Is nursing worth it??

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Specializes in Geriatric.

Hi all

I'm a 21-year-old female, and I have wanted to be a nurse from an early onset. The caregiver role seemed naturally suited for me as I was always inclined to service and helping others, especially if they were sick. So, when the time came in middle school and high school to start exploring career opportunities, I always settled with nursing. It always seemed like the most fitting option.

Well, college brought on a whole horizon of surprising internal struggle, and I've critically examined if I truly wanted to do nursing for the past 3 years. The pre-requisites didn't really keep my interest, I failed out of a BSN program last fall because I became so unmotivated and uninterested, and I've also worked as a CNA this past year at a nursing home, which I initially enjoyed, but as time pressed on, I became more and more stressed out, depressed, and hard-hearted. I think much of my experience is influenced by my self-doubt, insecurities, and depression/anxiety, as I've been very unstable with schools and what I truly want to do for the past 3 years. It's about time I settle on something and graduate. I've been given the opportunity to go back into the nursing program this fall and re-do the classes I failed. I will not be working as a CNA during this time. My question is, after all this, I am very afraid and intimidated of going back. I seems as though I have only suffered through this, and I am so worn out. My passion truly does lie in helping people, and I thoroughly enjoy volunteering at our local hospital, and health is still a huge interest/passion of mine, but somehow nursing seems to be more of a burden than anything. My ultimate goal is probably to go beyond working as an RN and take a role in addressing global issues, such as poverty, homeless, poor environments, etc, and how we can work to put an end to such devastating circumstances and relieve people of their suffering. What I am really interested in is ethics. I believe nursing can take me there, and that is why I'm willing to put myself through it. I just want people's opinion out there, who are either nurses or on the path to becoming one, and see if you believe it is still something worthwhile to do, or if I can get to my goal taking a different path.

Thanks so much! Sorry this was so long! I am definitely an English major at heart because I love to write :) Peace and love to you all & God bless!

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Specializes in med/surg.

Another option besides nursing if you are interested in healthcare on a public level or global level is to pursue a degree in public health. It is more in the business admin side where you would work in creating health policies. If you enjoy working one on one with people and making a difference on that type of scale then nursing is for you. You might just need to take some time out for yourself, go travel the world, and approach nursing when your mindset is right. The reason why so many nursing students get weeded out of the BSN program because it is a very challenging program workload wise and mentally. Basically you can't be lazy and you can't make work a priority while in nursing school. I had to quit work in my 2nd year of nursing just to get by. Hope that helps.

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I agree with the above poster about taking some time off and do something else with yourself. Nursing school is definitely not for anyone that has any self doubt about their abilities and determination. You are only 21 so there is no rush. Some people just need more time to make these kinds of decisions. I am 28 now and am going through a BSN program. I would never have been able to do this when I was 21... Personally, it just took some life experiences to have the discipline and confidence that I have now to make it through.

Also I think working as a CNA in a assisted living facility is a little depressing. (No offence to those that are! I guess it depends on the place...)

Take some time off, regain your spirit, and come back to nursing really knowing that is what you want to invest your time and money into. Don't just "settle" on a degree. I did that with my first degree... and all I was left with was just a degree.

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Also, look at what sort of job in ethics is available...a career counselor who can give you a computerized test of your interests can help you narrow this down :) Should be available at a college counseling office.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, Education.

How about Social Work?

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Specializes in Surgical ICU.

I know some people who went to college specifically intending to work for non-profit organizations. Maybe find a major that would help you in community building/planning. Those are the types that bring fresh water wells to poverty stricken areas (including within the US) and plan on building health care centers. I think a degree in public health would help there too.

Instead of going to a guidance counselor at the school to help you figure this out, contact the organizations that you can see yourself working for and ask them the best path to take. I know it might seem odd to just call them up, but you'll be surprised at how willing they'll be to help you. :)

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Specializes in LTC, OB/GYN, Primary Care.

is it the science/medical stuff that you did not enjoy? Have you considered being a social worker?

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

My main suggestions would be to explore other areas in which you can "help." Options could be:

Habitat for Humanity

Peace Corps

Lifeline/emergency response phone triage-type thing

Teach for America

etc. Other posters ideas about social work and seeing a career counselor are good ideas. I stumbled into nursing myself after doing not much with my psych degree, being an EMT for a little while, and volunteering for first aid at a few music festivals over the summers I was in nursing school. I still don't know if I made the right decision, but I think that if you already have so much anxiety over it you should take a break, explore some other options, and maybe come back to it. What do you like about it? Is there a way you could be happier getting those needs met through a different profession?

