So like the title says, somewhat of a midlife crisis going on right now. I'm going to give a bit of background and want your opinion on anything and everything that comes to your mind. I have always thought I wanted to be a nurse. I was always told by family that it is excellent pay and job security. I was great at school, so I went for it. I never really knew what else I should do anyway so I think I just headed to where I was being led. I love psychology but know that it is difficult to make a living with a BA in psych so I think I just defaulted to nursing.
I currently work as an EMT running 911 calls and love it. I quit my phlebotomy lab job because I didn't like being cooped up in a hospital and honestly, hated seeing the same patients for weeks at a time and it was so repetitive. I also saw the rude patients that treated their nurses like butlers and it bothered me so much. In EMS, no two calls are the same and it's great and if I didn't have to be a FF to run 911 as a medic, that would've been plan A after gaining the EMS experience that I have.
That being said, I'm already in a nursing program and now am suddenly having second thoughts. I'm now thinking I want to make prosthetics and orthotics but that requires a general bachelor's(which I don't have) to enter into a master's program. I don't want to take this clinical spot from someone who really wants it because I really wanted it at one point and would honestly hate to hear someone saying what I am right now. I always said I would get my 2 years experience then head to a CCT transport company because I do like working in a rig but honestly, 2 years doing tele sounds like torture at this point. No offense to tele nurses whatsoever, I have the utmost respect for literally every type of nurse, tele just doesn't seem like my cup of tea but seems like everyone starts there.
I have friends who have graduated nursing school and said clinicals were torture. They said you're simply a patient mover and cleaner and you don't actually practice most anything you learn (they were at a Level 1 trauma center so it's not as if they just didn't have opportunities). I don't want to go through nursing school just to be a jaded nurse since I'm already a "salty" EMT. I want to help people but only cleaning and catering to someone all day sounds like torture, it's just not my vision of nursing I once had now that I've been exposed to hospitals throughout a few counties.
So here's my question:
Am I wrong? Am I missing the entire point of being a nurse? I'm not sure what changed but suddenly, I just don't have the passion I thought I once had. I still have 2 years left in the program because it just started in May. I know there are other options to nursing such as clinics, and informatics and whatnot, but it seems like everyone has to start in Tele for experience(for example). I used to have anxiety about never getting into a program and now that I'm in one, I want to change gears and it's scaring the hell out of me. I don't want to throw away everything I've worked so hard for but I also don't want to push myself through a program that isn't for me. Has anyone else experienced this? Are these doubts and hesitations normal? Did you end up changing gears or sticking it out? Or has anyone started in another field and switched completely? I know everyone has doubts about their abilities and I know I am fully capable of being a nurse but has anyone ever doubted that this is the right career for them?
I'm only 22 so I'm still young and have time but it still freaks me out that I have friends with their career set up already and now I'm thinking about changing gears completely. I also don't want to be living at home and practically paycheck to paycheck forever.
Sorry for the rambling, I'm just kind of freaking out over here.
Yeah no high horse over here. I've had my share of horrific patients and whatnot from EMS. I think I've just been exposed to it already so I'm not quite all rainbows and butterflies like some people who have no idea what nurses really do on a day to day basis. I know what they do, utmost respect. They keep the hospital running but I'm just not sure I can do all the grunt work that should be allocated to CNAs and LVNs but isn't unfortunately.
I want to be a nurse, not a glorified CNA especially if I go to school for 2+ years for it. I know there's upward mobility and that's what I'd want but I think just doing the footwork until then might not be what I'm looking for. I know you have to put effort into everything to get a reward, but having veteran family and friends and having gone through surgery and needing advanced knee braces, I think I may have just diverted my healthcare passion to another field..
Specializes in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
Midlife crisis?! You're only 22
If you go back and really read your topic and responses to the other posters, you will find that you answered your own question. That being said, you are really questioning nursing and seem to be proposing a lot of cons of nursing. So, don't do it. Good luck on your decision, but it'd be great if you finished out as an RN!
If you go back and really read your topic and responses to the other posters, you will find that you answered your own question. That being said, you are really questioning nursing and seem to be proposing a lot of cons of nursing. So, don't do it. Good luck on your decision, but it'd be great if you finished out as an RN!
Thank you so much. I know I'm only 22 but seeing all my friends graduating college and moving on really makes me think if I should just push through. It was my passion since HS so now thinking about quitting is terrifying me.
Lev, MSN, RN, NP
4 Articles; 2,805 Posts
I think you have to get off your high horse and keep an open mind.
If you can't do that then you don't belong in the nursing profession. Cocky ER nurse or not.