It doesn't have to be WHEN you went to school, you could theoretically go to High School Graduation or GED moment, and take a different road. Would you? And yes, you know everything you know now, for the duration of making the decision, then you have to let the decision run it's course. Would you do it? What would you do different? Different Major, School? Specialization? Start your own business and forego Education all together? The choice is yours. This is a time to dream, hahaha. What would you do?
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
nurse__ab19 said:
Absolutely I would change career paths. While nursing has been good to me, it's not my passion in life. It's always made me feel guilty listening to other nurses talking about how they live to be a nurse and taking care of people has always been their passion. While I do enjoy caring for people, and I am a good nurse, this is just my job. It always sounds harsh, and I usually upset people when I say it, but I am not a nurse outside of work. You will NOT catch me telling people willingly, it's not plastered all over my car or coffee cup, and it is certainly not all over my social media. If I could do it all over again, knowing what I know now, I would go into agriculture/culinary. I LOVE cooking and gardening and making new recipes using everything I grow. I would've loved to have a smaller scale commercial farm and supply local restaurants with my produce. Or similarly, own a restaurant where everything is locally supplied, either by me or other local farmers.
Side note: I recently switched from bedside nursing to being a school nurse. So far, I have enjoyed it, and the new schedule has allowed me to pursue other passions in life. And this may be my little corner of nursing that I love, we will see.
If I had to do it over again I would have most likely stayed on the farm. I would love the idea of farm to table growing even if it mostly goes from my garden to my table.
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
I wouldn't change a thing, but I got into the field in the late '70's. I had to work, and nursing was a sturdy, exciting, well-paying job where I felt respected.
By the early 'aughts, a total change came to the field and if it was then as it is today, there is no way I would even consider becoming a nurse.
I wouldn't change a thing, but I got into the field in the late '70's. I had to work, and nursing was a sturdy, exciting, well-paying job where I felt respected.
By the early 'aughts, a total change came to the field and if it was then as it is today, there is no way I would even consider becoming a nurse.
I often wonder what it would be like to be a nurse "back then". Maybe not even the '70s but just pre COVID. I became a nurse right as COVID started and the unit I hired onto turned into the primary COVID ICU. Baptism by fire to say the least....
All the nurses I talk to say it was a totally different ball game before COVID.
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
nurse__ab19 said:
I often wonder what it would be like to be a nurse "back then". Maybe not even the '70s but just pre COVID. I became a nurse right as COVID started and the unit I hired onto turned into the primary COVID ICU. Baptism by fire to say the least....
All the nurses I talk to say it was a totally different ball game before COVID.
Interesting, nurse_ab19, for I retired just as Covid started. "Baptism by fire" to say the least! Bless your heart for continuing in nursing.
My wife just retired last October and had to deal with the Covid debacle. Although an excellent nurse it really took its toll on her, so I have an appreciation for your plight.
We often romanticize the past, but our society has gone through a major upheaval not only in nursing, but other major areas of our lives. When I talk with my old friends of decades past, I often say, "I'm glad I'm on this end of my life than the other end!"
But it's also like Charles Dickens wrote, "It was the best of times and it was the worst of times", and every Era can be seen from that perspective.
Thankyou for your comment, nurse_ab19 and keep on keeping on!
Specializes in NICU, PICU, Transport, L&D, Hospice.
If I could go back and change something I would spend more time in the arts creating and exploring my artistic self when I wasn't working.
I entered nursing in the early 70s in an inpatient psychiatric hospital run by the state. Nursing was good to me. It was a wonderful career but the state of our Healthcare and patient outcomes are a reflection that trickle down philosophy doesn't work. If you pay the insurers lots of money they will use that money to find ways to avoid paying for actual care. And here we are. The marketing campaign was successful.
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
toomuchbaloney said:
If I could go back and change something I would spend more time in the arts creating and exploring my artistic self when I wasn't working.
Wow! This is a profound statement about the arts to which I can identify, TMB, and I've pondered it for the majority of my life!
Receiving recognition, money, and awards for my art since the age of seven, I wondered why I didn't pursue a career being an artist, and believe I've come to a conclusion to which I am satisfied: The Fates led me to being a nurse, and specifically, a psych nurse.
I could relate a multitude of situations throughout my life to serve as objective facts to prove that premise, but I fear it would be laborious for me and boring for you.
Art was always on the sidelines throughout my life and career, but now, with retirement, it is a forefront, so I am pleased with the outcome. I now pursue art for hours and days on end.
I was thinking about this and what I would have done especially with the knowledge I have now.
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are the same age as I am and with that bit of knowledge I could have done what they did and built computers etc. especialy as I was interested in computers that think. I loved "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert A Heinlein with its aware computer.
As a PS to this; yes I am aware that Steve Jobs is dead.
hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I
4 Articles; 5,212 Posts
If I had to do it over again I would have most likely stayed on the farm. I would love the idea of farm to table growing even if it mostly goes from my garden to my table.