Did You Settle for Nursing?

RazorbackRN, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2008

Why be so hard on the OP? He/She is a,18 years old and entitled to wonder. What if this is the only contact he/she has with nurses? I think it is very reasonable to wonder if we settled or if we do it for the love of the job. She could just as easily go to a MD board and ask a physician if they settled by not becoming a surgeon. If we are truly proud of and secure of where we are, then this shouldn't be taken as an insult.

To the OP:

Did I settle? Yes and No.

I went to college right out of high school, but between boys and other things, I just didn't have the will or maturity to go to class and put school first.

Before I knew it, I was married, pregnant and raising children of my own. I always knew that I wanted to go back to school, but I didn't want to neglect my family. I had always dreamed of being a physician, but by the time I was truly ready to devote myself to school, I was a little older.

Luckily, I have a husband who is very supportive and financially stable. However, I always worried about what would happen to myself and my children, should he not be a part of our lives for whatever reason.

With his encouragement, I chose to go back to school. I decided on nursing because I knew it wouldn't take me nearly as long and steal as many of those precious years away from my children. I also knew that if something were to happen to my husband that I would be able to provide for my children. I might not necessarily be able to maintain the lifestyle that I am accustomed to, but I would be able to survive, with a rather flexible schedule and job security.

Do I still wish I had of become an MD? Yes and no. My job is very rewarding...my patients love me and I am the one who makes the difference. The docs may tell me what to do as far as certain procedures and meds to give, but my care goes way deeper than that. I also work 3 days a week and I don't have to worry about my pager going off at 3 am for a Tylenol order.

Would I like the prestige and recognition that comes with being a doc? Yeah, maybe, but right now I am perfectly content being who I am and doing what I do. I am also 33, with 9 and 11 yr old children, who still need me and I am not ready to sacrifice my life for med school.

I

PiPhi2004 · Jul 21, 2008

Ha! to the previous poster. I LOVE grey's anatomy. I want to be just like Izzie Stevens. Beautiful and smart

:banghead:

Yep, you cant be beautiful and smart as an RN. Better go for the doc, Guess my lifelong dream is shattered. I'm doomed to be the lowly nurse and clean up poop all day. Back to my quarters I go! :rolleyes: If I were you I'd be like Izzie Stevens and be an actress, ever given this a thought?

angel337, MSN, RN · Jul 21, 2008

I really want to be in the medical field. I've thought about becoming a nurse, but I really think I would hate settling for it. My life's dream is to become a doctor. Ive been in the hospital before and they seem to get all the glory and respect from everyone around them and make all the decisions. I also really want to make good money and have a great lifestyle like they do. However, i'm scared about how long i'll have to be in school and how competitive medical school is. I'm thinking I should just go into nursing and see how I like the medical field first. I know it will be terrible pay and cleaning up poop all day. That scares me. I don't want to be some doctor's helper and be belittled all day, as well as being poor. Have any of you first went into nursing, then onto medical school?? Any suggestions? I'm really at a crossroads here.

i'm just blown away that you think we "clean poop all day" and are "poor". huh??? i don't clean poop all day and i am certaintly not poor. make more money than all my friends with business degrees. now that that part is out the way, you need to educate yourself on what nurses do and what our job entails. even doctors have yucky parts to their profession. a good website about nurses, as well as a positive one is http://www.discovernursing.com. but seriously if you really want to be a doctor you need to take the time and dedication it takes to become one. don't settle, because you won't be happy.

Jo Dirt · Jul 21, 2008

It isn't always about ego's. I used to think it was. If I couldn't be at the top I thought I wasn't successful.

As I got older my priorities changed and I've realized being at what some people consider the top isn't what success means. To me, top dog means more hassle, and who needs that?

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 21, 2008

I did not settle to become a nurse, I strived to become one. Many times, people also ask if LPNs 'settled' for this because they didn't or couldn't enter an RN program. Well, let me assure you that I not only wanted to be an LPN, but strived to become one. I am also speaking from the high of having a great shift today. I know that not every day is great for nurses, but when caring nurses pull together as a team, we can be unstoppable!

