Has anyone ever thought - maybe this wasn't the right choice?

Jules A, MSN · May 25, 2011

Hey, no way do you have to add the pressure of "the rest of my life" to your nursing decision! It is diverse and from what you have written sounds like a great starting point for you but that doesn't mean you are making a decision you will have to live with forever. It is like taking out a 30 year mortgage on a home, very few people actually live in their houses a full 30 years so it is more formality than anything. Imo nursing is a great foundation and would give you a good paying job with flexible hours in case you decide you would like to explore other career avenues in the future. Good luck with whatever you decide.

enhiver626 · May 25, 2011

I too have been dreading the thought that I made the wrong choice. I'm about a third of the way through my nursing classes and every day of lecture, every day of labs, I wonder if I am really going to be miserable. I do have to agree with Jules A, that you shouldn't worry over much about having to be a nurse forever. I haven't even graduated yet and I've already got plans for the future to become a pilot, or a chef, or a writer, anything but a nurse. Like you, I'm great at, and love, biology, anatomy, all things pertaining to the sciences. But I started out as a zoology major at a big university (and loved it), and wanted to be a vet, but due to financial issues, I had to make the decision of going to nursing school instead, where at least my knowledge base was applicable.

Can I ask, what parts of the nursing field have you read about that have discouraged you? For me it's all the loving, caring, communicating, be there for the world attitude. The do everything for everyone but yourself attitude. The "it's your job to take care of me, not my job to comply or to be healthy" attitude that I feel a lot of patients probably have. Personally I know that I'm very skill based and I like to have time to do things correctly and thoroughly. That is why working with animals appealed to me - you don't need to be a counselor, a social worker, a medical professional, all at once when your patient is a labrador. :)

Like I said, curious to see what issues have discouraged you, because chances are, I've gotten discouraged over the same things as well.

redhead77 · May 26, 2011

Thanks for the replies Jules A & enhiver626. I guess it is true that I don't have to commit the rest of my life to nursing if it ends up as a less than ideal fit. I just feel as if I've already waited so long for the timing to be right to do this and I don't know when it will happen again if this doesn't work out.

enhiver626, I guess some of the things that have discouraged me are: 1. The cutthroat attitudes that people have to deal with on a daily basis in their jobs or even in NS. 2. The mentality that money is the bottom line when caring for people. 3. I also am not big on expressing my emotions, so I worry that I will let things slowly build up inside of me until I explode. I am used to being a caregiver, so I can relate to needing to take care of others before myself. I am a mother of two and my oldest child (14) has lower functioning autism and has had various medical issues. When he came along I put everything on hold except for taking care of him. Finally in the summer of 2009, I started doing something to better myself and I enrolled in college. I surprised myself by how much I loved school and I really want to finish and be able to apply what I learn. I plan on doing some major soul searching and hopefully everything will continue to work out for me. I hope that your experience with nursing improves for you so that even if you do leave, you will have some good memories to look back on! :)

Thanks again to both of you for taking the time to respond, I really appreciate it!

Genista, BSN, RN · May 26, 2011

Hey there. Good questions! I have had the same thoughts from time to time. Despite having doubts, you might find that there is somewhere in nursing that appeals to you. Like you, I enjoy the interesting scientific parts about human health. You are always learning something new. What I also love is there are so many options...different specialties, different shifts. Your tastes may change as the years go by. You can literally have a new career while building on past experiences. I was wondering if you have ever job shadowed RNs in very different work settings? I did this once, and it was a real eye opener. Spent a day with a dialysis RN, with a home health RN, at Public Health clinic. Did unpaid preceptorships in acute care and school nursing, and at a school for severely disabled children. I discovered what I did not like about various roles, and what I thought may interest me. Like a lot of new grads, I went directly into acute care (not knowing exactly where I fit in). I found a few areas that I liked much better than others. I am still looking for the perfect match (if it exists). What is nice about nursing, is you often get more choices than in other fields, and it can work great if you have family obligations/kids that need you. You could pursue management, administrative, infection control, advanced practice, quality assurance, teaching/educator role or any number of RN roles besides traditional "hospital" type jobs. Have you peeked at the "specialty" tab here at Allnurses? You might find areas you never thought of. Good luck in your soul searching! I hope you find some interesting answers to point you in the right direction.

