Since having my two children (one is now a toddler and the other is an infant) I've realized I would love to become a nurse. I've always had a special place in my heart for children, the elderly, and animals. I love caring for someone else and helping out. IT makes me feel accomplished. I love being a mother even when it's tough, and I am passionately dedicated.
I'm currently in school, though it is for a pre-medical degree (bio-chemistry) and I'm considering switching to nursing (BSN) with a goal of becomming a CRNA. I'm alittle hesitant as it seems recently, EVERYONE is going to school for nursing, even people I would never have considered to be nurse material. I think this is because they hear about "the nursing shortage" and the paycheck for that career, which I understand as someone in a family of 4 living off about $2,500 a month. But I feel that by the time I finish, there will be 0 job openings for me and an overabundance of new grad nurses.
Should I continue into nursing or find another feild? Any tips or advice for someone considering? I appriciate the help.
Specializes in Med-Surg, Oncology, Neurology, Rehab.
My advice is to first PRAY! no one can tell you what things will be like in the future. Yes I feel what is going on now is that the hospitals want to go back to paying nurses mediocre wages like in the past before I became a nurse in 1998, they want to make you take as many patients as they can push on you and don't want you to complain when it becomes UNSAFE and unbearable. I feel sorry for those who work in hospitals with no union, here in California there is a 5:1 ratio for med/surg In some parts of Florida they are making ICU nurses take 3 patients, that is totally UNSAFE:down: for that is why they were picketing several weeks ago, because the hopsital had crossed the line and those nurses had had enough. Only you can make the decision if you truly want nursing and with pray you will be shown the way. I wish you the best and Blessing to you!!:hug:
Go to med school. I'm a new grad so I'm still trying to get my feet under me, but I really think you need to like nursing to survive nursing school and be a decent nurse. I'm not saying working because you need a paycheck is bad (that's what I'm working!) but if you don't like nursing, there's only so much poop you can wipe up and crazy families you can listen to at a RN's salary before you snap. Oh, and RNs don't make tons of money so you end up doing the three days a week at your primary job and maybe another day or two a week at your PRN job so you can save for college and retirement.
As a nurse for 25 years i can tell you, theres always a job. Sometimes it isn't the perfect job but one to hold you over til you find what you are looking for. I worked in all areas of a hospital except OB, never was my cup of tea, but i don't regreat the varied experience i have obtained. I can work practically anywhere now. I have recently went to work at a Drs Office, it was a real eye opener for me, the medicare system keeps me busy all day trying to jump through their hoops. If you don't like tons and tons of paperwork that wouldn't be a good choice, although weekends and holidays off are a huge cue.
Unfortunately nursing normally means hours that suck, long hours, working holidays and weekends. Getting called in on your day off etc. Good luck with your decision.
I would also go to med school. Wanting to be a CRNA is a good goal; however, you must first complete a nursing program, then have at least two years in an ICU, CCU, PCU, etc. AND it is very hard to start in those areas as a new grad. So in a perfect world, you would possibly start in Med/Surg for at least a year, then try and transfer internally into the ICU, work there for another 2+ years...THEN if you have a good GPA you might get into a CRNA program-which is another 30 months. Sorry to be another "debbie downer" but as a new grad that cannot find work...I wish I would have decided to be a stay-at-home mom. I wouldn't have the student loan debt
M.D. or Ph.D. in BioChemistry. You could work in industry or teach. :)
Thank you everyone for the advice and warm wishes. I was thinking nursing was a more hands on patient care experiance that I know I'd make less money in (compared to physician pay) but thought I'd be much happier doing it and have a feeling of true usefulness.
I can take large work loads and long hours (I've done factory work, talk about fast paced hard work!), but if it's just tons of paperwork/charting and being under micromanagment of no-clue supervisiors, I don't know if it's for me. I'd rather have alittle say in my practise and not be so used and abused.
