I don't think I want to be a nurse anymore

RunBabyRN · May 9, 2014

Aw, big internet (((hug)))!

Well, only you can determine if nursing school and pursuing your desired area is worth jumping through these hoops now and learning what you need to know on the basic level. Nursing school (and nursing!) is definitely not for everyone, and there's no shame in that. If you do stick it out, look now to see what kinds of positions will meet criteria that will keep you happy, and see how the job prospects are. Also, see what level you need to be in order to work in something like research, and talk to research nurses about how much they're really interacting with people. It may be more than you think. Remember that part of research is data collection, which often involves patients and talking to them extensively.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · May 9, 2014

((HUGS)0 In my first year of school I had a nursing instructor that felt I would never make a good nurse because I couldn't delegate well and I was a loner preferring to for things myself....that was 35 years ago.

check out this thread....

[h=2]Why I love being a nurse….[/h]

brownsc2 · May 9, 2014

I remember my very first week of nursing school. I felt depressed and discombobulated. And let's not talk about my first day of clinicals. I felt life I wanted to cry. When I got home, I remember sitting on the couch and saying to my mom, "I don't think I can do this." And she gave me a pep talk and I got through my first semester. Now, here I am, having just finished my third semester, beginning my final semester in August and graduating in December. No, everyday hasn't been easy and some days I cried, But everyday it's worth it. Just last week I cried all the way home (45 min drive) and an hour after I got home because I thought I failed my final. I put my heart and soul into studying but I felt like it was pointles. I passed!!, but I said all of that to say; you're not going to make all A's, I didn't. There were many days I wanted to quit but I always reminded myself why I began this journey. I am just like you. I am shy and I speak softly and sometimes the words feel like they don't want to come out, but I remind myself this is a journey. You're growing and remember growth doesn't happen in comfort. Hundreds and thousands of people apply to a nursing program and never get in. But YOU got in and it's because you're smart and have the potential to become a great nurse. In the beginning, you're not going to know everything you think you should know but you're learning. Whatever you decide make sure it's what YOU really want to do.

mrsboots87 · May 10, 2014

Nursing is not for everyone, so there is no shame in quitting if it is not for you. Your family does not have to live the rest of their life with your decision. They will not have to go to work everyday hating it. If you only do this because of family expectations, you will resent them later. You have to do what is right for you. Now, all that being said, you also shouldn't give up just yet. Test grades don't always determine what type of nurse you will be or your knowledge level. These tests are like nothing else. You may just be having trouble with how to take the test and not actually the knowledge. If you haven't already, sit down with your instructor and review a test to see what you are doing wrong. Also, if you don't have one, get a good NCLEX practice book that has review and rationales to right and wrong answers. I have the Saunders and find it fantastic. A lot of my classmates buy from the HESI success series and love them. It sounds like your are just discouraged. And a lot of my class was nervous and quiet at clinicals for at least have the semester. Getting used to patient contact takes time. Maybe over the summer you could volunteer at a hospital. It is not clinical practice, but you will get to get patients drinks and blankets, stock the rooms and supply carts, and see the workflow of the nurses and just the overall culture of the nursing world (well at least that hospitals nursing culture anyway). This may help you get more comfortable with patients and maybe seeing nurses in action will help you decide if it is really for you or not. GL in whatever you decide.

Compassion_x · May 10, 2014

While I don't think nursing is for everyone, it's entirely possible to just have a bad semester! You don't have to give up. In the end you have to do what you feel is right for you in this. But if it took you 3 hard years to get here, I think you should try another semester. You know what you need to improve on, and that is definitely a start!

suanna · May 10, 2014

Give up now. You have done a pretty honest assessment and determined that a lot of the behaviors that are central to nursing, or at least important for career satisfaction in nursing, make you uncomfortable. Good for you for sounding this out before you end up like one of us old, bitter, nasty nurses who bemoan our career choice in every thread at AN.Com and in our jobs. Talk to a guidence counselor to see how much of your nursing education could transfer to some professional training that would be more suited to your strengths. If you are feeling that uncomfortable, I wouldn't waste one more cent on "nursing" education. A lot of nursing courses are very nursing specific, and you need to explore your options before you get trapped into a position you hate by student debt and very limited alternative career paths.

mzrainydayz, BSN, RN · May 10, 2014

Nursing is not for everyone. Don't get stuck in a degree or career that you absolutely don't love. That is time and money wasted. I changed my major like four times because I didn't like the classes, it wasn't what I thought it was to be. When I changed over to pre nursing classes it was like a uh huh moment, I can truly say I love nursing. There was a girl in my class that quit before taking the final exam in fourth semester (we are going into the fifth semester) she said she realized nursing isn't for her and she isn't happy. She also said her family and friends pushed her to major in nursing and she didn't want to let them down. She couldn't take it no more so she quit. In the end you have to do what makes YOU happy, it's your life.

