Hello all! I'm a 20 year old male who is contemplating a nursing career. I previously did two years at my local community college and got an associates degree in mathematics and science. My previous career goal was to become a PA, but I'm having second thoughts. There are two reasons why nursing has started to appeal to me more so than a PA...
1- I think I like the idea of direct patient care rather than a diagnosis/prescription-writing position. It GENUINELY makes me happy to make other people feel comfortable and at ease with their situation.
2- There is such a wide range of directions I could go. I could be an RN in any particular field or I could go on for a graduate degree of some sort. I've been looking into Psychiatric NP and that job seems very, very appealing to me at first glance.
3- Okay...I lied. Three reasons. My dad teaches at our local community college and it would be tuition free for me to get an ASN. This community college nursing program is notoriously difficult...but in a good way. It has a +50% drop-out rate but about a 95% first-time NCLEX passage rate. My next step would ideally get my tuition paid for to further my studies by an employer.
NOW. Here are my concerns:
1- I am a very, very empathetic person. Now don't get me wrong-- I know this is important for nursing. But I'm hoping it won't be my downfall as I physically feel different when I see people in pain. I get a weird feeling...almost painful...when other people are in excessive pain. I think this is either a good or bad thing...I'm not sure which.
2- I don't know if I can mentally do all the tasks a nurse is required to do. I get a bit squeamish at the notion of sticking a cath in someone's member or suctioning out a phlegmy trach. I've heard this is not dissimilar to many nurses' feeling early-on and you eventually get used to it.
So...all that being said...do you think nursing is for me? I do think I'm an intelligent person, but I need to be absolutely certain that I'm working towards something I'll enjoy as a career in order to be successful. Thank you so, so much for your anticipated replies. Best wishes...
Hello all! I'm a 20 year old male who is contemplating a nursing career. I previously did two years at my local community college and got an associates degree in mathematics and science. My previous career goal was to become a PA, but I'm having second thoughts. There are two reasons why nursing has started to appeal to me more so than a PA...
1- I think I like the idea of direct patient care rather than a diagnosis/prescription-writing position. It GENUINELY makes me happy to make other people feel comfortable and at ease with their situation.
2- There is such a wide range of directions I could go. I could be an RN in any particular field or I could go on for a graduate degree of some sort. I've been looking into Psychiatric NP and that job seems very, very appealing to me at first glance.
3- Okay...I lied. Three reasons. My dad teaches at our local community college and it would be tuition free for me to get an ASN. This community college nursing program is notoriously difficult...but in a good way. It has a +50% drop-out rate but about a 95% first-time NCLEX passage rate. My next step would ideally get my tuition paid for to further my studies by an employer.
NOW. Here are my concerns:
1- I am a very, very empathetic person. Now don't get me wrong-- I know this is important for nursing. But I'm hoping it won't be my downfall as I physically feel different when I see people in pain. I get a weird feeling...almost painful...when other people are in excessive pain. I think this is either a good or bad thing...I'm not sure which.
2- I don't know if I can mentally do all the tasks a nurse is required to do. I get a bit squeamish at the notion of sticking a cath in someone's member or suctioning out a phlegmy trach. I've heard this is not dissimilar to many nurses' feeling early-on and you eventually get used to it.
So...all that being said...do you think nursing is for me? I do think I'm an intelligent person, but I need to be absolutely certain that I'm working towards something I'll enjoy as a career in order to be successful. Thank you so, so much for your anticipated replies. Best wishes...
-Dan
Hi Dan! I would suggest you see if you can shadow a nurse on a med surg floor to see what the job entails. Seems to me you are a smart guy with your math and science degree; real life application of the degree you just earned would be nursing. No one is going to know what is worth it for you, but since you get free classes at the community college, you should go there then get your BSN after you get a job. Best of luck.
Out of curiosity, you stated that what appealed to you about nursing was the direct patient care and not diagnosing and prescribing? You are also interested in being a PMHNP? You can get some input from some of our psych NP members, but are you aware that most of that job is diagnosing and prescribing?
As you have an associate's degree, what is preventing you from entering the workforce now?
Perhaps some time in the real world , would give you some insight you would not gain with further schooling.
50% dropout rate is outrageous. There is an underlying problem. Even if you don't have to pay the tuition, I would be concerned.
If you are empathic to the point where you take on pain yourself, nursing is probably not for you.You need to address that problem and decide if you can adequately perform nursing care. That level of empathy hinders the nursing process.
The school would loose accreditation....if it even had it to begin with...
I really have to disagree here. I had an excellent ADN program. Statistically, it shows a pass rate of 50%. However that doesn't take into account most of the students who failed 1 class that set them back a year. They got back in the program the following semester/academic year, then graduated.
My situation, for example: I started the program in the fall of '09 with an anticipated graduation date in '11. Toward the end of the first semester, I ended up having to have surgery, which meant I had to drop out of one of the classes d/t recovery time.
Fall 2010 I picked up where I left off. Retaking only the 1 class I was unable to finish.
I passed their program in 2012. Now statistically, if you look at the class of 2011, yes, they had a 50% pass rate. However, the following year, a good 30% of us returned and proceded to graduate in 2012. Some failed just 1 class, meaning they had to wait the entire year it took for our program to offer the class again. Most got the seat, and graduated in 2012.
So about 70% of us, not 50%, DID graduate. Just had to repeat a class not offered for a whole year.
For accreditation purposes it is calculated as a "completion rate" over a calendar year (not including students who drop-out due to financial reasons or relocation), though I am not an expert in this kind of thing.
"Pass rates" are first time takers of the NCLEX.
In the case of your program I am not sure how that would work with "completion rate" if 50% of the students were not completing on-schedule but 70% were completing overall. 70% is the completion rate minimum. If your cohort started with 100 and 50 had to repeat a year, did 20 from a previous year join your cohort? That would make an annual completion of 70%....
For accreditation purposes it is calculated as a "completion rate" over a calendar year (not including students who drop-out due to financial reasons or relocation), though I am not an expert in this kind of thing.
"Pass rates" are first time takers of the NCLEX.
In the case of your program I am not sure how that would work with "completion rate" if 50% of the students were not completing on-schedule but 70% were completing overall. 70% is the completion rate minimum. If your cohort started with 100 and 50 had to repeat a year, did 20 from a previous year join your cohort? That would make an annual completion of 70%....
Excuse me for not using the precise terms of completion and pass rates. Yes, I would say that 7/10 students who start the program and continue to finish is good, even if held back a year to retake a class not offered for another year. Our NCLEX pass rate continues to remain 100%.
target98765
194 Posts
Hi Dan! I would suggest you see if you can shadow a nurse on a med surg floor to see what the job entails. Seems to me you are a smart guy with your math and science degree; real life application of the degree you just earned would be nursing. No one is going to know what is worth it for you, but since you get free classes at the community college, you should go there then get your BSN after you get a job. Best of luck.