Looking for some advice before making a mistake.

BonnieSc · Sep 3, 2016

You are WAAY ahead of yourself worrying about bed baths and toileting. You would need to learn these skills in clinical education. In the grand scheme of things, you will be delegating that to nursing assistants.

Uh... what the heck? As others have mentioned, there are plenty of nursing positions where bed baths and toileting don't come into play, but anywhere a nurse is delegating "that" to nursing assistants, a nurse is also doing the exact same thing. I would really love it if I never again heard a nursing student or new nurse make comments about how s/he didn't become a nurse to do "things like that". In the hospital, this is ALWAYS going to be part of the job... maybe not in the OR, but anywhere else I can think of. Even the PACU does toileting. That's why I'm honest about what hospital nursing entails. People need to know what they're getting into.

beekee · Sep 3, 2016

What about looking to see if you can get a job as a tech in the emergency department? You would get some insight into nursing while doing something that you might enjoy. You could then work your way towards nursing or something else if you find its not for you. Good luck!

cleback · Sep 3, 2016

I think that if you want to do nursing, you're going to have to come to terms with doing some bathing and toileting. That's just nursing 101. Sure, there are some specialty areas that don't require you to do it, but they are specialty areas-- you may or may not be able to get into them, particularly as a new grad.

It's definitely possible to get a non-12 shift job, so at least don't let that deter you. Good luck, OP.

italianlifter · Sep 3, 2016

Hello again llg,

Thank you for understanding my concern and not blowing me off thinking I'm just talking about nonsense. All my concern with debt has led me to think about joining the military to help pay for college and I know people are going to say that I would be joining for the wrong reasons.

You are right about being smart with college finances. I believe what made me scared was researching online about a field I would be interested in and seeing all the members talk about how much debt they are in. As I am currently working full-time at a fire department I do have the benefit of taking online classes which I believe would be a benefit. The only thing that is bothering me and I don't wanna sound like a soap box is the stress I have accumulative as a 22 year old. Just recently we have my uncle who is staying with us now at my parents house who we need to take care of cause of the nursing home he was previously at was not treating him up to par. I'm a 22 year old still living at home with his parents who feels like a bum. You know I wanna move out really bad but the only way I would be able to afford to live on my own would to find a second job but I am nervous that this will be a big inconvenience for when I start school.

Ive never thought about starting out really low and then moving up to my goal through an employee reimbursant program which sounds like a great ides cause I can always look into a community college here in Georgia that will require far less money to start

I understand that my passion is truly fitness and it would so wise to find something in fitness but at the same time from what I have been researching, it just does not seem like a wise decision. I don't want you believing that i dislike health care because I do not. I throughly enjoy the health care setting and helping patients.

italianlifter · Sep 3, 2016

Hello Extra Pickles,

Thank you for responding to my poster and I would like to first off by saying that yes if anyone would to read my username then they would assume exactly what you are assuming but that goes back to the old saying "Never Judge a book by its cover." I understand that my name does not indicate nursing by any means but no offense your name in my view does not as well but I am not judging you cause by your post you seem like a very well educated individual.

I understand that nursing school would take up majority of my time if not all of it and even though it would suck to give up my gym time, I would be more then okay with giving it up cause it will be for my future and I believe anyone would be okay with that.

Higher education is without a doubt an investment and I agree with you on that. I believe what is holding me back and making me so nervous to attend a college is the question always popping up in my head.. "Is college worth it" cause this question is being asked constantly in todays world and everyone has mixed views on it with both sides having great ideas.

You are absolutely right that I have been having people dictate my career path for me and that is very unhealthy cause I'm investing in myself and not them. I guess just seeing two doctors in my family who are struggling with loads of debt still just freaks me out is all.

Again thank you for posting your advice cause it is appreciated it and I will without a doubt take it into consideration.

italianlifter · Sep 3, 2016

Hello BonnieSc,

Thank you for your kind advice cause it is appreciated. I have been looking into the PA and have been considering it especially since I have a cousin who is actually in PA school right now. His father is a doctor and he decided to go the PA route since he did not want to go to medical school to be a doctor and do that much schooling. Yes it sounds lazy but I think it is more along the lines of wanting to start his career rather then staying in school for so long.

I am actually planning on shadowing a PA this week. I am more then excited to go and shadow one to see if I am going to enjoy this career before I make a commitment into the schooling. I actually torn between PA or CRNA since both careers look very rewarding.

