How do you know if Nursing is right for you?

[astormofswords]

I'm currently one month into my Bachelor Degree of Registered Nursing, enjoying it so far but we're still on the very basics so I really can't determine anything yet. The only trouble is I'm a bit of a worrier (it's just part of my personality!) and I sometimes question whether I'm suitable for nursing. So my question/s is:

• What do you think makes a good Nurse?
  
• How do you know if you're suited to Nursing?
  
• How do you know if you'll be happy in a career in Nursing
  

I think my biggest issue is that I'm not an overly confident person (plus the worrying side to my personality) just means I happen to second guess myself quite a bit and my biggest fear is spending years doing a degree and getting into a professional that I end up hating!

Sometimes I'm confident in my choice to become a Nurse but I have to admit when I see posts on the internet (or on here) saying: "You're either a natural or you're not!"; "It's a job you either love or hate!" (and don't even get me started on those "Nursing is the worst thing to ever happen to me, it's the worst job on the planet" posts haha) it just makes me worry because what if I'm not a natural or what if I'm one of those people who "hates" nursing?

I got into nursing because I enjoyed the health science field, wanted a job/degree that combined both theory and practice, wanted a job with a lot of variety, a job where I was kept on my feet (I like working hard), and most importantly I wanted a job where I felt fulfilled (as in making some kind of difference to the world).

Personality wise I'm a hard worker, I'm compassionate/kind, I'm pretty intelligent/switched on, and I'm down to earth. With that being said I do have my flaws, I'm a worrier, I don't have very high self-esteem, I'm not an overly confident nor outgoing person, and I'll admit sometimes when I'm working in customer service some people just get on my nerves haha

I guess I'm just anxious that my flaws will mean I'm not suited to Nursing. Can someone be a good Nurse even if they're not a really confident/outgoing person? Can they be a good nurse even if they're not a people-person 100% of the time?

Sorry for the long message, as you can tell I'm a bit of an over-thinker too haha But I greatly appreciate any information and advice you give me as this is a very important decision to me! :)

It would really help me if you maybe described your personality, what area you work in, and if you enjoy your job/studies (if you have the time that is). Just so I can maybe get a glimpse as to if the personalities of Nurses are varied or if it seems like only a certain kind of person is suited to it!

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

The post right above mine hints at something... As a student, you'll have the ability to go places in the hospital and do things that employed nurses almost never get to do. For example, as a student, I was able to follow one of my patients from the floor to a procedure and back to the floor again on several occasions. Now that I'm working, once my patient is out of the ED for something (like a CT or US or MRI, as examples), I still have 3-4 other patients to deal with so I can't leave the ED just to follow that one patient.

You'll have a chance to see how various parts of the system work together to provide care. You'll have the chance to visit quite a few different floors and units and see how they mesh with your personality. Trust me on this: the floors and units can't hide their culture from you for long and they won't. Take full advantage of this opportunity and just go with it.

Also, consider all of your clinical time as a very long and protracted working job interview. You very well could end up employed somewhere simply because someone (like a manager) saw you and wants you to work there after you graduate. It does happen.

[Simonesays, BSN, RN]

[COLOR=#000000]I'm a fairly new nurse. I've worked for 2 years in an acute care setting in ortho/trauma. Before I entered into the program, I was similar to the way you described yourself- not very confident and a bit shy. I had worked previously in customer service in a non-healthcare field (finance) and loved working with people but wanted to do something I was passionate about. After volunteering in a hospital, I thought nursing would be a good fit.

Firstly, you will change by going to nursing school. I remember instructors telling me this and wondering if it would really happen. It happens! You will engage with people in a way you are not likely used to, supporting them and their families through adversity, vulnerability, and stress. You might help a newborn baby come into the world one day and be holding the hand of a dying patient as they are leaving it the next. You will be faced with situations and challenges that will cause you to reflect on your own ethics and beliefs, and you will be a stronger, more confident person because of it.

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• What do you think makes a good Nurse? I think that there are many qualities that make a nurse "good" but some of them depend where you work. In my area, you have to be able to quickly prioritize patients and their care, delegate effectively, think critically, and work well in a team. Always ask lots of questions (especially 'why') no matter where you work. Be safe, advocate for your patients, and seek help when you need it.
  
• How do you know if you're suited to Nursing? For me, I knew that I was suited to be a nurse when I was in my second year of school. I had accumulated a bit of knowledge and got to work on a cardiac unit with telemetry patients. I really loved this patient population and the nurses on the unit were knowledgeable and fun to work with. There's so many different types of nursing, so try as many of them out as possible until you find one that's a good fit. Best of luck!
  

