Is Nursing right for me?

Dranger · Aug 26, 2013

Yeah you like the psych portion but can you handle the science and math to get in and complete the program? For most places it is isn't a cakewalk and you are competing against hundreds.

vera4130 · Aug 26, 2013

I'd be really careful assuming that there are more opportunities in nursing. There is not a nursing shortage, there is an experienced nursing shortage. Out of the 50 or so that I graduated with maybe 10 of us had jobs lined up immediately. There are some who never got jobs as far as I'm aware and have either quit looking or are working in different fields. There are some new grads that have been without nursing related jobs for so long now that they are not marketable, they've lost skills since graduating.

This might sound extremely pessimistic but anyone considering the field needs to be aware of the job market is really like.

Da_Milk_of_Amnesia, MSN · Aug 26, 2013

The math actually is not that hard...Unless you need to talk calc or something to that effect which sucks. Don't worry about your record, I had the same issue but it was all ACD'ed and I was fine, never had to declare it on an application.

- The economy isn't good for anyone, including nurses. The 'nursing shortage' is more of a nursing surplus right now depending on where you live. There are some new grads have not found any work. So if you are one of those who thinks that you'll always have a job or that we need nurses...Well truth of the situation is right now, we don't. Jobs for new grads are becoming fewer by the day. I'm sorry if this discourages you, but this is the reality of most of the job market. It may or may not be necessarily true of where you live. Either way good luck.

cblue152 · Aug 26, 2013

Please don't let any of the other posters scare you away from a wonderful field. They are right in many regards- however, like you said, you are willing to work hard so you can definitely do this. I'm not good at math or chemistry, 2 required pre-requisites for a bachelors in nursing, but I studied (while working full time and raising a child) and I passed. Then I went on to graduate in the top 5 of my nursing class with honors. Nursing isn't about math. It's about learning how to think critically. It's about understanding how the body works, anticipating doctors' treatment plans, assessing, documenting, educating.

As for the "finding a job" portion, yes it is certainly more difficult than it used to be. That being said, I graduated a year and a half ago and I had 3 job offers upon graduation whereas a third of my class did not have any offers. Being a CNA or tech somewhere helps because it gets your foot in the door at that facility and it also looks good on a resume if you apply somewhere else. That's how I got one offer. For the other 2, a couple months before graduating I started calling hospitals and speaking with their nurse recruiters about jobs I had seen posted on their websites. After speaking with them, I filled out applications for jobs that they said didn't require experience. I got interviews! And then offers. Maybe my name was still fresh on their memory from our conversations, I don't know, but it worked.

Anyway, my point to all of this is that there ARE nursing jobs out there, even for new nurses. In fact, I was browsing the internet for nursing jobs in my area and found 10+ listings for psych positions, half of which did not ask for any experience. The thing is, you have to make yourself marketable. Get good grades, be a CNA or a tech in a hospital, make phone calls, create a good resume. If you have time, volunteer at a hospital too. It looks great on a resume. Plus, if you volunteer somewhere that has a psych unit then you can do some networking.

Good luck to you! Nursing is a tough job, but rewarding. If you want to do it, don't let anyone stop you.

malamud69, BSN, RN · Aug 26, 2013

Get a math tutor, follow your heart and don not listen to the naysayers...there are plenty of them on this site.

pknurse · Aug 26, 2013

If I have to convince you, you have no business being a nurse.

cblue152 · Aug 26, 2013

If I have to convince you, you have no business being a nurse.

That's not true. No one truly knows what the profession and the schooling is like until they're immersed in it. It's natural to have doubts.

driven_chick1 · Aug 26, 2013

One thing I don't like is how so many people feel the need to compete with one another, not just in this profession, but everywhere. I believe that everyone should just be the best and do the best that they can, and if a particular job is meant for you, then you will get it. I'm interested in psychiatric nursing because I would like to help people and especially people who are going through trauma or have been brought up with it like I myself and people I'm close too have. I'm a recent survivor of domestic violence and I would really like to help others who have been effected by it and other things as well, which is why I chose to change my major from journalism to psychology... but seeing how I could do the same thing within nursing & better yet be able to prescribe treatment, I believe that I could be successful in it. I was just concerned about all of the hard math/science it takes.. and debating on whether to just stick with psychology or pursue nursing. I think nursing would be the smarter option, and I'm already headed in that direction with the CNA route. Thank you all for your opinions!

DoeRN · Aug 26, 2013

Check out some of the new grad threads on here. Research your area and by this I mean actually calling local hospitals, clinics, jail, SNF etc and aka if they hire new grads. Look at the schools in your area and look at how many graduates have actually received jobs. Does the school offer job placement assistance. I'll keep my personal opinion to myself but do more research before you decide

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

CDEWannaBe · Aug 26, 2013

Math is important. You have to have decent algebra skills to do well in Chemistry. I'm not sure all programs require it, but I had to take Statistics as a prereq and it was an upper level math class.

But if you're willing to work and do whatever it takes, there's no reason you can't gain the math skills you need. Read "Algebra for Dummies", use tutors, devote hours of study time until you get the concepts. Most community colleges and other schools have developmental math classes to help you succeed in Algebra.

Nursing programs typically require a number of prerequisites. Maybe you could take a few of them and see how you do before making a decision. The science classes (Biology for Healthcare Majors, Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology) are the best indicators of your success getting into nursing school.

Good luck getting your CNA and pursuing a nursing career, if that's what you decide.

pknurse · Aug 26, 2013

That's not true. No one truly knows what the profession and the schooling is like until they're immersed in it. It's natural to have doubts.

It's true about anything in life.

We as a community should not be responsible for justifying the original poster's life choice in so much that I believe allnurses should include a clause in their TOS banning posts about "should I be a nurse?". Hell, this website is against legal advice - why should we provide insight about whether or not a preson should be a nurse?

I'm not going to devalue his or her goals in life, but if he or she is resorting to allnurses to make that decision to pursue a highly-rewarding career that will require emotional, physical, and perhaps spiritual investment, then maybe they need to recant his or her mindset.

Don't take me as a "miser" - I encourage anyone to pursue their dreams. However, when I read posts that are basically, "validate my future," I have to stop and reply. What I'm getting at is - if OP is so determined, she won't care about her weaknesses - she'll rise above them. She doesn't need anyone to tell her what she can and can't do.