Is nursing the right career for me?

[laylasmom]

Hello everyone! I have been reading everyones wonderful advise to other posters with the same question, and would like some taylored for me. First let me start by saying i truley appreciate the time you will spend reading this and replying as i know how valuble your time is. I am 25 years old with an associates in sociology, and just before my junior year i found out i was pregnant so i decided to work for a while. I ended up getting a job at the hospital in my area as a patient transporter. I really had no idea what i was in for, and was very nrevous at first dealing with ICU patients and O2 tanks, and catheters and such, i even wanted to quit the first day, but stuck it out thanks to my fiance that encouraged me. I did well in training and absolutly loved it and grew very confident. As my belly grew it became harder to manuever patients and my boss really like my workand offered me a promotion to department secretary over 3 depts. Once again i wanted to quit after reading the job description as i thought i was not qualified. I stuck it out and excelled and absolutly love working for this hospital. Now that i have my second due in July i realize i need to move foward with my education so i can provide a better life for my family, i chose socioloy because i love helping people, but ive realized the job secrurity and opportunities are limited in todays market.Working in a hospital has opened my eyes to what nurses really do i never really thought about it before. It seems like a wonderful career filled with opportunity, job security, and above all the chance to help others. My grades in college have been decent 3.3 and i really wasnt trying since i hadnt really set a career goal yet just sort of going to go. All that has changed now that i have a family. Im worried however that my lack of confidence will affect my performance in nursing school and in my career. Does confidence come with education and practice. Is it normal to have the jitters before beggining a career in nursing? Also while researching this career i have stumbled a pon some negative remarks towards the career ie. not getting paid enough for the job, severe back pain, not getting to eat due to low staffing, are these nurses just burnt out? Is it a good career if you enjoy helping people? Also is nursing school doable with two small children? All advice is greatly appreciated. Thank You

[zoe92]

Honestly, I am in my last semester of pre reqs and I still get jitters! But I have many people in my pre req courses who are 25 & older, with multiple kids (one has 6 kids) & they are able to do it. It'll be hard work but stick it out & you'll be fine.

[queserasera, RN]

Nursing is a great career if you really love not only helping people but having a "servant's heart" as many nurses I know refer to it. If you can put others before yourself (along with a great education) you can be a wonderful nurse as I see it. It will make the rushed lunch break and working extra hours seem less painful.

I think your gpa would get you into a nursing school, along with your experience in a medical setting. If you do great on your teas or hesi I think that you'd be a great candidate!

The whole nursing shortage debacle (They is a nursing shortage vs. new grads not able to find a job) really depends on what part of the country you're in. Also, having a BSN or a master is nursing (some colleges offer CNL entry into practice masters) will help you a bit more in the new grad unemployment phase. I find that in my area (DC/Baltimore) the only people who are having trouble finding jobs in hospitals are those with there associates degrees. It's really a shame too because many of the associate nurses actually have better clinical skills than their BSN counterparts! I mean, the community college I attend for my pre requisites boasted a 100% NCLEX pass rate last semester! As opposed to my 4-year school I'm transferring to having a 85-90%

Anyways, in short, I think anyone who not only cares about people receiving the best care, but are also detail oriented and hard working can and will be great nurses.

[laylasmom]

Thank you very much for your responses! Im glad you mentioned the The ADN vs BSN im thinking BSN since i live a few blocks from the university and my fiance is really encouraging that route. Its nice to here what people think that have their feet wet with the program/career field. I'm definelty going to go for it and quit second guessing myself, at this point im my own worst enemy haha.

[thelittledoe]

Normally, I would say to people to try and test out the nursing field as a CNA or PCA first, but you already have hospital experience which is great! If you love the hospital environment and the people you work with, it helps a LOT. There are always going to be the percentage of nurses (or people in any profession, for that matter) that complain about how rough their career is. Like Chelsea said, if you really love it, the "bad" stuff won't matter as much. It is true, many hospitals are short staffed which makes getting your job done difficult. But on the other hand some hospitals are not hiring. I think this is in part due to the costs of medical services and the little amount that insurance companies reimburse the hospitals (but that's for another thread). Go for the BSN if it is do-able. Once again, Chelsea hit the nail on the head. It is the ADN graduates that are having the most trouble finding jobs because the BSN graduates are also flooding the market. Even though they take the same boards exam, hospitals prefer the BSN grads.

All in all, you can do it. If you put your mind to it and love it, you will succeed. As for your little ones, there are many women in the nursing field who did their schooling while having kids. It shouldn't be a problem so long as you are financially stable otherwise and can find a good caretaker for them. Good luck in whatever path you choose!