Is Nursing Right for Me? (Holistic-Minded)

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Hello All,

I'm a pre-nursing student and I'm trying to figure out if nursing is right for me. I have been a massage therapist for 5 years and I love it. Unfortunately, the area I live in is saturated with therapists and it's hard to make a living at it. I also work as an elderly caregiver, working mostly with people with dementia or at hospice levels. I love helping people in any capacity and I have a passion for anything health related.

I grew up in a family that was very health conscious/holistic. We believe that vaccines and medications in general are not great and often harmful and we have no faith in the FDA. We know that the best way to be be healthy is to eat organic non-processed foods and being active.... to avoid microwaves, plastics, msg, artificial sweeteners, aluminum antiperspirants, sodium laurel sulfate, etc.. We practice Reiki and use aromatherapy or a little pot if we are in pain. I'm going into specifics to try and paint a picture instead of just saying 'I'm holistic'. I should also say I'm not an extremist with these beliefs/knowledge, but I do try to generally follow these guidelines to be healthy and proactive.

For a few years now, I have also been in the role of patient advocate for a couple of family members with their many health issues. Our journey has made my family's confidence in the Western health system plummet. My grandmother's kidney dr. told her that it was not important to drink water. Her lung dr. gave her an inhaler that is not meant for people with high blood pressure, even though she has that condition. It sent her into seizures and to the ER. We saw him at a follow up appt and he offered her another inhaler that he assured her would be okay... when we got it home, I read the pamphlet, and again he had given us one not meant for people with hight bp. Her neuro dr. put her on a medication for epilepsy... she has seizures occasionally, due to a chemical exposure, not epilepsy. The meds aged her 20 years within a week. She slept 15 hrs a day, couldn't take care of herself anymore and her hair started falling out. When we spoke to the dr., I told her we wanted to wean her off the meds. She tried to use fear to keep my grandma on them... We finally got the doc's okay after arguing and then low and behold, she got better and thankfully can take care of herself again. I could go on and on about the incompetence of messed up paper work for important blood tests for another family member and how we had to figure out the diagnoses for her ourselves, because teams of drs. did nothing.

All of this lit a fire under me. I wanted to change the system from the inside. I wanted to become a Doctor of Osteopathic medicine so that I could be a primary care provider, educate people on preventative health and help to slow down the over medicating of people. I wanted to be a DO so I would still be in the Western medicine system, but have an education that was more preventative/holistic-minded. I started on that path last year and then did the math ... I am 28 now and I would be 41 by the time I got out of residency. I decided I didn't want to spend my entire 30's broke, stressed and unable to reasonably consider starting a family. I re-evaluated and decided that becoming a nurse and eventually a nurse practitioner would get me to the same primary care role. I also like the flexibility to work 3 or 4 days a week as an RN and ultimately I would have much of the direct patient care that I enjoy.

My concern is that, as an RN, I may end up butting heads with drs. and nurses that are very 'traditional western medicine minded' in the process of trying to help people. I know that overall the system is becoming steadily more accepting of 'alternative' or 'natural' medicine, but I'm still not sure I'll fit in okay. Even though I'm not a fan of vaccines, as a nurse, I understand that it will be my job to give those to people and I am okay with that. In that role, I don't believe it is my duty to share my opinions/knowledge as to why that is not great... that is what the NPs or drs are for. When and if I become an NP in primary care, that is where it is my duty to offer up that information to educate my patients. I am not against all meds. There are definitely times where they are appropriate, but the prescribing doc should take a moment to make sure the meds don't conflict and that there isn't a simpler option available. I would however, have trouble serving the horrible hospital 'food' to sick patients. Chicken boullion with msg, sugary jello and other things with minimal nutritional value... We're trying to heal people, but aren't giving them nutritious foods to heal with.

I help my elderly folks with toileting and bathing with no problems. I love helping people feel better, and educating on health issues. I feel drawn to share the knowledge I have and want to help prevent the overwhelming errors I've seen. I'm sorry this post is sooo long, but I wanted to paint a full picture of who I am and what is motivating me.

So I guess my question is, if I go into nursing, I am going to be the odd duck out and be frustrated by everything I see? I don't want to spend my career biting my tongue. Are any of you similar to me in beliefs and how are you doing in this work environment? Are there certain areas of nursing that may be a better fit for me than others? In addition to primary care, I'm interested in L/D, urgent care, women's care, NICU, home care and hospice. I am in the Northern Colorado area and I know location can have a lot to do with the environments. Where I am it seems to be a little progressive, but not as much as a place like Boulder.

Thanks so much for your time and any advice you can offer me.

I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood you....I thought you were saying that nursing school curriculums were designed by and maintained by pharmaceutical companies. These links look to talk about med school.

The links look interesting re: medical school , I'll take a look.

Peace,

CuriousMe

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Of course it was not 'big pharma' back then... but drug reps would be educational speakers at the institutions and help steer the curriculum. I believe some of that is in this book, but I'm not 100% sure: http://www.amazon.com/Medicine-Women-Story-Early-American-Doctors/dp/0517598485

You also said "It seems to be absolutely contrary to my school's curriculum (actually, all the school's I looked into's curriculum as well)." .... why would you expect that any school's curriculum talk about that if it is still an issue??

Investigate yourself... go read historical books on who created 'traditional' medicine in this country. I'm done explaining!

Actually, I said that, not Elkpark.

I originally replied because I know the folks on our curriculum committee....the thought of them being influenced by "big pharma" is actually downright funny.

But you must know more than them about the curriculum at nursing schools nationwide.....you read a book.

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All right, one more comment. Of everything that has been discussed on the board, I will admit, that the school origins issue is one thing that I am not 100% on. There is a story that sticks out in my mind that an older nurse told me or that I read about, of a direct account in which pharma reps were coming to the nursing schools to give lectures and their information was a part of the curriculum. They would teach the nurses their information to be passed on. This tidbit... I can't remember what era it was from.. 1800's or mid 1900's. I honestly may be mixing up info that I learned about the origins. These past few posts I have been frustrated and tired, so I'm sorry.

Regardless of the origins, for a very large part of American medical history, pharma has been involved in medical school curriculum and school funding. And isn't it more relevant that's it's been happening in recent history than in the 1800's?

So you guys finally got me on something. You win, I lose, you can all sleep well now.

PS - Thanks LovebugLPN :heartbeat

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So you guys finally got me on something. You win, I lose, you can all sleep well now.

You're right of course, that was the point...winning.

It had nothing to do with trying to clarify unsubstantiated statements that were casually thrown around like self-evident facts.

I wish you the best in your future endeavors.

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i will add that nursing school requires vaccinations, or you must prove immunity through titers, no immunity means no nursing schools.. at my school there are no exceptions, and this is something to consider.

and forcing someone to get vaccines is against the law. state vaccine requirements - national vaccine information center

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Wow....I just replied to the above thread and I see there's 7 pages. I'm not reading them because I don't feel like discussing this, again. So to the OP, don't let people get to you. Do what you feel is right for you! Good luck! :)

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and forcing someone to get vaccines is against the law. state vaccine requirements - national vaccine information center

as has been discussed endlessly, schools of nursing may or may not require vaccinations....but often clinical sites do. as we are not employees, employment law doesn't protect us. we are visitors at the clinical facilities, so they can make any requirements they so choose as long as they aren't part of a legally protected status (they couldn't require all men, for example).

so, while a nursing program might not require a vaccination....if the available clinical sites do require specific vaccinations, there's no way to pass nursing school without getting vaccinated thus letting you participate in clinicals.

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Specializes in Gyn/STD clinic tech.
as has been discussed endlessly, schools of nursing may or may not require vaccinations....but often clinical sites do. as we are not employees, employment law doesn't protect us. we are visitors at the clinical facilities, so they can make any requirements they so choose as long as they aren't part of a legally protected status (they couldn't require all men, for example).

so, while a nursing program might not require a vaccination....if the available clinical sites do require specific vaccinations, there's no way to pass nursing school without getting vaccinated thus letting you participate in clinicals.

thanks! you explained it so well!

my specific school has the requirement that you must attend clinicals in order to pass, much like any other school, and in order to attend any clinical site in my state you must prove immunity. immunity can be proven through titers or immunization, but if you cannot show immunity then you cannot go to school.

from what i understand, this is commonplace in most parts of the us.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
thanks! you explained it so well!

my specific school has the requirement that you must attend clinicals in order to pass, much like any other school, and in order to attend any clinical site in my state you must prove immunity. immunity can be proven through titers or immunization, but if you cannot show immunity then you cannot go to school.

from what i understand, this is commonplace in most parts of the us.

it's the same with our school, the schools require it because the clinical site requires it, if you can't do your clinicals you are dropped from the program. no one forces you to get shots, they aren't forcing you to go to nursing school either, so the choice is left up to the student. but if they want to go to nursing school and clinicals, they are going to have to choose to get your shots!

