Just a phase?

[_Angel_]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Angel and I'm new to this forum. I'm currently a third year Computer Science major, Psychology minor at a university. I have been thinking about changing majors recently because I am absolutely sure I do not want to be working in the technical industry after I graduate. I just don't get the vibe, if you know what I mean.

I do not have the pre-requisite courses either to get into nursing school. I had refrained from taking biology in university because I never believed I was good in biology. However, I have made an appointment to go see a nursing advisor tomorrow. Even if I do the pre-requisite courses and assuming I get accepted, I won't be able to start nursing school until January 2010, which is actually my last semester in CS. I feel it would be just stupid to quit by then.

My best friend has recently switched from general sciences to nursing and part of me just wants to go with her at the time, but I didn't have the guts to suggest that to my mom.

Also, my boyfriend was diagnosed with cancer about 6 months ago. He had a surgery last week and had to stay in the hospital for a week. I was going back and forth between school and the hospital and was able to observe the ways some of the nurses took care of patients. I'm not sure if hanging around at the hospital has influenced my decision either.

I finally had the guts to mention this to my mom this week and she doubts that I would be able to do it (now you know why I didn't have the guts to tell her). She mentioned that I have low tolerance of dirty things doubts I would be able to handle the dirty work. I also mentioned this to my aunt who I've only known for about a year. She's a nurse though, but she also doubts that I would be able to do it because I get stressed out very easily and can be very emotional. She's very blunt, I must say.

I probably won't change my major since I am so close to finishing my CS degree. However, I do plan on possibly doing a second degree in nursing. Will CS help in the field of nursing? Probably not, right? I'm also afraid that after I finish school and work in the industry for a couple of years (so that my degree won't seem like it went to waste), I will be too late by then. I want to do most of the helping while I'm still young because by the time I am old, I will be the one who needs help.

Will these having low EQ and being stressed out easily be things that will prevent me from pursuing a career as a nurse? Is there a lot of biology involved? Is this just a phase I'm going through because of my friend's decision and my boyfriend's condition? And the question I'm afraid to ask: Do nurses have to witness someone dying each day?

I love volunteering, in pretty much anything. I have a passion for helping people... but will these things I mentioned above block me from pursuing a successful career in nursing?

Thanks in advance for all your feedback,

Angel :redbeathe

PS: I'm sorry for the long post.

[_Angel_]

Did I ask too many questions? :imbar

[Cherry2000]

You didn't ask too many questions but you did ask questions that most of us can't answer for you. I would suggest talking to the advisor at the school tomorrow like you planned. Find out what you would have to do to get into the program. I don't know if you work, but get a job at a local hospital or else volunteer and see what nurses actually do every day. You will not see someone die every day. There are jobs where it is more common, such as hospice where you are actually helping them and their families prepare for the death. Other places it would be very rare such as a doctor's office. There are many types of nursing positions out there, you would just have to look around and see what you can find.

I don't know if you can use CS in nursing, but I'm not a nurse yet. Maybe someone that is could chip in on that?

YOU need to decide if you can handle the stress and "dirtyness" of nursing. Nursing is not a "clean" job.

Nursing is all about the human body, so yes, there is a lot of biology involved. Anatomy & Physiology is a must and you need to know it well!

I hope this helped but you should do some more research before you decide on anything. Good Luck!

[Dreamer-RN]

Angel,

Sorry to hear your boyfriend was diagnosed with cancer.

My background is in IT (spent 12 years in that industry as a software programmer and project manager). My first bachelor's degree is in Computer Science. If you choose to complete your C.S. degree, it will be an asset in the health care industry as well as in nursing. You can combine Nursing with Computer Science and be involve with Nursing Informatics (if you discover bedside nursing is not your niche). You also will be very comfortable with the technologies used in hospitals, especially having a background with building software programs and working with various technologies in the C.S. field. Therefore, do not think your degree is a waste or will not benefit you in nursing.

I suggest to volunteer at local hospitals, hospices, or the like in order to determine whether nursing is for you. Volunteering is a great way to observe what nurses do in inpatient and/or outpatient settings. Also, you can get a better idea on whether you can handle the patient care aspect of nursing (e.g., dealing with bodily fluids, bathing, cleaning, etc.). Prior to being accepted into nursing school, I volunteered at a hospice (gave me exposure to death and dying) and in the ER department (gave me good idea on inpatient care). Those experiences helped cement my desires in wanting to work in the health care industry.

Best wishes on whatever you decide to do!