If you could redo it....would you choose nursing?

[ICURNPA92]

Would you redo choosing nursing or the medical profession?

Curious to the feelings of others

[llg, PhD, RN]

I probably would do a few things differently, but still become a nurse. Mostly, I would have double-majored in college or gotten more education in a different field (either history or statistics) to give me more options at an advanced level.

I grew up in a very small town and didn't realize all the possibilities to combine nursing with another field. So I didn't take advantage of college opportunities to double-major (just out of high school) and felt intimidated by suddenly jumping into another field in my 20's and 30's. Also, it was harder to go to school back then "just for fun" because online education didn't exist. It would have been very difficult to work rotating shifts as a staff nurse, get my MSN, and also take a few courses in mathematics or history having to go to campus for all classes. So I stuck with 100% at the graduate level, missing opportunities to get credentials in history or math to combine with my nursing career.

I would love to have become a nurse historian or a research statistician.

[middleagedRN]

Absolutely! Love my job, love my residents. Then payday rolls around and I'm like "Are you kidding me?? I made this much money for doing what I love??" Yup, so thankful to be where I'm at and what I'm doing! ❤️

[BiscuitStripes, BSN, RN]

I have mixed feelings. I wish now I had chosen some branch of law enforcement. I do enjoy what I do more now since finding the ER. More my niche. Floor nursing just stinks most of the time. What I REALLY would rather do is stay home with my almost 2 y.o. I LOVE my days off with him. I never pick up extra anymore. I just rather be home with him than make an extra buck.

To each is their own, but I'm coming from law enforcement trying to get out and get into nursing. I started working my first non-cop job in law enforcement 12 years ago, and have been a cop for 7 years. Things have changed so much, it's a terrible time to enter law enforcement. You're much better off in healthcare.

[spotangel, DNP, RN, NP]

Love being a nurse!

Love helping others!

Won't have it any other way!

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

I wish I had taken engineering like my family wanted. My brother, a chemical engineer, makes a ton of money, has lots of benefits, and is highly respected. Me, as a nurse, have a mediocre income in relation to what I do. Barely any benefits. No unions here. Respect? haha. I like nursing, but the pay is so poor, and it seems like it is constant turmoil. I'm not one to say I went into this "to help people," or "it was my dream..." I can help people regardless what profession I am in.

[jrbl77, RN]

I don't know what else I would have chosen to do 40 yrs ago. I don't regret becoming a RN, but didn't know I would work as hard as I did. I often feel that I put more energy into being a bedside nurse, than raising my kids. I did a great job with my kids.

The job I'm in now is away from the bedside. I don't think I could work in a hospital now because of all of the rules and expectations placed on the staff. I'm too much of a rebel!

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

I haven't had a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Christmas Eve off in 13 years. I end up working every single holiday. I haven't had a raise in 4 years due to a wage freeze. I am getting more and more depressed about this, but it is the same thing at every hospital around here. We don't have unions in the deep south, and I live in one of those "right to work" states. It has nothing to do with my patients. When I first became an RN, in 1987, the Registered Nurse was highly respected, and considered "right under the doctor." Boy, have things changed. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't choose nursing. Here in this state, school teachers make about the same as RN's, but they get a whole lot more benefits, time off, retirement, etc., that nurses in this state really don't have. My school teacher friends have all retired, with state insurance and retirement pay.

[sewersurfin]

no. I am not nurse material. I am going to start on a career change and am working on a graduate degree in history.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

35 years and now in a decent (work from home) position. I would not do it again.

I believe nurses are worked like mules... to make money for the man.

Is it too late to go to law school?

[sewersurfin]

it's never too late.

[futurenp89]

A lot of you who resent going into nursing act like it's too late to get out. Get out now before you become any more of a plague to this profession.

[BiscuitStripes, BSN, RN]

35 years and now in a decent (work from home) position. I would not do it again.

I believe nurses are worked like mules... to make money for the man.

Is it too late to go to law school?

No it's never too late, but law school isn't necessarily going to be the greener pasture - check out the cost of law school these days relative to the starting pay for an attorney...if you can find a job....there's a big over saturation of attorneys which has plummeted starting salaries.