Not sure if Nursing is right for me

[vwbeetle]

Hi everyone,

Can anyone feel free to comment on my thoughts below?

Despite almost everyone around me discouraging me to go into Nursing, as we all know it is a very demanding profession, I still insisted and registered for pre-requisite courses a year ago. My grades were nearly 100; I also started volunteering at a local hospital to see how Nurses spend their days at their jobs. This spring, I got accepted to a local Nursing program, and I applied for loans & bursaries; registered for Fall courses. All there is left for me, is to start the semester.

However, I discovered allnurses.com not too long ago, and I honestly wish I knew about this site last year.

Now I clearly see how demanding this job is; Nurse bullying, getting physically & verbally attacked & abused by patients, MDs not appreciating you, colleagues back-stabbing, on top of long working hours and possible physical injuries (back problems, I hear), lack of support in the team, being set-up for a failure, risk of having your license revoked...etc.

OMG, I have to admit that I truly admire current nurses out there.

I'm almost on the point of just forgetting about this career, despite the fact that I've invested so much time & work to get into this program.

Why? I'm 38 y.o. right now and if, after graduating from the school several years from now, I feel I cannot handle this job, I think I'd be really really depressed after all that investment I would have made.

It seems like the nursing shortage is temporarily being resolved by the newly grads until they cannot handle their first new job anymore and then the hospitals go for another batch of newly grad nurses.

Why else is there a nursing shortage??

Not only that, the hospital where I volunteer, I can clearly see that the nurses don't look happy at all. All of them look extremely stressed out. Some of them are very unfriendly that I prefer to avoid them. Can you imagine if I were to work with them? Thank god I'm only a volunteer.

From what I've observed, the school life as a nursing student and actually nursing life once you get your license seems completely different, am I right? At school, you make friends and you build a good study group, etc. From what I've been reading here, forget about nursing friend or colleagues once you start working, since there seems to be an endless backstabbing and bullying in this field, given it's mostly women.

Why did I choose nursing as my 2nd career?

a. When I was in high school, MedSchool was my goal. Didn't make it. Long story.

b. I've always been interested in health / science / doing researches.

c. Each time I was well accomodated by healthcare professionals, I've always longed to be part of them, making difference in other people's lives. Now, I think I wasn't realizing how those healthcare professionals interact among themselves, versus how they interact wth patients. That's also different, right?

d. Of course, I've been longing for a stable & mobile career; sth I can pursue for the rest of my life.

This, also, may not the reality, since I've been hearing about how a lot of nurses get back injuries after long years in this field.

Please feel free to honestly comment on my thoughts.

Yes, I think I'm a really coward, at this point and a zero self-confidence....2 months before school starts.

[ChuckeRN, BSN, RN]

Most online forums concentrate on the negative aspects of the topic. Really, how many people post how the grateful smile of a patient brightened up their day? Not very many.

Why not search out the thread about why people got into nursing? That might give you a more positive outlook on nursing and balance out all the negativity you've read on AN.

Also, there are so many different aspects of nursing that anyone can find their niche. It's not all bedside care or dealing with doctors who treat you like dummies.

[Purple Scrubs RN]

I am you but fast forward 3 years exactly. I just finished school and passed my boards. I just turned 42. It was a lot of hard work but it's the first thing I've found that I love to do. I have no regrets. Because I did work in healthcare during school (very part time because nursing school is consuming and I have a family) I was able to move right into an RN job where I work in LTC. I've just started to try to land a hospital job. I guess I'd tell you this, if it interests you and you enjoy it, go for it. From what I've seen here it's the people with no CNA experience that have a harder time getting that first job. I can't speak yet for the profession as I'm a newbie. Best of luck to you!

[himilayaneyes]

Sorry to hear that you feel this way. Nursing truly is a rewarding career..it's just that most days it doesn't feel that way. Every now and then, you get a patient that makes you remember why you became a nurse. Plus, you have to realize that this is a site where nurses come to vent. Not to mention nursing is a job...not too many people are happy all the time with their jobs...but it pays the bills. Plus, it sounds like you may just have the pre-nursing jitters...you've already invested so much time and effort with your pre-reqs. You say you're 38 and you don't want to waste your life. You'll turn 40 eventually whether you finish nursing school or not...so why not go for it. Best of luck.

