How did you decide on what type of nurse you wanted to be?

sherriberry1 · Jan 10, 2008

I have always wanted to be a nurse ever since I had my first child back in 1996 but being young I did not think I would ever be "smart" enough to be one so I did not pursue that dream. My husband got into a bad motorcycle wreck in 2002, he was in the hospital for 11 days(he lost the front muscle in the bottom part of his left leg) and I saw what the CNAs were doing and I started asking questions. I really wanted to get into the field so I took CNA I AND CNA II back to back and I became a CNA II DEC 2002.. One of the main reason I want to be a Labor & Delivery RN is because I love babies and the pregnancy part(but not for me..lol)...another reason is I went through a really bad & "strange" miscarriage. I was treated so badly that I made myself a vow when I became a nurse I would have the compassion and the knowledge on how to handle a delicate situation like what I went through and not to treat someone like I was treated. I love to help people I feel that is just my calling. I take the NET in march and I pray I get accepted so I can fulfill this dream of mine.:redpinkhe..........Good luck to you!!!!

Knorremeisje · Jan 10, 2008

I think it's hard to choose a nursing specialty before you've actually done clinical rotations. You can think that you'd like a certain specialty like for example geriatrics, but in reality it might not meet your expectations. I've thought about NICU and I think I would prefer the low nurse-patient ratios that ICU's offer. On the other hand, I have no experience whatsoever with the ICU, so my expectations may be way off!

I do hope you'll get into the nursing program soon. Sounds like you'll be a wonderful nurse! Good luck and I hope you'll find the right specialty!

Hoping2beRN, BSN, RN · Jan 10, 2008

This is a very good question.

I work as a PCT/CNA (same thing) I love icu. I think it's amazing. I love trauma. I love L&D. I love mother baby. I am torn. Maybe a NICU nurse? I am at a loss. I love working in all these specialties as an aide. we will see when it comes to clinical where my heart lies! I also have a passion for educating and teaching women about breastfeeding. So I will probably end up somewhere in the mother/baby area!

Good luck!:redpinkhe

smadar · Jan 10, 2008

Well i'm not even remotely close to even being ready to make that decison. But i kinda hard a hard time choosing between going into nursing or going into psychology. So my idea was to have my cake and eat it to. So I'm going into nursing and specializing in psychology or maybe mental health. Something into this area. But maybe by the time i get there and start clinicals i may find something else that really makes me even happier. There are so many choices when going into nursing and that is exciting to me.

st4wb3rr33sh0rtc4k3 · Jan 10, 2008

I am still dibbling and dabbling in Med/Surg.

I am not sure what I would like to do yet.

I must say I did like Alzheimer's. That was my first nursing job. :redpinkhe

Lennonninja, MSN, APRN, NP · Jan 10, 2008

I decided to switch to nursing after almost 4 years working as a veterinary "nurse". I realised that there was really no future there, and I would never make a decent living so I decided to go back to school and study human nursing this time :)

I miss working with the animals soooooo much, but being a human nurse will give me an actual sustainable career, and since I have no idea where we will end up once my husband finds a job in his field, there will always be hospitals that will always need me, no matter where we end up.

I'm still in the prereqs stage, but as for right now, I'm thinking that I might like to go into the ICU or Oncology. And possibly become a CRNA one day. The areas that I could never see myself working in are the ER or the delivery room. They both hold absolutely no interest for me.

I plan on bringing everything together by working with the therapy animals program in whatever hospital I end up with, and also finally having a use for my degree in Spanish as well.

PreRN Katie · Jan 10, 2008

I'm still in the prereqs/praying that I'll get in somewhere stage, but when I (hopefully) become a nurse, I'd like to do something with moms & babies...maybe L&D, maternal/infant, or NICU. Either that or I'd like to do forensic nursing. I've got a background in criminal justice so that would be right up my alley. Who knows, as long as I get to be an RN someday I'll be as happy as a clam. Good luck to everyone!

llg, PhD, RN · Jan 10, 2008

I am really interested in a whole bunch of different types of nursing. At first I wanted to be a geriatrics nurse because I love the elderly, but then I found out they don't really get paid that well. I realize money shouldn't be on the top of the list when choosing a career, but I still think it's important.

As you go through your student clinical experiences, pay close attention to how you feel about each type of patient population and clinical setting. Notice where your strengths, weaknesses, and preferences lie. Then ... go with your heart.

No job is perfect and no clinical field is perfect. Regardless of what path you take, there will be days on which you are frustrated and/or tested in your committment to the profession. The best way through those tough times is to put yourself in a position where you can honestly say to yourself, "... but this is the type of work I want to do. This work matters to me and I really want to succeed in it." That kind of committment gets you through the hard times. The people who choose a specialty because someone recommends it, or the pay is a little more, it seems "more glamorous," etc. are more likely to give up when the going gets rough. By choosing a specialty that you can truly commit to in your heart, you give yourself that extra ingrediant that might make the difference in whether or not you succeed.

Also ... I think you are making a mistake to dismiss geriatrics because of the money. Over the next several decades, the need for specialists in geriatrics is going to increase dramatically as the general population ages. That should open up all types of career opportunities for nurses in advanced roles to work directly with patients, to supervise care provided by others, to plan and/or oversee programs, to teach, etc. There should be a lot of very attractive jobs in that specialty -- and if that is where your heart is, you should focus your attention there.

In the long run, the money will follow the need. You might not make as much as a staff nurse immediately out of school in geriatrics as you would in ICU, but over the course of your entire career, you might be happier and have more career options -- and more flexibility in your options -- in geriatrics. That flexibility will probably be important to your later, and may allow you to have a better quality of life as well.

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Jan 12, 2008

i did a ride along with a rescue crew. we got a lady c/o chest pain.

i was just there observing, but being the only femaile in the truck. i was the one sitting there next to her hold her hand and talking to her while the guys started treating her.

for one split second she looked at me ---and it was like she said "please help me , im scared"

she didnt actually say it, but i could feel it. that she was depend on all of us to take away the pain.

we thought she was gonna code, thankfully she didnt.

at that very moment i knew what i wanted to do :)

emergency nursing :)

rnmomtobe2010 · Jan 13, 2008

The thought and sight of childbirth has always intrigued me. On top of that I had the best post-partum nurse after my daughter was born. L&D is for me and I cant see myself doing anything else. When my turn comes.....OH WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE!!!!!

FutureRN1908 · Jan 13, 2008

Yeah, I think you can have your mind set on something....but then complete clinical rotations and decide on something completely different. My sister didn't even want to work in a hospital setting originally, but then after she did her rotations she ended up becoming a critical care nurse....go figure! Right now, I'm interested in L&D, ER, OR, and maybe even peds.....so we'll see.