Nervous about Nursing Career

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Hello!

I am 22 years old (turning 23) and am considering majoring in nursing. I was really for it last year (Spring 2012) but a bunch of issues happened which caused me to drop my classes and now I am enrolled for the Fall 2013 to restart school. I changed my major to Psychology but I really want to do nursing.. I am just scared because of needles and blood. My fiancee thinks I should stick with Psychology due to me freaking out when his dad slices open his finger (which is occasionally since he is a machinist) but I've heard/read that you just 'get over' this. Is this true?

I've always wanted to work in the hospital and would love to be the nurse who works with deliveries and children and the older generation. But I am so nervous about blood and needles and also freak myself out that I'll fail the anatomy and physiology classes needed just to get INTO the program. Does anyone have these issues/fears?

main questions:

  • is it true you 'get over' your fear of needles?
  • did you have big fears about nursing school?
  • is nursing that scary?

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

It is possible to become more comfortable around needles. In school you will learn how to handle them safely and how to give injections properly.Now that's not to say everyone will "get over it". I did but it depends on the person.I didn't have any really big fears about nursing school.The part I dreaded the most? The thought of having to walk into a complete strangers room and enquire about their bowel movements! lol I couldn't imagine doing that. Of course now BMs are a normal part of the conversation.No nursing isn't that scary.You learn things gradually and you get lots of practice with skills. You will surprise yourself with the things you can do.

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Keep in mind that Nursing is not a "major" - it is a "program". This is a very important distinction because it has a profound effect on how the educational process is structured. "Majors" generally require X hours in various areas, but the actual content is not strictly controlled because the outcome is not standardized. You can major in "pre-nursing" to obtain your pre-requisites and general education courses, but then you have to re-apply to be admitted to the nursing program, even if you are continuing in the same college/university.

Nursing education has to have a standardized minimal outcome (mandated by National Council of State Boards of Nursing & accreditation agencies) so that graduates can pass the standardized test for nursing licensure (NCLEX). But, even though the minimum content is standardized, schools can vary widely on exactly how they deliver it & what else they want to include. For instance, a school may have a separate "pharmacology" course or they may integrate the same pharmacology content into other "disease management" courses.... it is completely up to the school. Schools can also have different focus areas & required courses in addition to the mandatory content. As a result, once you enter a "nursing program", you are pretty much stuck. If you decide you want to transfer to another program, is not easy to transfer any courses so you will most likely have to start all over.

Competition for nursing programs remains fierce in most areas of the US. Maybe this will slack off as the public becomes more aware of the truth about lack of jobs. So, even though the minimal GPA in the catalog may be 3.0 - the lowest GPA for students that were actually admitted is likely to be > 3.5. Be sure to check this out so you know where you stand. You will not only have to pass that A & P course, you will have to make an A in order to be a serious candidate for a nursing program.

Everyone has some fear of nursing practice. I'm dreading having to insert a catheter! But the reality is we will be trained. Not everyone excels at every part of nursing but most nurses will tell you to be confident and "fake it 'til you make it".

Once you've completed school you can find the area that fits your skill set best.

I'd recommend first taking the class that you are most afraid of. I was worried I'd fail the required Chemistry prereq, so it was the first class I took when I went to school to pursue nursing. It was difficult, but I worked hard, prayed a lot, and got an A.

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