Horrified to become a nursing failure

lady_jezebel · Oct 31, 2005

After I graduated high school, I made the mistake of going to medical assisting school. While I graduated from school with high honors, I feel as though I didn't learn very much. It has been over a year that I graduated from M.A. school, and I don't have a job. To make matters worse, I don't remember what I did learn in school.
Now I am taking my pre-req for nursing school.
I have two major problems that are tearing me apart. The first one being that if I do get lucky and find a medical assisting job, I won't remember anything I learned, since it was so long ago, and I'll lose my job.
The second is that I am utterly embarassed and feel like a failure to my family because I went to a school that had no advantage to me. Its humiliating when people ask me if I am a medical assistant, why am I not employed, and what makes me think I will succeed in nursing school. Please someone give me advice, this has been a stressful problem to me.

Say it's a "tight market", that you would have to move to a metropolitan area to find competitive employment as an MA, and that you've decided to pursue additional education. A great percentage of nursing students have had prior education or careers. Don't sweat it, you're not a failure -- you're just like one of us! Good luck.

tulip928 · Oct 31, 2005

After I graduated high school, I made the mistake of going to medical assisting school. While I graduated from school with high honors, I feel as though I didn't learn very much. It has been over a year that I graduated from M.A. school, and I don't have a job. To make matters worse, I don't remember what I did learn in school.
Now I am taking my pre-req for nursing school.
I have two major problems that are tearing me apart. The first one being that if I do get lucky and find a medical assisting job, I won't remember anything I learned, since it was so long ago, and I'll lose my job.
The second is that I am utterly embarassed and feel like a failure to my family because I went to a school that had no advantage to me. Its humiliating when people ask me if I am a medical assistant, why am I not employed, and what makes me think I will succeed in nursing school. Please someone give me advice, this has been a stressful problem to me.

It's time to reframe how you're talking to yourself about this. How about this: that instead of thinking your M.A. education was a mistake, realize that it has given you an advantage for your nursing clinicals (even if you don't have a job as a medical assistant). A lot of your classmates will not have had any experience yet, and you will be a lot more comfortable with some of the basics. You really do know more than you realize at this moment. When I started my clinicals, I regretted that I had not had some kind of previous experience like you have.

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Oct 31, 2005

I don't think you made a mistake. Educations is never a mistake. I agree with saying that the market is tight etc....

You can also take a few week CNA course and get a job as that, while in nursing school.

Good luck :)

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2005

There's no connection between not finding a job as an MA and being successful in nursing school. Kindly point this out to your critics, because that's not making sense.

If you do happen to find an MA job, you'll get on the job training and stuff will come back to you. You're not expected to remember everything. If you could make it through MA school with honors, if and when you get a job you'll be fine.

Good luck in all that you do.

Imafloat, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2005

Sheesh, quit being so hard on yourself. The world is full of people who want to knock you down, why give them a headstart!

Maybe you feel like you forgot stuff in MA school, but you probably haven't. It is sitting there in a fold of your brain waiting to be used. That is what they call instinct, using things you just know. Education is never bad or a waste. I think that when you are given the opportunity to use some of the things that you have learned they will come back to you.

Good luck!

JR816, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2005

I got my CNA license 3 years ago and decided that the pay scale in my area wasn't going to be enough to support my family. Since then, I took all of my pre-req's and got accepted in my community college RN program. I am surprised at how much info popped back into my brain. Slowly but surely, I am building on the info that I learned in CNA class. I think it is awesome. Good Luck to you...Have fun learning.

Maisie · Nov 1, 2005

Don't worry. I have two degrees in fields that are no longer hiring. It is pretty normal now. Most people will have to change careers at some point in the future. Alot of those people will spend time and money only to find out the field is no longer hiring.