Male considering career change seeks advice

[Lake201]

Considering a career change to nursing, I have been reading this site for a while. While I have been impressed by the experience of the nurses posting here, I have not found the combination of information I personally need. So I thought I would reach out for some of your incredible experience.

Are my impressions of nursing correct?

I am an older, married male with young children who has been working in technology businesses. I have undergraduate and MBA degrees. While I enjoy any work, the experience of children has changed me. Nursing seems a more significant work. And it seems a work available just about anywhere, nice for me, since I live in a fairly rural area.

What exactly do nurses do during a shift?

I am thinking here of hospital floor nurses, but I would appreciate hearing from any nurses. When I read posts on this site, nurses usually speak in general terms, like "charting," "giving meds," and "checking vitals," that don't translate as clearly to me, someone who has never done these things.

Is nursing physically demanding? Dangerous to family?

I'm in very good shape physically, but I haven't had to be on my feet for long periods in a long time. Also, I probably don't have the bullet-proof resistance of a veteran nurse. Would I expect to be sick for the first few years of nursing? Would I bring home conditions and illnesses that would create health problems for my family?

Are my nursing career interests appropriate?

Though I don't have your experience to define these interests, I would probably choose to do hospital medical-surgical nursing for a while. Later, I would probably enjoy doing nurse management or administration. I might possibly be interested in case management or hospital administration. I would probably have difficulty with pediatric nursing over the long term because it involves seeing children suffer. Like any male, I might not be appropriate for maternal nursing. And since it is specialized and probably would require working in a larger city, I might not select psychiatric nursing.

What would be the best training for me?

A community college not far away offers an ASN. That program would require a commute, the lightest course load, and just under two years to complete. A large state university in a city slightly farther away offers a second-degree BSN and MSN, neither of which assume nursing background. The second-degree BSN would require a longer commute, heavier course load, and greater cost but, surprisingly, a semester less in time to complete. The second-degree MSN would require that longer commute, even heavier course load and even more cost and time. Finally, the state university offers both practice and research doctoral programs, which would allow me to do teaching and research, which I like, but which would take me away from my family for more time, though the example of my work might be good for the kids.

What is nursing academic work like?

In glancing through nursing textbooks, I see the material is very information rich, and the books are very large. The material is not usually tied up with a few conveneint formulas or concepts but is very detailed, much different than previous subjects I've studied. How much does one have to memorize to be able to do well on the NCLEX-RN? Everything and the whole book. In reading through NCLEX-RN prep books, I do fairly well on questions, though I have no nursing background beyond common knowledge about medicine and certainly know that does not reflect any ability to think like a nurse or perform nursing duties.

Finally, how might I be treated as an older male nurse?

Would I be isolated from my colleagues. Are male nurses considered unsual today, as they might have been in the past?

Please feel free to address any of the questions I've raised. I would deeply appreciate your valuable experience as I think about this issue, which is important to me and my family right now. Thank you very much.

[nyapa, RN]

There are more males coming into nursing. There needs to be, to balance things out. After all, society isn't just made up of women. Also, age has nothing to do with it. Most nurses are mid 40s.

Nursing is a heavy profession. And its not 'clean'. You have to deal with things that most ppl never see. But you also deal with the human behaviours and sensitivities as well. Its not just vitals, and notes, and medications. Nursing is ppl...

My favourite comment is that nursing can be very satisfying when you watch someone going home in control of their life, despite the fact they may be dying. I think that is why many of us do the job.

[Shan Dannon]

while I am most likely half your age(21), I am MALE, and have worked on a med/surg floor as a PCA (Patient care Assistant, fancy name for nurse's aide) float (I move all over the hospital, wherever they need me for that day) for over 2 years. I got so good at it that I was asked to float to the cardiac/tele unit, and then to ICU and even ER! Wow what a job! I am a BSN student (4 year) in the second year of the 4, and It's just starting to get challenging for me. Working in the hospital while going to school has been invaluble. I taught half my clinical class how to change an occupied bed, and wash a patient, which is all reflex to me.

My humble advice to you, get a good idea what you are getting yourself into, pick an ACCREDITED school (I hope you know that already), then just go for it, and dont look back, I have had many bouts of doubt about if I'm doing the right thing, but it was all just jitters. I love my job, and can't wait to get to really help people. Any more questions, just ask.

Dan

[CABG patch kid, BSN, RN]

Many good posts here!

Well my 2cents, for what its worth: Based on your background, I'd say go with the BSN since you are interested in going into administration in the future, you should just save yourself some time and do the BSN now. As far as an entry level Master's program, sorry if I offend anyone, but in my area they are bad news. People are eligible to take boards (NCLEX) halfway through, but many hospitals won't hire them because they don't "technically" have a degree in nursing until they finish the whole program. Then, when they are finished, they will have a heck of a time finding a job as a floor nurse if they are demanding MSN salary for an entry level position. My nursing school just did an that program to "grow their own instructors", as one person put it.

Anyway, sorry for my tangent Good luck in whatever you decide to do and keep asking questions!!!

[Lake201]

Hi, I haven't worked at the bedside in almost 5 years now but I am 100% positive that the basics have not changed. This is based on a shift on a busy med-surg floor. Here is what usually happens in a shift:

1. You get your assignment of patients. Depending on the day of the week, the facility, the number of available nurses and the shift this can vary from 4-9 patients. It is also supposed to depend on the acuity(the difficulty of the care) of the patient but in the 12 years that I worked at the bedside in several different hospitals, that was never considered.

2. You get report on these patients. Report consists of the diagnosis, date of admission, treatments you will perform and all pertinent medical and social history of the patient. Report may be taped or it may be face to face.

3. You assess your patients and their needs. From here on out, it depends on your preference and what works for you. I used to make quick rounds on my patients, introduce myself and visualize them so I know what is ahead of me for the shift. This is also a good time to note whether or not the patients you have inherited are dead or on lying on the floor. You want to get that out of the way as soon as possible. You then check their charts for orders, go over their med sheets to see what meds they need and when, review labs and verify treatments. You organize your shift from there.

4. Next you do a physical assessment of your patients. This involves listening to their heart and lungs, assessing their mental status, their skin integrity and any mobility issues as well as a targeted assessment depending on their diagnosis.

5. The remainder of the shift is spent giving meds, performing treatments(dressing changes, NG tubes insertion and maintenance, Foley care, IV therapy, reassessing their status), and coordinating care with other members of the healthcare team(pharmacy, physical therapy, social work, respiratory therapy, dietician, etc.) You are constantly assessing and reassessing your patients: diet intake, urine and bowel output, mental status, home needs, family issues, tolerance and effectiveness of meds, progress of mobility and many, many other things.

6. You write down most of the things you do and observe and report to physicians and other members of the healthcare team as necessary.

7. During this time you may be constantly admitting and discharging new patients or post-ops.

7. After 8 or 12 hours, you hand it off to the next nurse.

This of course is only a small window into a day in the life of a nurse. I hope that helps.

Sharon,

Thank you for your very nice post in response to my questions. You provided a really nice description of a hospital floor nursing shift. You're a good writer.

Thank you again.

Lake

[Lake201]

After posting this question, I have been fortunate to receive some great information from each of these nurses. Please join them in sharing your great experience on these questions with me.

Thank you very much.