Do I want to be a nurse for the wrong reasons?

[Diane in Ohio]

Let me start off by saying, I am 40 (soon to be 41 next month), but always wanted to be a nurse. When I first graduated HS, I was too scared to go to nursing school and didn't have the funds to go (or at least I didn't think so and didn't know much about grants, loans, etc.) But I always envisioned myself as a nurse.

I was a candy striper in my teens and loved it, always felt "important" doing little things in the hospital setting. As I reached my 20's & 30's, although my career was the furthest thing away from a hospital, there was never a time I didn't drive by a hospital and thought to myself....I wish I worked there.

So here I am, for the first time in my life actually contemplating going back to school to become an LPN, for starters. My husband & I have been married for almost 17 years and my children are old enough for me to go back to school and have some time for studying, homework, etc. (there are almost 16 & 11 years old) My entire family is very supportive of me going into nursing, and currently, I do not have to work. I have always been the "bread winner" making more money than my husband, up until now. He has a steady, good paying job that would carry us over until I was finished with school. It would be financially tight for the next year while I am in school, but for right now and over the next year, we could swing it. This is also why I am only considering an LPN to start with. I would like to become an LPN, then go on from there. This would give my a chance to do some work in the field and then pick away at my RN and maybe BSN and who knows from there.

So here is my dilema as I am looking into some of the programs. Do I want to be a nurse for the right reasons?

When I think about nursing, I envision working in hospital settings. Not so much nursing homes or doctor's offices, but in the middle of the "goodies". I love the smell of hospitals, all the equipment, the atmosphere, etc. I want to know what everything does and how it works. I want to put in that IV, adjust that oxygen, make a patient feel more comfortable, chart that information. I want to know how to use a stethescope, take the BP of a patient, learn about treating different diseases, injuries, and all the things a human body can go through and how it can be healed.

Now here is where I am worried that I am wanting to be a nurse for the wrong reasons. Do I like people? Generally, yes. Do I want to hear about their life stories? Generally, OK. But what I do not like are the people that go on and on about every little ache and pain, over and over again. (I have some "friends" that do this and it drives me nuts) I think they are the ones that the industry tag as "frequent fliers" at the ER. Run there for every little sniffle and think they are on their death beds. They just want the attention they get for being "sick".

I want to comfort and help those that are truely in need at the time.

4 years ago, my mother was diagnosed with leukemia, and I spent most of the 9 months with her in the hospital. She was more in than out of the hospital for those 9 months. I was fascinated with all of the things the nurses did and even found myself able to handle things I never thought I could (cleaning her up after she puked or messed herself) She had caths, chest tubes, breathing tubes, etc. at some point during those 9 months. Was in the ICU off and on, which was really fascinating to see all the equipment and things that had to be done to her.

In the end, the leukemia won, but after watching her deteriorate for 9 months, it was better to let her go than go on like she was. The entire experience lit a fire under me for my desire to become a nurse.

So here I am, at a major crossroad in my life and I want to be completely honest with myself before I take the leap. Not only for my own peace of mind, but I do not to put my family through the financial burden the school will have and the time away from them that it will take.

Is it crazy to want to be a nurse more because of all the tools available to treat a person than for having such a deep compassion for people? Sometimes i think the little bit of a "wall" I put up between me and peole could be a good thing. I don't get so easily attached to people that I can keep my whits about myself in an urgent situation.

I am looking for honest and brutal advice here. This is one of the most important decisions I am making right now and want to be completely honest with myself to finally make a decision that has always been on my mind.

[decembergrad2011, BSN, RN]

Honestly, I think more nurses are like you than aren't. Those with heaps of "compassion" and a love of listening to parents talk normally choose an avenue that encourages that, such as psychiatric nursing.

[grasshopper7780]

Reading your post, I think you should absolutely go for it. You sound like you want to be a nurse for all the right reasons, to HELP people. I think that the issue you are talking about is being human. Some of the best medical professionals or heck, even other professions that help people like teachers, dont want to listen to people go on and on. Who knows, you might become a nurse and enjoy this part of nursing more than you ever imagine, you are bound to change when training for this career.

Also, since you have thought about this for so long, have the support to do, then think to yourself, will you spend the next 10, 20, 30 years wondering if you should have just gone for it? If you think that that is a big possibility, then you should do it. You are a crossroads but honestly, to me it sounds like you have already decided deep in your gut. I think you will be great. Good luck to you!

[Southern Magnolia]

I have a bit of your situation in that I love the workings of the body and knowing how things work. Whenever my children are prescribed meds I always look up just how they work on the bacteria and I find it fascinating. I do have compassion for people and want to help but I think you also have to have a curiosity for the details too. Just my opinion, I'm just finishing prerecs and about to apply to a BSN program.

As an aside, have you considered getting certified as a CNA and working as a CNA while you do an associates program? CNA training is short. In some cases you can get a LTC facility to pay for your CNA class. You don't make a lot of money but then you're working sooner than with an LPN and you don't have that much more past LPN for an AA program. Just a thought.

[BelleNscrubs04]

Your interest in the medical/science part of nursing sounds like most of the nursing and prenursing students I know. You need to have human compassion and care for humanity but you don't need to be "a people person" or the most empathetic person neccessarily. Some sort of balance is probably best for both the professionals involved and the patients. Good luck! Also you might want to look into the LPN job market in your area before deciding on what kind of program to enter. In some markets LPN's are usually only employed at LTC facilites. They might not deal with the parts of nursing that really hold your interest. In others, your plan of starting as an LPN and working your way up from there over time might be a great strategy.

