Male secretary considering nursing school

[u235]

I've been scrapping through most of my "professional" career as a male secretary after graduating from community college in 1995 and at age 35 considering nursing. My mother was a nurse and my girlfriend of ten years is a nurse as well. My written and verbal skills are fairly good, however, not spectacular, and my study skills are probably a little rusty. Sometimes I do get a little scatter-brained and feel my short-term memory could be better. For example, I have problems remembering six or seven new first and last names read off to me rapid-fire and repeating them back. I usually have to write them down and so forth. My main concerns: a) will I be able to handle the course load and b) will I be able to handle the pressure of managing several patients at once. My goal is a stable, flexible job that allows me to move around, make a little more money and get a little more respect among friends and family. (Of course going from one "female" job to another "female" job is probably good for a few laughs at family reunions. Especially considering I'm not gay.)

Being a secretary has trained me to be attentive and considerate to the needs and requests of others, but deep inside I do not have a strong desire to help others in need or come to their aid, but I'm not against it. Although I think I can do the job of attending to patient needs.

Should I become a nurse?

[Retired R.N.]

I've been scrapping through most of my "professional" career as a male secretary after graduating from community college in 1995 and at age 35 considering nursing. My mother was a nurse and my girlfriend of ten years is a nurse as well. My written and verbal skills are fairly good, however, not spectacular, and my study skills are probably a little rusty. Sometimes I do get a little scatter-brained and feel my short-term memory could be better. For example, I have problems remembering six or seven new first and last names read off to me rapid-fire and repeating them back. I usually have to write them down and so forth. My main concerns: a) will I be able to handle the course load and b) will I be able to handle the pressure of managing several patients at once. My goal is a stable, flexible job that allows me to move around, make a little more money and get a little more respect among friends and family. (Of course going from one "female" job to another "female" job is probably good for a few laughs at family reunions. Especially considering I'm not gay.)

Being a secretary has trained me to be attentive and considerate to the needs and requests of others, but deep inside I do not have a strong desire to help others in need or come to their aid, but I'm not against it. Although I think I can do the job of attending to patient needs.

Should I become a nurse?

Some day, maybe, but not just yet! You deserve a career that really excites you, and I don't get the feeling from what you write that you are getting that kind of challenge right now from nursing.

[brewerpaul]

I'd say nursing may not be for you, especially when you tell us you "do not have a strong desire to help others in need or come to their aid". You're dealing with peoples LIVES here, and you owe it to them to give it your all. If you don't have that strong desire, it will come across to the patient even if you do the technical skills perfectly. This is not a criticism of you, just a comment on how well nursing might or might not suit your personality.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I agree a desire to help others is inherent in nursing. Otherwise you're just doing tasks and collecting a paycheck. You need that empathetic edge to be a good nurse, so that when someone calls you for aid you really want to do it, rather than go through the motions for the money. Consider it carefully. Mind you, there's nothing wrong with going into nursing to improve your lot in life, lots of people do.

I don't think I could remember seven names told me to in rapid succession. That's not a skill you need for nursing school.

[p.allen3]

There are some things you can learn - empathy isn't one of them. it has to be inherent in your character. Unless your feelings are genuine, no amount of calculatingly delivered soothing words will help - and believe me patients can tell the difference!

[Katnip, RN]

I've got to agree with the above. It doesn't sound like your heart's quite in nursing. Even though I don't think of nursing as a "calling" fo me, you still have to have that desire and drive to help others or you'd never be able to put up with it.

If you're looking for a stable career and would like to keep it in the medical arena, how about radiology? You generally take one patient at a time, have brief contact with most of them, and the pay is not bad. They're also very much in demand in most areas of the country. You'll still have to learn to deal with people and their illnesses and injuries while you're doing x-rays, sonos, CT scans, etc.

In hospitals rediology techs work the same kind of hours nurses do, but there are a lot of outpatient facilties that hire as well.

Just a thought.

[nursesaideBen]

I agree with the other posters. If you don't have the passion to help others nursing isn't for you. Like the previous poster said, maybe you can go into another health care related field, medical technology, medical transcriptionist, phlebotomist, etc