Academic adviser says I'm selling myself short by going into nursing.

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It met with my adviser last week to find out what other courses I needed for nursing after taking English 101 . She didn't seem to like that I was taking nursing and told me that I was selling myself short and that I should be doing something else. She kept trying her best to talk me out of nursing , yet she did not have any lists of other careers that is an alternative to nursing. Not that I was looking for one ,but you would think they would have other suggestions. She then said that nursing is so hard to get into and how it takes so long, which I know already and I do agree that getting into nursing is not easy but it's definitely not impossible.

Anyway my questions are have any of you all experienced this with your advisers ?

My other questions is Why do some advisers try to talk students out of nursing career paths ?

Emergent, RN

4,242 Posts

Specializes in ER.

She's selling herself short by being an academic adviser...

pro-student

359 Posts

Wait, she thinks you're selling yourself short going into nursing but then cautioning you because it's too hard to get into? Doesn't make any sense.

Is she a nurse? Chances are that, unless she is, she probably doesn't have a good idea of what nursing really is like. I would reach out the the nursing department at your school. See if there is someone who actually is a nurse that you can talk to.

@Emergent I also think I should get a new academic adviser.

@Pro-student It didn't make sense to me either . No she is not a nurse , I'm going to take your advice and reach out to the nursing department.

Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

Wow, your academic adviser is :wacky:. What a shame. She knows nothing. Yes, you definitely need a new adviser. Nursing is a fantastic career and the sky is the limit.

If she told you that your grades don't cut it, that would be a different story.

KelRN215, BSN, RN

1 Article; 7,349 Posts

Specializes in Pedi.

I won a scholarship my senior year in high school that was sponsored by a doctor and only available to Italian-American students who lived in a certain section of our town. I wrote my essay for this scholarship about how I wanted to be a Nurse Practitioner (I'm not, changed my mind about grad school a long time ago). This doctor didn't know me from a hole in the wall but tried to convince me that going the nursing route was a waste of time and that I should just become a doctor.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN

5,879 Posts

It met with my adviser last week to find out what other courses I needed for nursing after taking English 101 . She didn't seem to like that I was taking nursing and told me that I was selling myself short and that I should be doing something else. She kept trying her best to talk me out of nursing , yet she did not have any lists of other careers that is an alternative to nursing. Not that I was looking for one ,but you would think they would have other suggestions. She then said that nursing is so hard to get into and how it takes so long, which I know already and I do agree that getting into nursing is not easy but it's definitely not impossible.

Anyway my questions are have any of you all experienced this with your advisers ?

My other questions is Why do some advisers try to talk students out of nursing career paths ?

I would ask her. "Ms Jones, you seem to be actively working against my studying to be a nurse. Can you please explain why?"

Specializes in medical surgical.

Maybe she equates nursing with being a candy striper. I am a NP in private practice. When I attend social

events, some think all I do is fluff pillows. Generally these are older people. That said I am in my 50's.

Is your adviser an older person? Perhaps, that is what he/she equates nursing with.

Specializes in Burn, ICU.

Unfortunately, I think a lot of academic people have disdain for careers that involve working with your hands...especially when gross fluids are a possibility. (What these people do when they go to the bathroom, I have no idea.) I used to work much closer to academia & I saw this a lot. If this is your advisor's issue, I suggest you find a new advisor.

I would suggest that if you are at a 4 year school and have the option to include other classes in your curriculum, make the most of it! During my first 4-year degree when I was majoring in Performing Arts and English, one of my favorite classes was a computer science programming class. It got my brain working in a whole different way from most of my other classes.

TriciaJ, RN

4,328 Posts

Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
I would ask her. "Ms Jones, you seem to be actively working against my studying to be a nurse. Can you please explain why?"

I always suspect the Ms Joneses of the world wanted to be a nurse at one time, but didn't for whatever reason.

DannyBoy8, RN

219 Posts

She's selling herself short by being an academic adviser...

My thoughts exactly.

She probably isn't aware of the expansiveness of nursing. If your brain is truly an academic powerhouse, there's no shortage of ways in which to put that thing to use. To name one route, BSN>PhD (legitimate PhD)>research, leadership, private sector

Hoosier_RN, MSN

3,959 Posts

Specializes in Dialysis.

I'm going to be bad and play devils advocate here. What is your GPA and other admission requirements/allowances in regards to what is the current entrance of being accepted into program, not what is the minimum requirement? If you aren't meeting or close, she may be nicely telling you that you won't make it, which is sad, as she is there to guide you which means to be truthful. I'm not saying this is the case, but could it be? I've met people wanting to get into nursing with a low GPA but they wanted to help people and couldn't understand that nursing is very competetive. I wish you luck, and urge you to ask the counselor the tough questions if you want real answers.

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