Im a male and want to be a nurse

Aliakey · Feb 10, 2013

I'd agree that going the EMT-Basic route would be a quick way to get your feet wet and see if the medical field is exactly where you want to be. I notice that you want to "help people", but was not real specific. There's "wanting to help people" and then there's "wanting to help the vomiting/cussin'/fist-swingin' drunks, the gunshot victims, the women in labor crowning in their third floor apartments, the little old lady you know is taking her last breaths of life, and the mangled child run over by a hit-n'-runner". Nurses, PAs, NPs, EMTs, and others in the medical field see a lot of what good and bad the world has to offer, and it takes some stomaching at times. I'm a paramedic; I've lost count of how many I have called for a time of death on scene, but still remember the very first one. But I also remember my first "save" as well.

If it still interests you...

Since you're from Texas, you should find the EMT-Basic course to be one semester of classroom time/skills lab and a good number of hospital clinical and ambulance clinical rotations that you schedule in your non-classroom time. When you attend the class and clinicals, you will almost immediately step foot and apply your skills and knowledge in the hospital emergency department and in the box of an ambulance. Your preceptors (nurses (RN) and paramedics) will guide you and keep you out of trouble.

Sometimes students find the medical field is not quite for them. I've had a few EMT students gracefully choose another career path after they see their first suicide on scene, or less-than-gracefully hit the floor (faint) during childbirth when they don't heed my advice to sit on the airway bag for what they're about to see, lol!

Paramedic is a long way beyond EMT-Basic... a two-year course in my area with hundreds of clinical hours. But the EMT-Basic certification is quick and will open your eyes up to the opportunity. Plus, some hospitals will hire EMTs as techs in the ED if you want to gain more experience or have decided to pursue nursing school, as others suggested.

Good luck!

Smith5 · Feb 10, 2013

Okay I understand this advice, but I was wondering if its not wise to volunteer and maybe try to shadow with nurses and see how I like it? And if i do like it I can continue to pursue nursing?? Or is it unwise to do that and try something more basic?? I just ask because Im pretty much done with all my basics, so it seems logical for me to go two years for my nursing. Has anybody faced this type of issue too??

Amnesty · Feb 10, 2013

Andy, I think it really depends on what's in demand in your area.

I, much like you (though not male!), decided that I wanted to go into the medical field so that I could help people. I looked into what nursing really entails. As it turns out, what it entails is a fight to even get employment once you've given up your entire social life and busted your balls to graduate with good grades. After that, you can expect 12 hour shifts, mandatory overtime, resource shortages, and for patients to treat you like crap. Apparently, during your first year, you can also expect to feel like you are coming unraveled more and more each shift, and you will fear for your license every time you make a judgement call.

My little sister is a CNA/Certified Med Assistant at a LTC facility, and the stories she tells of her shifts, all the photos I've seen of grotesque wounds/infections on old people.. and after all of it, I wanted to be a nurse even more, because what all of that tells me is that this is a career that Matters. I knew I wanted to help people -- getting my 2 year ADN is the fastest route to putting me in the trenches so to speak, so I'm doing that. My local hospital prefers students with ADNs from the program I'm in, so that was the best choice for me. Whether the 2-year RN route is the best for you is really dependent on where you are. Ask around and figure this out!

Smith5 · Feb 10, 2013

Thanks for that =]. Im planning on trying to volunteer so I can take a closer look inside and see how I feel about it. While I work on my basics of course!

Smith5 · Feb 10, 2013

Anyone have any experiences with judgment calls?? What type are made by a nurse?? I'm just wondering, thanks for any experiences =]

DeBerham · Feb 10, 2013

You make judgement calls all the time. Some of its mundane and should be rather obvious (for example last night I had a Russian speaking patient who stated at intake that she had no allergies, when I talked to her via translator she has a allergy to lidocaine which the doctor ordered) to gut feelings (my patient doesn't look good, why don't we go ahead, check a pulse ox and do an ekg)

Smith5 · Feb 10, 2013

Were you very nervous when you first started to make these type of decisions?? How did you over come them??

DeBerham · Feb 11, 2013

You start with small things and you'll get more confident as you're exposed to more.

Smith5 · Feb 11, 2013

Cool what advice would you give to someone like me who wants to get into nursing?

DeBerham · Feb 11, 2013

Do well in your science courses. Get your feet wet in health care by working as a cna or emt. Look at schools that you will potentially go to and use the most rigorous prerequisite requirements as a guide.

IThinkICan100 · Feb 11, 2013

I am in college working on my BSN right now. Afterwards, I plan to finish up my prereqs for medical school. Although, if I decide not to do the prereqs or just decide to go to medical school, I will always have nursing and I would go to aprn school. The nursing field is very exciting and flexible, which is why I chose it instead of an undergrad degree in some premed science.

If you want to become a physicians assistant, I would just recommend doing an undergrad degree in biology. Biology, a long with most sciences, will have all of the prereqs for PA school. If you rather decide to do a bachelor of science in nursing, it would be more economical to become an aprn.

amygoosern · Feb 13, 2013

There is always getting your LNA (licensed nursing assistant) and then taking the course to give medicines. MNA (medication nursing assistance). We have 2 sides (north and south, 1 side gets the Nurse and the other side a MNA. It works out well where I work.