Do I want to be a nurse?

[oregon guy]

I am currently taking prerequisites that will apply somewhere in the medical field, which I am positive I want to be a part of. I have been heading toward radiation therapy which sounds great to me, but with nursing there is so much opportunity as far as the wide array of the type of work I could do. My father-in-law is encouraging me to go for nursing, which he loves (he works in the OR). I just simply DO NOT want to be a bedside nurse, or have to deal with patients in a too personal manner. My father-in-law says thats no problem and that he just preps rooms for surgery and does minimal direct patient care. He also says that I would probably like working in the cath lab. I don't know. I don't want to hate my job, but with all the different types of nursing, I should fit in somewhere. Right?

Thanks

[RhodyGirl, RN]

I'm not trying to be harsh, but from what you say in your post it doesn't seem like nursing would be a good fit for you. You say you do not want to be a bedside nurse or deal with patients personally.....yet this is what nursing is all about. To get to the point where you can leave the bedside, it would require years of experience. Nursing school is an awful lot of hard work and takes alot of dedication, so I would be 100% sure you want this. Which, IMO, it doesn't seem like you really do. Good luck in your decision, and please ask if you have any more questions.

[amjowens]

I'm in NS, and have learned that nursing is all about caring for patients. While nursing does offer opportunities that don't include direct patient care, it's assumed in most of those positions that patient care issues/needs are understood and mastered.

I do know surgical techs work in ORs and don't have to deal a great deal with patients.

[neatnurse30]

IF you don't want to do direct patient care then don't go to nursing school. People only say that nursing is so versatile, but it always involves direct patient care. THere are very few nursing jobs out there that don't involve being with the patient.

It's not worth it , do something else.

[jjjoy, LPN]

I'm with the others. While there are some nursing positions that don't have as much direct patient care, nursing is at its heart about direct patient care. Nursing school is all about learning direct patient care and practicing it. Earning a nursing degree is a basic foundation; it doesn't train nurses for specialties and there is still much to learn on the job for the most generic of nursing positions. You need a nursing license to be even be considered for many positions, but it in no way guarantees being able to get hired for the type of nursing job you'd like if it's anything besides a new grad bedside nursing position.

On the other hand, there are many roles in health care that don't require a nursing degree and where the role may even be quite similar to some specialized nursing roles. For example, rad techs and cardiovascular techs in cath labs share many of the same responsibilities as nurses in the cath lab. Surgery techs also share similar responsibilities to some OR nurses. Case managers are often nurses, but they are also often people with a background in social work. If you're not at all interested in the other aspects of nursing, then it would seem that nursing school wouldn't be the best option for your goals. Yes, there is a wider variety of options with nursing, but that's not so important if you're not interested in what those options are and if you're not that interested in nursing care in general.

Just food for thought!!!

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

Even radiation techs have to deal touch patients and provide direct care, so that probably isn't a good fit either. Surgical scrub techs have very little interaction with patients and its interesting work with a lot of variety and opportunity.

[oregon guy]

The reason I would be comfortable with the radiation therapy is because the type of care is not so invasive, also a slower paced setting. I am not saying that I do not want to work with people, I just don't want to work with them in ways I am uncomfortable with. Sorry if I'm not making sense.

[subee, MSN, CRNA]

No, you're making perfect sense. However, radiation therapy requires someone who can provide sensitive patient care. There are women with fungating, foul smelling breast lesions, patients who are mentally incompetent, patients who are dying or very near death. They sit in lines waiting to come in and receive their treatment. You're pretty damned uncomfortable when assigned to care for a young person with a brain tumor, no hair and no prospects for a future. I've worked in radiation therapy. These are very sick patients and don't need staff who are "put off" by their problems.

[RNMeg]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but to me it sounds like the OP is uncomfortable with the idea of intimate care..bed baths, peri care, urine/feces/vomit, etc. Even if you don't want to do this type of care as a nurse, you'll still be required to provide it in nursing school. It's part of learning the profession, even if you don't use it when you graduate.

[texasbsn]

hi I am a new grad nurse. I have found that I like nursing,I also like a slower enviroment which I am getting in PP.From your desctription concerning your feelings I would rethimk nurseing school as of now,if you have an interest in the medical profesion,maybe invest in a program that is les time to obtain,than nursing to see if you like ,that way if health field not for you,go into something else,I strongly advise you to shadow ,cath lab tech,nursing pt,therapy all that might interest you,because all that I can think of reqiure direct care in one form or another,including speech pathology,try shadowing it as well.Do not go into somthing do not like right off the bat,no matter what anyone says ,you can be whatever you choose to be,so choose what you can se yourself in 25 years down the road

good luck!

[texasbsn]

I plan on 2 years PP than school nursing ,this is my vision for the future,this is where i can se my self in the next 25 years.

[luv4lpns]

that is the best part of nursing, you can pick and choose what you do. There are so many jobs out there you can try something to see if you like it, if you don't like it then you can try something else.