Help? I regret this career choice?

messymissy · Feb 10, 2015

Most out patient same day surgery centers have weekends off. The hours may not be 9-5, but the nurses generally only work an 8 hour shift. Maybe something to look into. Most doctor offices around my parts only hire MA's, which is truly pathetic.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Feb 10, 2015

Why pay for a BSN that is specialized to a field you have no wish to work in? A waste of money. Try MD offices for a nice schedule and time to pee and usually an ADN is fine. For the long term get a BSN in something else like Ultrasound, but realize they have to be on-call and work holidays and weekends usually also.

Do not throw good money after bad if you definitely do not want to be in nursing.

xMrsLee · Feb 10, 2015

I'm not a nurse so I can't provide much advice on nursing but I do have a bachelor's in business and know what it is like to want to change career paths. My advice to you is start applying for jobs that will provide you with the schedule you want. You mentioned that pay isn't a huge factor so why not try for medical assistant jobs or medical office manager jobs? It never hurts to try. Spend some time figuring out what it is you think you will enjoy and go after it. You might have to take a lower paying job to get some experience, but take that experience and use it to grow. I've put tons of money into my undergrad degree just to figure this isn't the path for me and that is okay. I'd rather have made some mistakes and figure it out now than wake up in 40 years realizing I wasted all my time doing something I wasn't passionate about.

LaneyB · Feb 10, 2015

I work at a health department right now. The hours are M-F 8am to 5pm. No weekends, no holidays. In the past we did not hire new grads. You had to have at least one year hospital experience. But now we do hire new grads because we were having trouble getting nurses since the pay is less here. I haven't worked a weekend in forever.

Another job I had was at a Dr.'s office but I was hired through the hospital (his office was in the hospital). I was paid hospital wages to work at a Dr.'s office, which I found to be a nice deal. No weekends, no holidays, easy work.

As a disclaimer though, I did start off in the hospital so I don't know how easy the other jobs I had would have been to get without that experience. I think there are lots of areas of nursing you can explore before you decide.

blessedNhopeful · Feb 10, 2015

Why so?

THIS VVV

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.

You're coming to an allnurses forum full of NURSES or those who want to be nurses and you're saying how horrible the profession is without having worked it yet. Then when those try to give you words of encouragement or try to let you know that your perceptions were indeed wrong about the work schedules, hours, etc, you come off as kind of rude. Trying to find a different career because you feel you aren't the right fit for what you are in now is fine, and even common. You have to do what makes you happy. But coming to a forum and insulting the field that it is dedicated to isn't going to give you much to work on. Of course people want you to give it a try and see for yourself. They're worked in the field for years and I'm sure they love what they do. They would obviously want to support a new soon to be nurse (BSN) who is trying to find his/her way. So don't knock them for that. Maybe you should, like the above poster suggested, utilize Google or even a college counselor.

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2015

You have heard "horror" stories so you are basing your future on that? You "can't even find a job"? You just said you don't want to do it...plus you don't have your BSN yet let alone your nursing license.

The transition from kid to adult is a challenge. As you go out into life you begin to have to give up certain things that you did when you are a college kid. Nursing pays pretty well..for a REASON. You can't go out all night then work a 12 hour day making life and death decisions. If you want your weekends and all that, but also want the money then I don't know what to tell you. What are you willing to sacrifice? And don't use words like "martyr" and "horror"..there is no need for the drama. It is a career that to do requires sacrifice. Only you can decide what you want to do. You could work at Starbucks or something and get your nights and weekends off maybe? You don't graduate with a BSN and walk into a 80K a year job in management.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2015

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.

((HUGS)) the first year is the hardest so I am not sure I'd jump ship just yet.

But sure there are plenty of jobs....try pharmaceutical sales. My cousin has her BSN and HATED nursing....she is a pharm rep and travels wins trips....LOVES IT!

Try equipment sales or clinical educator with the companies. Check with insurance companies. Maybe phone triage.

Nursing isn't everyone's cup of tea but don't despair......Keep your head up ((HUGS))

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2015

You have heard "horror" stories so you are basing your future on that? You "can't even find a job"? You just said you don't want to do it...plus you don't have your BSN yet let alone your nursing license.

She is a RN ADN and in a RN BSN program. She has been unable to find a job. It can be discouraging

katie6126 · Feb 10, 2015

You have heard "horror" stories so you are basing your future on that? You "can't even find a job"? You just said you don't want to do it...plus you don't have your BSN yet let alone your nursing license.
The transition from kid to adult is a challenge. As you go out into life you begin to have to give up certain things that you did when you are a college kid. Nursing pays pretty well..for a REASON. You can't go out all night then work a 12 hour day making life and death decisions. If you want your weekends and all that, but also want the money then I don't know what to tell you. What are you willing to sacrifice? And don't use words like "martyr" and "horror"..there is no need for the drama. It is a career that to do requires sacrifice. Only you can decide what you want to do. You could work at Starbucks or something and get your nights and weekends off maybe? You don't graduate with a BSN and walk into a 80K a year job in management.

A lot of assumptions:

- I have actually not gone to many parties, I'm quite more of a bookworm then anything else. Idk what about my post made you conclude I was some lazy, degenerate club rat but m'kay

- Wasn't expecting an 80K a year job

- So because I want to take a different path, and try to ask for some suggestions on alternatives to either:

A.) My education as a whole (i.e. something diff then nursing, but somewhat related or perhaps by the end of this I'll realize I want something unrelated)

B.) Career alternatives with a BSN

the answer I'm looking for is to CLEARLY work at Starbucks. Lmao, ok then.

I'm not sure how my post makes you think I want boat loads of money for zero work, I am asking for suggestions of what else to do and half of the responders to this thread are blowing a gasket, although some managed not to lose their heads over this.

Darby71 · Feb 10, 2015

If you don't want to work weekends, then don't work weekends. If you don't want to work holidays, then don't work holidays. If you think working only three days a week and having four other days completely to yourself is not having a social life, then that is your personal view. If you are scared by the horrors and hardships of nursing, I promise you nobody ever becomes successful in any profession or at any job without going through any hardship. You might as well sit in your home everyday and eat from your parents' or spouse's salary because you are too scared to be an adult.

Wow, I think this reply it totally uncalled for. The OP has a right to feel the way they do and they have a right to feel they might be happier in a different profession.

1sttime · Feb 10, 2015

I went into nursing as my mother and aunt (both nurses) said I would be good at it. My first weeks of my nursing job I knew that I was in the wrong place for my happiness; over the years I got used to it and have a sort of Stockholm Syndrome.

I am getting out of nursing to become a realtor; I want to work with people who are well. I know other nurses who specialize in community health/employee health, management/business/consulting, clinical teaching/pharmaceutical sales, and then there are the chart review/insurance/legal jobs.

Good luck to you-

mariebailey, MSN, RN · Feb 10, 2015

You don't have to work staff nursing in a hospital. There are plenty of nursing jobs with weekends off and holidays off. Public health, school nursing, case management...etc. You could consider pharmaceutical or medical sales too.

No time to pee, eat, no time for yourself.

I'm a staff nurse in Med Surg; I probably pee 10 times a shift b/c of medication I take. If you need to pee, you go pee. :)