My primary job is working in a hospital clinic, but recently I decided to work per diem on our med-surg units. I walked to my assigned unit today sort of thinking if what I do (LPNs primarily administer medications on med-surg) is a positive contribution. Well, when I got there, I just dove into the care, did good time in giving the meds and keeping the RNs in the loop about my observations. WHen I finished doing meds, I did patient care. We rocked it well, and they told me at the end of the day that I was such a help. They felt that I had a great attitude, the patients liked me, and during the code they had I kept the rest of the beat running so they didn't have a spill over. In fact, they told me that they would request for me.

I know I sort of went into a tanget, but I guess I am trying to say that I did not settle, I got what I wanted and today was one of the positive results of it. Nurses have a great deal to be proud of, on any level.

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2008

I have re-worded my response too many times to try not to slam the OP, so I will just hush now, look around my little shack and go find some poop to clean up. Now where is that dog when you need him??

BeachyRNn08 · Jul 21, 2008

I really want to be in the medical field. I've thought about becoming a nurse, but I really think I would hate settling for it. My life's dream is to become a doctor. Ive been in the hospital before and they seem to get all the glory and respect from everyone around them and make all the decisions. I also really want to make good money and have a great lifestyle like they do. However, i'm scared about how long i'll have to be in school and how competitive medical school is. I'm thinking I should just go into nursing and see how I like the medical field first. I know it will be terrible pay and cleaning up poop all day. That scares me. I don't want to be some doctor's helper and be belittled all day, as well as being poor. Have any of you first went into nursing, then onto medical school?? Any suggestions? I'm really at a crossroads here.

Wow, I'll try not to be brutal or anything, everyone has the right to their own opinion, but I'm in disbelief right now that someone would come to a site called "AllNURSES.com" and basically say that nurses are all broke Dr's helpers that wipe poo all day long... I did NOT "settle" on becoming a RN! I could have gone to med school, no problem, however, I CHOSE to be a nurse! The nurses are the ones at the bedside caring for the patients and their families during the roughest times of their life, even though the docs "get all the glory and respect." There is nothing more rewarding to me than being there for a patient when they really need it, "glory" or not...Please go to med school, we wouldn't want you to "settle" on such a demeaning job as a nurse now would we??

CANewRN · Jul 21, 2008

I originally started out Pre-Med, but after a year and a half of excrutiating chem classes, I decided to go to nursing school and graduated this may. I still may end up going to med school but I consider this: I have no tuition debt that I would have had if I went to med school, I have better pay now as a brand new RN than most MDs have their first few years out of school, and I can always go on and be a practicioner in the area I choose by getting my doctorate in nursing. :twocents:

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2008

There is nothing more rewarding to me than being there for a patient when they really need it, "glory" or not...Please go to med school, we wouldn't want you to "settle" on such a demeaning job as a nurse now would we??

Sing it loud Sister, sing it loud!! :yeah:

Music in My Heart · Jul 21, 2008

I really want to be in the medical field. I've thought about becoming a nurse, but I really think I would hate settling for it. My life's dream is to become a doctor. Ive been in the hospital before and they seem to get all the glory and respect from everyone around them and make all the decisions. I also really want to make good money and have a great lifestyle like they do. However, i'm scared about how long i'll have to be in school and how competitive medical school is. I'm thinking I should just go into nursing and see how I like the medical field first. I know it will be terrible pay and cleaning up poop all day. That scares me. I don't want to be some doctor's helper and be belittled all day, as well as being poor. Have any of you first went into nursing, then onto medical school?? Any suggestions? I'm really at a crossroads here.

If your life's dream is to be a physician then why would you choose to become a nurse or anything else besides a physician? Of course, only a small percentage of medical school applicants are actually admitted so you may be denied the opportunity to pursue your dream. However, if you never even try to fulfill your dream you're almost certain to have regrets later in life.

Before embarking on the path toward becoming a physician you'd be wise to do some research into what being a physician is really like. You sound like you have an idealized view, not a realistic one.

jessi1106, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2008

"I know it will be terrible pay and cleaning up poop all day. That scares me. I don't want to be some doctor's helper and be belittled all day, as well as being poor. "

Your view of nursing is unrealistic. Try shadowing (boths nurses and docs)

Also, I don't know any "poor" nurses. I make quite a bit more than the residents.

Music in My Heart · Jul 21, 2008

I don't want to be some doctor's helper and be belittled all day, as well as being poor.

I'm really put off by this statement. Not because of anything to do with nurses but because it trivializes true poverty just as when a well-fed person says "I'm starving" to mean they're very hungry trivializes starvation.