Met An Amazing Nurse - Now I'm Considering The Career

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First, I'd like to say that I like in the Tampa, Florida area.

While my friend was in the hospital giving birth to her first child (beautiful baby girl!), we had the most wonderful nurse. She was bouncy and bubbly, moving like a bullet in and around our room where we were crowded in a professionalism that surprised the tar out of me. It was like she was part-comedian, part-nurse. She targeted me in coversation a lot, being that I tucked into the corner afraid of getting splashed with bodily fluids. She looked to me a some point with a smile and asked, "You ever consider going into nursing?" I glanced at the hazardous waste can that was undoubtedly full of the treasures of a bowel movement and shook my head swiftly.

However, I hadn't thought about her for a long while (my friend's child is turning one in September), until I realized that the field I'm pursuing- Psychology - is something that takes a long run if I want to ultimately sit in an office and let people unload their psychological problems onto me. In the meantime- per say - I want to be like that nurse in the hospital that day. I want to help people, ease their pain and make them smile. I want to learn more about the human body so I can help those outside of my work environment, if needed (my best friend's mom provides advice in her everyday life). I'm tired of this half-existence. I want to make a difference to someone.:cry:

I've also been reading these forums for a while and I've noticed that anything in the medical field is not just a part-time thing. It's apparently something that you have to put your whole heart into and I don't know if I should commit myself to that. A doctorate in psychology has always been my path, to stray from it scares the daylight out of me.

So my question is: Where should I start?

I constructed a pretty much nebulous plan. Beginning with becoming certified in HHA/CNA work, I'll start from there, dipping my toes in the medical field for some type of feeling of what I'm getting into. I'm very reluctant to get into CNA work, however.. CNA are quite looked down upon here, being the typical job for an african american female such as myself, and I'd prefer to stay away from the connotations it brings as well as the co-workers who have little interest in the actual care of their patients. Though, I want to in no way sound against it, I was just hoping CNA would be a job title that I could skip over.

From there, I'd like to go into PCT work and eventual land somewhere as a Mental Health Tech..

If there is anyone out there who recognizes my plight, your advice and story would be great appreciated! =):bowingpur

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Your "half existence"? Happens to the best of us. Your longing to help people? Very normal. It's often a long road from where you are NOW to where you want to be. Sometimes, the grass looks wayyyy greener on the other side. But I would really caution putting other things on your to do list for a quick fix. Also, I don't say this negatively. MAYBE you really want to be a nurse.

Where are you now with your education? With at least a Bachelors, there are TONS of oppurtunities to manage group homes and work with people with disabilities. My first job out of college, you may as well say it was CNA work. Changing, feeding, making beds, doing transfers. I gave meds and did inventory on them. I was a resident manager, but really- it was CNA work. It just wasn't at a hospital. So if you're worried about being a CNA, there are ways to get patient experience without being a CNA. You could also volunteer to see if it's something you want to pursue. If you want to talk to and help people, you could volunteer on a hotline. You won't be able to diagnose people, but you can help them.

Basically, I think- sure, you can do everything you said. But it brings you no closer to nursing.. as you still have to go to nursing school. It also brings you no closer to getting a doctorates, as you still need to accomplish that. While all these things are great, you're basically "killing time" to pursue something you're not sure about. Which is not a big deal. Lots of people do it. But can you live with this? What is it that you truly and honestly want to do? Pursue that regardless of the amount of time it takes to get there or I think you'll regret it.

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Thanks a lot for your response! Since this post I've gotten a pretty clear cut path of what I want to do with my life and my career. I don't want to just "kill time" like you said, all of this is to work towards something. It's all about the right steps. I was just worried that I wasn't taking the right ones.

To answer your question, I'm in the last semester of getting my associate's in Psychology, which I have decided to pursue until I've reached my Bachelor's.

Thanks for your words of wisdom! =)

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Thats a big decision you have to make.

I will say this my own personal story starts similar to yours - I had an amazing LD nurse she is now a midwife and has changed my life forever. I never considered nursing and at the time had a fabulous job(office admin). I quit and went back to school full time as a single mom. I work as a CNA and I'm three weeks from my last final. You say you want to avoid CNA work - about working with others that don't care about their patients - well you could be the one that did and you have no idea what an impact that can be on just ONE person. You say it's frowned upon, to me that's judgmental simply in the fact that yes it is the lowest part of the nursing ladder. It's the grunt work, however, the people who receive great CNA care will be grateful to that person and will remember. That's helping someone, that's making a difference in itself.

My goal is to land in a LD unit and eventually be able to do volunteer relief work.

If i can help one person the way my nurse did for myself all of my time away from my son, having no social life and being consumed with school will be worth everything. I want to educate, help, provide for people, I want people I come in contact with to take care of know that they are important and their care is important. Trust me I am bigggg on patient advocacy. (ive been told by social workers of clients I should join their field)

I say just make the decision that is right for you. Even as a nurse there is no 100% guarantee you will not be faced with the possibility of having to do any type of "CNA work"

Good luck in whatever you decide to persue!

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Hi, (not sure if im posting this right)

I want to attend a accelerated BSN program. I am currently entering my senior year this fall at University at Albany in New York and will be graduating with a Human Biology degree in the spring 2013. I was accepted into University of Rhode Island nursing program where I ended up transferring before clinicals started. I have all all of my pre-requisites completed with a C in A+P 1 and 2 ( I know it sucks) B- in statistics, B+ in microbiology, A in psych human development C in chem 1 B- in chem 2 and C in organic. URI didnt curve any grades for nursing students and that is why I have what I have. I will have a year of nursing volunteer work under my belt and a ton of other community service. My overall cumm. GPA right now is a 3.0 but I will hopefully get it up after my senior year. Any recommendations as to what to do to up my chances of getting a program? And any schools that I will have a decent chance of getting into?

Any advice would help because I am freaking out and so nervous!

Thank you so much!

Morgan

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