2nd semester in RN program, ready to quit.

Happified. · Feb 22, 2011

Change your major.

illuminati88 · Feb 22, 2011

What is it about clinicals that you don't like? Instructors? Students? Staff? Maybe patient care? It's your second semester you might as well finish the last few steps, you are so close! If ER sparked your interest then maybe nursing isn't the issue but rather the area you work in. But if you are REALLY dreading nursing then there is no sense in putting yourself in a career that you aren't happy with.

Undecided. · Feb 22, 2011

I really dislike an instructor, she was particularly rude to me today. And patient care, I just find it boring to pass out meds like a mad women, maybe do some baths or dressing changes, and then catch up on charting. This is all I've really seen so far though, so I am sure it's different other places. I also went to the OR and really dislike it.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Feb 22, 2011

I really dislike an instructor, she was particularly rude to me today. And patient care, I just find it boring to pass out meds like a mad women, maybe do some baths or dressing changes, and then catch up on charting. This is all I've really seen so far though, so I am sure it's different other places. I also went to the OR and really dislike it.

The great thing about nursing is their are so many areas you can pursue, You don't have to do med/surge nursing. You can do ER nursing, you can do Jail nursing, or an area that sparks your interests more. I got to see and do a lot more in my second year of nursing school than I did my first year.

Mike R, ADN, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2011

There are several choices outside of Acute Care that you can get into that doesn't involve "passing out meds like a mad woman". You could work at a school, private practice, social work, hospice, etc. etc.

If nursing care really isn't for you, there's TONS of other opportunities in the medical field. Respiratory therapy, Xray, Ultra Sound, Nuc Med, Dietary, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, Cardiology Tech; the list is endless!

In the end, only do what truly makes you happy.

NICURN2013 · Feb 22, 2011

If you've only been in clinical a short time and you're unhappy with an instructor I'd say stick it out. If ER was interesting to you then I'm guessing (I'm also a student) when you're in a more advanced clinical setting you'll find it to be more interesting. There's a lot of clinical left for you; psych, peds, OB, ICU... Maybe there's something that's just right for you that you haven't found yet.

Really, only you can know if it's nursing you don't like or if it's just this one semester.

GOOD LUCK! :)

tokidokifantasy · Feb 22, 2011

I really dislike an instructor, she was particularly rude to me today. And patient care, I just find it boring to pass out meds like a mad women, maybe do some baths or dressing changes, and then catch up on charting. This is all I've really seen so far though, so I am sure it's different other places. I also went to the OR and really dislike it.

what is it about OR that you disliked?

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Feb 22, 2011

what is it about OR that you disliked?

I am not the OP but I also can't stand the OR. I just can't stand standing there. Or how "sterile" the environment was. I mean I totally get why. I have had many surgeries myself. But it's just not my cup of tea. I also couldn't stand how crude the doctors got. I mean I am not some prude, I have had patients that I had to vent about. But they were constantly making fun of peoples bodies and stuff. It took all my might not to chuck a scalpel at one of the docs.

ImThatGuy, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2011

Well it's my 2nd semester in a BSN program but I am really thinking maybe nursing isn't for me. I love reading about patho, A&P, and I made all A's in my science classes. But I dread clinicals. Like I can't sleep beforehand, I am miserable while there, and countdown the minutes until I get home. I also have only done med/surg. I did spend a day in the ER and found it really interesting. I am so far in I don't know what to do. ....I honestly picked nursing because I wanted to have a job when I graduated college with decent pay, and I love medicine. My friends think I am more the physician type, but I really don't want to stay in school that long, nor do I want the responsibility. Any advice would be wonderful!

**Negative Post Alert**

I'm in a similar boat. I have a science degree, taught science for about a year and a half, worked part-time as a paramedic for a while, got interested in something entirely different, and I've been doing that for a while. I chose to go to nursing school. I'm in my second semester as well. I'm often told I should've gone the medical school route also.

Similarly to you, I couldn't care less about total patient care, and I dread being chained to the same patient for an entire day waiting on them hand and foot while listening to them complain. I'm not altruistic enough, I'm not a nurturer, and I'm most assuredly a cynic. I've seen a lot of clinical areas, more as a paramedic student and paramedic years ago than as a nursing student, and the only one of any appeal to me is the emergency department. There, you do something that's interesting. It's more diagnostic since they don't generally come in with a diagnosis. It's medically-oriented, and your patients are generally gone in a short amount of time. The OR is interesting as well, but it's the anesthesia process and the surgical procedure that's interesting. A basic RN can't actually do either of them so that likely won't manifest as a career option. I'd want to cut and sew.