If not, I'm sure the nursing profession isn't going anywhere anytime soon. :)

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

If you don't like nursing -- don't become a nurse. It will just make you miserable and you probably won't be very good at it.

There are lots of other college majors (and career fields) that can provide you a foundation for helping people and dealing with health issues in society. Take a little time off from school so that you are not throwing money away on classes you don't need. Get to know yourself as an adult and invest some time investigating other career options before wasting any more money on a nursing career you see only as a stepping stone to something else (but you don't what).

Nursing can be a great career -- but it is not for everybody. If it's not for you, move on to a field that better suits your interests and talents.

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Specializes in critical care.

I'm going to agree with the posters who suggested social work. It's a very broad field--you can work in health care, administration, or become a clinical social worker and do counseling. The opportunities are endless, they just don't always pay well. :)

That said, I'm going to toss out the cliche *not all nursing is at the bedside!*

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Specializes in Med/Tele.

When I was 21 I could not focus on college and I wasn't mentally ready for any kind of draining program. I was still into going out with my friends and having fun. I took a class here and there part time until I really decided I was ready for college and serious about it. It took me a few different majors before I decided on nursing and I love it now. I am 26 and will be graduating in less than a year. I would not have been able to pass this program when I was 21!! I know I'm still not "old" but just a few more years down the road and I am a totally different person in the way I see things. Maybe after you take some time off to really decide what you wanna do and you can get back in the swing of things you may change your mind. Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Telemetry.

First of all, I think nursing is a burden. It is not the caring field I thought it was when I decided to go to school to become one. To me this field is full of internal bickering and backstabbing at the patient's cost...and at the cost of the professionals who make it through the gauntlet of school to get to the bedside. The longer I'm in this field the more hard hearted I've become. I actually think hard heartness happens quite frequently to those who work in public service....I've seen it in people who've been in the profession for many years and profess to have soft hearts, but they are untrue.

I do not believe that social work is an adequate option either...as they are also public servants who get treated just as poorly, if not more so, than we do....for much less pay.

Let's be honest here. You may different but the average person wants a career that they can grow with, that provides satisfaction (in your case by helping people), that allows for adequate home/family time, and reasonable compensation compaired to the amount of debt you rack up getting the education for that career. Right?

If so this is what I would tell you. Unless you are planning on marriage and children being part of your early twenties, please go get certified in some sort of vocation. Become a hair dresser, a phlebotmist, a mechanic tech, go into massage therapy...some sort of certification that only takes $5K or less and about 18 months of your life. Work for a year or two after that and see how that feels.

This way you can get a true idea of what a life with just work in it and nothing else is like. And you can perfect your vocation and use it as a decent sort of income (as opposed to working in fast food) for when you go back to school for what you would like to do with the rest of your life.

I know this does not sound like an appealing idea to you because you are young and want to get done with school. I wish I'd done it this way so many different times in my life!! This way if you get through school with a degree and decide you really hate whatever career you get yourself into you'll have something you can fall back on and hopefully a little career that can get you through college without debt.

It can also be a future sorce of 'extra' money for you and your future family if the base pay for whatever career you choose to go into does not provide all the money you need.

Also you can work for a couple of years, save as much of your money as you possibly can and hopefully travel the world a little bit if you'd like.

Don't believe me? I had a friend who was a hair dresser before we went to nursing school. She graduated with me and after a year of nursing went back to being a hair dresser because she made more money being a hair dresser than being a nurse. Now she can work part time as a nurse and make a little extra money on the side while she does her hair dresser job full time....not the way she though it was going to work out, but it is how it is.

I didn't start my bachelor's degree until I was 25 and graduated at 27. I had an associate's degree in general studies at 21.

All I would like to get across to you is that you don't have to do it now. I know that in highschool and college courses they push their propaganda that only those with college education will have full sucessful lives, but believe me that is not entirely true.

Take your time. Explore life a little bit and just enjoy being young and when you turn 25ish then think about it again.

I would suggest public health for the goals that you are stating right now. I have a friend that is in public health and she enjoys it very much, unfortunatly most public health jobs require a master's degree and don't pay all that much. I would also suggest to you the hotel and hospitality industry. There you get to help people feel good and have a good time and that is worth a lot to a lot of people. Nursing and medicine are not the only...or even the best...ways of helping your fellow humans bring value and comfort to their lives.

Good luck!

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