How Does One Know If They Possess What It Takes To Do Nursing?

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I would like to know. At times I toy with the idea. of going to the local school for nursing. Ten years ago I was a C.N.A. I enjoyed working with the elderly in the nursing home. However, I just don't know if I could do nursing it's so serious, one could kill someone if they made a mistake!

Maybe you need nerves of steal to do it?

Deusadomar - Awesome post! Thanks for sharing your story. I'm 35 and won't be able to go to school this year but I'm hoping to be a CNA and then an RN in the future. Now I know it's not too late for me!

Hi there... I was reading your message, and I'd like to thank you so much for taking the time to speak candidly about your experiences as a nurse. I start nursing school in two weeks and the thought of harming someone scares me... but I feel deep in my heart that I made the right decision. I saved money for 4 years and just quit my job of 15 years to start nursing school at age 42... On top of it, I'm a single parent. Well, some people thought I was crazy. :uhoh3: But I've always wanted to be a nurse, and it is now or never. I figured I'd give it a try. Let's just say that I am leaning on my faith right now... But I must admit that "knowing nothing" at the moment is what makes me the most uncomfortable, and I can't wait to start school and learn what I need to learn. Thank you very much, your message gave me much needed encouragement!! :)

By the way, I have 4 cats and love each one of them!!!! :rotfl:

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Specializes in Pediatric ICU.

I just completed my CNA training this summer. If you have worked as a CNA, you have what it takes to make it in this field.

I'm 42 and beginning nursing school (hopefully) in January. Sounds like there's an awful lot of us late-bloomers out there.

...no cats...just one big Golden Retriever named "Boomer"....

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Deusadomar - Awesome post! Thanks for sharing your story. I'm 35 and won't be able to go to school this year but I'm hoping to be a CNA and then an RN in the future. Now I know it's not too late for me!

:rotfl: If you are looking forward to this and know deep down that this is the right decision then you have made the right decision. When anyone wants to be a nurse I feel that if you have the heart, common sense, and caring spirt then nursing is for you, most people do it for the money, I love nursing because of the education you get and the care you give. Lisa

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Oh, I loved your post! :chuckle I just had to reply.

I would say that you possess what it takes to do nursing. First of all, you worked as a CNA so you have an idea of what it's like to work with patients. Most important things in life are serious, kiddo. What caught my eye about your post was your comment that "one could kill someone if they made a mistake." When I was in nursing school 32 years ago I got a sick feeling in my gut every time I walked into the hospital for my clinicals for just the same reason. I was deathly afraid of accidentally killing someone. My niece is currently in a radiation technician program and told me she feels that way every time she goes to the hospital for her clinicals. My thought was, "how can you kill someone taking an x-ray" until I thought about it a little more. And, I suspect that this thought goes through many people's minds and you, me and my niece are not the only ones who worry about this. I would say that it took me a good five years before I finally stopped worrying about accidentally killing someone. I've been a nurse for 30 years and haven't killed anyone yet. :chuckle

It's that little bit of fear that will make you a cautious practitioner. It will remind you to double check all the medications you give, to record anything odd a patient tells you, to call the doctor when something in your gut is telling you something just isn't right with the patient. In school you will have an instructor by your side when you do anything that could possibly result in harm to a patient. After you finish school you will have the nursing standards that you were taught and your good conscience to guide you.

I accidentally punctured someone's basilic artery in their arm when I was learning to put P.I.C.C. lines in. The instructor was standing by my side when it happened and was shocked also. My training guided me exactly how to handle the situation. Getting the blood out of my white uniform top was another matter. Seeing blood doesn't make me sick at all. You will never know if you have the "stomach" for nursing unless you step in and give it a whirl.

You don't need nerves of steel. You need a desire to help others and the intelligence to make decisions. The school will teach you what you need to know. Then each graduate goes forth in the world and has their own individual experiences. Believe me, if nurses were killing off patients by mistake it would be all over the news. Haven't heard of it happening lately! :chuckle

Something about nursing is very attractive to you, I believe. I think you're ready to take the plunge. Go for it.

