I cant decide on nursing or not please help

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I am getting ready to start a 2yr nursing program in the fall.

I still cant decide on if its for me..

I have a few questions for all you veterans out there.

1. How much can I expect to earn with an ADN degree fresh out of school with no experience here in Houston TX.

2. Is it possible to ONLY work days? I dont think I can handle a night shift. I have sleep issues.

3. Will I be seeing alot of GORE?

4. How many days out of the week will I be working?

5. DUMB question.. But Will I be cleaning alot of poop and pee?

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

1. How much can I expect to earn with an ADN degree fresh out of school with no experience here in Houston TX.

A few years ago I researched the best cost of living vs. pay and Texas had some of the best numbers. I am not sure what you will start out at, but in Wisconsin and here in Georgia our hospitals start out at about $22 + night and weekend differentials of 3-5 additional dollars per hour. (Don't forget when you leave school you have two years of clinical experience and it should be listed on your resume accordingly. List the tasks you have completed, patient populations you have worked with and procedures you have performed.)

2. Is it possible to ONLY work days? I dont think I can handle a night shift. I have sleep issues.

It is possible, however with the market getting tighter I don't know if, at this time, we have the option to be picky. Plus you don't really know how you will react to nights until you try it. My current preceptee didn't think she could handle it at all and so far is loving it. Give it a chance, you might be surprised and it can be a great place to learn and get extra time with charts and patients.

3. Will I be seeing a lot of GORE?

Unless you are working trauma ER I doubt you will see more than the occassional bed sore (which can be pretty bad when they are the size of a cereal bowl) gangrenous toes from PVD and diabetes and maybe a wound vac or two on an infected belly wound or leg.

4. How many days out of the week will I be working?

Depends. Work 12 hours shifts and you will work 3 days a week. However there are classic 8 hour 5 day weeks and 10 + 1 8 hour four day weeks as well.

5. DUMB question.. But Will I be cleaning alot of poop and pee?

Yes.

Best of luck,

Tait

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thanks for the answers.

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I am getting ready to start a 2yr nursing program in the fall.

I still cant decide on if its for me..

I have a few questions for all you veterans out there.

1. How much can I expect to earn with an ADN degree fresh out of school with no experience here in Houston TX.

Don't know...wish I did. Houston is my future home!

2. Is it possible to ONLY work days? I dont think I can handle a night shift. I have sleep issues.

I'm just like you....and it is definitely possible. I can't stay up at night either. I know many RNs who only work days.

3. Will I be seeing alot of GORE?

Depends on your specialty.....

4. How many days out of the week will I be working?

3-5 days.....if you only work one job....really depends

5. DUMB question.. But Will I be cleaning alot of poop and pee?

Depends on your specialty again. I'm a LPN in a nursing home. The CNA's do that. The LPNs/RNs here don't. My mom is a RN who does homecare visits....she doesn't either....Nursing is so flexible...you will have to find your niche!

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Specializes in Gyn/STD clinic tech.

in nursing school you will see gore, you will clean poop, pee, wipe behinds, and give plenty of baths. that is just the way it is, and knowing that you can or cannot handle this is important when considering nursing.

as a nurse you will do everything, you will see almost everything, and you will experience a lot of what many people consider 'gross'.

me? i do not have a weak stomach. i can handle poop, pee, vomit, etc.. if i could not, i would not have chosen to go to nursing school.

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Specializes in ICU, IMCU.

Are you planning on going into nursing only for the above stated reasons? You really need to evaluate your career path if money, hours, and absence of gorry things is your motivation. I don't want to discourage you in any way, because I'm sure that you have other reasons.

I haven't even graduated yet (but I will in 3 1/2 months), and I've been pooped on (helping someone to the bedside commode)...puked on, peed on, and bled on. I've done post-mortum care (not my patient) and had to actually put someone in a bodybag...(I nearly fainted, guess that means I wouldn't be a very good hit man..LOL!). If what you want is to have a sense of satisfation from your job....because you love to help people...and if you want to be a nurse because you want patients to be treated the way you would want to be treated...then go for it!!! You'll get used to the other stuff.

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Not to forget if you're in the room when the respiratory therapist comes in you'll get to see more interesting stuff such as bubbling spetum. Spetum in tubs. You'll get used to cleaning dentures with vomit, and measure output including digging in poop or vomit to examine what's coming out.

If you're doing it for the money... you'll most likely regret it.

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I have a suggestion for you. Become a physical therapist. You may need to go to school longer and be more in debt, however it will pay off for you down the road. PT's don't do gore, poop or pee. They rarely if ever work nights and weekends. And they don't have life or death responsibilities. And as a bonus, they make more as a rule than nurses. Just something to consider.

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Specializes in nicu.

South Texas is fair as far as pay is concerned based on the cost of living. You will deal with poop and pee and vomit. You will see things you never thought you would. If you don't like it then do something else. I'm sorry if it sounds a little (maybe a lot) harsh but Nursing isn't for everyone. I teach students who think Nursing will be their personal answer to the current economic situation but shouldn't be within 100 feet of a patient. I work night and choose to work night but have noticed that most new graduates will get put into a night position. Again, I would think long and hard if this is really what you want to do. Good luck with your decision.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
I am getting ready to start a 2yr nursing program in the fall.

I still cant decide on if its for me..

I have a few questions for all you veterans out there.

1. How much can I expect to earn with an ADN degree fresh out of school with no experience here in Houston TX.

2. Is it possible to ONLY work days? I dont think I can handle a night shift. I have sleep issues.

3. Will I be seeing alot of GORE?

4. How many days out of the week will I be working?

5. DUMB question.. But Will I be cleaning alot of poop and pee?

Nursing is not for you. Perhaps teaching so you can have summers and weekends off?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
1. How much can I expect to earn with an ADN degree fresh out of school with no experience here in Houston TX.

A few years ago I researched the best cost of living vs. pay and Texas had some of the best numbers. I am not sure what you will start out at, but in Wisconsin and here in Georgia our hospitals start out at about $22 + night and weekend differentials of 3-5 additional dollars per hour. (Don't forget when you leave school you have two years of clinical experience and it should be listed on your resume accordingly. List the tasks you have completed, patient populations you have worked with and procedures you have performed.)

2. Is it possible to ONLY work days? I dont think I can handle a night shift. I have sleep issues.

It is possible, however with the market getting tighter I don't know if, at this time, we have the option to be picky. Plus you don't really know how you will react to nights until you try it. My current preceptee didn't think she could handle it at all and so far is loving it. Give it a chance, you might be surprised and it can be a great place to learn and get extra time with charts and patients.

3. Will I be seeing a lot of GORE?

Unless you are working trauma ER I doubt you will see more than the occassional bed sore (which can be pretty bad when they are the size of a cereal bowl) gangrenous toes from PVD and diabetes and maybe a wound vac or two on an infected belly wound or leg.

4. How many days out of the week will I be working?

Depends. Work 12 hours shifts and you will work 3 days a week. However there are classic 8 hour 5 day weeks and 10 + 1 8 hour four day weeks as well.

5. DUMB question.. But Will I be cleaning alot of poop and pee?

Yes.

Best of luck,

Tait

Tait, you're very nice and I am glad you answered well....and I am glad I didn't answer those above questions--for the OP's sake.

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Yikes.

I'm starting an ADN-RN Program on Monday. I can't wait.

From my observations working as a CNA in a Nursing Home, the career is not for you. Nurses there deal with all the stuff you don't like, including the non-day shifts.

Even if you work only am shifts, you have to get up in the middle of the damn night to go to work. Doesn't sound like you are up for it.

Someone else mentioned Physical Therapist. Not a bad suggestion, but you need a Bachelor's Degree to get into a PT program in my state (MN). You don't need a BS to be a Physical Therapy Assistant.

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