should I go to Nursing School

[chiasmus100]

Hello, I am an MA student in english literature. My sister is a nurse and she is doing very well. My other sister is a teacher. I don't have any type of career. I have been thinking of going to one of those BA to BSN nursing programs. What types of questions should I be asking myself to find if nursing would be the right fit for me?

[llg, PhD, RN]

Do you want to do nursing work? Does working with sick people appeal to you? How do you feel about working night shifts, weekends, holidays, etc.?

Look at the realities of being a nurse and ask yourself that life would be appealing to you. Don't do it just because it seems like a more solid career path than the one you are on. You need to choose a career path that suits your likes/dislikes and strengths/weaknesses.

I suggest you do some volunteer work in a hospital or nursing home to see how you like being in that environment. You might also consider becoming a nursing assistant (small investment) and seeing how you respond to working those shifts, working with patients, etc. While the types of things you would do as a volunteer or a nursing assistant are not exactly the same things you would do as a nurse, what you would learn about the health care field and about yourself would help you decide -- without involving the huge investment of a full nursing education.

[chiasmus100]

A lot of the reason I would do it would be for the money. My sister works 4 days a week and seems to have a lot of free time to pursue other interests. I like to write and there are a lot of writers who were also nurses. If you are not familiar with the bio of Nella Lorificen its fascinating.

I am interested in nutrition and I like helping people. I would want to get an MSN at some point.

[mharper]

Don't ever be a nurse just for the money. If you don't have a caring, compassionate, and loving bedside manner than you won't be a good nurse. We nurses make more of an impact on patients than the doctors

[Moogie]

If you're interested in nutrition, you might want to look into becoming a dietician or nutritionist.

Right now, the job market is very tight for nursing. If job security and income are your primary motives, you may find yourself sorely disappointed. Unless you have a burning desire to be a nurse, I would strongly suggest you consider other options for now.

Good luck to you in whatever you decide!