Another cat lover

I am starting my second semester in nursing on monday. I have to say I was worried because the material we are learning. I am beginning with Chronic Illnesses, there is so much to learn that I was panicing a little. Also we have more patients this semester and have to do procedures that we have done on dummies last semester, but not on a real human being. I was very scared of making a big mistake, and sticking a NG tube to far down, or contaminating a the foley cath while trying to inserting it and giving someone a bad infection, or giving a patient the wrong medication or the wrong dose or the wrong route. I want to thank you for your encouragement, I did not realize that I am just one of many that are scared. For me there is no other alternative but nursing. I have rearranged my whole life, moved to a different city changed job, just so I can do this. Nursing for me is something that I have to do. The desire is so great that I dont know what else to do other than nursing. Thanks, you made see that no matter how hard we try not to that making a mistake is a natural part of learning. Thanks from a one of the many future RN's, class of DEC 2006 :p

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I have a question will diabetes keep me from being accepted into the cna program ? I downloaded the application packet from the community college in my area.there is a section where you have to get a physical health exam from a doctor and it ask what illness's I have .I don't take insulin just pills.so I hope that does'nt affect my chances.it's a stepping ladder process first I have to complete the cna course then apply for pre req,for lvn.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
will diabetes keep me from being accepted into the cna program ? i downloaded the application packet from the community college in my area.there is a section where you have to get a physical health exam from a doctor and it ask what illness's i have .i don't take insulin just pills.so i hope that does'nt affect my chances.it's a stepping ladder process first i have to complete the cna course then apply for pre req,for lvn.

it shouldn't. everyone has to have a physical exam before getting into a healthcareer program of study and you will be having one by each employer prior to being hired. they are looking for very obvious problems that would interfere with your ability to do the program of study, the primary concern being if you have an illness that would result in you missing a lot of days of school. if your diabetes is under control i doubt that it will even be a problem. i worked with one young nurse who had a very noticeable physical disability and had a pretty good limp when she walked since one leg was shorter than the other. i would worry about her losing her balance and falling. it was a congenital condition and it didn't keep her from getting into nursing school. i worked with another nurse who was an epileptic. in the eight years i worked with her she had three seizures on the job. i am also a diabetic on oral medication. i've never lost a day of work because of it, or had a hypoglycemic reaction. most likely the doctor will just comment that you're on an oral medication, ask you if you've had any problems with your diabetes and move on. he may make an extra effort to do a thorough foot check and a neuro exam and look a little more closely at the retinas in your eyes because that it what a good practitioner would do. hope you like your cna program, kiddo!

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Deusadomar - Awesome post! Thanks for sharing your story. I'm 35 and won't be able to go to school this year but I'm hoping to be a CNA and then an RN in the future. Now I know it's not too late for me!

Think of it this way... I think we can benefit from our live's experience... it is never too late. Faith also helps! Good luck to you!!!!

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Deusadomar - my mother wanted to be a nurse all her life. She was set to start her LPN training in 1966 when my father had a cerebral aneurysm. She put school off to take care of him and become the breadwinner of the family. By 1970 she was still caring for my father who was now permanently disabled and tired of low wage delicatessen management jobs. She and my father talked things over and she made a big gamble. She sold our house, moved the family to California to a rattrap of a house in the desert that her cousin offered us to live in for free while she got back on her feet. Within a couple of months, she was enrolled in the local JC's LVN program and lived off the money from the sale of the house. She had her license in a year. She was nearly 50 years old at the time. She went on to work as an LVN for 18 years in ICU and CCU. She always said that being a nurse was her dream and she never regretted the drastic action she took to accomplish it.

Hope that inspires you and others. My experience has led me to believe that it is the people who have the strongest desires for this profession who make some of the best nurses. Over the years I have also seen a change in the attitudes of young doctors coming into their profession since the admission policies of the medical schools changed from the good old boy system where guys went to medical school because their family expected them to (and got in because of personal wealth or family prestige) to the MCAT driven admissions. Many of the younger doctors wanted it badly and were willing to go into great debt with student loans to do it. I am blown away by many of these younger docs who openly hug their patients, shake their hands warmly and share a joke with them and the nurses. They are way different from the old, nasty blowhards who were so intimidating. The world does get better sometimes, doesn't it?

You have a wonderful experience ahead of you. I hope it turns out to be everything you've dreamed of.

I have 3 cats--one is a diabetic on Insulin.

Daytonite:

Wow... your mom (and you) are an inspiration to all of us starting this journey. Thank you very much for sharing. I'm so excited, I'm having a hard time sleeping. I know it will be hard and I have a good idea of what is in front on me... but somehow, I know it will be ok. I know I'm diving in head first and I know God will help me through it. I find very comforting that many of us are in the same boat, I love this board... thank you very much for taking the time to inspire us. Keep it coming. All the best to you.

PS: Love and hugs to the cats... :)

Lia

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Wow, Daytonite, what an amazing story -- thanks for sharing. I'm 18, and have been a CNA for about 9 months. I'm soon starting my prereqs for my RN and must admit to some feelings of nervousenss - esp. concerning pills. But if your mom could do it with no previous experience or training in nursing, I can too!

You should let her know that she's a wonderful woman and an inspiration to many! :)

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I am 50 and in my third semester of Nursing School. BSN hopefully Dec. 06. I was a CNA for a year in a nursing home. I hope I can make life better or teach people how to live healthier. I have 2 cats- Garfield and Lucky

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