Like you, I also loved A&P (taught that), pharmacology, and I'm in pathophysiology now. Sadly, in that last course not much of it is new material. Frankly, I'd rather be teaching it and assumed going into it that the course would be MUCH more detailed that it is. I thought pharm would be more detailed too, but I was content. My health assessment course was nothing more than a list, and we never got to practice any of it for more than five minutes. I was looking forward to that too. Besides deep tendon reflexes which were given only a cursory glance and an introduction to fundoscopic and otoscopic exams the junior level RN course was no more detailed than my paramedic health assessment course. Sadly, nothing about nursing school is little more than surface skimming which has gotten disappointing. I guess I figured from reading this forum and from hearing other nursing students back when I was in college that because nursing school was "so hard" (and it's far from that to me) that it must be so filled with information. It's not though. The surgical process was three chapters or collectively about 45 pages filled with charts and pictures. Big deal?! Malignant hyperthermia got one paragraph as an example.

I'm just disillusioned lately and am still in class only because it's lame to quit something.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Feb 22, 2011

**Negative Post Alert**
I'm in a similar boat. I have a science degree, taught science for about a year and a half, worked part-time as a paramedic for a while, got interested in something entirely different, and I've been doing that for a while. I chose to go to nursing school. I'm in my second semester as well. I'm often told I should've gone the medical school route also.
Similarly to you, I couldn't care less about total patient care, and I dread being chained to the same patient for an entire day waiting on them hand and foot while listening to them complain. I'm not altruistic enough, I'm not a nurturer, and I'm most assuredly a cynic. I've seen a lot of clinical areas, more as a paramedic student and paramedic years ago than as a nursing student, and the only one of any appeal to me is the emergency department. There, you do something that's interesting. It's more diagnostic since they don't generally come in with a diagnosis. It's medically-oriented, and your patients are generally gone in a short amount of time. The OR is interesting as well, but it's the anesthesia process and the surgical procedure that's interesting. A basic RN can't actually do either of them so that likely won't manifest as a career option. I'd want to cut and sew.
Like you, I also loved A&P (taught that), pharmacology, and I'm in pathophysiology now. Sadly, in that last course not much of it is new material. Frankly, I'd rather be teaching it and assumed going into it that the course would be MUCH more detailed that it is. I thought pharm would be more detailed too, but I was content. My health assessment course was nothing more than a list, and we never got to practice any of it for more than five minutes. I was looking forward to that too. Besides deep tendon reflexes which were given only a cursory glance and an introduction to fundoscopic and otoscopic exams the junior level RN course was no more detailed than my paramedic health assessment course. Sadly, nothing about nursing school is little more than surface skimming which has gotten disappointing. I guess I figured from reading this forum and from hearing other nursing students back when I was in college that because nursing school was "so hard" (and it's far from that to me) that it must be so filled with information. It's not though. The surgical process was three chapters or collectively about 45 pages filled with charts and pictures. Big deal?! Malignant hyperthermia got one paragraph as an example.
I'm just disillusioned lately and am still in class only because it's lame to quit something.

Have you looked into Prison or Jail nursing? I did my cultural project on it first semester and shadowed the med/pass nurse. Today I just did my focus their and worked in the Clinic with the PA. I also love the ER. I love the constant change of pace, the more objective nursing. The jail is just like that. In the jail pain is what the patient can prove, inmates are not catered too, it is always changing and always interesting.

Anyway, just throwing that out there. Our local jail the staff have a really good relationship with the director of medical, the deputies and with each other. Downfall to that, their is hardly any turnover so job openings are rare.

tokidokifantasy · Feb 22, 2011

I am not the OP but I also can't stand the OR. I just can't stand standing there. Or how "sterile" the environment was. I mean I totally get why. I have had many surgeries myself. But it's just not my cup of tea. I also couldn't stand how crude the doctors got. I mean I am not some prude, I have had patients that I had to vent about. But they were constantly making fun of peoples bodies and stuff. It took all my might not to chuck a scalpel at one of the docs.

Hi Mi Vida Loca: Thanks for the heads up! I was really looking forward to my clinical in OR as I am fascinated with the whole idea of going into someone's body to "fix" something. LOL!! and I really was debating between OR nurse or Forensic Nurse, since I also love the whole idea of assisting coroner with autopsies, but don't know where to start on that one either. I guess I will just figure it out later. thanks again!