Is Nursing Right for Me?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello, I'm a young woman applying for different colleges and right now I want to become an RN. I love human anatomy, biology, and zoology and an fascinated with medical procedures. I'm naturally inclined to learn quickly and easily manage good grades. I'm concerned however that I will not be able to handle nursing school. What should I expect? Will I find myself crying constantly? What kind of work will I be asked to do? I'm just curious about it because I'm worried I'll collapse from stress. Everyone always tells me how hard college is, and I want to know if its true or if they're being dramatic. Any feedback is helpful.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

This is NOT snark: We frequently get these types of posts. So I must ask, what do you know about the job of being a nurse? Just what the media presents or have you shadowed a nurse, talked to nurses about their work, researched nursing programs?

That wold be a good starting point. Most people have no idea how physically and mentally exhausting nursing is.

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Specializes in ICU.
This is NOT snark: We frequently get these types of posts. So I must ask, what do you know about the job of being a nurse? Just what the media presents or have you shadowed a nurse, talked to nurses about their work, researched nursing programs?

That wold be a good starting point. Most people have no idea how physically and mentally exhausting nursing is.

I agree. Have you researched your job market? What type of degree are employers requiring? Why do you want to be a nurse? What is your understanding of what a nurse does?

As the PP mentioned, there is much to research and understand when it comes to being a nurse. I see your question several times a week on here. The. I also see the posts that say, I hate being a nurse, I can't pass NCLEX, this is not what I thought it was, my coworkers are mean, I'm not saving lives and getting thanked every day.

Nursing is a job, first and foremost. Some days are great, others suck. It's hard and you will deal with negative people. School is such a small part of it.

I only cried at school right after my miscarriage during my OB rotation and I had a test on Monday and my miscarriage was the previous Thursday. The only time I cried.

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Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.

Yeah, don't buy into the hype that nursing school is omg so hard and you'll be miserable. Like PPs said, research the career. Many hospitals have shadow programs where you can follow a nurse. I'd also recommend volunteering on a unit you think you'd like - for a period of at least a few months - so you can see how no day is ever the same.

For my part, I never cried in nursing school. Most of my instructors were wonderful and supportive. It was hard work, but I did have time for a part time job, exercise, and friends. It is tough, but very manageable and even fulfilling.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

I loved nursing school. My instructors were (mostly) awesome,

I made good friends and we would go out after clinicals sometimes..

I just loved it. It's not all bad.

Again though, learn what nursing entails. You said that you like

medical procedures... you would possibly enjoy OR nursing.

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I am interested in being a pediatric nurse. I would have to become an RN and then specialize in pediatrics. I guess this is part of my question, I'm not sure what I need to do to become a pediatric nurse. I want to become a nurse because these kinds of things fascinate me, I love to learn how the body works, and I especially love children. It warms my heart to see a child smile and happy, so I want to help bring them back to that state. Honestly,in an ideal situation i see myself working in a doctors office and not a hospital. I feel like I can manage the crazy hours of the Hospital, but I would prefer to work in an office. Nursing is in fact a job, but I feel like it would be a highly rewarding one. My aunt and cousins are nurses and seem to rather enjoy it. However I have never gotten the chance to shadow a nurse.

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Lots of people who want to be nurses say they want to be in peds because they love children. In part it's because it's what they know-- they were children, they have siblings, they babysat, their friends have kids, they teach Sunday school ... but those kids are smiling, and not sick, sick, sick, suffering in pain postop, or suchlike, or dying. So consider that.

Also consider that your education will include care of persons of all ages and with all kinds of interesting things going on. You have absolutely no idea what will sit up and grab your attention, what you will fall in love with as you go along. Pretty much none of us did. For example the specialty I'm in now and from which I expect to retire did not exist when I was a student. I did get turned on to a different specialty, in which I worked for 21 years, as a student...but I never heard of that before my junior year.

Your enquiring mind and ability to think about systems will serve you extremely well in nursing. Have fun with it.

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