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

You're at the start -- there were moments where I questioned myself, too. Nursing was kind of a last-ditch attempt at making anything out of my life but as soon as I embraced it, it unfolded itself for me and became something wonderful. Something profoundly difficult but wonderful. Seriously, I could have written what you just wrote when I was in my first quarter, too. You're like my dang twin!

It's okay if you're a worrier. Nursing will teach you to hone that and turn it into a skill you can use when you know you need to listen to that nagging feeling in your gut that something just isn't right about a patient.

You don't have to think about whether or not you're a natural. People get into nursing for a lot of different reasons. You can tell the ones who did it for the money, the ones who did it because they really have a deep desire and love for caring for people and using their big, beautiful brains, and the ones who are kinda iffy because they're so scared still and still trying to work through it all -- it's an overwhelming job!

I think there is one certain aspect about all nurses that is a common trait: persistence in the face of extreme adversity. Every nurse I've met so far has been very persistent about doing the best job possible and giving the best care possible. They may want to give up deep down but they never let it surface. They just keep it pushin'. If you can feel like coming back day after day of basically taking all the ish people and life hand you, then you got this. And after a while, you can take more and more. That's what I have quickly come to learn as not only a trait but a method of survival in nursing. You just get so freaking strong.

[astormofswords]

Thanks for the advice. I think the issue at the moment is because I'm so early on in my course I really won't know for sure if Nursing is 100% right for me till I do at least a couple of pracs/clinicals. But that shadowing is a really good idea, I'll definitely look into it when I get deeper into my degree. Thanks :)

[astormofswords]

Thanks for some really good advice.

I haven't been on any clinicals yet, my first is in June, but it's interesting and helpful to know how it works and it's a relief that I get to explore different areas to get a taste of what would suit my personality best. I think my first Prac rotation is in aged care, because it's my first semester of Nursing and I still need to learn the basics. But I'll definitely hold out and look forward to when I get to spend time on the wards. (I have nothing against aged care, I think it'll be really good experience, I just know career wise that I'd want a bit more of a challenge out of a job!)

And I'll definitely take your advice about considering my prac as a "very long and protracted working job interview". I never considered it that way but I suppose it's very true that you could be possibly training under future employers.

Thanks for taking the time to provide me with some very useful tips/info! :)

[astormofswords]

Thank you for taking the time to read and rely to my post.

It's a relief to know that Nursing does change you in that regard. I'm not always a shy/un-confident person, if the occasion calls for it I do take charge if I have to, just naturally I'm not the most outgoing person but I suppose when you train and work in that profession it'll be naturally a trait that builds up in you/you learn as you go along!

I suppose it's true that personality traits really do reflect on the area of nursing you work in. I guess diversity is one of the best things about the job, how if you're not suited to one area going into another is really viable option!

It's good to know that it took you till your second year to know for sure. Sometimes I'm worried Nursing is just a profession you have to want really badly from the get go with a burning passion to do the job. But it's really nice to hear that a lot of people had to try it out for themselves and work in different areas to know it was completely right for them.

Thanks for your best wishes, greatly appreciated! :)

[astormofswords]

Thanks for replying to my post.

I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to hear that you felt almost exactly the same way in your first quarter! I did Forensic Investigation for a quarter and Psychology for a year and a half, though I didn't mind psych I definitely wanted something more practical and useful from a career/degree. So Nursing is kind of my "last-ditch attempt" to, in a sense that if I don't enjoy this degree I really don't know what I'll do next, so I really want to enjoy it but at the same time I don't want to make the mistake of getting into a profession I'm not suited to!

It's good to hear that worrying isn't necessarily a negative trait to have for Nursing, especially if it can be altered/honed for the better!

I suppose it is true that people go into Nursing for very different reasons. I think my issue is that I've had to listen to and have spoken to some very...opinionated people haha who seem to have a black and white "you're a natural or you're not" outlook to Nursing. Or others (such as certain loudmouth tutors haha) who think they're the ideal person/personality for Nursing and those that don't fit into that mold aren't going to do well. Which has made me second guess myself a bit.

It's also good to know that you think persistence is one of the more useful traits. I guess I never thought of that but I suppose after a really hard day/week at work, or decades in a profession, persistence is really what's going to keep you going! It really does seem like Nursing changes people, and does make them stronger.

Thanks again for the reply. I can't express how helpful your, and other peoples, comments have been. It definitely makes me feel so much better about the situation, thank you! :)