westieluv · May 26, 2011

I have often doubted my career choice as an RN. I am actually a very creative type of person, but I never had the confidence to believe that I could make it in a field where my creativity was my livelihood. Don't get me wrong, I love some things about nursing a lot. I love how I get to help people and how people really appreciate what you do for them, which was especially evident when I was a home hospice nurse. I love that I have met so many, many people and that I have learned so much from them. I love the job security and the pay scale. What I don't love about nursing is the technical end of it, that's just not my thing. I manage to do it and do it well apparently, since I have been an RN for 21 years with no serious problems, but I hate the lack of creativity in things like checking lab values and calling them to the doc, passing meds in a LTC facility, or doing a physical assessment. Overall, though, and especially in this economy, I'm very glad that I am an RN today.

MollNick · May 26, 2011

I have been a nurse for +15 years now and my 2nd profession. I have been feeling burned-out for the last year, especially since my body is not as strong as it used to be for lifting/turning patients who are most of the time bigger than me. Can't think of anything else I would rather do unless it involves animals but way too late for vet school which was my very first ambition. But, at that age, I thought 8 years was way too long to go to school. Boy, was I wrong. So, yes, I wish I could do something else but don't know what. Not real happy with this profession right now so I wish so much that I had gone to vet school since I have a passion for animals. Sometimes unappreciative and disrespectful docs, demanding family members pulling care away from their loved ones, the feeling that I am dispensable by upper management, the feeling of no job security with tenure since they could get two new nurses for the same price as me, the intensity of the physical, mental and emotional demands, wear and tear on the body just to name a few of the setbacks of this profession. But, on the positive side, the 12 hour shifts, 3 days a week are great. How many jobs do you know of where you can work full time and have 4 days off? Not one that I can think of. I am very negative right now and yes, having total burn out. I am hoping to get past this somehow, move on, and find something I can be passionate about that I can make a living doing and be happy about it. You have to remember though, there are pros and cons to every profession.

redhead77 · Jun 2, 2011

So after doing some soul searching, I've decided to pursue the path of nursing. I mailed my application last week, but won't hear back about their decision until August. I really appreciate the feedback that you all gave me, It got me thinking even more.

kona2, I think you're suggestion about shadowing RNs in different work settings would definitely be beneficial to me. Especially since I'm not sure what area interests me the most.

westieluv and MolliNick, thank you both for telling me about your experiences with nursing. I appreciate you sharing your experiences, both the good and the bad.

Wish me luck! I am glad that I took the time to dig down deep inside of myself and make sure that this is the right choice for me. I have never been the type of person to just jump into things, I always spend a great deal of time and energy researching before I make my decisions. I think that is especially important with regards to becoming a nurse. I am planning to work hard and take the good with the bad.

Thanks again everyone for taking the time to respond!

allergyrn · Jun 4, 2011

I don't know of a nurse that can honestly say they have loved every day of their career. As with any life choice, not everything is perfect. I thought that if I made it thru nursing school, I had it made. When you pass your boards, you feel a huge weight lifted off of your shoulders....until you start working. And then you realize what an incredible amount of responsibility you have. But, as stressful as it can be, I do love it. And the best part is that there are so many facets of nursing there is surely a right fit for you. I went into school thinking that I wanted to be an OR nurse and came out wanted to be in maternity or wound care. You will have a chance to be exposed to new areas and may be totally surprised by what you like or don't like. Hang in there....you'll find yours :) Best of luck!

redhead77 · Jun 6, 2011

allergyrn, good point and I completely agree. I know that every step of the process will come with both relief and nervousness for the next part of my journey. I am excited to be able to learn more about all of the various areas of nursing and to get some hands on experience with a few while doing clinicals. Thank you for your post, I appreciate the insight.