Honestly just posting that paragraph means the world to me cause every since I posted this thread, I felt like I was being targeted as an arrogant young adult who does not know anything but here you are understanding where I am coming from and how my concerns are legit concerns (That means a lot to me.)

Meeshie · Sep 3, 2016

The benefit of PA school is that you can go to PA school. CRNA requires at least two years of critical care nursing experience before admission. It's a good long term goal if anesthesia is really your interest but it's going to take quite some time to get there.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2016

I haven't met a physical therapist that regretted their decision. They out earn me and have a better schedule.

Don't they now require a doctorate degree for PT? The OP has made it pretty clear he isn't interested in that much school.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2016

I'm gonna chime in and agree with exploring physical therapy or combining it with athletic training. Especially if you have some good business skills, you could do very well for yourself. Physical therapy requires a masters degree but the cost isn't unmanageable.

[h=2]Physical Therapist Degree[/h]Professional (entry-level) physical therapist education programs in the United States only offer the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree to all new students who enroll. The Master of Physical Therapy (MPT) and Master of Science in Physical Therapy (MSPT) degrees are no longer offered to any new students in the United States. To practice as a physical therapist in the US, you must earn a physical therapist degree from a CAPTE- accredited physical therapist education program and pass a state licensure exam.

Physical Therapist (PT) Education Overview

Studentnurse365 · Sep 3, 2016

Hi, italianlifter. As you are already a firefighter, you are ambitious and intelligent.
If you feel a nursing degree would be beneficial to your goal, please discuss with academic advisors. We are nurses, not school counselors.
You are WAAY ahead of yourself worrying about bed baths and toileting. You would need to learn these skills in clinical education. In the grand scheme of things, you will be delegating that to nursing assistants.
You will be able to earn a degree through a community college, in less than 6 years, with a lower debt. I have an ASN, I started out as a cardiovascular nurse.. you can too.
Best of luck.. let us know what the advisors tell you.

In my setting, ICU, we do total care. We rarely delegate to a tech because we either don't have one or there is 1 for 20-30 patients. I am also not a fan of giving baths and dealing with poop/peep, but I am interested in the complexity of the patients in the ICU. I decided to be a NP when I went into nursing school and just put in my "time" with the poop and baths while gaining the much needed experience before heading off to NP school.

I took the ADN route because it was cheaper. I'm in my RN-BSN program right now. I get a discount from the college for working with my employer, for being part of the ANA, and my company reimburses up to a certain % for x number of years worked.

This route has take a bit longer but has been about 15000$ cheaper. NP school will be expensive, but I have been saving and it should pay out in the end. Rule of thumb: don't take out more than for school than you are expected to make in your first year [at that degree].

There are so many avenues you can take with your interest, you just need to be creative. I thought about being a PA, but I liked the different direction nursing could take you. Nurses have s many career paths available to them. Another reason I didn't choose to become a PA was the schooling and debt ratio. To become a PA you first need a bachelor's and then you go to PA school. If you can't hack it in any of those bachelor's classes or you don't get accepted into pa school you've wasted a lot of money and time. To be an NP you have to go to nursing school of course and in nursing school you have to provide patient care, which means giving baths, toileting, etc. To be a crna, you have to do the same. To do anything in nursing you have to bath and toilet. However, it opens a door of oportunities. Look into all the different avenues of nursing and then decide if you can't deal with a little poop for a few years. The financial aspect isn't an issue if you plan. With your knowledge you can make money during school as a tutor, personal trainer, etc. You don't necessarily have to work a full time job as a firefighter while in school to make ends meet. I too lived with my parents during school. I sat down with them figured out a payment t plan got a job as a tutor and was able to make it. It is possible. Living with your parents doesn't mean you're a bum- you're working and thinking about you're future.

Libby1987 · Sep 3, 2016

Don't they now require a doctorate degree for PT? The OP has made it pretty clear he isn't interested in that much school.

True.

Libby1987 · Sep 3, 2016

OP, if you're really into fitness, beyond just your own, nursing and tertiary healthcare in general can be very frustrating. Chronic illness and comorbities at increasingly younger ages is what we're dealing with. And patients are pushed through the continuum of care pretty quickly so you tend to have them for a minute and then they're gone. It's not realistic to think you're going to be able to incorporate your passion for fitness anywhere on the job.

If you're simply looking for a schedule that will accomdate your own fitness, it's possible with nursing.