need some insight on if I should become a nurse or not...

hope3456, ASN, RN · May 2, 2014

You are giving off pretty strong vibes that it isn't what you want to do. You are correct that many nurses (not all) are overly stressed. Search thru other posts here on Allnurses and you will get a pretty good idea of the challenges you will face.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · May 2, 2014

Please... use your intelligence and ambition towards a different field .

You have already discovered the hospital environment is not for you. It seems you need direction to find your place.

Talk to school counselors, pursue aptitude testing, etc. Good luck!

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · May 2, 2014

Don't let anyone push you into something you don't want to do - in any area of life. PP's have offered wonderful advice.

Best of luck to you as you move ahead

RunBabyRN · May 2, 2014

I agree, there are a lot of other fields that might be a better fit. Sometimes, it takes awhile to figure that out. I didn't figure out my path until I was about 25, and I'm now 34 and finally graduating with my BSN. Nothing says you have to figure it all out right now.

Think about the things you enjoy doing (not just jobs, but hobbies). Do you like to travel? To what types of destinations? What do you like to do? What do you do in your free time? What is something you've always dreamed of getting into, hobby-wise? Pursue some of those things, and see where they take you. I changed majors several times, and moved a lot. I spent a winter working at a ski resort and it was the best winter of my life. I have SO many incredible memories, and learned so much about myself. Then I moved to a whole new city I'd never visited. It was wonderful! Have adventures and learn about yourself and the world while you can. :)

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · May 2, 2014

Choosing nursing because you "don't know what else to do" isn't enough of a reason to choose it.

Choosing nursing because "everybody says I'd be a great nurse" is REALLY not enough of a reason. Most people who think someone would be a "great nurse" aren't very well versed in what nursing actually entails today.

My opinion? Choose something else, you already know that's what you're thinking anyway.

datalore · May 2, 2014

You mention you have a lot of anxiety - I've been there too, and whatever path you decide to follow, my heartfelt advice to you is you might consider trying to find a way to mitigate your anxiety, if for no other reason than to be kind to yourself. You sound like a really bright, capable individual with tons of potential given what you've already achieved. Any job is going to have high stress, both for you and for your coworkers. Literally every career is going to have those times, and sometimes plenty of it and the people around you will be miserable. As someone who is empathetic, you will get anxious in times like that, whether or not you're a nurse. If you can take away some of anxiety's power to stress you out in those situations, be it through meditation, counseling, journaling, whatever, you'll enjoy each day more fully. I hope that whatever path you decide to follow, it is one that is rewarding to you, and as free of anxiety as possible! I sincerely wish you the best of luck in whatever you do.

LaceElaine · May 2, 2014

You sound a lot like me! I've been in a similar situation. I think the bigger problem is your stress and anxiety. I know exactly how you feel. I have depression, Anxiety and panic disorders. I went through the same thing, thinking that maybe I couldn't be a nurse with all my problems. But I got medical help and am now on a medication that has really helped me. After getting help, I felt much more stable and normal again. Without the anxiety and panic clouding my mind, I was able to finally realize that nursing truly was for me.

I think that your bigger problem might be that you need to get your anxiety under control like a previous poster said as well. Whether you work through it on your own, or get medical attention, I think that should be your top priority. Then you can figure out whether or not nursing is for you. I know first hand how difficult this can be and I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose to pursue!

PG2018 · May 3, 2014

You saw what it's like when you did the CNA rotations. Of note, there's absolutely no reason that you must work as a CNA while you're in school to become a nurse. I didn't (and wouldn't!), and I'd bet greater than 98% of nursing students have never been CNAs.

Clearly, you've seen that it's not the right environment for you. That's ok. Everyone doesn't thrive in that. It's not for me either, but I didn't know that completely until I was in nursing school, committed, and walking away from a satisfying career. I got into nursing with the absolute, express purpose of becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner. Outpatient environments, sitting in a controlled room, without a lot of people running around trying to figure out what they should be doing, phones ringing, no poop lingering in the air, patients sitting orderly in a waiting room, etc is for me. The chaos of a hospital is not, and I'm not remotely ashamed to admit it. Your own sentiment might mirror something like this, and one of the advantages of nursing is that it's very general in nature. You get a minimum amount of education, but you're hired because you have a license. You can then choose your field, get experience in it, and work to meet your goals.

You can be nice, compassionate, and help people without being a nurse, and if you're uncomfortable in your work environment you're not going to be doing any good for yourself or your family. Contrary to the teachings of nursing, you must always put yourself and family ahead of the patient and the employer. Yeah, a lot of people will drop their jaw over that, but I've been taught that by an exceptionally successful leader.

I hope I'm not casting a negative or cynical slant on nursing, but you'll find that you're not alone. Not every nurse likes the rushed, hospital environment. What would YOU like to do? Do you even know yet? If you don't, that's ok. If I could have picked any field and been in it I'd have chosen military aviation and likely a completely different life path. I'm red-green colorblind so I'll never fly anything. In fact, color vision deficiency would have seriously impaired me from doing a lot of things in the military so when I got out of college I went to work. I got a job, worked at it, changed positions but stayed within the same field, picked the elements that interested me, pursued them, and did well for myself. One day I decided to become a nurse. I never had a passion or even remote interest in what's often referred to as "bedside nursing," but I developed an interest in mental health, originating from a number of undergrad psychology courses, so I found the most accessible, most comprehensive mental health field I could penetrate. My research, interests, and readings led me to Psych NP, and the road has been great. I was out of college for eight years, went back for two to pick up the BSN degree and subsequent RN license, worked full-time while in school, and immediately enrolled in grad school pursing the MSN / PMHNP. I'm spent a very unpleasant year in med-surg, and a year to the day later I left it and entered less clinical positions.

Sometimes you can't do exactly what you'd like to do. That's fine too. Pick something else, and if that doesn't work then do it again. You'll find happiness, and you'll find success. Sometimes you just have work really hard to get there, and sometimes it's just a long time coming.

ArtClassRN, ADN, RN · May 3, 2014

"I went into nursing because I honestly didn't really know what else to do."

That doesn't sound like a good reason to do anything, let alone this job.

TriciaJ, RN · May 3, 2014

Honey, you don't need an excuse not to be a nurse. The fact that you're not driven to do it says enough. Life is too short to do anything because you think you should, or because other people think you should. Being smart and kind and empathic does make for a great nurse, but only if that's what you really want to do. Those same attributes can take you all kinds of places that you'd really rather be.

The best attribute to have is to know oneself, but that's tough at 21. You've got lots of time to learn about yourself and discover what you're drawn to. Your life will lead you in the direction you are meant to go. If down the road, you realize you were meant to be a nurse, so be it. Meanwhile, don't rush into anything. You will be great at whatever you end up doing.

direwolf · May 3, 2014

Thank you guys for taking the time to reply to me. I really appreciate it. I will have to make a decision when I get my letter which will be sometime next week... If I did decide to attend the nursing program I don't know how I will magically start loving nursing. I will probably get burnt out really fast. There is still more I want to do before I commit to one career for the rest of my life. I'm an aspiring musician.... I want to travel.... and I love animals more than people... I don't know. I just don't feel I'm ready. :/