Is nursing for me?

Nursing Students General Students

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I am set to graduate in a little over a year, and while I love the analytical part of nursing (on paper), the face to face contact and fast paced environment makes me feel extremely anxious. I find very little enjoyment in clinical. I decided to go into nursing because I wanted to help people physically (I'm fascinated by the medical field) and emotionally (I enjoy helping people), but find it not to be what I'd thought it would be (but isn't that always the case with every job field?).

So, I find myself wondering if this is where I'm supposed to be. My past love includes a love of writing stories and reaching people on an emotional level through art. My base nature is as an introvert and I struggle with multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment (makes me very anxious). Are these things I can get over? Like I said, I do enjoy the analytical nature of the medical field, but that's more when it comes to analyzing things on paper. I'm a very analytical person and I love making connections between lab results, signs/symptoms, medical dx, etc.

I know there are other nursing settings aside from med-surg and perhaps it's a matter of finding my niche? If so, what areas would you suggest for my personality? Thanks.

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Try home health. It's not nearly as fast pased as most other nursing settings. In home health, you can relax and the patient is much more relaxed and comfortable too. It's not all RUSH RUSH RUSH like hospitals and nursing homes.

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Maybe you would be happier as a physician. I think it sounds more like what you are describing. Have you thought of going to medical school?

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Specializes in Psychiatric Nursing.

Nursing is not for everyone for sure.

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The good thing about nursing is that there are so many different areas of nursing that you can potentially do. I have been an RN for 4 years and initially came into nursing for the same reasons that you describe. I like working with people and helping them, which is rewarding but unfortunately you will end up dealing with a lot of power hungry know-it-all's, and hospitals are full of them. I think the trick is to find an area that you like and then take it a step further to find a group of people that you work well with, with good charge nurses etc.

Since I've been a nurse, I've pretty much worked in critical care. However, as mentioned in the other post, home health is a good route to go so you dont have to deal with a ton of staff. Likewise, I found that most ER's are good to work in. They are busy, but most of them are team players

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
Maybe you would be happier as a physician. I think it sounds more like what you are describing. Have you thought of going to medical school?

My thoughts exactly. I often wonder how many people go to nursing school as an (quicker, cheaper) alternative? It definitely is apparent in clinicals with some students, whose focus seems more medical and less nursing related.

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research, psych, geriatrics... you'd probably like long term care because you can get to know the patients and work with them over time, good care plans are especially important.

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Maybe you would be happier as a physician. I think it sounds more like what you are describing. Have you thought of going to medical school?

MD sounds like it might be a much bitter fit for your personality.

Best Wishes

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I am set to graduate in a little over a year, and while I love the analytical part of nursing (on paper), the face to face contact and fast paced environment makes me feel extremely anxious. I find very little enjoyment in clinical. I decided to go into nursing because I wanted to help people physically (I'm fascinated by the medical field) and emotionally (I enjoy helping people), but find it not to be what I'd thought it would be (but isn't that always the case with every job field?).

So, I find myself wondering if this is where I'm supposed to be. My past love includes a love of writing stories and reaching people on an emotional level through art. My base nature is as an introvert and I struggle with multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment (makes me very anxious). Are these things I can get over? Like I said, I do enjoy the analytical nature of the medical field, but that's more when it comes to analyzing things on paper. I'm a very analytical person and I love making connections between lab results, signs/symptoms, medical dx, etc.

I know there are other nursing settings aside from med-surg and perhaps it's a matter of finding my niche? If so, what areas would you suggest for my personality? Thanks.

Wow.... you've just described me in a nutshell! I also share the same fears/anxieties as you regarding if I am the "right fit" for this profession because of my introverted nature, and anxiety while dealing with people in a high-stressed environment.

There is always the option of working in a medical or doctor's clinic (community) or home health... and if you're open to it, possibly continuing your education and getting a MSN or NP degree.

Good luck to you, and know that we are here for you if you need help. :)

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Wow.... you've just described me in a nutshell! I also share the same fears/anxieties as you regarding if I am the "right fit" for this profession because of my introverted nature, and anxiety while dealing with people in a high-stressed environment.

There is always the option of working in a medical or doctor's clinic (community) or home health... and if you're open to it, possibly continuing your education and getting a MSN or NP degree.

Good luck to you, and know that we are here for you if you need help. :)

Thanks for the support. Ultimately, I think you're right. There are so many avenues in nursing, that I'm sure to find a good fit for my personality. It's good to know that I'm not alone with the way I feel. There are many things that I enjoy about the field, I hate to think it'd be a bad fit for me.

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Thinking and knowing appeal to me more than doing also - or at least in regards to health and healthcare. I assumed nursing school would be more in depth than it really is since people always tout the difficulty of it.

I'd rather understand a disease process and make a decision about the treatment, with perhaps a 15 minute patient encounter, than spend eight hours "caring."

Neither school nor clinical are really stressful to me. I just don't like getting tied up with the same person for that long, plus like I said the schooling isn't as deep as I thought it'd be.

But med school isn't in the cards unless I became independently wealthy and never had to work again because...well, I'd go as a hobby and probably vet school too.

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I am not a nurse, just a cna but contemplating a BSN. However, I feel somewhat like you do. I just love the knowlege a nurse has to know. The human body amazes me and I love studying diseases, drugs, and health care etc.. However, I don't know if I will enjoy the hands on part.

I heard health information administrators are called "paper nurses" because they have to know disease process in order to code. However, i'm a social person so I couldn't stand being in a career where I couldn't interact with a person.

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