Is it right for me?

[KaylaMayorga]

Hey there! My name is Kayla and I've been considering nursing for awhile. I always keep going back to it in my kind when I think of my career. I'm 18 and graduated in 2016. My mother doesn't think I can be a nurse because she believes I can't handle the gross things that come with it, i.e: being puked on or pooped on. I also worry that I'll get diseases sometimes. But I really want to be a pediatric nurse. I just don't know if it's right for me. It keeps grabbing my attention and I keep going back to it. Is it really as risky as people make it seem? Because I don't want to die or bring home diseases to my future children.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Only you can decide if nursing is right for you- not your mom, not an anonymous website. However, it sounds like you need to do a little research- risky how? I personally know of zero nurses who have died as a result of being a nurse. They've died of cancer or old age, but those certainly aren't unique to nurses. As for diseases, do you have any idea how many germs are on the handle of the grocery cart you push around while picking out your produce? Practice good hand hygiene and you'll drastically reduce the chances of infecting yourself, your family, or other patients.

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

Only you can decide if nursing is right for you- not your mom, not an anonymous website. However, it sounds like you need to do a little research- risky how? I personally know of zero nurses who have died as a result of being a nurse. They've died of cancer or old age, but those certainly aren't unique to nurses. As for diseases, do you have any idea how many germs are on the handle of the grocery cart you push around while picking out your produce? Practice good hand hygiene and you'll drastically reduce the chances of infecting yourself, your family, or other patients.

i concur withe Rose Queen, but i have only been at it since 1972.... I guess that gives me clinical experience...and opinion..., plus I'm still at it, so ......my advice, Rose Queen, knocks it out of the park...

best wishes

[crazydoglady89]

Not a nurse (yet!), but nurses are in my family and my husband works in healthcare.

Nobody knows except for you. Does anyone LIKE having poop on them? NO! But with proper training and time, you will learn to handle it. Unless you are extremely squeamish always, I think most people can learn to deal with a lot. My husband is a PA and says his "thing" that he hates more than anything else is phlegm, but he deals with it. If he can, you can too :).

The only time I have personally heard of nurses being hurt on the job is psychiatric nursing. From my knowledge, psych hospitals in FL are grossly understaffed, and there have been reports of attacks.

As a CNA, my mother has been punched a few times by confused patients. In Hospice, I have had a demented patient grab at me.

I feel as if nursing is by and large a relatively safe field. Have you shadowed or talked to nurses you know in real life to see what they have to say about your concerns?

[KaylaMayorga]

Almost every nurse I talk to says it's difficult. I think I'm going to shadow a nurse at my local hospital, if they let me. I looked into schooling and I feel I could be really successful as a nurse.

[instax_]

I highly recommend applying for a volunteer program at your local hospital to see if it's for you. All the nurses I've talked to do agree that the job is hard and tiring, but they don't regret going into the profession at all! Other than that, you should do research on the type of standardized tests & classes that you would have to take as well to see if the subjects catch your interest & if you would be able to dedicate yourself to it. Good luck!

[LessValuableNinja]

I can offer some reassurance. I worked inpatient peds for 3 years without ever being pooped on. At, around, but never on.