I've been lucky to get into nursing school on 1st try.
I've done very well on our 1st exam and clinicals are a blessing. I was given patients with the widest ranges and get to learn alot. The thing it is interesting to learning and change my thoughts to concern the patient needs. But I'm finding myself more and more not wanting to be a nurse. I'm actually finding myself more interested in the cause of why the patient came in and what is causing them to be sick and wanting to diagnose that.
I by no means want to be a doctor at all.
Did any of you guys feel this way?
I feel dumb to just drop out. I dont want to regret it later in life.
Yet, I hear people trying to get in left and right but at the same time pharmacy, medical school, vet school, etc are all competitive.
The drive just isnt there for me.
WHat can I do to jump start it for me, if possible?
I felt exactly the way you do. I am much more interested in pathology and disease processes than I am in interacting with pts.
Well, I became a nurse and here I am 18 years later. I am glad I'm an RN and I know I'm a very good one. But, if I had it to do over again, I would go into pathology.
I am also a first semester student and I find myself feeling that way sometimes. I really hope its just the beginning and I will get over it. I want this so bad, so I'm going to push through until I find my niche.
good luck in whatever you choose to do. Only you can make that choice.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Well, this is the first semester. And as previously stated, you can advance to become a Nurse Practitioner. You'd still be following a nursing module, but getting the chance to diagnose and treat. And, you will need your RN first to attain that. Each semester will have it's own challenges, and you may have the incentive to complete the program as time moves forward.
I was always a lot more interested in pathophysiology than in nursing diagnoses. I did great in NS and am a pretty good nurse, for a newbie. You'll be fine.
THere are many routes I can take after NCLEX. I'm just touching the tip of the pond. Hopefully, I'm just bored with the material now. I am really excited for next semester when we get to watch surgeries. I'll finish my 1st yr and decide then.
I know how you feel! I am more interested in the disease process/medical diagnosis than the nursing. To be honest, and I dont care if I get flamed for saying this: I feel that nursing diagnosis is a bunch of touchy feely, psychological baloney, the ones Ive seen in my text like "low body image"; the others just state the obvious, "risk of constipation". If you can, I'd say look into med school or at least NP. If I could afford to and had the means, I personally would bypass Nursing school and go to med school. I have empathy for the ill, but I'm fascinated more by the disease, not the person. Sorry if I come off as cold.
I worked as a tech in a pathology lab for 10 years prior to entering nursing school. I have always loved the "intellectual" side of nursing more than the "skill side."
I work in a clinic where I do a lot of treatments and deal with symptomatic walk in patients, but a good part of my job is as an advice nurse. Pt's tell me what their symptoms are and I have to take that information and combine it with their history and figure out pretty quickly what else I need to know, what might be going on with them, and what level of care they may require... an office visit today? urgent care? ER? by ambulance or by car? You have protocols that can help you focus your questions and come to a decision, but they're not concrete at all. I can tell you if you don't have a good understanding of pathophysiology you're going to crash and burn at a job like this.
Believe me, the why behind everything is coming. In fact it's going to sweep over you like a tidal wave and you will understand quickly why nursing students constantly complain that they are drowning. When you have to cover and retain the seeming entirety of respiratory pathophysiology in 1-2 weeks, followed by cardiac, followed by renal, followed by... you will no longer complain that you're bored.
Valerie Salva, BSN, RN
1,793 Posts
iamhere,
I felt exactly the way you do. I am much more interested in pathology and disease processes than I am in interacting with pts.
Well, I became a nurse and here I am 18 years later. I am glad I'm an RN and I know I'm a very good one. But, if I had it to do over again, I would go into pathology.