Looking for some advice before making a mistake.

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Okay to start this discussion I would like to first explain and introduce myself. I'm a 22 year old male Firefighter who has been on the job for about a year and a half now. As everyone probably knows, firefighters are required to be at least EMTS. Ever since I start my schooling to become an AEMT I have throughly enjoyed the medical side and the one thing that I just love the most about my job is seeing a young patient who for example is so scared of something EMS related that you are there to show them compassion and to calm there nerves and show them that there is nothing to worry about. I can't begin to explain how heart warming this brings me and enjoyment/satisfaction. I can't say I feel the same about the fire side. I can go into a whole discussion explaining why I dislike the fire side but this is not what I am here for other then to try to purse what I love so I can enjoy something I am going to love doing. A little more about myself, I am what you call a fitness freak and by freak I mean like I take care of myself like its no tomorrow. I workout 6 days a week, Meal plan/Prep my food for the week and I take fish oil Pill and flaxseed oil Pill for my health. Now you can easily see that my ultimate passion would be something fitness related like opening up a gym or getting some form or degree in fitness but there is just no good use in any of that in todays world. Now to my main issue, I have been throughly considering going to college for a nursing degree but the only thing that is holding me back are (and I will list them)

1. Working long hours to the point that I won't be able to workout anymore

2. I love the aspect of nursing but what i dislike is the bathing patients and helping them pee. Thats the only things that just thoroughly don't interest me.

3. Worried that my loan debt will be too much or more then what I will make

Now a few weeks back I thought I found the career I wanted which was a CRNA until I realized the amount of schooling that it requires and the amount of loan debt I will be in and that just does not seem worth it in my view. I'm just trying to find a career that will not take up more then 6 years of my life that will pay decent (not looking to make 100k plus a year) and has a decent retirement. I love the medical field and I have had nurses and doctors in my family but for me I just don't wanna be in school for more then 8 years to finally start my career cause as you can probably tell I wanna eventually quit the fire department and have a career that I will love more then anything and thats why I was looking into cardiovascular nurse but i'm just not quite sure what I wanna do in the medical field per say. I was also looking into becoming a PA but then I heard that this career field would be a bad choice and is far from worth it. I am still living at home with my parents which still makes me feel like a huge bum and is causing me so much stress. I just wanna move out and get my career started but as you can tell I am stuck and I am hoping anyone can give me some advice. I would appreciate anything. Thanks everyone!

I was talking about the first several posts. People are RUDE and were rude in their condescending responses to this poster.

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That escalated quickly.

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Specializes in ICU.

I haven't read all the comments, but wanted to say that paramedics around here don't make much money; neither do firemen. Firemen here DO have excellent retirement benefits, though. Physical therapists here make a lot of money, much more than nurses.

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

I had some snarky comment in regards to a previous poster, but decided I would rather disengage. Since I can't completely delete the post, here we are.

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.
I was talking about the first several posts. People are RUDE and were rude in their condescending responses to this poster.

In all seriousness though, because of your previous post I now know where you go to school, where you work, where you're from, your religious preferences, and your friend's names. I also know you're not yet a nurse.

Whether or not you feel like getting into an argument with someone on a public forum is your business, but the suggestion to change your username and not post very specific information about yourself is a good one.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Shut up. I wasnt talking about you get over yourself. I was talking about the first several posts. Mind your own business because you are getting all offended when

it had absolitely nothing to do with you or criticizing you. People are RUDE and were rude in their condescending responses to this poster. Think what you desire. Im wasting time and cant get it back. Pointless argument right now and pointless words being thought and emotions felt. So pointless. Moving on now.

Reported

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Hello Studentnurse365,

Thank you for your post and giving me your advice which is greatly appreciated. I would like to first say to everyone that has recently posted something, my intentions when I first started this thread was to just get an idea of what would be my best option while receiving great advice for experienced medical personal. Felt at the beginning that it started off bad but then eventually everything calmed down and everyone was giving great advice and working with me which I felt was heartwarming and honestly I received more then I should of and I cant begin to thank everyone here. Just recently there have been a couple post that just seemed unnecessary due to that fact that it started to turn into an argument with people on this thread and honestly I don't want it to come down to that and would like everyone to try and get along and I don't wanna sound rude when I say this but if you can't post anything nice then you do not have to post anything in the first place. I understand everyone means well and wanna give there advice but all I ask is that when you do be mature about it cause not everyone will agree with each other, thats why this thread was made to listen to everyones opinions.

Now that I said all that I would like to respond, firstly the ADN route might be the cheapest route and I can totally understand your advice and what you are coming from but I would also like to mention that if I do decide to go the PA route which sounds more along the lines of my career field I might as well just get my Bachelors and hopefully get into a PA school even though it is very competitive. The only thing I am concerned about with the PA school is not getting in and then kinda feeling lost at that point. I'm not saying that NP is a lot easier or a better route by any means but what I am going to say is at least when I become a BSN and decide to to become a NP, I can at least get into the school and have a chance of passing the school. Its hard to choose between the two careers though and what is truly stressing me out is the new semester for school starts in October and I have a little less then a month to make my decision so I can start to sign up for school. I understand Im the only one who can make my own decision and no one else can but thats why I started this thread, just to hear everyones advice. Worse case scenario I can always join the military after I receive my degree but we will see.

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Specializes in ED.
Hello leg,

I wanna first start off by saying I appreciate you being honest and I agree with everything you said. I do wanna explain to you that I think you have misunderstood me about "looking for the easy way out." I'm certainly not looking for the easy way out by any means. What I mean by not worth it is im more worried about making a bad descsion. I'm more worried about going into all that debt that I end up not being able to pay it all back and receiving bad credit. Im not a cocky person by any means when I say I am very good with money and using my money. Just makes me very nervous seeing that I can end up in 100-150k grand debt for a 90k degree. That just makes me fairly nervous. I have no problem putting in the hardwork for something as long as it will be worth it. That does not make me lazy or a person looking for the easy way out.

go to a community college. You won't be in debt more than 10k for a RN.

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Specializes in rehab, post-op.

In regards to the concerns that you have listed in your question:

1. You don't like to watch someone pee or do not want to bath a patient = Every career has things about it that are undesirable, some nurses don't like vomit and others can't take the smell of poop - you just deal with it and do the best that you can to help your patient. Just remember that no one loves every last thing about their job.

2. Long hours = Nurses have very flexible schedules, you will have a lot of different choices. Some nursing positions require long hours and over time, other positions do not.

3. If you are worried about the expense of going to college, there is nothing wrong with going to a community college. There are a lot of excellent nurses that have received their degree from community college nursing programs. In the end, you take the same NCLEX exam for licensing.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

Didnt know it was only doctorate now. Learned something new!

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Go for nursing. Many avenues and can be done cheaply and you can get tuition assistance from employers as you progress to your ultimate goal.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
As I was reading your message, the thought popped into my head that being a PA might be a great choice! Look at it this way, the time will pass any way, and you will then gave a great career. The market for PAs will be huge in upcoming years...

This is true. It took me a long time to decide what I wanted....and I still wasnt 100% sure when I made the decision. But, for me at least, I decided that I could keep "trying to decide" and be in the same spot 3 years later, or I could just pick a direction and start moving. At least in 3 years, I will be somewhere else.

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