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As has been discussed endlessly, schools of nursing may or may not require vaccinations....but often clinical sites do. As we are not employees, employment law doesn't protect us. We are visitors at the clinical facilities, so they can make any requirements they so choose as long as they aren't part of a legally protected status (they couldn't require all men, for example).

So, while a nursing program might not require a vaccination....if the available clinical sites do require specific vaccinations, there's no way to pass nursing school without getting vaccinated thus letting you participate in clinicals.

Actually, you can - based upon legitimate religious convictions. It's believed that the New Testament offers instruction on the avoidance of vaccinations based upon teachings in Corinthians (I believe it's I Corinthians). That's where it becomes a "separation of church and state" issue, and it's been decided that the government won't touch that one with a ten foot pole. You can find references to that law on the CDC's National Vaccination program site. This was a mini-research point for me in nursing school.

So legally, unless you wear combat boots like I do (because refusing vaccines would make me non-deployable and that certainly wouldn't fly), you CANNOT be forced to obtain vaccines for any reason, and any program who tried to say otherwise would probably get pulled on the carpet by the ACLU and a host of attorneys as being in violation of Federal law.

Not trying to stir stuff up, it's just that in reality, you can refuse based on religious convictions and you CANNOT be "persecuted" for it based on religious preference, since that's sort of in a little document we know as the Constitution....

Personally I believe in vaccines - I just don't believe in the CDC's schedule and am more likely to follow WHO's ways of doing business when it comes to my own as-yet unborn kids.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Actually, you can - based upon legitimate religious convictions. It's believed that the New Testament offers instruction on the avoidance of vaccinations based upon teachings in Corinthians (I believe it's I Corinthians). That's where it becomes a "separation of church and state" issue, and it's been decided that the government won't touch that one with a ten foot pole. You can find references to that law on the CDC's National Vaccination program site. This was a mini-research point for me in nursing school.

So legally, unless you wear combat boots like I do (because refusing vaccines would make me non-deployable and that certainly wouldn't fly), you CANNOT be forced to obtain vaccines for any reason, and any program who tried to say otherwise would probably get pulled on the carpet by the ACLU and a host of attorneys as being in violation of Federal law.

Not trying to stir stuff up, it's just that in reality, you can refuse based on religious convictions and you CANNOT be "persecuted" for it based on religious preference, since that's sort of in a little document we know as the Constitution....

Personally I believe in vaccines - I just don't believe in the CDC's schedule and am more likely to follow WHO's ways of doing business when it comes to my own as-yet unborn kids.

It doesn't just have to be religious beliefs. In our program we have to have them to get into the program, without them you will be dismissed (saw it happen at orientation). You can't claim exemptions because it's the clinical sites that require them. If you can't do clinicals you can't do the nursing program, at my school anyway. The public schools where my children attend, you can use those waivers. My daughters daycare, you can't. They require it to enroll your children.

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Actually, you can - based upon legitimate religious convictions. It's believed that the New Testament offers instruction on the avoidance of vaccinations based upon teachings in Corinthians (I believe it's I Corinthians). That's where it becomes a "separation of church and state" issue, and it's been decided that the government won't touch that one with a ten foot pole. You can find references to that law on the CDC's National Vaccination program site. This was a mini-research point for me in nursing school.

So legally, unless you wear combat boots like I do (because refusing vaccines would make me non-deployable and that certainly wouldn't fly), you CANNOT be forced to obtain vaccines for any reason, and any program who tried to say otherwise would probably get pulled on the carpet by the ACLU and a host of attorneys as being in violation of Federal law.

Not trying to stir stuff up, it's just that in reality, you can refuse based on religious convictions and you CANNOT be "persecuted" for it based on religious preference, since that's sort of in a little document we know as the Constitution....

Personally I believe in vaccines - I just don't believe in the CDC's schedule and am more likely to follow WHO's ways of doing business when it comes to my own as-yet unborn kids.

It's not the school legally requiring it....it's the clinical site. As we are guests at the clinical site, they can require anything they like. Employment law doesn't apply as we're not employed by the clinical sites, and the exemptions that are available for schools don't apply as it's not the school requiring it.

Not all clinical sites require vaccination of their students, but any clinical site can.

If the clinical sites that your program works with do not require vaccination....no worries.....but if it does, there's no way around it. The school can not require that the clinical site accept you.

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