Help? I regret this career choice?

[katie6126]

I really regret choosing nursing and lately idk what it is but I have been having breakdowns dreading the brutal schedule I'm going to have as a new nurse if I ever find a job. I'm going to have no social life or time for myself. I know this profession is a bit about being selfless but I really don't want to play a martyr. I know the deal in the hospital is weekends and holidays but after much thinking this isn't something I want to give up either. Please no "well uh why didn't you realize this in nursing school?" truthfully then I had a passion for it and probably didn't think too much on how big of a sacrifice it was going to be. Is there ANYTHING else I can possibly do in the healthcare field that would accept me when I get my bachelor's in nursing? Or is there any bachelor's program I can look (allied health) into that will accept most of my science credits & I could finish it relatively soon and leave this horrible profession behind? Or just any program in general that you could recommend cause I have no idea what I want to do, I was even thinking turning to finance or marketing but that is going to take me another 3-4 yrs to complete.

[Wave Watcher]

School nursing. Weekends/holidays/summers OFF with pay. Love my job!

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

Did you even graduate yet? Did you not like clinicals and that is why you don't want to be a nurse? You don't have to work in a hospital. You could try to get a clinic or office job, although I think they prefer a year or two of experience first. If you have sales ability you could go into pharmaceutical sales. I even know of a couple RN's that work in medispas doing botox and chemical peels and laser treatments and laser hair removal. You might even work by commission in those places and they give on the job training. I'm grateful for the RN that convinced me to have TCA peels to get rid of my melasma once and for all. It seemed like a great job compared to her prior hospital job but she became bored and went back for her NP and now works as an NP for a surgeon at the medical college.

You seem to be panicking before you've even gotten a job yet. Wouldn't it make more sense to get a job first and then see how it is. Not all jobs are 12 hours and it is usually every other weekend, sometimes every third weekend. It just depends on the place.

I've been encouraging people to consider other options than nursing like ultrasound tech. That is as good or better pay and more likely to have regular hours. Hospitals have training programs, some places are now requiring a bachelors degree first, preferably in science. The local community college should provide a program, and I know of one college that offers a BS, but I don't think that is necessary.

I personally think bedside nursing is the hardest job out there. Many new grads realize that and don't stay at the bedside. They either move on to clinic, office or home care or take their education to the next level and get their NP and then have a good job. If I had to do it over, I would have gone the NP route because I like using my mind to assess and treat people that is what I enjoy the most about nursing. It is the hard physical labor, alarms, computer and the stress that I don't like. NP is a way to use your brain and not your body in nursing. Of course it requires more education, student loans, either an MSN or DNP and possibly the willingness to relocate for a job.

[katie6126]

Did you even graduate yet? Did you not like clinicals and that is why you don't want to be a nurse? You don't have to work in a hospital. You could try to get a clinic or office job, although I think they prefer a year or two of experience first. If you have sales ability you could go into pharmaceutical sales. You seem to be panicking before you've even gotten a job yet. Wouldn't it make more sense to get a job first and then see how it is. Not all jobs are 12 hours and it is usually every other weekend, sometimes every third weekend. It just depends on the place.

I've been encouraging people to consider other options than nursing like ultrasound tech. That is as good or better pay and more likely to have regular hours. Hospitals have training programs, some places are now requiring a bachelors degree first, preferably in science. The local community college should provide a program, and I know of one college that offers a BS, but I don't think that is necessary.

I personally think bedside nursing is the hardest job out there. Many new grads realize that and don't stay at the bedside. They either move on to clinic, office or home care or take their education to the next level and get their NP and then have a good job. If I had to do it over, I would have gone the NP route because I like using my mind to assess and treat people that is what I enjoy the most about nursing. It is the hard physical labor, alarms, computer and the stress that I don't like. NP is about the only way to use your brain and not your body in nursing. Of course it requires more education, student loans, either an MSN or DNP and possibly the willingness to relocate for a job.

