Last night put doubt in my mind if this is what I want to do...

nerdette_007 · Sep 17, 2010

Don't change your career choice based on experiences with your grandmother. It's a lot harder to see pain and suffering in someone you love.

I'm just a nursing assistant in my first year of clinicals, but over time I've definitely learned how to cope with death and suffering. The first few times I lost a resident (I'm in LTC) had me crying a little in the ladies' room, but as I gained experience I came to view these situations in a more professional light. You express your empathy by being good at your job....you don't have "breakdowns" or anything like that.

Hey, maybe you should try hospice volunteering. I signed up for a free volunteer workshop in October for the sake of being a better nurse to the terminally ill. Who knows, you might even like it.

borinick1492 · Sep 17, 2010

Don't change your career choice based on experiences with your grandmother. It's a lot harder to see pain and suffering in someone you love.
I'm just a nursing assistant in my first year of clinicals, but over time I've definitely learned how to cope with death and suffering. The first few times I lost a resident (I'm in LTC) had me crying a little in the ladies' room, but as I gained experience I came to view these situations in a more professional light. You express your empathy by being good at your job....you don't have "breakdowns" or anything like that.
Hey, maybe you should try hospice volunteering. I signed up for a free volunteer workshop in October for the sake of being a better nurse to the terminally ill. Who knows, you might even like it.

Thank you...I'm just freaking out right now. And I'm feeling sick again. I slept but I guess I still need to take care of myself.

msturn1975 · Sep 17, 2010

I have to tell you, I had 2 grandmothers in the last 5 years pass away-1 in hospice and the other at home and it was tough. I spent a lot of time there and found that I had a knack for dealing with it. That is when I figured out that I would be a good fit for nursing. I was so impressed by the nurses there that I thought I would be good at it! It has been a hard decision because right now I am questioning it myself. Being on here can bring you down just by looking at the posts of RN's who hate their jobs and the lack of new jobs for graduates. But nursing is a career which you never stop at one point. It is a growing field, in which you can do so much. You don't have to be stuck in a hospital forever-you can increase your education and teach, do sales, phone dispatch, etc.. so I am going to be positive about this whole matter as I enter nursing. Be sure to stay away from some of these negative people on here and surround yourself with positive and energetic people.

Muffy5 · Sep 17, 2010

Don't change your mind about your career based on this one incident! It is very different with people you love. When my grandfather had a shunt placed for dialysis and my aunt had surgeries on her bunions I passed out!!! I too thought that I wouldn't be able to handle nursing, but I have been fine. There is a clinical detachment you have with your patients, which helps us be able to function and continue to do what we're doing. There are so many fields of nursing, you'll find out that's a perfect fit. Keep on keepin' on!

mvg rn · Sep 17, 2010

don't make any decisions today - it's an emotional time for you. if you give yourself time and space, you may have a very different perspective. this experience can make you a better caregiver if you let it. you will be able to look back see what nurses and other staff did that you liked and that you didn't like. you will also have a special empathy (one gained from your personal experience) for your patient's families that not all nurses have.

so for now, just take a deep breath and don't make any concrete decisions.

SitcomNurse, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN · Sep 17, 2010

I can do anyones puke, but my own kids. I can do anyones bandgae but my husbands, I can hear about any horrific bodily functions, except from people who share a blood line. Its normal, its OK. It means your human and caring.

Dont stop Nursing because you care so much, stop Nursing when you stop caring.

kesr · Sep 18, 2010

Think about the caring LPN that helped you - isn't that the nurse you want to be? I agree with everyone else - it is different when it is your family; espeically before you get a lot of experience.

mustlovepoodles, RN · Sep 18, 2010

Don't discount nursing because of this experience. I think it's pretty normal to feel out of control and even sick when you're dealing with a loved one. When my father was dying my nursing experience pretty much went out the window. He had end-stage lung cancer--not my specialty--but I had trouble with the smallest things. When he was in this last hours of life I actually couldn't comprehend the situation until his hospice nurse was just kinda blunt with me about it. You'd have thought I'd never seen anyone die. I've seen plenty of people die, newborns to very elderly, and yet I couldn't detect it in my dad.

Try not to be so hard on yourself. It's okay to be a grandchild to your grandmother, to be upset when you see her in pain and wish you could make it better. But your discomfort in this situation is probably not a good predictor of what kind of nurse you will be. :nurse: