I'm a mid-life career changer from engineering. And I have ADHD. For the past few years, I've been bouncing around in various degree programs in another health care field and then back to something related to the job field I'd been doing previously. I tried the other health care field based on I really enjoyed shadowing and thought I'd like the field, but once I got into school, found that it was something that really valued philosophy and psychology over science, and that the schooling had a lot of subjectivity.
I'm trying to find some sort of job where I a) get to use mostly logical/scientific/non-subjective skills b) get to interact with human beings a good bit of the time, not always in a combative way and c) feel like I'm making a positive contribution to the world.
In my previous jobs, I've enjoyed on my feet troubleshooting, and/or interacting with other people in a supportive or collaborative way and disliked doing intensive tedious detail-oriented paperwork for most of the day or interacting with people in large groups where people were arguing or being demanding. I didn't mind creating new documentation for things I was doing, but having a job where I had to enter and maintain spreadsheets was awful. I generally have not been good at multi-tasking, at least without keeping track of things on paper.
I know that nursing is stressful, but so are plenty of other jobs. And there's a difference between doing something that is stressful for 36 hours a week and going home, and doing something that wants you to work 50 or 60 hours a week.
However, I've found a few things from going to school for the past several years. I strongly prefer learning from physical textbooks than reading stuff online or having no textbooks at all. And it really helps me to know what readings go with a lecture so that I can read it ahead of time and then only need to take notes on new information. There's something about physically making highlights and writing flashcards that makes me learn better.
I also find many forms of group learning to be frustrating. As an older student, my hearing isn't perfect. If I'm in a room with 60 students in 10 groups, somebody in each group is talking, and the person in the neighboring group that is talking is closer than the person in my group who is across a table, I can't hear what they are saying. I've also found that being in classes where all the work is done as a group is painful if I'm really interested in a class, but other people want to do the bare minimum, or else don't want to contribute anything. I've also found that I strongly prefer face to face classes with the chance to ask questions than watching videos with online classes.
How can I find out more about nursing to see if its for me besides what I've seen as a patient myself, and observing the care of family members? How can I find out more about a particular nursing school to see if it would fit me?
Hope you are well on your way to making a career change. It seems that you have given the field a significant amount of time and energy. Like others have said at a certain point you have to make a decision. There are no guarantees in life.
I think you should read up on a CNA's scope of practice. As a CNA you do not have the right to educate patients on their medical dx, tx, and etc. If a patient happens to know of a research study and believes it is relevant to their dx/tx they will be discussing that with the doctor/NP/PA, not a CNA. As an engineer, I assume that you are well read in research, however, your opinion on the research a patient presents (whether you are correct or not) is not needed, nor is it valued over the patient or even in general. This is because reading/interpreting research is not a CNA's job. If a patient doesn't want to vaccinate their child ( which is horrible, I know!) they will be discussing that with the healthcare provider not the CNA. If a patient is refusing life-saving care for personal/religious/etc reasons they will be discussing that with their healthcare providers not the CNA.
Nurse.org shows a list of the job responsibilities of a CNA. As a CNA your job is to assist the nurse in anyway that they need. CNA's that work hard and are good at their job are wonderful assets to a healthcare team. However, it is a physically demanding job so make sure you are in good health.
Based off your information you have given pursuing a CNA program a lot of thought. At this point you either have to pursue it or move on to another career that you feel you are better suited.
I wish you the best in your pursuit! And I hope this information was useful ?
Based off your information you have given pursuing a CNA program a lot of thought. At this point you either have to pursue it or move on to another career that you feel you are better suited.
I wasn't planning on being a CNA as a long term profession, only as a stepping stone to becoming an RN. I'm giving nursing school a lot of thought.
I probably have ADHD too (I'm mid-career, and they didn't diagnose quiet, non-disruptive ADHD people in the 80s and I've just learned to deal with it). Also have a REALLY hard time hearing in group settings or processing what someone says when they don't speak super articulately, and it's gotten worse as I get older. I think in school this is a temporary thing, and if you have the tools to have some self discipline, online classes can be much better because you can control your environment. BUT on the floor, it can be noisy with lots of people talking and machines going off etc. I am hoping to not have to do inpatient nursing etc. because of the hearing and noise thing but it might come up. Good luck!
VwBee89, EMT-I
125 Posts
ShouldIBeNurse,
Hope you are well on your way to making a career change. It seems that you have given the field a significant amount of time and energy. Like others have said at a certain point you have to make a decision. There are no guarantees in life.
I think you should read up on a CNA's scope of practice. As a CNA you do not have the right to educate patients on their medical dx, tx, and etc. If a patient happens to know of a research study and believes it is relevant to their dx/tx they will be discussing that with the doctor/NP/PA, not a CNA. As an engineer, I assume that you are well read in research, however, your opinion on the research a patient presents (whether you are correct or not) is not needed, nor is it valued over the patient or even in general. This is because reading/interpreting research is not a CNA's job. If a patient doesn't want to vaccinate their child ( which is horrible, I know!) they will be discussing that with the healthcare provider not the CNA. If a patient is refusing life-saving care for personal/religious/etc reasons they will be discussing that with their healthcare providers not the CNA.
Nurse.org shows a list of the job responsibilities of a CNA. As a CNA your job is to assist the nurse in anyway that they need. CNA's that work hard and are good at their job are wonderful assets to a healthcare team. However, it is a physically demanding job so make sure you are in good health.
Based off your information you have given pursuing a CNA program a lot of thought. At this point you either have to pursue it or move on to another career that you feel you are better suited.
I wish you the best in your pursuit! And I hope this information was useful ?