I'm not sure if nursing is for me and I am freaking out.

pinkiepieRN · Aug 17, 2016

Nursing might grow on you. Sometimes pre-reqs don't really prepare you for the content you're going to be learning or practicing in nursing school or clinicals. Yes, I think you're psyching yourself out. The unknown can be scary but give it a chance first!

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Aug 17, 2016

Since you're already an EMT, and you like that, chances are you're just nervous about going through the process of becoming a nurse. You're stepping into something that's relatively unknown and something that's considerably higher in education than an EMT with a LOT more responsibility. If you like doing patient care, you'll probably ultimately like being an nurse. There are many, many different ways to be a nurse so go through the process and let the process work on you. Being 2 weeks in is really not enough time or exposure to nursing especially when it's during your bootcamp period where you're basically learning to do very basic stuff so that they can start exposing you to actual patients and provide care for them. After "boot" is over, then usually things change a bit and you'll really get into the learning about nursing.

nutella, MSN, RN · Aug 17, 2016

I worked as a paramedic before becoming a nurse and liked the medical field but I wanted more choices and decided to go to nursing school when I was 21. I did not really feel any "calling" or felt overly drawn to the caring aspect. I simply wanted a job that would allow me for a lot of flexibility and options along the road, ability to make a stable income as well. Plus I really liked nursing as a topic, psychology, and medicine. I am more of a science person by nature but was always very good at taking care of people as a paramedic prior to becoming a nurse. It was more of a head decision as opposed to an emotional decision, which has served me very well.

Because I approached nursing more like a science and did not focus too much on the caring, I became very proficient very fast and actually started in the ICU as a new graduate, I got offered a job while I was in clinicals in the ICU in my last year of nursing school. I don't want to say it was always easy as I did not feel that connected to the caring aspect in the beginning but that grew on me over the years. I like to interact with people and had a variety of jobs throughout my nursing career.

So looking at it from a head level decision, nursing can work out for you.

But doing it as a "back-up" while you are waiting for your dream to come through - I am not sure that this is the right way for you.

Nursing school is hard, the first years in nursing are tough. Once you are established and have some experience it is easier to find a job that allows you to pursue other ideas but that is a long road. And you need to have a certain amount of resilience and willingness to go through this struggle and be convinced it is worth it in the end.

Perhaps it is a bit like when people enter an arranged marriage and hope that it will work out because they are willing to deal with issues and do not look at it in a romantic way - like an arranged profession.

I would not advice my own children to study something that takes so much effort throughout college and in the first years "as a back-up" though. One of my children knows he wants to study science and got accepted into a program that fits that idea. But my other child is very drawn to writing, language, words, journalism and such. We had a lot of discussions about studying something based on passion versus market demands. And I think that for her it would be wrong to study science, pharmacy or whatnot as a back-up (though she thought about medical journalism). For her it will be better to follow what she is passionate about and to face the jobmarket problems when she gets there. She knows that she may not get a job in the area she wants to study or that it may be some struggle to get something at all and that her lifestyle may be more frugal based on the specifics of a career in that field.

So there is no simple answer to your question as it depends on your personality, your goals, what is important to you and such. I don't know why you see a therapist but a therapist usually should not push you in one direction or another, instead help you to explore a topic/emotion and such.

Nursing school is also different because you can not just transfer easily or switch a major.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Aug 17, 2016

You don't know how you feel about nursing.. because you haven't done it yet. The start of nursing school is an emotional event. It was surrealistic to me and I felt like I was dressed up for Halloween in my uniform. Give it some time to sink in.

If you were successful as an EMT and travelling to another continent to volunteer, you could probably be a spectacular ER nurse. :up:

Now go study, have a couple brewskis.. get back to us at the end of the semester.

NightNerd, MSN, RN · Aug 17, 2016

I think it's hard to have a passion for nursing. I think each of us is drawn to different things within the profession. Me, I love being therapeutic and I love my psych patients and I love my family dynamics. Other people not so much - they love the stuff I'm not so into or proficient at. Go into this profession knowing that you will find something you love about it and something you despise about it. It can be a conceivable back-up plan, if you're realistic that you will need this for a while and it WILL make you tired; and if you are a creative type I think there's no better way to study people, develop an ear for dialogue and setting, and witness the crazy lives people lead.