Everline · May 10, 2014

I am going into my fourth semester of nursing school and there have been some times when my actual thought was: "I don't even want to be a nurse anymore". This thought sometimes comes to me when I have a particularly trying clinical day or feel over burdened with school work. I sometimes feel physically tired and emotionally wrought. But the thought always passes with a good night's sleep and some time to collect myself. Nursing school is hard and there will be times of doubt. But you need to determine whether you are just going through a rough patch or nursing is truly something you do not want. If, in fact, you realize that nursing is not for you, now is the time to exit this particular stage. You are only in your first semester. Don't wait until you have so much money and time invested that you truly feel like you are trapped. Talk to counselor to find out where you might go from here and determine a plan that you can present to your family. I can understand it took you a lot of time and energy to get into nursing school, but you may well be able to use those classes toward a different degree.

If you are just going through a hard time in nursing school, know that many people do struggle at times and have moments of wondering if we have what it takes to finish school and become a nurse. It's a huge learning process. Be patient and gentle with yourself.

aeris99 · May 10, 2014

You list a lot of qualities of an introvert. You don't have to resign yourself to always being that way. This is coming from someone who was very shy, anxious and nervous.

There is help out there to make talking with people easier. Before you quit I would suggest counseling during you break to evaluate which things you could change and if this career choice is worth the work of venturing into uncomfortable territory.

Check your school for counseling resources. Maybe try Toastmasters to help you communicate effectively.

You don't have to overcome all of it, just enough of it to make life a bit easier. Hang in there! It gets better if you work at it!

la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN · May 10, 2014

There must be something about nursing that draws the intractably shy people to it. What it is, I don't know. I used to be pretty shy, too but I grew out of it and, once I got into nursing, it became even more apparent that I'm more of an outrageously outspoken introvert than anything. I like my time to myself but I like being "out there" so to speak as well.

You mentioned you were interested in the research aspect of nursing. If that is what led you to nursing, then stay focused on it. Floor nursing might not end up being your thing. Then again, you may end up in something that completely breaks you out of your shell that you're passionate about and naturally are great at. You can't sell yourself short. You ended up in the program due to something about you that meant you could do this.

Also, 75-77%? So what. It's not just a joke that Cs are the new As in nursing. You're in the adjustment phase. You'll figure out your rhythm and what you need to do to hack it. One thing that helped me was my good fortune of having an amazing 2nd qtr clinical instructor who literally did EVERYTHING for our 2nd qtr. She inspired me. I thought, if she could do ALL of these things with such grace and interminable energy, then I sure as anything can, too. So, I'm doing it. I look like hell but I'm doing it. It's hard to let go of the time you have for yourself and getting over being able to dictate what it is that you would like to do for you but nursing is your life now. You gotta embrace it. Besides, my attitude now is to think of all the interesting stuff you're missing out on when you're sleeping. The world gets very interesting at strange times of day and night and I don't want to miss out on it and all I can do in it for a few extra hours of sleep (unless I really need it and, by that point, my body takes over and I no longer have a choice but....zzzzZZZZzzzzzZZZzzzZzzzzzzzzzz).

TU RN, DNP, CRNA · May 10, 2014

You've completed only one semester and have identified so many characteristics in yourself that you can use to guide your career. You've gained perspective, and that is priceless. As someone who fought to get into nursing school and as an introvert myself, I had the same writing on the wall. You feel like so much time, money, and effort has been spent on nursing that it would be an epic waste to change focus now? I stubbornly proceeded through nursing school and into practice and yes it required more personal sacrifice than I ever expected. I'm not going to list all the negatives because there are tons of threads of people doing that already (including my own ), but I believe I am becoming jaded.

After however many more semesters required for your program (I'm guessing 2 or 3?) you'll have to pass boards then start applying for jobs. You'll most likely have to work for a year in acute care (bare minimum, many places want even more) before any other area like research would consider you. They normally lop on other required experience too (1-3 years research, 1-3 years oncology) since the market is saturated and they can afford to do so. If you're lucky enough to gain insight during nursing school on what type of hospital nursing might suit you, chances are you won't be hired into that area. Also, you'll likely be hired on nights (either 2300-0700 or 1900-0700 depending on the place). There are always exceptions of course, but after keeping in touch with nursing school friends and browsing this website for the past several months this seems to be the new grad experience.

A user here posted a thread entitled "An Introverts Guide to Nursing" which you might like. Nonetheless I'd still suggest looking into some other introvert-friendly jobs. In healthcare, maybe pharmacist, diagnostic imaging, medical coding. Outside of healthcare maybe accounting or IT. Not to say these other jobs don't come with their own degree of stress, but I don't think it's anything like nursing stress.