I was a NA people, including and mostly my mother, said I should become a nurse. I compromised by becomeing an MA, but I know two very important reasons I'm not in a hurry to become a nurse, both of which come from REPEATED past esperience: 1. I KNOW I won't be good with the stress. ANd 2. I flunk all my classes when I have to work AND do school. I can't devote enough time to work AND blass so I end up with teachers AND bosses telling me I need to work harder.
I wish there was something out there (besides the military, who's physcial I can't pass) that paid you for going to school. Then I wouldn't have to worry about bills and the cats and where I was going to live and when I was going to be able to eat and all those numerous other things that cost money that you don't have as a student.
I certainly don't dispute the importance of providing food and shelter for one's cats. I have long understood that if you go to bed with a hungry dog, you wake up with a hungry dog, but if you go to bed with a hungry cat, you might not wake up at all.
Your post is exactly why I think the many routes to nursing are a plus, and why getting an LPN isn't stupid (well, if getting an LPN meets your needs, that's not stupid, either.)
In my area, an MA makes about the same pay as an LPN, if you can find a job. I've known a couple of MAs working as aides because it was the best job they could get. Either way, it beats flipping burgers, and it can be a stepping stone toward an RN license.
You're absolutely right that working your way through school is very tough. My hospital offers partial tuition reimbursement, which was a big help, along with student loans. I was able to cut my working hours back to the bare minimum, but I still haven't caught up on the sleep I missed. Luckily, my employer was pretty understanding. By my last semester, the wheels were definitely starting to come off the cart.
... I just graduated in May of 2005. I started working 3wks ago on orientation and It has been very stressful, I started second guessing my decision to become a nurse. After working 12 hours for 3 days straight,I am totally exhausted. I am being oriented by a lady who constantly looks at me as if I dont know what I am doing. ... I agree being on a med-surg floor as a full fledge nurse is very overwhelming
Just venting.
hey, just want you to know, my wife went thru the same exact thing you are now. she went straight to a very busy med-surg floor right after graduating BSN. it was rough for her, with the 12 hour shifts, a--hole surgeons yelling at her, inept residents making stupid mistakes and trying to pass the blame, etc. etc... she really started to wonder if she had made a mistake.
but she stuck with it and in very short time, became a very competent and confident nurse. got to the point where she has no trouble standing up to surgeons, residents, even the attendings when she knew she (or another nurse) was right about something.
now she's moved on to a critical care ICU, went through more orientation, got overwhelmed all over again, but now she loves her job more than she ever thought possible.
one thing she's said, on a few occasions, is that getting the med-surg experience was probably the best choice she could have made. it really gave her a broad and solid foundation that will apply to anywhere she goes. she sees people come out of school and go straight into ICU and quickly get completely overwhelmed. but the med surg teaches you all the skills you need, how to manage patient load, how all the systems integrate... its really invaluable.
anyhow, it will be overwhelming at first, but you've got a great attitude and you'll certainly make it all right.
hey, just want you to know, my wife went thru the same exact thing you are now. she went straight to a very busy med-surg floor right after graduating BSN. it was rough for her, with the 12 hour shifts, a--hole surgeons yelling at her, inept residents making stupid mistakes and trying to pass the blame, etc. etc... she really started to wonder if she had made a mistake.
but she stuck with it and in very short time, became a very competent and confident nurse. got to the point where she has no trouble standing up to surgeons, residents, even the attendings when she knew she (or another nurse) was right about something.
now she's moved on to a critical care ICU, went through more orientation, got overwhelmed all over again, but now she loves her job more than she ever thought possible.
one thing she's said, on a few occasions, is that getting the med-surg experience was probably the best choice she could have made. it really gave her a broad and solid foundation that will apply to anywhere she goes. she sees people come out of school and go straight into ICU and quickly get completely overwhelmed. but the med surg teaches you all the skills you need, how to manage patient load, how all the systems integrate... its really invaluable.
anyhow, it will be overwhelming at first, but you've got a great attitude and you'll certainly make it all right.
I think I know why my husband is frustrated with me going into nursing. A long time ago, (in a land far away... :chuckle ) my husband started going to college for medicine. He wanted to be a surgeon. Well, he let life get in the way and ended up never finishing. Now he has a job that he can't stand but hangs onto for the benefits it gives us. (It's a state job). Anyway, I think that there is a little bit of jealousy involved because I know that he would give anything to go back to college and instead he is sitting there watching me get accepted into stuff and doing the fun things like buy supplies and books. Plus I will get to hole up in my room to study. My husband also knows me well enough that after LPN, I will for sure go on to RN once the kids are in school and BSN and as far as the education allows.
I think that he wishes it was him. So I am not sure how to approach that because in a million years he will never admit it. But I am going to tell him that hey, eventually I will have the income and benefits and he will be free to leave his job and do whatever he wants. Be a stay at home dad, start his own business or go back to school!! But with any other career, I would never dare to take that risk because no job is secure. Nursing is though.
Hopefully he will see my side of it. I am just trying to do what is best for all of us and make myself happy.
We'll see. Thank you all for all your wonderful posts!
My husband also knows me well enough that after LPN, I will for sure go on to RN once the kids are in school and BSN and as far as the education allows.
wannabemw
284 Posts
Follow your heart!
My story (brief) My MIL & DH have been against it. My MIL b/c of my LD's. She literilly made me feel terribly & it nearly destroyed our relationship. I got my acceptance letter last wk & told my DH to NOT tell her. Luckily she's in CA. I figure I might be able to make it through the holidays? Before she finds out. That, plus 1 yr will go by fast! My DH is worried how I'll do. He was mad at first about my acceptance letter, but now understands that I am doing this for us! He can retire in another yr & I'll wk!
Let us know how it all wks out!
~MJ