Question about starting a BsCN at age 24/25

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello nurses,

I am almost finished my Bachelors in Social Work, and I have a practicum placement coming up in acute care. When asked by my practicum supervisor what kind of placement I am interested in, I said (without any hesitation) in a medical or hospital environment. I finished a stint in research for my university's nursing department and fell in love with health promotion and found myself more interested in clinical practice rather than social work practice. I woke up the other morning and asked myself if I could change anything about my life, it would be to be in a nursing program.

I just have a couple questions:

1) Is it true that most nurses find the discipline a "calling"?

2) Do you think there are any transferrable skills from social work to nursing?

3) Do you grow desensitized to the "gross" stuff? Vomit? Phlegm? How often do you actually get viruses from patients? Are there any specialities where the risk of transmission is higher?

4) What is the median age of a nursing student?

5) Did any of you start nursing after being a specific field for a couple of years?

Thanks SO much! I really appreciate any response and feel so lucky to be able to ask all of you :)

Specializes in ICU.

1) Is it true that most nurses find the discipline a "calling"?

Not me, went back to school to get a degree that I thought would make it easier to find work that paid more than $10/hour, and I happened to like it. I definitely never had any positive feelings about nursing before going to nursing school.

2) Do you think there are any transferrable skills from social work to nursing?

Oh yeah.

3) Do you grow desensitized to the "gross" stuff? Vomit? Phlegm? How often do you actually get viruses from patients? Are there any specialities where the risk of transmission is higher?

Well, yes and no. xD I worked as a CNA during nursing school and I have become desensitized to bowel movements unless they are especially disgusting, but I have never gotten used to vomit/ileostomy contents. I picked up a cold a time or two and the norovirus once, but honestly that's pretty rare. Make sure you're doing your hand hygiene well and your risk of picking something up goes down. I'd say there is not necessarily an increased risk in one location or another just because people can have contagious things absolutely anywhere in the hospital, but I could be wrong. I'd imagine if anywhere had a higher risk of you contracting something it would be the emergency department.

4) What is the median age of a nursing student?

The median age in my BSN program was probably 19-20 at the start. I just graduated at 25 and there were maybe 15 people out of a class of 90 older than me. We had a couple of 40s/50s in there too, though.

5) Did any of you start nursing after being a specific field for a couple of years?

All I did was low level customer service work before going to nursing school - a movie theater, a hotel, and a dry cleaner, so not really. It was just what was available in my area.

Good luck, whatever you decide. :)

Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

forget about age - it is totally illrelevant

nasty stuff - foget that too

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Lots of people are "second career" nurses. I went back to nursing school at 30. There were quite a few in my class who were 40s-50s

Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

Just graduated this year with my ADN -- I'm 44yo. Going to get my BSN online, probably starting next year.

I've been a bookkeeper for the past 15+ years. Did office work, banking, and fast food management prior to that.

Specializes in Clinic NP.

About the calling, the collective field I did feel somewhat of a calling, beyond the cheesy Church-like speeches, I did actually feel a calling to be in the area. The idea of calling was in reference historically to Martin Luther's nailing 95 thesis (sp) on the church door. Main point being working in something outside of the church could indeed be done for Him...

I felt drawn to help people.. do you have bad days, yep, do I regret it, nope.

1) Is it true that most nurses find the discipline a "calling"?

2) Do you think there are any transferrable skills from social work to nursing?

3) Do you grow desensitized to the "gross" stuff? Vomit? Phlegm? How often do you actually get viruses from patients? Are there any specialities where the risk of transmission is higher?

4) What is the median age of a nursing student?

5) Did any of you start nursing after being a specific field for a couple of years?

1) I'd say a good number do; but I also know plenty of nurses who claim to do it for the money and see it as most other jobs. I'd say the best nurses I've worked with find it a calling, however.

2) Absolutely. I've learned a ton from my social workers and case managers. They have information and resources that we aren't taught in nursing school, and know more of the ins and outs of the hospital, where nurses are taught largely patient care.

3) Oh yes. Unless you are REALLY sensitive (ie, you faint at the site of blood), you will. Quickly. Experience a couple bad days where you get every bodily fluid on you, and although overall it's no less disgusting, it won't make you freak out. I still get grossed out over "flying oysters" - the large hucks of grey phlegm of trached patients - but then, that's why I make a habit of not going to respiratory floors :)

4) In my RN class, the median age was 37. I was one of the youngest students, and I was 25. On my floor, there are only two nurses younger than me.

5) I had originally gone to school in Public Relations and I worked in advertising and office management for the majority of my 20's. I had always looked at nursing coursework at my university, but the chem and algebra courses scared the heck out of me. When the real estate biz tanked and I lost my job as an office manager as a result, I took advantage of the time (and the unemployment, tbph) and went into nursing.

If you are in love with health promotion and have a background in social work, most counties/states employ nurses in their department of health that facilitate health promotion in their area; I had a clinical with a department for a few weeks, and we outlined a plan to spread information about the risk of west nile in our area, as well as attending health fairs, diabetes centers, and collaborating with local hospitals.

Best of luck to you :)

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