I think I made the wrong decision....:(

33762FL · Jun 5, 2011

Oy vey, slow down. Don't judge nursing before you even start school. And never judge anything based on one experience. Also, there are many other places a nurse can work besides hospitals. Start your classes, give it a few semesters, and then see what kind of nursing you'd like to go into.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Jun 5, 2011

What if i don't want to be stuck in a hospital for 12 hours staring outside wanting to smell fresh air? Everyone complains about all of the paperwork. You don't really get to connect with the patients, at least the nurses that worked with me didn't

You are responsible for finding a nursing position that has the aspects you want.

I just completed an overnight shift as an NA in an ICU. (Boards on are Tuesday, sorry for the Nurse in the title, it refers to Graduate Nurse! - fixed soon enough)

There were 13 patients, 7 nurses, and one NA on the unit. NO ONE stared out any windows. Patients and families were being connected with constantly all night into the morning and RNs were providing a ton of direct care. I helped out as much as I could, but they did the majority of the work. They had a lot of charting to do, but ICU patients need a lot of charting.

This is the type of nursing I want to do. Trouble is, it is hard to get into that field in hospitals in my area right now. But I'll get there - I did great in school, I had a preceptorship in an ICU and a hospital internship. Just need to find my opportunity.

But it is up to me. No one is going to hand me my dream job, I have to go get it.

BombshellMama · Jun 6, 2011

I don't know what to do. I already have my classes scheduled and paid for everything. I feel like i'm going to be in the middle of the school year wondering why i picked this major. What if i don't want to be stuck in a hospital for 12 hours staring outside wanting to smell fresh air? Everyone complains about all of the paperwork. You don't really get to connect with the patients, at least the nurses that worked with me didn't.

I hate to say it, but most people really do have things they have to do at their jobs that aren't exactly fun. Even the most exciting and creative jobs you can imagine require hours of tedious planning, studying, organization and plan old red tape. Whether your job is the mayor, a nurse, a construction worker, a cashier at Mc Donalds or even an astronaut, you're going to have to do work that you m ight not love all of the time.

If your heart really is in nursing, you will be able to look past the idealized job you thought it would be, and see it as being a challenging, fast paced career you might really want to devote your life to.

NACovey · Jun 7, 2011

I just replied to a post exactly like this.. and I will repeat myself.

Don't let what you hear about all the horrid paperwork and awful doctors and cranky families scare you away from what you want to do. If you were passionate about becoming a nurse, you would find ways to handle it.. and that is what school is for.

And you didn't like your hospital experience? I am so sorry that it was uncomfortable for you, but that would make ME want to be that change and make it more comfortable for the guests that are visiting or may be spending their last breaths in that facility.

Try out all different areas of nursing (there are SO many) and see what fits you best! If you truly want to be a nurse, you will fall in love with a certain job and you will know it. And yeah, you aren't going to get to get to that position right when you graduate. You have to build a good resume then you can do anything you set your mind to :)

Iridescent Orchid, CNA, LPN · Jul 14, 2011

I'm going to agree with everyone on here. Especially the fact that there are going to always be things you rather be doing as opposed to any job you have. That's the sacrifices you make. Go in for a few semesters, see if it's what you feel you want for your future. You seem to have felt passionate about it before you read some of the cons. Every major you look into, it's going to have it's pros and it's cons. Nothing's sunshine and rainbows. I hate that you had a bad experience while you were in the hospital, but you could take that two different ways. You could strive to finish what your dream major is for your career and put forth more effort to connect more with YOUR patients, or you can just drop trying out Nursing School and regretting it 10 years from now.

I believe everyone can find some kind of doubt in any major they are interested in before the actually get into it. You may wonder to yourself if this is really what you want to do for your career, IF you can do it, if you'll regret it, if it's not the right major for you. You could find those holes in any major you jump into. With that being said, if you have already thoroughly thought about majoring in Nursing - there is no reason for you not to try.

Good luck!

TheDreamJourney · Jul 15, 2011

Honestly, I think that you should stick to nursing. I was in your same shoes when I was a senior in HS and decided to change my major to psychology/criminal justice which was a big mistake. Now I have a BA in liberal arts and can't find a job unless I get my masters...while all my BSN friends are already working at hospitals and have great careers...they are making so much $$$$ and I'm struggling. Plus, Nursing is a beautiful and noble career. You can't let a bad experience change your view on the nursing field. I have spoken to working nurses and they all love their jobs. It is a challenging career but this country needs nurses and you'll always have a job...just something to think about. I'm applying to nursing schools now and I am more determined than ever to get into a program...which is hard enough.

grpman · Jul 15, 2011

Well, I can't tell you what you should do, but you do have youth on your side. The way I see it, have fun. You have plenty of time to change your career path if you want.

Cops, firemen, nurses, etc. are usually not called when things are going well. I believe they can often deal with situations that can make anyone jaded or cynical. I've weighed the stress that comes with the job and decided I can handle it. I believe those that are the most shell shocked are those that never asked, "Is this something I can handle?" Kudos to you for being real.

mimua · Jul 15, 2011

Are there any students who are attending LPN Southwest Florida Technical Institute in Bradenton and RN in Keiser University in Sarasota, Florida?

Please tell me your experiences. I don't even know if this portion is in Florida region. Thank you!

BelleNscrubs04 · Jul 15, 2011

Can you take some basic/core classes at first and explore your options? Do you have anything else you want to do in mind? Does the counseling office give out career inventory assessments? You might want to explore your options some more if you aren't sure but if you have a coveted spot in a nursing school and you think you may still want to be a nurse then like the others have said you might try a few semesters. If you are starting a four year BS program in the fall then you will likely have plenty of other classes that can be applied to many other majors and will probably only be taking a few hours, if any of actual nursing classes right away. So that gives you time to consider it before you spend too much time and energy on something you aren't really into. On the other hand if you are starting a 2 year ADN program, you'll hit the ground running and should be familar with what nursing will be like after only a semester. If you decide that you have made the wrong decision, you can still probably use at least some of your credits toward whatever it is you decide to do. LOTS of people change their majors, some many times. A word of caution though, try and decide soon because everytime you change your major it does wind up costing you more time and money.