I don't want to be a nurse!!

Published

My parents are coercing me to majoring in nursing. I am currently a high school senior. I really do not want to be a nurse but of course my parents want to be a nurse because of the pay, job security. If I do have to be a nurse I'd want to be an informatics nurse but I heard you need experience in the ICU first. Ugh I am really going to hate my life for the first few years after college. I would much rather be an accountant or biomed engineer but nooo only nursing field has jobs available according to my parents. It's completely unfair. What can I do to cope? Has anyone else been in a similar situation and how did things turn out for you? What other options are there for new grad nurses?

Specializes in icu, er, pcu.

Hey, I hate to tell you this, but it is YOUR life. DO what is best for YOU. You will never be happy working as a Nurse if you don't want to be one. I am a RN, I wanted to take care of others, I worked hard to be a Nurse and love my job. But that is me-it's not you. You have to live and get along with yourself for a long time, like the rest of your life. You have to look in the mirror each and every day. Be who you are suppose to be, not what someone else wants you to be. I would hate to hear that you lived your parents life and did what they wanted you to do when your talents went by the wayside. I don't want anyone to be miserable and believe me, if you don't want to be a Nurse with all of your heart and soul you will be unable to help anyone including yourself.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The last thing this world needs is a nurse who goes into this profession for the wrong reasons. Go do what you want to do. You'll be an adult and can make your own decisions.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Nursing is a passion, not just a job. If you don't want to be a nurse please don't be one.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Your parents probably mean well...I see my oldest daughter's friends (25 y/o) loaded down with expensive bachelors' & masters' degrees with no job prospects...they may feel anxious for you. Having said that, as a registered nurse of many years I would advise you against nursing if it is not to your liking. You won't like it more as you delve into it as it is a difficult profession, even for those who choose it willingly. You need to decide if you are determined enough to forgo your parents' financial stake in college to make your point. I will say from a business perspective my nursing license provided me the best return on investment by far that I could have dreamed of...thousands of percent return.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, geriatric, renal.

If you already know you don't want to be a nurse....don't do it. There are those of us who thought we DID want to be one and went into the field, and now dislike it. A lot. And I can't imagine already not wanting to do it ahead of time and having to just deal with it even more than I already do. And I originally was very interested in the career.

Don't live your life doing what other people want you to do. You will resent them and yourself. Do something that you think will make you happy and don't waste your time and money on a degree that you don't want because it will eventually be too difficult and hard if you ever wanted to change careers. Get done what you can, while you are young. That is my honest advice. Best of luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/surg/tele/neuro/rehab/corrections.

Biomed Engineer sounds like a cool job and a much better option than nursing! Nursing is a **** job. Always remember that and tell your parents that too. You do not want to be a nurse for money or security. The nursing shortage is over and you won't have a job when you graduate.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

I vote for engineering as well. My nephew recently graduated with a chemical engineering degree. He had paid summer internships & a 6 figure job offer before graduation. My understanding is that this is normal for the field & his classmates have all found jobs with similar pay. Most were actively sought out by companies months before graduating.

Do what makes you happy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED, Hospice, Nursing Home.

I have worked in healthcare for four years now. I was in a similar situation as you in high school. I had always wanted to be a teacher; my dad, who is a seasoned teacher, talked me out of it. I settled on nursing in high school because of some of the same reasons your parents have. I fortunately was lucky to develop a passion for healthcare after taking some classes and gaining experience. I have worked over a year now as an LPN and I can't imagine a harder job than being a nurse. I dove into hospice nursing for my first job as a nurse and now work in a nursing home. I also worked as an EMT in the ED. There are so many emotional situations that nursing school does not prepare you for. I have been yelled at, cussed at, hit at, spit at, etc. during my time in healthcare and I have done more than my share of crying in supply rooms and bathrooms. There are times that patients or family members will feed on your frustration and try to drive you to the breaking point. There are times when you will lose someone and feel that it was your fault. There are times that you will lose someone and the family members will insist that they won't stop until your license is taken away, even when you know that you did all that you could. When you are ready to turn in your notice, however, you'll have that one patient that changes your mind. Or receive that rare "thank you" from someone and realize that you couldn't imagine doing anything else. You will have plenty of late nights, early mornings, holidays to work on, and missed social events. Nurses do not get paid enough for what we do, considering we do play a variety of roles, from a CNA to a referee (you haven't seen anything until you see family members battle against each other on the course of treatment for their loved ones). Although there are many jobs in the nursing field, you can easily be terminated if it means the company can avoid a lawsuit or if the right people don't like you. These are just honest truths that I wish someone had told me before I started. On the other hand, speaking as a newer nurse, I feel that it is a very rewarding field at times and when you're at your breaking point, you will always have a select few patients that make you love your job and make it worth it. You do not have to love what you do or to have compassion for other people to be a nurse; anyone who can get through the schoolwork and clinicals can get that license or become registered. The nurses that truly make an impact, however, are the ones who want to be there. If the thought of becoming a nurse makes you that crazy, you shouldn't do it. You can easily get a job in accounting or engineering if you work hard. My advice is to shadow someone in the medical field before you commit to a career in the medical field. Good luck in whatever you choose!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I vote for engineering as well. My nephew recently graduated with a chemical engineering degree. He had paid summer internships & a 6 figure job offer before graduation. My understanding is that this is normal for the field & his classmates have all found jobs with similar pay. Most were actively sought out by companies months before graduating.

Do what makes you happy.

Chemical engineering is very hot, true! I talked about it with all my Chemistry teachers, when I was thinking of going into a different major (environmental science..which is not as popular as engineering).

I think it seems common for people in their 50's+ to think 18 year old girls should major in nursing, it's just the impression I've gotten..my peers don't respect nurses much or think of it as a great career choice..but older adults seem to (until they are a patient themselves maybe....lol..one nurse told me she's seen as a waitress for most of her clients)

I just remember most of the comments from older adults when I tell them nursing is my major, they say "Good girl"

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.

"My parents are coercing me to majoring in nursing."

Grow a pair and do what you choose. It's your life and nobody, including mom and dad, can make you do anything without your consent and compliance.

If you really want to show 'em, join the Marine Corps, save some cash, and use the GI bill to study what you want.

If you end up happy, they'll be happy for you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.
I vote for engineering as well. My nephew recently graduated with a chemical engineering degree. He had paid summer internships & a 6 figure job offer before graduation. My understanding is that this is normal for the field & his classmates have all found jobs with similar pay. Most were actively sought out by companies months before graduating.

Do what makes you happy.

Engineering is a high-risk, high-reward venture... the classic old joke: "What's the typical career move for a 50-year-old EE? Behind the counter at Radio Shack."

Look for chemical engineering wages and jobs to stagnate as the oil glut persists.

Engineering is a boom-and-bust game.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

If your parents are paying for your education I can see why they might feel like they have some say in the program they are willing to finance. First step might be for you to do a little research into how realistic their thinking is that nursing is a guaranteed way to make a living. Depending on where you live that is most decidedly not the case. The job market for new nursing grads can be tough!

If the parents continue to push you into a career that you have no interest in even after showing them that the job prospects are not what they imagine them to be then it may be time to for you to decide to go to school for what you want to do. Be prepared to find a way to pay for it without your parents footing the bill.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion