I'm double majoring in Accounting and Nursing. I don't go back to school until the 3rd of January and I've been considering dropping out of nursing school for quite some time. I live in the state of California where our state budget is rapidly declining due to illegal immigration, welfare, and other problems I don't really want to talk about. From what I can see, there's really no "nursing shortage." My mother (a physician) stated that hospitals would rather hire an RN with experience or even a foreign nurse with a work visa than train a new graduate nurse. This would save the hospital much more money. According to the Human Resources department at my hospital, they said that nursing schools in California are pumping out more graduates than there are jobs available. This will lead to a nursing inflation. I'm very interested and passionate about the career in Nursing, but if there's no job available at the end, what's the point? I know many nursing graduates who have been looking for jobs for the past two years and nothing has popped up. If I continue, where can I go to obtain experience? Out of state? Peace Corps? Military?
I've been doing really well in my Accounting classes and I have a paid internship position at one of the Big Four Accounting firms. I know the people in the Human resources department of the company. My resume and references is pretty solid and impressive for an Accounting student. Yet, I have no work experience when it comes to health care, but the clinicals I've been doing. I don't have any references from any hospital workers. I'm in school 6 days out of the week and if I drop out of Nursing, my schedule will be quite lenient. I have no troubles of continuing nursing school, but its just the emplyment situation. I'm not seeking out no big sign-on bonus or a high desired salary, I just want to work with patients and learn from my experiences.
Apologize if I sound pessimistic, but I just came from a group meeting comprised of economists and nurses who are stating that the economy will not jump back anytime soon, but several years. I just want the truth and nothing "sugarcoated." Thank you!
An accountant doesn't clean up puke, wipe butts, be treated like crap, yelled at by family, shuffle patients for some 30 minute window that gives a CEO a bonus at their demise, be sued, work short, work holiday nights, work crazy shifts, be responsible to train others when still green, have doc's yell at you at one am, with a patient needing them there now and they won't come, have docs that just yell, have management through your charts and write you up for everything from clocking in one minute late to messing up restraint documentation .... you have to come in sick or you'll be written up, your forced to have vaccines that have not enough safety studies on them.... you'll never pee some days.... choose between treating pain, or placating the pain in the orifice patient... and the pain in the orifice its the priority for management,
Yet that all sounds so much better to me than spending my days crunching numbers. To each his own, for sure. =)
If you are not in an accredited school of nursing, this discussion is moot. And even if you are, there are VERY few jobs out there for new grads. I don't know what the job situation is like for accountants, but I would guess it is better. Taking a degree in nursing with the idea to use it "later" is ludicrous.
If you don't have a job within 2 years of graduation, your degree and experience is considered to be outmoded, and the chances of employment without a 3 month "refresher course" are slim to none.
Here's what I can say about that from experience. In 1990 I was also in nursing school and also had a small thriving company. During those years I was actually making almost twice as much money with my company than I was going to be as a nurse...so I dropped out of nursing school after completing my 3rd semester. Over the last 20 years I was very successful with my assorted businesses but also missed the medical field as well...so I went to night school and became a paramedic and worked at that for the last 10 years part time.
Flashforward to today. Turns out that money is not the overwhelming factor that I once thought it was and instead of just hanging out doing nothing I have decided to return to Nursing school and finish what I once started. I just completed my first semester of med-surg/pharm/clinicals and am looking forward to the other 3 semesters.
Based on my experience there is always that thought hanging out in the back of your head asking...what if?
You are so wise...I am doing this for part of that reason...What if I didn't???
You didn't mention that we practice in fear of losing our licenses and that we our decisions and actions are scrutinized and second guessed by EVERYONE from equal to subordinate or superior. Yes nursing is a lot harder than most think.
you win!!!! It's a hell of a job, profession and it leaks and seeps in to our lives even after we clock out. Most don't understand our pressures thanks for the support!
Sounds like you already know what you want to. I agree with their not being s nurse shortage. Also, hiring xp or foreinger nurse is more likely. The cost to train a new nurse isn't peanuts. Most new grads that get hired have a connection or in somehow. It's just how it is these days.
I agree with the others that you should finish both degrees as long as you are ok financially and are getting the grades. One thing that I would like to add if no one else has yet, is to make sure you actually get your license if you do decide to finish your nursing degree. It will be much easier to do it right after graduation than to wait until years down the road when you might have forgotten too much to pass the NCLEX.
Yeah, I used to think that there was a nursing shortage, then I got into school, and they told me that there wasn't really a nursing shortage. They told us in class that the shortage was out west. Guess that was wrong. I just dropped out though actually. I just couldn't handle the stress of working in the clinical environment. I feel bad because I put so much into it. I was doing okay in class too. I think with nursing you have to really have an interest, and you have to really want to help people, even if that means working in less than favorable conditions. There're just a lot of "hands on" to the job, and if you're not okay with that then you are not going to like nursing. Again, I feel bad for dropping out, but I know that I would have hated my life if I had become a nurse, that's if I even got a job. Peace. =)))
lifelearningrn, BSN, RN
2,622 Posts
Yet that all sounds so much better to me than spending my days crunching numbers. To each his own, for sure. =)