I didn't hate nursing school while I was in it, but looking back, I realize it was its own special kind of hell. It sounds like you have had successful past experiences that present strong evidence that you will be a great nurse! Get through this hump. It can be AWFUL to fight that feeling that you've made a terrible mistake, but you haven't, and it will be worth it. Whether you find that you love this career and want to do it forever, or it boosts you up enough to take the next step toward your other passions, there is a lot of good in nursing. I wish you all the best.

YoutubeTheNP · Aug 17, 2016

When you say you don't love or hate 'nursing'. Which part about nursing scares you? There are so many branches of it that nursing cannot be generalized as a whole. I think you just need to find the right job in the field. Maybe since you were an emt you would be interested in flight nursing, or ER, or ICU. You're pretty much half way done, I would finish it.

Brewskii13 · Aug 18, 2016

Thank you all for your insight and comments. I really appreciate it! What scares me about nursing is the idea of taking care of a patient. I'm not much of a nurturing person, and I don't think I can fake a smile for 12 hours with a difficult patient. If I become a nurse I would only want to work in the ER and even then I see myself getting burnt out in a couple years. I'm thinking more big picture and down the line I think working as a nurse will make me depressed :/. I don't have the excitement or joy all the other students in my class has and learning the some of the skills makes me nauseous thinking I'll have to do this with an actual person one day. I feel like if i wanted to become a nurse I would never think any of these thoughts and in the end I won't be a great nurse that will make a positive impact on my patients.

What I liked about being an EMT was I treated my patients to my scope of practice and then handed them over to the nurse and moved onto the next patient. I didn't have a desire to stay with my patients for a long period of time. I only ended up going down the nursing path because a head nurse told me she makes a lot of money and it's the most stable job anyone could ever have...but now in the program and my head isn't wrapped around prereqs I'm finally thinking and learning about the actual job and responsibilities and I'm wondering...am I really cut out to be a nurse?

On another note, I love and have so much respect for all the working nurses and student nurses out there! Just not sure if it's the right path for me.

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN · Aug 18, 2016

Remember, nursing school is not nursing. Don't write off the career solely based on the school curriculum. Big time apples and oranges.

cleback · Aug 18, 2016

I think you'll find that nurses have many and varied interests and passions outside their work. But, like you said, it's sometimes hard to turn those hobbies into a paycheck.

If you feel really pulled to another direction, by all means, go for it. But keep in mind, if you do that, you may have to sacrifice financial independence, starting a family, etc. if it doesn't pan out. I would give it at least a semester or two though, since you may also just be going through an adjustment phase.

From personal experience, my first love was Russian literature, but I knew I wouldnt be able to make a living with it let alone support a family. I continued to take Russian lit classes as my schedule allowed however, and secretly, I envied the students who had that as their major. Now six years later, though, I have a stable, fulfilling career and none of those students I envied are actually using their degree. Not one. It was a good decision for me. (And I've used my financial independence to visit Russia since graduation!)

CelticGoddess, BSN, RN · Aug 18, 2016

Don't fall into the trap of "only nurses who are passionate about nursing are successful". You can enjoy or even love your job without being passionate about it. I know quite few really good, successful nurses who are not passionate about their jobs.

It's natural to be afraid, wondering if you are making the right decision. I went through the same thing. I am a pretty good nurse (not to pat myself on the back or anything.) and I do enjoy what I do. Am I passionate about it, not really. I am passionate about baking and pastry, but can't make much money in that.

As I said, it's natural to be scared. Take some deep breaths and try not to worry yourself. Best of luck to you!

ottersloveoysters · Aug 18, 2016

First, I think you are so, so early in the process. Class is different from clinicals and clinicals are different from actually working as registered nurse. The field of nursing has many, many options. If you liked being an EMT maybe the ED is a good area for you. On the other hand, maybe something completely different like primary care or home care would be a change of pace. Talk with nurses, shadow nurses, give it a fair shot. If you still don't feel the "spark" then I guess it's time to move on.