I was accepted into nursing school, but I don't know if this is what I want. Please help?

Farawyn · Jun 24, 2015

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood..."

Collegegirl94 · Jun 24, 2015

That poem is exactly how I feel.

Which path do I take? Which will give me a better future? Which will make me the most happy? What if I make the wrong decision? I'm going crazy. :banghead: Haha

Purple_roses · Jun 24, 2015

Do you want to be a nurse? Or do you want to hold whatever job you would have after grad school? That needs to be the determining factor. Yes, school will suck for a little while, but it will only last a short time compared to the grand scheme of things.

Collegegirl94 · Jun 24, 2015

My master's program is similar to a MBA. My ultimate goal is to be in a management position. I like the administration side of things. However, I have a fascination with the medical field. I did very well in my prerequisite courses for nursing. I am a little worried about the patient care aspects of nursing, though. I recently learned more about that from allnurses. I thought that nurses mostly did paperwork, dispensed meds, and responded to codes and saved lives all day. I feel so stupid typing that now but I want to be honest. I don't know if I would be a good nurse if I'm not interested in patient care. I would do it and be very nice but it makes me really nervous and uneasy.

kariace · Jun 24, 2015

Try not to think about the now, but how your life will be 10 years from now. Honestly, will this job be a long term thing for you? Or only the now? You could become a nurse and get your first full time job working for many years to come. Do you know anything about this job besides the pay and/or position? What about the job quality, security, co-workers, ect?

Lie down or take a little nap and envision how you want your life be 10-15 years down the line. Do you have any kids? If you not, what type of future do you want to provide for your kids so they can have a stable life? Try to look at the underline things and ask yourself theses questions.

Yes, it does all borders on if your happy with your job or not, but because you were not accepeted into nursing school for the past 4-7 years and if this was something you really wanted to do (and had your heart and mind set on), then "technically" you talked yourself into believing this is not the way to go, or your just trying to settle for the easier route in life. Volunteer at a hospital, watch clips, shadow a nurse, etc. Then figure out if it's the thing that you can see yourself doing.

kariace · Jun 24, 2015

Also you can have an administration in nursing. The two things you want most in life, combined.

Collegegirl94 · Jun 24, 2015

Thank you so much for your detailed response. My soon-to-be job is a good job, especially for a first job; decent pay, yearly raises, advancement opportunities, full benefits, PTO, fixed schedule (Monday-Friday, 10 AM-6:30 PM), etc. It could also lead into a management position.

I definitely want a good work-life balance. This is above all else, the most important aspect of a job/career for me. I am also engaged and getting married in December, so I see children in my future (a few years down the line). I simply want a stable life. I don't have to be rich to be happy. I want a stable career that offers good pay and a good work-life balance. I live in the midwest and eventually plan to move to the south, so the cost of living is not high in either of these regions. My goal is for both my fiance and I to make around 50k/year; we would have a comfortable life around this number.

kiszi, RN · Jun 24, 2015

I think you are beginning to realize that the reality of nursing is not quite the pretty picture you had in your head. Bedside nursing involves a lot of hands on care, from fun things like IV starts to mundane tasks like changing a urine-soaked bed. You will reposition heavy patients with limited mobility and help them sit in a chair. Some days your back and feet will hurt and you will want to quit.

I am not trying to discourage you, only giving the facts.

Yes, there are non-bedside nursing jobs, but most require a couple of years at the bedside first. Just think carefully about this before you abandon all you've worked towards thus far.

ixchel · Jun 24, 2015

My master's program is similar to a MBA. My ultimate goal is to be in a management position. I like the administration side of things. However, I have a fascination with the medical field. I did very well in my prerequisite courses for nursing. I am a little worried about the patient care aspects of nursing, though. I recently learned more about that from allnurses. I thought that nurses mostly did paperwork, dispensed meds, and responded to codes and saved lives all day. I feel so stupid typing that now but I want to be honest. I don't know if I would be a good nurse if I'm not interested in patient care. I would do it and be very nice but it makes me really nervous and uneasy.

Based on what you are saying here, I'm not sure that you would be happy in nursing.

.....at first.

To get into administrative positions in nursing takes awhile of experience first, oftentimes inpatient at the bedside. I do think you would ultimately be happy, but at first, maybe not.

If this were me, I think I'd get through the MBA, work. If you still feel fond of nursing, go back. Based on your posts here so far, you sound like you've made up your mind already.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jun 24, 2015

If you don't like patient care, nursing should be a no-go for you. Seems like you have a great plan in motion that IS a good fit..... go with it.

Collegegirl94 · Jun 24, 2015

Thank you for the advice, everyone. :) I really appreciate it. You are right, I should stay on the path that I'm already on because it IS a better fit for me. I will always hold a deep admiration and respect for nurses, you guys are amazing for everything that you do! â¤ï¸ I guess that nursing is just not the career path for me.