How Do you know When Nursing is for you?

I am in serious need of help. I took my first A&P class this spring and dropped out because I felt that would fail. For over 5 years I' ve been thinking about joining the Nursing field but feared failing. Now after taking A&P I, realized that maybe nursing is not for me. I am petrufied of needles, I cannot bear to see anyone in pain. but, I know that I want to be in the medical field because I love helping others. I've been a certified coder for over ten years, I am looking for a career that would enable me to stay in the medical field so I can help others and still pay the bills. If anyone has any ideas please share them, I am desperate.I was thinking of healthcare management, but I heard you have to be an RN to get those kind of jobs. Is that true? If not, Does anyone know of any schools that offer such programs online or traditional campus, I live in Georgia, West of Atlanta.[/quote']

Look I know how you feel. If you work or have kids, a husband or a boyfriend it will become almost impossible. I used to work 2 jobs while I was in school, I dropped the( Anatomy and physiology I ) class last year and I was overwhelmed with all the things I had going in my life, But I realized that I needed to leave a job. I left the doctor's office which was like 2nd home to me. It hurt me, but it had to be done. I stayed with the hospital, which was pretty hectic since I had to work weekends, working part-time was still getting in the way of school. So after a 1 1/2 I left which sucked cuz I was getting experience for nursing since I worked as an EKG tech. Look I dont regret a thing, I'm graduating with an A.A. in nursing this semester. If I can do it you can do it. Many times I wanted to give up, I felt hopeless, but keep being storng and fight the battle. and don't forget to ask god for peace of mind, motivation, and positiveness. Trust me. God Bless.

I am in serious need of help. I took my first A&P class this spring and dropped out because I felt that would fail. For over 5 years I' ve been thinking about joining the Nursing field but feared failing. Now after taking A&P I, realized that maybe nursing is not for me. I am petrufied of needles, I cannot bear to see anyone in pain. but, I know that I want to be in the medical field because I love helping others. I've been a certified coder for over ten years, I am looking for a career that would enable me to stay in the medical field so I can help others and still pay the bills. If anyone has any ideas please share them, I am desperate.I was thinking of healthcare management, but I heard you have to be an RN to get those kind of jobs. Is that true? If not, Does anyone know of any schools that offer such programs online or traditional campus, I live in Georgia, West of Atlanta.[/quote']

Have you considered taking the CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) class? You will gain some necessary skills for nursing, plus an idea of your tolerance for the things you feel will bother you about nursing. If you decide not to go on to nursing, you will have the training for a job in the medical field, and plenty of opportunities to help people. If you do go on, the skills/experience you acquire as a CNA will help immeasurably on the floor. Good luck to you in whatever you decide!! Lyn :)

Honestly, it's one of those things that I just know is for me. I think you almost have to feel that to be content with being an RN. I don't think your fears are irrational, but you should definitely make out a list of the pros and cons of being an RN on the floor...because that is probably where you will have to start out to get anywhere in a management position. I'm sure there have been nurses with needle phobias. So I doubt you are alone in that.

But I really think that most nurse management positions are filled by RN's that have had years of floor experience and are tired of it. I could be off base, but that's what it's like in my hospital.

The extra classes can be extremely tough when paired with nursing classes. But in the end I think it just boils down to how bad you want it.

I am in serious need of help. I took my first A&P class this spring and dropped out because I felt that would fail. For over 5 years I' ve been thinking about joining the Nursing field but feared failing. Now after taking A&P I, realized that maybe nursing is not for me. I am petrufied of needles, I cannot bear to see anyone in pain. but, I know that I want to be in the medical field because I love helping others. I've been a certified coder for over ten years, I am looking for a career that would enable me to stay in the medical field so I can help others and still pay the bills. If anyone has any ideas please share them, I am desperate.I was thinking of healthcare management, but I heard you have to be an RN to get those kind of jobs. Is that true? If not, Does anyone know of any schools that offer such programs online or traditional campus, I live in Georgia, West of Atlanta.[/quote']

If you're interested in helping people, have you considered any of the allied health professions, such as Occupational therapy, Rehab counselling, Speech pathology etc?

However, if you've got your heart set on nursing, I agree with LynRN04 - it might be a good idea to do a CNA course first.

I am in serious need of help. I took my first A&P class this spring and dropped out because I felt that would fail. For over 5 years I' ve been thinking about joining the Nursing field but feared failing. Now after taking A&P I, realized that maybe nursing is not for me. I am petrufied of needles, I cannot bear to see anyone in pain. but, I know that I want to be in the medical field because I love helping others. I've been a certified coder for over ten years, I am looking for a career that would enable me to stay in the medical field so I can help others and still pay the bills. If anyone has any ideas please share them, I am desperate.I was thinking of healthcare management, but I heard you have to be an RN to get those kind of jobs. Is that true? If not, Does anyone know of any schools that offer such programs online or traditional campus, I live in Georgia, West of Atlanta.[/quote']

I think before you do anything else you need to deal with your fear of failing things. It sounds like you dropped a & p without knowing you were failing. It is possible to get tutoring in classes. I also think that being a CNA would be a good start.

Someone mentioned other jobs in the field like speech, OT, etc. What about respiratory therapy, radiology, ultrasound... There are lots of choices. But most of those programs are going to be difficult, like nursing programs. I agree that you do need to get over your fear of failing. If you decide to to it, jump in with both feet and do whatever you need to do to pass those classes. You never really know what your mind is capable of until you challenge it to work harder.

If it helps, I went to nursing school with a couple of nurses who HATED needles and were grossed out by bodily fluids. They coped with it by doing what they had to get through school and then found careers within nursing that still payed them well, let them assist patients and yet not deal with the things they disliked. One became a psychiatric home care nurse and the other works in utilization review for a large health plan.

Nurse is a fabulous career with respect to the flexibility that you have to craft a perfect job for you. Good luck!