Not really sure I want to be a nurse

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I'm taking a cna class and I'm honestly bored. I'm actually happier teaching and learning dance rather then learning about how to care for a resident or patient.

However I do love trauma. My grades and gpa aren't great right now. It's not like I don't study. I study every night but don't take tests well. Even with tutoring. I'm not sure if I have this attitude "since I don't test well I might as well stick with dancing and give up nursing" kind of thing. Maybe nursing just isn't in the cards for me at this time in my life (I'm almost 21). Anyone go through something similar like this? Maybe it's a phase?

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A career such as nursing is not a walk in the park to obtain, especially these days. It takes much determination and maturity to become a nurse. Maybe you are just not ready.

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I am just starting my pre-req's for nursing in the fall...been out if school for 10 years...i was a graphic designer for eight years prior to my new journey of nursing...i honestly would of never thought of going for nursing coming right out of high school ..now that im 30 and married with two kids...i feel more mature about school now then I did in 2003. Don't pressure yourself into a situation when there is thousands of dollars on the line and you aren't ready for the commitment. As long as your happy and your bills are getting paid..do what you want to do. Best of Luck to you!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Telemetry, ER.

Nursing isn't for everyone. And that's ok. I have had many classes I didn't care for, but I still loved nursing and I still wanted to be a nurse. Along the way I have questioned whether I had what it takes, I think a lot of people do too. But if you find that the passion just isn't there, the drive that will keep pushing you forward when you think the road is too hard to go down... then maybe it's not the path you should be traveling. I can say these things because I pushed myself into a career that just wasn't for me. I had already started a different major and it was easier to continue than to start over. Guess what? I got a job and it was ok -- JUST ok. But after a couple of years I couldn't do it anymore. I always regretted that I didn't follow my dream. So after several years, I went back to college and started all over (because I had moved out of state). Take some time to do some soul searching and do what is best for you. Follow you gut instinct.

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It is fine if you do not want to be a nurse... but I think a CNAs role & their work can be very different than a RN's. Maybe shadow a RN & see what you think?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I agree with the posts above. Although, I would get certified as a CNA and try to get into a hospital as a PCT. They have a bit more responsibilities than a LTC CNA. Depending on the Hospital and city, they train you in Phlebotomy and EKG :3 It could also be your professor for your class right now. :/ Again if you don't feel that excitement or thirst for nursing, you may want to wait a bit.

I majored in FILM...then BUSINESS...then finally Nursing. I started college at 19...and now that I'm 24 I finally feel this is really what I have a true passion for. You still have time to decide what you want to do :3 I wouldn't fret about it too much! :D Good luck!

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I'm actually happier teaching and learning dance rather then learning about how to care for a resident or patient.

However I do love trauma.

What makes you think this? My guess is whatever you've seen on television....which is so far from reality, it, well....makes for entertaining TV. You don't know you "love trauma", not by a long stretch.

My grades and gpa aren't great right now. It's not like I don't study. I study every night but don't take tests well. Even with tutoring.

Doesn't bode well. Nursing school requires (in nearly every instance) an excellent GPA, which also demonstrates the ability to test well. You will need to determine what the reason for not succeeding is; you have a tutor and study every night, but you are not doing well. Figure out why that is, and you'll know if you can change things to improve your grades, or if you simply aren't ready for advanced schooling.

If you aren't dedicated, determined, and academically-inclined, I'd have to agree that no, nursing is not in the cards for you. At least not at this time of your life.

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Yea I totally can relate! I knew I wanted to be a nurse but at 19,20,21,22 I was not there. Then by end of 23 I felt like I was ready and I was. I did a fun career for a year and went to school for it for a year prior to this and then I was ready for some intellectual stimulation. I couldn't have done it a minute sooner. You'll know when you're ready! It's okay to wait.

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It is fine if you do not want to be a nurse... but I think a CNAs role & their work can be very different than a RN's. Maybe shadow a RN & see what you think?

More responsibilities and duties should be more rewarding and stressful.

In my IT career, desktop support sucked, but network administration was much better.

After 14 years of that I need a change.

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I can definitely relate to what you're going through. I have tried going to school for so many things in the past 6-7 years and I never could finish a degree because my heart wasn't in it. I even started a school for medical assisting and I hated it! I swore I would never try medical again and I would try business or something different. Finally I came to the decision at 21 when I was pregnant with my daughter that I wanted to be a nurse. I tried so hard to make that dream happen and it didn't. I started school again at 23, but got pregnant with my son. Now that I'm 25, with two kids, and married, I KNOW in my bones this is what I'm meant to do. This is my passion. I have absolutely no questions about if this is right for me, I just know. Like other's have said, you might just not be there yet, or this might just not be for you. Do some soul searching and figure out what you're true passion is. Maybe take some other classes not related to the nursing field, if you can, and see where that leads. If you really enjoy teaching dance, maybe think about opening up a dance studio and start planning for that. Whatever your passion is and whatever you're meant to do will come to you one day, just like it does for all of us! You need to be happy with what you're doing, good luck!

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I am a mother of four school aged children. I have been taking pre requisites over several years. At first I knew I wanted to be a nurse but with the children at some point I had my doubts because I just did not have time in my schedule for children and school and at that time my kids were my number on priority. Now that I am 33 and all of my kids are in school full time I am going to start taking the rest of my prerequisites in the fall . But again maybe a time will come in your life when you will just know whether nursing is for you because I definitely know after all these years that nursing is for me.

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Specializes in ER trauma, ICU - trauma, neuro surgical.

See if you can shadow some different positions. You might get a better idea of the hands-on part of nursing.

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