If you could redo it....would you choose nursing?

Nurses General Nursing

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  1. If you redo your career choice...

177 members have participated

Would you redo choosing nursing or the medical profession?

Curious to the feelings of others

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Yes. Nursing has been good to, and for, me. Never wanted to be doctor. Horrendous school debt and worse hours.

I go home and leave it behind me. I don't work 90 hours a week. I like it that way. Oh and no school debt haunting my life. Works for me.

Reasonably happy with Nursing.

But my real preference would be to be born with a silver spoon in my mouth, be royalty, have a trust fund, do whatever I like, whenever. You know - win the Lottery.

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Even though my career ended on a sour note, I'm glad I chose nursing. I got to experience a wide variety of jobs, from med/surg to ICU to mother-baby to management. I enjoyed taking care of people and teaching them how to care for their health. And I made good money doing it.

I DON'T miss the whole customer-service aspect, nor the bureaucracy, nor the petty BS rules that seem to be designed solely for the purpose of making it harder to do our work. Still, I haven't regretted my decision to become a nurse; I only wish I'd done it when I was younger and not yet a parent. It was tough going to school, working part-time and raising four children.

If I'd known I'd end up working most days of the month, including a period of 38 days in a row without a day off, with absolutely no weekends or holidays off, then no, I wouldn't have chosen nursing.

Specializes in Psych.

Yes, absolutely. Only I would do it SOONER in my life (I didn't become an RN until I was 31).

Specializes in Emergency Department.

Would I do it all over again? Absolutely! Looking back on things, the only thing I would even remotely do differently is get started earlier. Had I gotten started down the nursing path a couple years earlier than I did, I would have been able to apply to a BSN program as a potential option or at least get some other prerequisites done so that I could apply to a BSN program. The local university's BSN program is very good but not quite as good (from what I understand) as one of the local JC programs (I happened to attend that one!) but not having the BSN has removed a single (so far) system from my job possibilities.

Otherwise, I wouldn't (overall) do anything differently. I'm pretty good at what I do and I like what I do, both of which are a bonus.

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Currently in the process of applying to MD programs so I'm glad you put that there. xD

I don't regret being a nurse, though. It allowed me to get my foundation before going on to do other things. I think I am a more well-rounded person and have better life experiences and more of an idea of what I really want to do from having been a nurse first.

Oooooh, good luck! After watching my husband go through just one application cycle (thankfully he was accepted where he wanted to go), I have a whole new respect for anyone who makes it in! It is far more difficult than getting into a nursing program will ever be.

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

If I could go back, I think I might have looked into being a pharmacist.

Possibly a physician assistant or physical therapist if I had known more about my options.

Or maybe something with computer technology.

Specializes in Critical Care.

I regret not going back to school to be an NP. Hospital nursing is brutal and stressful and only getting worse. I'm hoping to make it to an early retirement, but time will tell. Floor nursing is abusive and dangerous to your body and your peace of mind! It really takes a toll on both your physical and mental health! I truly think only the strong will survive. If you can do this job you can probably do anything including working for the military. I would prefer to use my mind more and my body less, but that is not meant to be.

But honestly I don't know what else I would have done to pay the bills, before I started the nursing program I was at UW Madison and meeting many college grads that were taxi drivers, security guards and secretaries. Nothing wrong with those jobs, except they don't pay the bills and you don't need a college degree. I needed something that would pay a living wage. My mind and memory were my strengths, I coasted thru nursing school on the dean's list, and worked many jobs before nursing, nothing prepared me for how hard this job is! I can totally understand why so many nurses drop out, but failure was not an option for me. I never even gave myself permission to admit I didn't like it, let alone allowed myself to go back to secretarial work which while sometimes boring was infinitely more pleasant, enjoyable and stress free.

I think there are few jobs available now that pay a living wage and if you are lucky to get those jobs it is more about who you know and charm vs knowledge or skill. No matter how they try to make nursing into a profession the reality is it is a technical job, closer to skilled factory work but lacking unions to provide for decent working conditions etc.

I advise the young ones to look at floor nursing as a paid residency and make the move to NP being prepared to relocate if need be to get a job on graduation, rather than stay in the crumbling hospital systems where profit overrides all else!

Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.

I am glad my life went the way it did, right down to the timing of nursing school and the jobs I chose. Most days I am content in this work, because I believe it makes a difference and it allows me to support myself. It also allowed me to meet some amazing friends and my boyfriend, and to face some challenges that have just made me a better human being.

All of that said, there are definitely other dream jobs I'm sad I'll never pursue. I would have loved to be a marine biologist. Or a singer/songwriter. Also would have been a dynamite heiress.

Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Never. I should have taken my dad up on his offer for me to join his company.

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I've had an interesting, challenging career with good working conditions (inside, out of the sun, rain, snow, whatever) and flexible scheduling. My pay has been adequate to afford a comfortable lifestyle (nice home, reliable cars), some wonderful vacations and I've had enviable job stability. I met my husband in nursing. I've met some fantastic people and been able to really make a difference in peoples' lives. If I had it to do all over again, I would.

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