Do I have what it takes to be a nurse?

cleback · Dec 19, 2018

My favorite instructor told me nursing needs all types. If you're interested in it and are doing OK in school, I will not try to dissuade you.

loriangel14, RN · Dec 19, 2018

Yeah multitasking and getting yelled at are part of the package, so is stress.You need to be thick skinned. Not all places have 12 hour shifts so don't get too hung up on the idea that you will only work 3 days a week.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2018

I disagree that being creative isn't part of being a nurse.

I agree with Lori though that multi-tasking and getting yelled at are inevitable. I had a Mom scream at me for 15 minutes a few months because I woke her up for a scheduled 12pm home visit. This was in a homeless shelter and one of the neighboring Moms came in because she heard how much the Mom was yelling and then the front desk staff asked me if I was ok when I left.

There is no guarantee that you will get a 36 hr position/3 12 hr shifts either. A lot of hospitals do a combination of 8hr and 12 hr shifts and if you're hired for 36 hrs, they could schedule you for 3 8s and a 12 if they feel like it. Or if they have a crazy system like the hospital I worked at, they can schedule you for however many hours they want up to 48 hrs in a week so long as your total hours in a 6 week period is 216. Days and nights in the same week, too.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Dec 20, 2018

Nursing is a most difficult profession. Some days I was glad I did it, some days.. not so much. The answer is to shadow a nurse and see how it really feels.

Best wishes.

JKL33 · Dec 20, 2018

Here are some separate thoughts that don't add up to an overall opinion or yes/no answer:

I've been thinking about becoming a nurse for some months now and have about a year until I actually have to decide ( senior year of high school) but the one thing that keeps me from just saying yes, is that I don't know if I have the personality that will be content with nursing as a lifelong career. So I'll just say some things about myself and maybe some actual nurses can tell me if they think I am fit for the job.

It would be good to consider what it is that might not make you content with a nursing career. This is important because the answer could be anything from, "I'm unsure if I can learn the necessary components" all the way to "I hate dealing with people" or "people usually stress me out" - - for example.

I know nursing school is hard and I'm ready to do the work, I'm taking some college-level classes now to get some prereqs out of the way. I've noticed that I'm not the best with paying attention to detail and I get stressed if I have to do multiple things at the same time or if people start yelling at me. I'm not terrible under pressure and I can still think. I do enjoy helping people and I want the job that I do to have some meaning other than the fact that it gets me money, but I will be honest. If nursing didn't pay well (the salary wasn't enough to live a comfortable life) I wouldn't do it. But that goes for all careers for me regardless of whether or not I like them.

Attention to detail, the ability to multitask and (in many instances) the ability to do both of those together are essential. People who can't get the hang of this will struggle mightily and are those who end up being thought of as not great nurses unless they quickly learn these cognitive skills.

The statement about not choosing nursing if it didn't pay well should be considered from several angles:

- There's nothing wrong with making a choice for nursing based on the fact that you can earn decent money.

- If you would have zero interest in helping and serving the needs of humanity with a lesser paycheck though, it might be wise to ask yourself how much you really think you will want to do it even with a decent paycheck. It is rough work. And there is such a thing as "you couldn't pay me enough..." That feeling is more likely to crop up if you don't have a genuine interest in the profession to begin with.

- Many jobs have meaning - but more importantly, most everyone can use their time in meaningful ways even if their paid jobs aren't overwhelmingly thought of as being "meaningful." I would use great caution in choosing nursing based on the whole meaningful thing, since many, many (most) nursing jobs are employee situations where you will find your duties as an employee at odds with the ethics of caring for human beings.

Should I look to a different career?\

I think a really useful question would be to start with thinking about what you would consider to be your core interests up to this point? What do you really truly enjoy? What would you want to do if you could do anything? Is there something you like so much that you would probably do it in one form or another even if the pay was so-so?

Also, rather than trying to see if you match up to nursing, you should be asking whether any potential career matches up to you and who you are.

Does your school administer any sort of testing that might help you understand whether you're on a reasonable track with your thoughts about nursing?

anewsns · Dec 20, 2018

Based on limited information, you may be fine. You're still very young and some of the things you mentioned can be developed over time. Three days a week is nice but the work is exhausting so you need at least a day to recover. It's unlikely you'll feel you have good work / life balance right away as you'll be dealing with off shifts and stress and a huge learning curve. It still takes over your life entirely for a while. I also have all the personaliry traits you mentioned, and nursing was an ok fit for me.

Do I have what it takes to be a nurse?

Should I become a nurse