My family doesn't think Nursing is for me.

Editorial Team / Admin · Oct 17, 2021

Before spending time and money on school, why not work as a CNA first to get a taste of what healthcare is like?

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN · Oct 17, 2021

8 minutes ago, Rose_Queen said:

Before spending time and money on school, why not work as a CNA first to get a taste of what healthcare is like?

Definitely! (I think CNA certification should be a pre-req...)

NightNerd, MSN, RN · Oct 17, 2021

My mom, a nurse herself, told me she didn't see me as a nurse before I went back to school. I considered her thoughts but did it anyway, and I'm doing okay. Families usually mean well but don't always know what's best for us or what we can handle.

Patience is a great asset in this occupation, not gonna lie. Why specifically does your family believe you don't have enough to be a nurse? There is nonsense in every career and job that requires patience. In nursing, I think part of the trick is to find a work environment that you can succeed in. Fortunately there are many to choose from.

I agree with the advice to work as a CNA for a little while before deciding. Even as a unit clerk, patient transporter, something where you'll directly interact with patients - just to get an idea of what to expect.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Oct 19, 2021

On 10/17/2021 at 4:30 PM, Jedrnurse said:

Definitely! (I think CNA certification should be a pre-req...)

I second that emotion! I’ve found that some of the best nurses are those who were CNAs or techs before becoming RNs. (And I’m not gonna lie, I was a hospital CNA and a good nurse, if I say so myself.) We know how tough it is out there and what can reasonably be accomplished during a given shift. Of course, none of that helps when management constantly demands that more and more be done with less and less, but it’s not for a lack of trying.

DavidFR, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 19, 2021

On 10/18/2021 at 1:05 AM, Hunt er said:

I am thinking about starting school soon to go for my ADN, the conversation with my family didn't go well... I was told I don't have enough patients to deal with sick people and they can't see me being a good nurse. I am 29 years old and going back to school after working as a retail store manager.

My question is how did you know Nursing was for you? How will I know it's for me?

This is something I have been interested in for such a long time, specifically Emergency nursing and CRNA, but I don't want to make the wrong decision.

Your family doesn't know what you want as much as you do.

klone, MSN, RN · Oct 19, 2021

At the age of 29, I can't imagine giving a flying *** what my family thinks.

Guest219794 · Oct 19, 2021

On 10/17/2021 at 7:05 PM, Hunt er said:

I am 29 years old

Well, that sums it up.

As far as "knowing it is for me"? Just like anything else, the only way to know is to try it.

Golden_RN, MSN · Oct 20, 2021

Does anyone in your family actually work in a hospital or in health care? I ask because there is a misperception in the public as to what a nurse actually does.

Are they normally supportive or they often naysayers? Could they have negative feelings about you advancing yourself?

PoodleBreath · Oct 21, 2021

If you were able to work as a retail store manager you already have a lot of the skills you need to navigate the world of nursing. It's like working the Christmas rush, just with a lot more body fluids.

Working as a CNA would give you hands on patient care and floor experience and immerse you in the culture of nursing. I think you could really well. Your biggest challenge is setting boundaries with your family.

Rionoir, ADN, RN · Oct 21, 2021

On 10/17/2021 at 6:30 PM, Jedrnurse said:

Definitely! (I think CNA certification should be a pre-req...)

It was at my school. You didn't have to work as a CNA, but you had to either already be a CNA or go through their CNA program, including clinicals, before starting nursing courses. Definitely a great requirement.

K. Everly, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2021

You get to decide what is right for you, and nobody else. Family members can have a myriad of reasons for giving us the advice they do - some of those reasons are pure and justified, some of those reasons are pure and not justified, and some of those reasons are not pure at all.

Example of pure and justified motivation for advice: you have a family member who is a nurse, loves you and really wants what is truly best for you, and think you will hate it. They don’t think the whole nursing profession is a wasteland of despair, just that they think you personally won’t like it.

Example of pure but unjustified motivation for advice: your family member really loves you and genuinely wants what is best for you but they either have never worked in healthcare so they have no idea what being a nurse is actually like, or they are a burned out nurse who hasn’t advocated for themselves and now they are disillusioned with the whole profession.

Example of unpure motivation for advice: your family has a tendency of scapegoating you and gaslighting you, frequently trying to sell you on the bad narrative of you they want you to believe but is unfounded in reality. Or, the family is jealous you’d want more for your life.

If you really want to know if nursing is right for you, talk to some nurses about what the job is really like, and become a CNA for a little while. Being an RN and a CNA are not the same thing, but if you hate being a CNA nursing is probably not a good fit.