I just don't think I want to be a nurse!

[duskyjewel]

I have tried so many times to commit myself to it, to get started, but I just can't make myself do it. I know I could do the job and do it competently, because that's how and who I am. I'm not afraid of school. I was always a good student and I have the intellectual chops to make it through. I already have a bachelor's degree and know I could earn another. I've worked alongside nurses for nearly two years now, so I have seen the job. And honestly, it's so hard and there is so much crap that comes along with the rewarding part.....I think only people who really, passionately WANT to be nurses should be, because they're the only ones who will have the fortitude to put up with all that and still have anything left to do the job well.

I know I don't want to be an aide any longer than I have to, though. I want to get more education and move up, but since I work in health care and can't afford school on my own, I thought nursing was the only way to go since my employer will obviously only pay toward classes that serve their needs.

However, I have discovered a bachelor's in Health Informatics at Western Governors University, and an associate's in the same field at my local community college. So now I am really considering pursuing that. IT is a field with a great future, and IT specifically for health care will grow by leaps and bounds in the next decades. My employer has its own IT department and pretty generous tuition reimbursement and other educational benefits. I think they would reimburse for classes in this field. Clearly, I could become an asset to the company with that degree.

My previous BA is in Political Science, and I thought I would go to law school and become a prosecutor. So IT was never on my radar. However, neither was nursing or hospice, yet here I am. Life takes us on weird little curves sometimes.

I guess I'm just kind of ruminating publicly. Opinions are welcome.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Informatics is a great choice. And congratulations on your honest examination of nursing of a career path. FWIW, I believe that your conclusion is absolutely correct. Unless you have a deep-seated motivation to be a nurse, it just isn't worth it. And illness is hard enough without having to deal with nurses who really don't want to be there - LOL.

On another note - it's interesting that the public awareness of problems with law schools (far too few jobs available for new lawyers) seems to be very high Nursing education is in the same boat there is very little public awareness. Maybe we need to get better at communicating?