[jjjoy, LPN]

Also you might want to look into the LPN job market in your area before deciding on what kind of program to enter. In some markets LPN's are usually only employed at LTC facilites. They might not deal with the parts of nursing that really hold your interest. In others, your plan of starting as an LPN and working your way up from there over time might be a great strategy.

Good advice! : )

OP, the time you spent in the hospital with your mom probably gave you a pretty good idea that you'd be okay with the hospital environment. For myself, one of the biggest dilemmas I have with bedside nursing is that for all of the wonderful technology, knowledge, skills and compassion nurses may have to offer, it can be an endless juggling act. Several balls are in the air at any one time and they are constantly changing in weight and number and direction! Also, there often is literally more that needs to be done than can realistically be done by the nurse. And somethings you simply have no power over but you bear the brunt of being a first-line provider. You've got a bunch of new orders that need to be done, physicians to call, a patient who is nauseated, another patient to prep for a procedure, another patient who needs pain medicine, another patient who was just given a bad diagnosis, is scared and has a ton of questions. Wherever you start, the ever-changing nature of acute health conditions means nothing every goes according to schedule. Anything can be bumped at any time for an emergency. Or it may be more mundane, you discover a patient ate something when they're supposed to be NPO and now the procedure must be postponed. You may now need to get new orders (leave a message for physician, hope that you're available to take the call when they call back sometime in the next hour). While you still need to do that dressing change, change that IV, and find some pillows for your newest patient since the linen closet is empty (again!). Some folks thrive in that environment . Just like some folks are okay in their cubicle M-F 9-5. No one loves everything about their job. Full-time bedside nurses are 12 hours straight, 3-4 days a week, 12 months a year, often working holidays, weekends, etc.

Just food for thought! It sounds like nursing might be a good fit for you!

[Diane in Ohio]

Thank you all for the posts and thoughts to ponder. I think grasshopper7780 has really made me stop and think, I don't want to spend the next 20 years wishing I would have done it. The worse that can happen is I go to school for a year, work a few years and if I decide it wasn't for me after all, then I will always know. The best that can happen is I do it and love it and spend the rest of my life never regretting it. Seems like a small price to pay to finally answer the question I have been asking myself ever since I was a little girl.

I am going to go for it!!

Whew! I am going to go back to school to become a nurse! That sounds really good to say.

Thank you again and I am looking forward to reading and sharing on this forum. What a great community you guys have here.

[suanna]

You sound like the ideal nurse to me. My only concern is that the accidemic rigor is pretty intense, and I couldn't have done it at your age- I was too far removed from study-homework-class... Also, if you are looking at working at only an acute care hospital- forget about LPN. The job opportunities are not there for new grad RNs let alone new grad LPNs.

[Peliroja62]

Don't let your age stop you. I went back to school at the ripe ol age of 46 and at first, I was scared to death. But after a few scary weeks of "blowing the cobwebs off of my brain", I have done very well. In fact I just graduated with honors from our local communtity college and was accepted to the University to continue on and get my BSN! You can and should do it! It sounds to me like you truly have the heart for Nursing!

[Diane in Ohio]

Hi Suanna,

I get what you're saying. I am figuring that my working environment wont be the ideal setting that I envision for quite a while (few years I am guessing), but I am open to almost any option that will provide experience and opportunities.

As far as going back to school, my current job requires continuing education every year and last year I had to take another state test to upgrade my license level which required numerous classes beforehand which I took over the summer prior. Seems like I am always in school and learning for my current job. However, it is not in the medical/health field.

I am looking at getting started as an LPN to begin the process of going on to an RN. I just cannot commit 2 years to a school (let alone 4) right now. Although my husband is making enough for us to get by (forget any extras), I don't trust his job lasting. I figure with the LPN under my belt, it leaves some breathing room to then go on to an RN degree. If his job is secure, then I can work part time wherever I can while continuing on with my education.

My end all goal will be to become an RN and within 5 years have a steady enough job for my husband & I to trade places and he can go back to school. He loves children and always wanted to be a teacher. Although we aren't getting any younger, if it is what he wants to do, then I want him to have the opportunity to do it.

It would have been so much easier right out of high school if I had parents that actually understood why college was so important and had planned for me to go. But I am willing to do what it takes now and if it means baby steps along the way, then baby steps it shall be.

I so appreciate all the comments, and like I said, honesty, even if it is brutal, it is what I am looking for.

The only thing I wish that could be different is the amount of students going into nursing as the media has created such a frenzy over it. I know of several people that have gone into the field soley for the money they think they can earn and thought it would be so easy. Makes it so much more difficult for those that truely want to go into it to get into reputable schools and then find good, secure jobs. Maybe by the time I am done, those people will leave the profession and open up spots for the rest of us that really want to be there. Who knows....

[futurenurse310]

Sounds like you would be a competent nurse. DO IT!! =)

[ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN]

You know…many of the skills you mentioned in your post are done in LTC too. You will be checking the Apical Heart Rate with your stethoscope before administering Digoxin. You will be checking the resident’s blood pressure before administering the blood pressure medicine. You will be listening to the resident’s lung sounds before and after breathing treatments. You will have wound dressing changes to do. You may have short-term residents there for rehab. I thought that when I did my LTC rotation that I would mainly be pushing pills and talking with the residents. I was wrong. I did similar tasks that I do during my med/surg rotations in the hospitals.

I think, from reading your post, that nursing is right for you. I say do it.