Is this the general opinion?

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Hi all - Ive been here for a while but havent posted and couldnt remember my log in name,etc so I had to create a new one. Anyways, I'd like to vent or maybe looking for a few words of support...

I'm finishing up my pre-reqs and will be transferring to a 4 year this fall to take a few more classes then start nursing school. I'm very excited and very proud of how far I've come. :D

Well last night, I was sitting at my daughter's practice talking to some of the other moms. Come to find out - one was a nurse so we were talking and I was telling her about me and how hard it was, etc. Well, she asked me what area I wanted to go into. I told her I wasnt sure yet, I have a few areas of interest but the way I figure it - I wont be positive until I start clinicals and actually see what each position entails..Well she says something to me that really bugged me - I may be being oversensitive and if thats the case, by all means, let me know. She said "Every single person I went to school with that wasnt sure where they wanted to end up dropped out of nursing school. If you arent sure, nursings not for you so just prepare yourself with a back up plan." ***!? I was dumbfounded and really didnt know what to say so I just sat there uncomfortable for the rest of practice.

Am I being oversensitive? I dont feel like I am. I mean, its not going to discourage me but is there any truth to this? I know what I want to do - I want to be a nurse - just dont know where I'll end up... I'm not sure what kind of replies I expect from this but it bothered me and I just wanted to see if this was the opinion of the majority as well... Thank you for reading!

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

All I can say is for me I had no idea where I wanted to work once I qualified as there was a few places I liked. I think you will find you end up working in a few different specialities whilst deciding on where you want to work. Being qualified is different than a student and what you like as a student doesn't necessarily mean you like as a qualified nurse. It may take you a few years before you feel at home

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Specializes in Derm/Wound Care/OP Surgery/LTC.

No. I don't think you are being oversensitive. That was a terrible thing to say. I think very few nurses know where they are going to end up when they leave nursing school. I was always pretty sure that I was going to work in an ER...but during clinicals, we went into a surgery rotation and I fell in love with the idea of being in an OR. When I graduated school, I ended up working in a doctors office doing dermatological surgeries. From there, I went to outpatient surgery. I love it, but it's not for everyone. Some people prefer their patients to be awake...;)

I wouldn't put too much value on that statement. Clinicals is a great time to find out what you enjoy and where your niche is. Good luck to you and congrats on your journey forward into nursing!

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Specializes in Legal, Ortho, Rehab.

IMHO, she's full of it. Look, I've been doing this a total of 6 years now, and still don't know where I want to end up...but, I think it's more exciting this way. In school, forget it! No idea where I wanted to be, I just wanted to finish! :twocents:

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

i think she's full of it. lord knows why she wanted to make you feel bad, but it's clear that she succeeded. shame on her! i didn't even know what i wanted to do until five years after i graduated -- been happy in critical care since 1983, but it took me awhile to find my niche!

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Thank you everyone! I'm happy to hear that I wasnt being oversensitive - I thought, too, that for some reason she was trying to be ignorant to me but had no idea why she would want to! I just met her!

I'm confident I'll find out where I want to be (and it may change over the years) and it makes me feel alot better that there are others out there that werent sure as well. THANK YOU AGAIN!:wink2:

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Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

I would ignore her.

I wasn't sure either and I had no problems :)

:icon_hug:

Tait

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Specializes in ED.

I think some people don't know if they want to be in nursing period, perhaps that is what she is talking about. But there are plenty of people who don't know what to specialize in and thats fine. You'll find out more what you like when you get through school. Perhaps something you hadn't even thought of before.

I wouldn't even give her a second thought, just keep pressing forward!:smokin:

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

I didnt know what I wanted to do when I was training and here I am 20yrs old still in nursing.

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PLEASE put what that woman said to you out of your mind. Don't dwell on it, don't let it bother you. It will only bring you down. Nursing school is stressful enough without negative thoughts running through your head. If you want to be a nurse, and work hard in school, you WILL BE a nurse. It does not matter if you don't know what area you want to specialize in yet.

You don't have to know where you want to work before you start school! Many people I know that have graduated work on Med-Surg for a while until they get experience, and then they decide where to go from there. Good grief-I'm only 19- I didn't even have ANY IDEA what nursing consisted of really until I started school. I have one year left and I haven't a clue what area I want to go into. I will probably work on Med Surg for a while until I have experience. Most of my nursing school classmates don't have a specific area picked out. And we haven't failed yet!

Take what she said with a grain of salt...don't dwell on it...you can do whatever you put your mind to do.

Something that I have learned from nursing school is: Take everything everyone tells you with a dose of skeptiscism. Other people are not you. Just because someone says that "Such and such subject is really hard or such and such professor is SO TOUGH" don't take what they say for gospel truth. The same goes for what this woman said to you.

Focus on how you are going to PASS nursing school. Buy a calender, get organized, get excited about your new books, study every day. Don't get discouraged before you have even started! You can do this!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

I would put her on permanent AVOID. That is possibly one of the more ignorant comments I've ever heard. Just like there are a few people that know exactly what they want to do and go on to follow through with their goals as a child, there are some who know this innately in nursing. That does not mean there is anything wrong with NOT knowing. When I was a child, I wanted to be named "Rainbow" and be a ballerina. I can assure you I am neither, nor would I want to be any longer.

Often, as an instructor, students tell me they "only" want to work in one certain area. However, as clinicals progress and they learn about new areas, they often surprise themselves with what they end up enjoying. A recent grad wanted ER, only to find that the NICU was the right place.

There is a reason this person felt the need to be so discouraging, and I posit that it has more to do with her personality than with your potential.

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I think she is partially correct, the ones who have a clear goal are a bit more driven and more likely to finish. But just because you have something in mind does not guarantee you will like it when you get hired. One of the things I like about nursing and what got me into it, is the ability to change jobs into a new field completely and not have to go back to school. I figured I was going to be in this a long time and did not want to be stuck in just one thing for the rest of my life, doing the same thing over and over and over scares me. So I still don't know where I will end up but I do know after several changes in my career path in 9 more years I will retire, to a part time job doing something as a nurse. So if I don't know now what I will do in the end my carer with my experience, why should you need to make a decision in the beginning of yours without having any.

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