I will definitely look into ultrasound tech, perhaps it will be useful to wait until I get my BSN to get the training. Thank you for the suggestion. In the long run I was considering a Master's in perhaps Nurse Informatics or maybe I could go for a master's in an entirely different field. I appreciate the advice.

[RorySeiter]

Find a job at a bank. Weekends and holidays off. It sounds like nursing isn't for you and that is alright.

[TexMex22]

I have to wonder if this is a joke. But if not, there are lots of nursing jobs that do not require shift work and working weekends and holidays. If you enjoy nursing at all, you can work in a doctor's office, clinic, surgery center, lots of places that would be more M-F, daytime hours.

If you really don't like it, you could transfer your credits over to radiology, medical technology, psychology, sociology -- lots of things (obviously). Check with your college for possibilities.

[blessedNhopeful]

I have to wonder if this is a joke

.

I thought the same thing reading the responses from the OP to others posts:nailbiting:

[katie6126]

I thought the same thing reading the responses from the OP to others posts:nailbiting:

Why so?

[scaredsilly, BSN, RN]

Have you graduated and passed NCLEX? If not, it's not too late to switch your course of study (unless you are almost done). PT, OT, RT, pharm are all viable options. BUT, before you do, you need to ask yourself if you are sure - after all you went through to get this far - that you don't want to be a nurse? If the only thing that is stopping you is the schedule, there ARE other courses for an RN!

School nursing is Mon-Fri daytime hours with holidays and summers off. Working in a Dr. office will get you day time hours and weekends and holidays off. There are other jobs for nurses outside the hospital where schedules are normal and you still get to help people.

[Thenurseofmordor]

Have not read the rest of the posts, but my rotations in home health where awesome, 9-5 hours and outside the office most of the day.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Complaining about how nursing is a horrible profession probably isn't the way to get the best advice when you come to a bunch of nurses. It's probably easiest if you use google and search for other career paths.

[michlynn, BSN, RN]

The great thing about nursing is it is extremely versatile and you have more options than any other career really. You don't have to get a job in a hospital, although that is the easiest as a grad nurse. There's doctor's offices, research nursing, case management, IT, the options are endless. I work in a hospital and I work 3 12's a week, that leaves me plenty of time to have a social life. So what if you have to work every other weekend, it's really not that big of a deal. And honestly, working on holidays doesn't even bother me anymore. I get time and a half and no matter what shift I work I still have time to spend a few hours with my family before I go in or after I get out. I think once you actually find your niche in the nursing field you'll realize that you'll be glad you did it. If you're absolutely miserable then I guess you'll just have to make a career change! Do what makes you happy :)

[Mr. Murse]

I quite reading the responses on the second page because everyone seemed to be validating your absolutely crappy perceptions of nursing which is BS. I work 3 days a week, unless I want overtime (which is usually available if you want extra money). that means I have 4 (FOUR!!!) days off a week. How in the world is that not enough personal time for anyone? granted, those 3 days you work will probably be 12 hour days that can be challenging sometimes, and on those work days you may not feel like doing a whole lot after you get off, but you still have the MAJORITY of the week to yourself. More than most jobs. So that's the first load of BS.

Holidays and weekends varies depending on where you work. I work every 3rd weekend, which really isn't bad, and every other holiday, which isn't bad either. So yeah, every other year you may have to work on christmas day or whatever but is it really the end of the world?

Furthermore, sure, there are some unhappy, miserable nurses out there, but I guarantee you that the nursing job is only a fraction of their problems and for every one miserable, whiny nurse there are two good ones who enjoy their job. They just don't go shouting about it on the internet. There are bad places to work, like any industry, and if you get stuck in one then just start looking for other places to go while doing your best at that one.

You're freaking out about totally subjective stuff that you have control over. Don't dismiss the field until you've actually worked in it. Everyone's experience is different, and the unhappy ones are the most vocal which is why you hear that more than the many awesome things there are about nursing.