I'm seriously starting to doubt that nursing is right for me!

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Background Info: i am 14 and in my first year of HS. My mom is an RN and i am an aspiring RN too. I plan to go to Georgia Southern University and get my BSN. And i wanted to become a Pediatric Oncology Nurse, a Pediatric Nurse or a NICU Nurse.

The thing is, i saw one of my mom's old medical books sitting on the floor. I thought "Cool, nursing stuff! I can handle this" so i opened the book. I started screaming and i almost threw up!:bugeyes: There was a picture of some kid with a genetic abnormality and another kid with some gross rash all over his body including his genitals!!! I literally almost passes out and i have been feeling sick for almost 2 weeks.

Is nursing right for me if i couldn't even stand looking at these images?

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Possibly not.

But the good news is, you don't have to make any committed career decisions at the age of 14. Your outlook at 17 or 18 when you are actually planning for college may very well be very different.

Study hard. Pursue extracurricular activities and/or sports that interest you. These things will be the foundation for planning for the college or university of your choice, regardless of your intended career path. Maybe in a couple of years you could consider volunteering at a hospital near you -- most require volunteers to be at least age 16. This would give you some exposure to various hospital departments and to inpatient care.

Your mom will be an invaluable resource to answer questions and provide insight too!

Good luck to you! :)

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Specializes in Critical Care/Coronary Care Unit,.

I must agree with the previous poster that at the age of 14, you shouldn't feel so pressured into making a career decision...that's something to consider more seriously when you turn 17. In a couple of years, you may not want to be a nurse. Chances are if you couldn't stand those pics in the book, you probably won't care to see even grosser things in real life. Most nurses love that icky stuff...it's cool to us. If you don't feel that way, perhaps you should consider something else. You could volunteer at a hospital and ask your mom for more insight. However, for now, just focus on school and extracurricular activities..all those things will help you regardless of what field you go into later in the future. Good luck hon.

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Specializes in adult ICU.

Just so you know, I was horribly squeamish right up until I started nursing school. I had a needle phobia (I would get tunnel vision and lightheaded). I had to go to the learning lab and give about 10 million shots to oranges before I got over the whole syringe/needle thing. Now, I don't think twice.

You can get over that stuff. You're young and I doubt you have had a need to be exposed to much in the way of blood, guts, and gore. Give yourself some time to grow up a little bit.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Background Info: i am 14 and in my first year of HS. My mom is an RN and i am an aspiring RN too. I plan to go to Georgia Southern University and get my BSN. And i wanted to become a Pediatric Oncology Nurse, a Pediatric Nurse or a NICU Nurse.

The thing is, i saw one of my mom's old medical books sitting on the floor. I thought "Cool, nursing stuff! I can handle this" so i opened the book. I started screaming and i almost threw up!:bugeyes: There was a picture of some kid with a genetic abnormality and another kid with some gross rash all over his body including his genitals!!! I literally almost passes out and i have been feeling sick for almost 2 weeks.

Is nursing right for me if i couldn't even stand looking at these images?

Only time will tell..............but at 14 some of these pictures maybe too graphic for you. Discuss the pictures with your MOM. Don't give up on nursing right now. Be a kid with a goal and enjoy your high school years!:redbeathe

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Though I would definitely say a nursing student needs a strong stomach simply to get through CNA and nursing prereqs... 14 is young! I wanted to be a marine biologist when I was 14 and work at Sea World. Now I'm in a community college for nursing. Just some perspective. You never know what tomorrow brings. I know how annoying it gets to hear stuff like this, but there's no reason to choose your future at such a young age.

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Specializes in PICU.

You still have time to figure out what you want to do. Good luck!

I also wanted to share that I would get really lightheaded at the thought of blood.. thinking of starting IV's and drawing blood really freaked me out. It was weird.. I was in my anatomy and physiology class discussing red blood cells and I'd feel so dizzy! I was really paranoid that nursing wasn't for me, but I stuck it out. Luckily my school offered clinicals during my sophomore year, and I enjoyed it. When it came to drawing blood or even seeing a surgical procedure, I was totally cool with it! I don't know why... but the thought of blood used to make me squeamish (not anymore), but actually practicing it and seeing it in person didn't.

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Specializes in LTC.

As you grow older your world view changes and you might be able to handle various health conditions differently. Talk wiht your mom about what she does and what she sees.

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You're still young yet and if you've never been exposed to images such as this then it could really be a shock to your system. I remember when I saw my first gory horror movie around your age and I was sick for weeks and had nightmares along with barely not being able to eat. Within a few years and after being exposed to more and more movies (my cousins were and still are horror/gore junkies) I was completely desensitized to it and have been ever since.

So maybe try to get yourself to look at a few pictures a week and when you feel more comfortable incorporate more and more. Plus think of it this way as a nurse you'll be helping people get better and get rid of those nasty rashes and abnormalities you see in the books!

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Specializes in LTC.

I wanted to be an elementary teacher until I was a senior in high school and then I decided I wanted to be a nurse. Sometimes you just never know where life is going to lead you. I'm 25 now and in my RN year of my program (I sit for my LPN boards in a week). I was a CNA for 6 years, so life definitely detoured. Also in regards to seeing things and feeling sick, I'm the same way but when I see it IRL, it doesn't bother me. It's odd I know! I get sqeumish seeing surgeries on TV, but do just fine the few times I've been in the surgical suite.

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Specializes in Case Management.

I started nursing school with a girl who was so squeamish, she actually fainted at the sight of blood the first time she saw a blood draw...down on the floor, fainted. She continued through nursing school and continued to be squeamish, but she became a good nurse because she hid it all very well. The patients never knew, and the instructors had no idea either.

I would suggest keep looking at the books, and try to read some of the text that describes what you are looking at. If you continue to be interested, remember that there is nothing you can't handle once you have completed school. Plus, there are jobs that don't include bedside care so if you decide on an office job, you can have something to strive for.

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LOL... I would not give to much thought to your present emotional and mental reaction. By the time you graduate from H.S., and then college, you will most likely look at your teens and wonder what that was about. Just know that it is all part of developing into an adult, and you will be fine by time you are an adult. :yeah:

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