[OhmyimgoingtobeaRN]

Well I feel like the reason why there are nurse bullies is because these older nurses see new young nurses and want to stressed them out and give them a hard time for them to leave. They are scared for us young nurses to take their jobs. And many of these new nurses are very young and don't know how to handle this in the work place.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Well call me Susie Sunshine! I love my job and look forward to going back and doing it all over again the next week.

Do I have bad days? Of course I do. Does the guy that works at Microsoft have them too? Yes, he does!

Would I choose nursing if I had to do it over again? I most likely would. I can't imagine not doing this profession. I'm proud to be an RN.

Just for the record, you do run into bullying pt's that would love to take a smack at you, but many in my life are old and confused and don't know any better. Those that do know better are thankfully far and few between.

Don't know what is up with your co workers, but again, all floors are different. Some are very tight. I happen to work with some exceptionally nice people. Is their gossip and occasional backstabbing? Yeah, I hear it, but other jobs do that as well. As long as there are more than 2 people in a room you will have gossip.

If this is something that you want to do, then ignore the message boards and go study instead.

[loriangel14, RN]

You need to remember that nurses come here to vent to others that know where they are coming from. Having a bad day or being frustrated by something does not mean that we don't love what we do.ChuckeRN is right, we don't post when we've had a good day.I too went back to school at 38 and I love what I do.It is stressful at times but I am a member of a great team and I work with some great doctors.I love caring for patients and seeing them get better or supporting them during their final journey.

No one can decide if this is for you except you.Best of luck.

[jlpsu]

I am glad you posted this as I was worried about the same thing a few weeks back. I am just starting this process and won't go to nursing school until next fall, but I am starting my science courses now. And I, like you, are in my late 30's (39).

Then I happened upon a thread asking why anyone becomes a nurse if this ( meaning what they read on AN) is how nursing is? A very astute nurse replied that AN is where people come to vent after a bad day...to be around people who understand. Few people need the 'community' of AN when things are going great. So the posts are skewed towards the negative. Look for the thread about the funniest thing a patient said or did... And you will see that a lot of people still love this job... Frustrations aside. If this is a second career for you, then you also know that EVERY job has it's frustrations. Some of the negative posts are also from very young nurses for whom this is their first job. Real life, for any of us, isn't always what we dreamed...but that doesn't make it any less good. Just goodmin different ways.

My mother was a nurse for 40 years, and the single most influential reason why it's taken me this longnto decidento follow my dream of nursing is that she always talked me outnof it when I'd bring it up. So I went forward with second place dreams and earned two bachelors degrees AND a real estate license! I finally decided enough is enough I'm going to go to nursing school. I was worried about telling my mom, but when I did tell her, she said I would make a great nurse! She said its hard, but very rewarding. I can say at least I will be more prepared for the frustrations than someone who came into the field blind. And so will you, from reading AN.

It is what you make it. Some people are never happy...others love their job and have a bad day and come here to vent...either way, the posts are generally going to be skewed towards the negative, even if the day to day experience isn't such.

I'd search a few more of the lighthearted threads ifi were you. There are some fabulous people here :-). I hope I get to work with some of them someday!

[hosta]

I think you are wise to be comtemplating your decision so thoroughly. I am pursuing nursing as a second career, and I had doubts at this time last year -- just before starting my first year of nursing school. I'm going on to second year in the fall, and I absolutely love it. Yes, I'm one of the "mature" students, and yes, I share some of your concerns. But, despite my reservations, this is the best decision I could have made! I hope that you will find, like I did, that after analyzing the pros and cons, the benefits of pursuing nursing will outweigh your doubts. I don't know what the future holds, but I believe we make the best decisions we can, given all the information we have at the time. Given that you are carefully considering yours, you won't go wrong.

Best of luck to you!

[vwbeetle]

Thank you all of you, for such a quick response and most of all, for reminding me the positive side of the aspect in Nursing.

Gosh, I feel like such a loser right now.

I'm actually not worried about the years i'll be in nursing school, and in fact, I think it will be a lot of fun.

It's the life after finishing the school that scares the crap out of me; especially when I read about newly grads quitting or getting canned from their 1st employment. Most of them appears to be the consequence of not enough time in training.

To tell you the truth, I left a job in the past within 2months due to the same reason. They wanted a junior person and promised they will train me. (not nursing). The so-called "manager" was a classical office bully; at one point, I went to the washroom crying. Luckily, she helped me get my unemployment, but each time I read nurse bullying, I can totally relate to my previous experience. It's just that, in nursing, it seems like the entire hospital & HR are ready to gang up on you like some mafioso at anytime.

As long as I find the correct niche, once I'm done with school, I am confident that I will do well; just the nurses who say they love their job. It would be my dream-come-true deal, since I naturally enjoy helping others and at times, going out of my way.

I interact with patients at the hospital as a volunteer, and I can see how this can be the most rewarding job. On the otherside, I've seen some tough patients where nurses told me to stay away from them and call the nurse aids to look after instead.

I'm definitely interested in the ER (I thrive in those environment), pediatrics, oncology, orthopedics, and med-surgical units.

If I end up in a wrong area in Nursing, I can see myself packing and running towards the hospital emergency exit not looking back. (a bit exaggerated but I'd not hesitate to leave that job, if I see that I don't fit in.)

Anyhow, I wish there's a fortune-teller with a crystal ball who can very honestly tell me which direction to go from now on.

[RN58186]

I remember during my first year of nursing school thinking "What the heck have I gotten myself into?" But now, 23 years later, I love nursing and can never imagine doing anything else. I walked into an area I loved right out of nursing school and am still in it. Is it hard work? Absolutely. Are there awful days? Definitely. But the good things? The 3 year old little girl who came up to me the day her dad was discharged following his kidney transplant with a box of donuts and held it out to me and said "Thank you so much for looking after my daddy." The patient who looked at me and said "You've always been my best friend here", and when she died in her obituary her family thanked everyone who had looked after her "especially nurse Renee". The wife who came in at 0600 to see her non-responsive palliative pt, and realizing I had taken the time to shave him during the night, game me a big hug and thanked me for doing it and said "He would have been appalled at how he looked". Visiting with the wife of a pt who had died a few months earlier on my shift and she told me "He said he could go that day because you were working. He wanted to have someone around him that he knew and loved when he died." I now work in an outpatient clinic, and last week one of my pts was in for a clinic appt and he gave me a big hug and said "I have the absolute best nurse ever". The pts who remind me that they want to hear from me and only me that thier tests are okay. The doctors who work with me and take the time to teach me new things, who ask our opinion about what treatment might be best, who trust our judgement totally and give us some autonomy to take care of patients within our scope of practice and don't question our decisions. The doctor who, when I suggested a med change so that a pt could avoid some side effects, told me it was a "good call". I work with a phenomenal team of nurses, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers, clerical staff and doctors. We have some difficult pts, but they are by far the minority. I could go on and on about why I love nursing. But the best advice is to follow your heart and find your niche. You do great I am sure!!

[NSGstudent12]

I am in school and will graduate in a few months..I actually always knew i wanted to work in the health care field but NEVER thought i could be a nurse! In fact, when i told my mother i was going for nursing she laughed and said "You? Your stomach is too weak to be a nurse!" I decided to go into it not knowing if I was gonna like it or not. I absolutely love it! I love my clinicals and could not believe i thought in the past theres not way in heck i could be a nurse! I get faint at someone just mentioning how bad there pain is, and blood made me queezy. Once i started i was surprised at how fast i latched on and enjoyed it.

On another note, I have been a pharmacy tech for almost 7 years in retail. NO MATTER WHERE YOU WORK there is a chance you will have co-workers who are going to stab you in the back, try to sabotage you or make you wanna quit. I have had alot of experience with this. Nursing is not "privelaged" to this ha. If you work with mainly women you are more than likely to experience this. I know that 99% of ppl that i know hate there job for more than one reason, i mean its a job right? The difference with nursing is that you may hate your job most of the time, but when u do something that saves someone or that helps them out just a little and you get thanked for it and appreciated it's all worth it.

I know i am not a nurse yet, but I look forward to the day I will be. I hope this helps! Best luck to you in your journey!