I am 37 years old and working on my nursing prereq's. I am hoping to actually start the BSN program in the fall. This is a complete career change for me (I currently only have an AAS degree). I picked nursing for several reasons; helping people, having a field that has a lot of possibilities, job security, interesting/learning something new, using my mind, having a skill, marketable, feeling of bettering someone life, etc... After being on this site, now I am doubting some of those reasons. So my question is if you had to do it all over again would you still pick nursing? Why, why not? What would you pick if answer was no...
I would not pick nursing again. I think I've given it a fair shot at the bedside, over the phone, in different states.....I thought I could make a difference and help people. I was wrong.
I don't know what I would do as an alternative (or what I can do as an alternative). The past five years have so sucked that life out of me that I have given up hope on finding professional fulfillment.
Specializes in OB, Women’s health, Educator, Leadership.
Part one:
Maybe not, for the same reasons as so many others - poor treatment (backstabbing, gossiping, unsupportive and unprofessional). Impossible work assignments and conditions and for "great pay" we really are NOT paid our worth. At a more mature age I think I would have been more inclined to follow my heart toward teaching or writing.
Part two:
Maybe. We were able to move without difficulty and I chose the hospital based on the fact that it was the closest to my home. I have been able to try out different areas and meet a variety of people. I have seen life begin and end and taken part in both. Recently I was having a bad night and I had a visitor. I remembered taking care of her child who had multiple issues and was depressed. We as nurses were determined he would not only survive but thrive - she handed me a pic of him standing awkwardly, smiling that big-toothed smile that kids make and I cried. Because I knew that although the Dr's ordered treatments and meds, it was the heart of the nurses that saved that patient. That is when I am grateful for what I do and who I am.
If I had it to do over I would have aggressively pursued nursing bachelor's - possibly masters AND find a way to have a life outside of nursing - maybe some writing classes . I think it would have made a difference.
Ideally, I would like to travel and swim on a beach every other week. I don't want to keep working full time. Nursing will allow me to do this eventually, because I can work a few shifts and play on the beach :)
Truthfully, I would not go into nursing if I started over. I would go into PT, Pharmacy, or have become a PA. I am about to begin a FNP program. Bedside nurses do not get the respect deserved but we do get all of the blame for anything that happens in the hospital:twocents:
PintheD......I feel like I wrote your reply. Nursing has done a job on me as well. Med/Surg, every intensive care unit, ER holding, cath lab (which was my favorite) but 15 hours a day wearing lead ruined my knees and my back, travel contract to travel contract, job to job, I've tried it all. I, personally, wouldn't recommended it to anyone. AND, I don't have kids to take care of. I couldn't even imagine working the way I did, leaving work feeling worse than the 90 year old patients I took care of and then having a family. I would consider OT, PT (which I read recently is the LEAST stressful job in healthcare. My cousin is a PT, has a few kids, has her own practice and makes VERY GOOD money in Lincoln, Nebraska.....a lot more than I do as a nurse with 18 years of experience here in NY. Really reconsider it. If you're just doing pre-requisites, you can use those towards a PT degree. It's 4 years of college as well and less back breaking. Good luck to you.
I would go to PA school. Actually I still could. Many PA schools require a certain amount of health care contact hours, so my hours as a nurse would more than suffice. I know a nurse who is working to get into PA school, so I know it's doable. I just have to do some extra classes. I'm not a nurse yet, but I have learnt that if I want to go anywhere in life, it's better to be closer to the top than closer to the bottom of the totem pole. I don't know if I can tolerate so much crap being piled on me as a nurse. No wonder bedside nursing has a hard time keeping nurses at the bedside.
BlueDevil,DNP, DNP, RN
1,158 Posts
Yes, with a qualifier. I'd have gone to grad school 8-10 years earlier. I wasted a lot of time, that I regret.