I wish I would have decided to be a stay-at-home mom. I wouldn't have the student loan debt
I wish I hadn't futzed around so much when I started college back in 1998. I had intended on becoming a doctor, and firstly, became overwhelmed with the all the things I could major in, and secondly, hit the wall real hard when push came to shove. I discovered I suck at higher level math and physics- I can do nursing math just fine, but calc, and physics were not going to be pretty for me. So I changed my major umpty million times and racked up the debt.
Now that I have two children, I really do wish I had more time to spend with them. I miss them so much!
I didn't read through all of these posts, so pardon me if I repeat anything that's been said. I think the "nursing shortage" people talk about is referring to the actual need for nurses, but not the demand. What I mean is, nurses nowadays are being run into the ground because facilities are trying to cut corners and stretch their workforce thin. So, for example, at a hospital where a unit's nurses are killing themselves to care for too many patients and compromising patient care, they NEED more nurses, but because the hospital may not be willing/able to put more on their budget, they're not in DEMAND.
There are jobs out there, don't let anyone say otherwise, but the competition is a little more fierce these days. I worked as an extern at a local hospital during my last semester of school last spring, and had two RN position job offers a week before I even graduated. This is not typical, but it's just to say it's not as hopeless as some people want you to think.
So if you want to do nursing, go all in and don't hold back. I would suggest doing what I did and try to get some work as a tech or extern (if you can find a facility that has that kind of program), that way you not only get your foot in the door for a RN position, but you also get some invaluable experience on the floor as a real part of the team and not just the bubbled in clinical experience through school. Also, it will clarify your perception of what nursing is really all about, the good and the bad.
Which leads me to my last bit of advice: be realistic. Many people have a glorified perception of what nursing is. Yes, you're helping people. Yes, it's rewarding, but it's probably not what you think it is.
Yeah, jobs are out there, don't worry. Will you be working in labor and delivery or PICU straight out of school? Probably not. But you can work on a med/surg floor. Even if hospitals in your area wont hire new grads you can work in LTC, sub-acute, jails, prisons, a doctors office, a rehab clinic, a psych clinic, dialysis, home care etc. Everyone in nursing school wants to be a ER nurse or a CRNA. It's almost childish, really. Like how all little kids want to be firemen or ballerinas.
Don't worry, you *will* find a job when you graduate, you will just have to think outside the box.
Since having my two children (one is now a toddler and the other is an infant) I've realized I would love to become a nurse. I've always had a special place in my heart for children, the elderly, and animals. I love caring for someone else and helping out. IT makes me feel accomplished. I love being a mother even when it's tough, and I am passionately dedicated.
I'm currently in school, though it is for a pre-medical degree (bio-chemistry) and I'm considering switching to nursing (BSN) with a goal of becomming a CRNA. I'm alittle hesitant as it seems recently, EVERYONE is going to school for nursing, even people I would never have considered to be nurse material. I think this is because they hear about "the nursing shortage" and the paycheck for that career, which I understand as someone in a family of 4 living off about $2,500 a month. But I feel that by the time I finish, there will be 0 job openings for me and an overabundance of new grad nurses.
Should I continue into nursing or find another feild? Any tips or advice for someone considering? I appriciate the help.
Check out a Physician Assistant program. Better pay, more authority, more respect, similar training time and $$ required to that of a NP.
jtmarcy12, BSN, RN
220 Posts
My advice is to first PRAY! no one can tell you what things will be like in the future. Yes I feel what is going on now is that the hospitals want to go back to paying nurses mediocre wages like in the past before I became a nurse in 1998, they want to make you take as many patients as they can push on you and don't want you to complain when it becomes UNSAFE and unbearable. I feel sorry for those who work in hospitals with no union, here in California there is a 5:1 ratio for med/surg In some parts of Florida they are making ICU nurses take 3 patients, that is totally UNSAFE:down: for that is why they were picketing several weeks ago, because the hopsital had crossed the line and those nurses had had enough. Only you can make the decision if you truly want nursing and with pray you will be shown the way. I wish you the best and Blessing to you!!:hug: