Lost with nursing

Jules A, MSN · Sep 15, 2006

Oh I wish I had some advice for you. 19 is so young to have to make these kinds of decisions. Nursing school is so stressful that I can't imagine trying to just grin and bear it if your heart isn't in it. One huge plus for you is that since you are so young whatever you decide will work itself out. When I was your age my only goal was to be a bartender so go figure. Much luck to you. Hugs, Jules

Katnip, RN · Sep 15, 2006

It definitely sounds like nursing is not your thing. I wouldn't waste anymore time or money on it. If your heart isn't in any career you won't be happy and you will have put all that time and energy into something you don't want. Just because it's right for some of your family members doesn't mean it's right for you.

I would do the psych unless it's really something you want to do because to work in that field you usually need at least a master's degree, and you likely won't get that 9-5 job.

What do you like to do? Hobbies, pastimes. What do you daydream about? What did your school aptitude tests say? Not that I have much faith in them-they told my son to be a bus driver or professional wrestler. I wouldn't go by what a claivoyant who has never met you personally. "Business" encompasses a huge area. It could mean anything from accounting, or marketing, or healthcare admini.

You need to do some serious soul searching. And don't worry about a job with "status" since it's what you make of the job.

socishan · Sep 15, 2006

It's hard when you're expected to choose a career that you are supposed to work in for many years to come before you're even 20. I went through something similar that you're going through now- maybe it will help? I started college like you probably around age 18 and sort of just "fell into" mathematics and business/market research even though math bores me to death and I am not cut out for corporate america at all. To make a long story short, both of my parents are workaholics and highly successful business people, so I was somewhat persuaded to get into this type of work and I had my master's degree in statistics by the time I was 23. Thankfully I had scholarship/assistantships and my student loans aren't too bad, but I am stuck paying quite a bit to say the least.

I worked for 3 years almost exactly in the corporate world as a statistician working a desk job for a company whose ethics I despised, making rich people richer, and doing the same boring work day in and out. Even at age 25 I couldn't get the courage up to dissapoint my family and leave the business world. Finally, this year I did find that courage and now I am a new nursing student, pursuing something that I have wanted to pursue for years now (being on my feet, helping others, etc.)

I work as a CNA now to help pay for school and can't wait to become an RN. You should have seen the faces of my "professional," educated co-workers when they found out I was leaving my comfy benefits and desk job to clean poop and give people baths all day. My parents were a bit stunned too at the CNA thing, but I am honestly loving every day of it. I love caring for people who desperately need it, being on my feet all day, moving around, and most of all, talking to lots of different people every day and making a small impact in their lives. So I don't mind the poop.

My point is this: Do what makes you happy, not what you think will make OTHERS happy. One person's trash is another person's treasure. Maybe the business world will make you happy. Or something else entirely. My job now scares most of my old friends. Do I care? NO! I love it. It's their trash but it's my treasure. I only wish I'd had the courage to pursue a better-suited career BEFORE I ended up with all those student loans and a master's degree in an unrelated field. But, it's never too late to start over.

My suggestion to you is to do some serious searching and find out what you like. Maybe volunteer for some different types of jobs or "trail" someone at work who works in a field that you're interested in. Ask them lots of questions. Go on an informational interview. No job is ever going to be perfect, but you can find out the pros and cons ahead of time before you continue spending a lot of money that you will never see again. If you have questions about the business world, I will be happy to answer. My sister-in-law is a psychologist, so I also know a bit about that too-- fyi, she had to go to about 10 or 11 years of post-high-school education to become fully licensed and to get the ph.d, etc and all that and she only makes slightly more than what I do now as a CNA. It's hard- in a lot of careers, you have to start out at the bottom and work your way up. So it's helpful to know all the pros and cons before going into something.

Okay off my soapbox, I hope this helped a little. It's never too late to make YOURSELF happy. Remember, YOU are going to be the one having to clock in and out of a job you either love or hate every day, NOT your mom or your uncle or your auntie. And trust me, it's a lot better waking up every morning and going to a job you like rather than one you dread.

snowfreeze, BSN, RN · Sep 15, 2006

Why are temperatures so boring? You need to learn basic assessment skills before you can apply them in critical thinking skills. How can you know if something is wrong with a patient unless you look at the whole patient? And how do we look at a whole patient? and how do docs look at their patients? through an assessment of the patient physically and looking at test results. I have worked with a number of OCD nurses who are wonderful, they are so through they don't miss a thing...a few docs are that way too and I would prefer they were my doc if I had something wrong with me.

You are still young, find a good mentor...family or friend. I would recommend you get the nursing degree then look at further education in psych if that is still what interests you once you have a degree.

tofutti · Sep 15, 2006

You would make more money, and have more opportunities, as a psych nurse than as someone with a masters degree in psychology.

People get degrees in counseling psych all the time and end up working retail.

I remember how tough it was to make a career decision at your age, good luck with that! :mad:

rainbowsunsets · Sep 16, 2006

Thankyou so much for all of your posts!

The hard thing is, for a day i think about one profession and then i change my mind. I know nothing will be perfect but i want to enjoy what i do.

I have always been so certain i wanted to work in health up until now, i guess its what i grew up around.

I am very seriously thinking of just finishing my nursing and then pursuing my a different career so that i will always have something to fall back on while i figure out what it is i want to do. However, should i do something i know will just be a back up for two years or just keep trying to find a different degree? I want to be smart about this but also happy. I dont know anything about psych nursing??

And i dont know anything about the business world, infact i dont even know what areas there are to get into? Ive always been a high achiever and wanted to be the best at what i do, i thought i would have to go to university to be that good. Do you even have to have degrees in the business world or does it just depend on what you do?

I do have a lot of admiration and respect for ALL nurses as ive seen first hand what they go through.

sara marie · Sep 16, 2006

Sounds like you should choose another occupation. I wish I would have realized that 22 years ago.:uhoh21:

sara marie · Sep 16, 2006

Sounds like you should get out now. I'm a psych nurse . I Wish I would have chosen a differrent occupation 22 years ago.

pedi-er · Sep 16, 2006

Hi,

I'm a relatively new LPN (feb 2004) My sister in law started out an LPN and is now an RN (associates degree) She told me before I started my classes that nursing is a terrible job-but she stays in it for the money and it is the only thing she has experience in. Should I have listened to her?

kellie

avlis · Sep 16, 2006

Why don't you consider psych nursing instead of going for a psych degree. In order to become a pychologist, you will need at least a master's and won't be making any more money than an RN. You've already started nursing, so just use that and advance yourself up. You can later get your masrers in nursing and become a mental health nurse practitioner and you will make way more than a psychologist with the same amount of education. Or if you want to go the business route, you can finish nursing, then go on and get a masters in nursing or an MBA and go into administration. You can become a chief nursing officer if you have a masters, its a 9-5 M-F job that pays over 100,000/year. You have already invested time and money into nursing, I was in the same place you are but you have to realize that your opportunities are endless as a nurse. Don't think that by getting your RN, the only opportunity you have is bedside nursing. You can work for an insurance company for example or a doctor's office. Also since you just started nursing, you probably only know med-surg nursing. I, too, hated med-surg but I loved OB/Peds. You just have to find your niche. While in the nursing program, you will go through Peds and Psych. In psych nursing, you basically give meds and talk to patients, there is no psychomotor things to do like foleys or wounds. Its a much less physically demanding area of nursing. So, finish nursing and then go on to something else. Your nursing degree will not be a "wasted" degree, you can use it anywhere. Also since you said you like health jobs, there are many advanced degree options in nursing such as clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, and the best one in my opinion, nurse anesthesia. You can find out more about these careers on these forums. You can even go on to medical school after nursing, it will be a lot easier for you to get in, that's for sure. So, I say finish nursing, you have many options.

leslie :-D · Sep 16, 2006

i agree that you should quit nursing now, if you're certain that it is what you don't want. but first, you need to explore the many avenues that nursing offers.

attend a 4 yr college- you won't have to decide on a major until your junior year.

but as for a cushy salary and status, a college degree is where to start.

you can always get a degree in healthcare administration, ensuring quality services to those in need.

i hope you find and pursue your hearts' desire.

leslie