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.

[Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN]

Like some of the others have stated, many of us come here to vent. I'm one of those nurses who actually loves my job. While I was on vacation a couple of weeks ago, they laughed @ me in the office because I called THREE times to check on the status of my pts. Weird I guess.

I'm very blessed to have some GREAT co-workers. I lost my DH in February and the entire staff showed up for the wake and funeral. I returned to work in April and they have given me a lot of slack. If I'm having a bad day, I go in late or leave early or don't go in at all.

My co-workers and I have a "girls night" once a month. We bring clothes to work to change and go to a nice restaurant for supper and then go to the casino for a bit of gambling or go listen to a band. The rules of our group are simple.....NO talking about work and no complaining. Just a good meal and lots of laughs.

Nursing is what you make of it. Some people wouldn't be happy doing anything. Don't judge your decision about nursing based on some vents. In the end, you are the only one who can make your decision.

[tishluvnc]

I understand what everyone is saying, I also consider myself getting older I just turned 33 and still don't know what I really want to do with my life. All I know is that It has to have something to do with healthcare. It is just something about the health care environment, medical terminology, and human biology that just excites me.

However, I have the same questions and fears that is holding me back. I have been a CNA in home health long enough to graduate with a BA in Sociology. I have to say I get such a feeling of accomplishment providing services to patients that require care. The fact that I make their life a bit more comfortable dispite their genetic disease that prevents them from even scratching their own back.

Being a CNA I love the interpersonal relationships you build in home health. I still hang the stocking up my client knited for me for xmas, even though she pased away a few years back. When I see her family we hug and share smiles. That part of the job doesn't scare me I'm a very humble person.

However, the parts that scare me is all of the horror stories you hear about nursing. However, I do know LPNs at my job who got experience and went back seasoned and got their RN. They don't seem to be running away from their career, they are proud to be nurses and they make a good living. So I constantly have to tell my self to stop fearing the unknown and just try. It just seem like I'm attracted to careers that are "high stressors" my last option is a MSW to become a clinical social worker. Either way the stress is there, hey it's health care. good luck!

[suanna]

No, I would not recomend nursing to someone I cared about right now. When I graduated almost 25 years ago there was a feeling that better days for nursing were right around the corner. Now, with the health care debate and managed care, and hospitals tightening thier belts- nursing is an expensive perk that most health care providers are trying to find a way around. If they aren't yet- they will be. If you are costing the hospital money, and you aren't bringing in new patients, you are not going to get much respect. Nursing missed the boat about 15 years ago before HMOs and managed care drove a knife into the heart of the US health care system. Now you hear about cost containment it is always "what we aren't going to pay for" not "What we are going to do better -cheaper-faster, with fewer complications". Medicare deciding they are not going to pay for post admission UTIs dosen't keep the hospital from having to treat UTIs. Guess where the $ is comming from to pay for that Cipro- Nursing. Now isn't the time to go into Nursing.

[Xauphkamia]

Times are tough and jobs are incredibly scarce.

Go read the current US news - we're about tip over into no-man's land with a double dip recession and who knows what else as our elected officials continue to bungle management of our government.

Nursing is not recession proof.

The room for growth and transition from one area of nursing to another is gone ie if you don't like your current employer you can not easily find another one.

Nurses can be catty and back biting. They can also be honorable leaders and esteemed co-workers and teachers. It's a mixed bag and get what you get.

Nursing is H A R D work both mentally and physically. Many student nurses and pre-req takers might think they understand what that means. But often, they are not prepared even if they have previous medical experience (CNA, phleb, MA, etc).

If you require constant praise or encouragement - nursing may not be the right place for you. Often it is a thankless job for which your only reward, if you are lucky, might be a smile.

Currently our government is about to default on it's debts. In order to stop that there may be tax hikes for all and medicare may be slashed. These things will almost certainly cause jobs in healthcare, particularly nursing where we are over-saturated, to be non-existant.

Lastly - have you considered going on to be a PA or med school? I see everyday MD's are short, PA's are short, PT/OT is short. There are probably tons of other occupations that are in the medical field.

I personally would not wish nursing on my worst enemy. I've worked better minimum wage jobs as a super market checker with more rights and a union.

[jlpsu]

I think job satisfaction depends heavily on why one chose the profession to begin with. If one chose nursing as a career because they believed there was a nursing shortage and good money could be made, then the realities of the job may make less than a favorable impression. However, if one goes into nursing because they WANT to be a nurse...because they believe in helping others, etc...then their perpective may be different.

I've had other jobs and careers....nothing is perfect. I'm also starting this career late in life. I've been a stay at home mother to four kids for 8 years now....so my paycheck isn't exactly 'needed' but will help as my children reach college age themselves. So, I'm not going into nursing for the money. My mom was a nurse..I've heard it all. I know that I will also face realities that will be challenging because hearing about it and living it are two different things. But I was always so proud of my mother for being a nurse and I expect to do as she did. But i don't expect a panacea. I'm old enough to know there is no such thing. Go into it for the right reasons and with the right attitude, and with the ambition to change your direction within nursing if your first job isn't the right fit, and I think you will be fine.

*I am typing this on an iPad in a moving car, so I apologize for any whacky autocorrects*

[SageSarah]

Wow. There have certainly been a lot of replies to this post and I am wondering how the original poster is taking it in. Seems like all perspectives have been represented. Lots of truth and no sugar coating; a good dose of reality.

In your story you relayed how many hurdles you've overcome to get to this point, including going against advice to become a nurse. What is it that pulled you forward to surmount all those obstacles and land you right where you are?

Something did. Something said, "nope, I"m going to do this" and you did!

One of the greatest things I value about nursing, aside from making a difference in someone else's life every single time I work, is working with nurses! Sure we get cranky, and we nah nah at each other, and some of us gossip. But there is no way to share with you, at this point, what kind of a perspective you get on life when you are a nurse. We see things no one else will ever see; we hold people's lives and psyches in our hands; we get a cross section of human life from the stories of our patients that no one else gets. When we communicate with each other, there is a common syntax, and a common understanding you just dont' find anywhere else. You might try to share it with non nursing friends, but it just isnt' the same. So we develop a closeness that you can't describe. There is a knowing look exchanged when two people meet someone and in the introductions you find out you are both nurses. Instant sorority; instant bond.

Without getting too much more long winded...one more thought. You will have no choice but to grow as an individual in nursing. Growth is sometimes painful, and stressful. You might feel like you're being squeezed through a tunnel. Sometimes you feel really alone. Sometimes it's all you can do to get through the next 4 hours. But you are a mature woman; at 38 I'm sure you've had experiences you can look back on now that you know made you a better person. In nursing it is vital to know and care for yourself; set boundaries; learn to laugh at yourself and with your co-workers. It seems daunting now, but try not to let your fear steer your ship. Something pulled you toward nursing; go inside and find that something. That's where your answers are.

[vwbeetle]

SageSarah,

Would you believe if I say your message touches me emotionally?

Well, it sure did, and I thank you as well as all of you who replied to this thread for pointing out a lot of important things.

SageSarah, yes, I don't know what it is, but something kept me go through all the hurdles of getting into the nursing program. Somehow, I went through them well. Hospital volunteer dpt provided me a very strong reference letter for me to get accepted to school. Nurses and CNAs appreciate me (except for 1 or 2 not-so-friendly ones) each time I go there to help.

What kept me going? I wish I knew what it was, too.

What I have been enjoying the most in hospital volunteering, is the contact I make with patients and make them feel comfortable.

** What began to scare/haunt me most is the medical errors caused by inexperienced newly grad nurses resulting from lack of training or from being pitched into the job right away...whatever reason it comes from...and then these newly grads are either forced to resign or get their license revoked.

I'm not sure how long you've been in nursing but it seems like you are in a healthy working environment. I'm really happy for you.

I'll try to find the answer to your question; what pulled me into nursing. :-)

Thank you again.

[SageSarah]

vwbeetle,

So glad.

Y'know, there are those of us who have actually sat around and pondered if nursing is a job or a calling. Kinda nerdy, I know! But after years of experience and 1000s of stories, fun to share with other nurses. I think, personally and based on your words, that you've been "called." What lies ahead is all part of the road for you. Call me sentimental, but you aren't walking that road alone, remember.

The contact you mention with the patient is what keeps us all going. There's an editorial you might enjoy reading from our last Nursing Publication where i work. I'll try to put a link here to it. (Or soon when I figure out how to find it myself!) And making someone comfortable is the essence of caring--the signature work of nursing. You can pass pills, or you can pass pills with caring. There is a difference and it doesn't take any more time out of the busy day.

About the errors: you should be scared. You have responsibility for someone's safety. But don't let the fear paralyze you; let it motivate you to know what you need to know, to slow yourself down and focus when you need to, regardless of what else is going on around you. And develop the ability to not let others and how their day is going pull you down. Insulate. It takes internal fortitude and some discipline, but you have that already or you wouldn't be where you are. Take the new grad stories you've seen as warnings to get your ducks in a row and be prepared. Don't let anyone rush you when it comes to patient safety and take a deep breath. You can do it.

I've been in nursing a very long time! I went back to the bedside in the hospital after other many years of other kinds of positions. Now I'm fortuneate to work with Rapid Response and be able to mentor and help other nurses. I asked a question of about 60 1 year nurses recently: what they would say to a new grad now that they were finished with their first year? A lot of respondents said "find a mentor." You'll find people you naturally click with and they will help you get started. Use them, their expertise, and ask questions when you are uncertain. You aren't out there alone. None of us practices healthcare in a vacuum; that's part of what makes it so intriguing.

I 've had some pretty challenging work environments, but somehow I've always been able to find positive growth for myself in any situation. The position where I grew the most was 4 years of pure H---; I came out of it a completely different person and would not change a minute of it, even though I would have hated every minute if I had allowed myself to. It's a decision you make, and it has to come from inside. The funny thing about that position is that what I learned there about patient care shaped my practice in transformative ways.

Let your fear guide you to the areas you need to work on, but don't let it steer your ship. You wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't part of your story. Pull that strength from inside and take heart that the answers to your questions are there!

VERY best wishes!

Sarah

PS I'll try to post that link when I get it....I think it may speak to you.

[SageSarah]

Here is the link. It's the editorial, close to the back.

http://www.conehealth.com/documents/Public/Nursing%20Beat/NB_May11.pdf

[vwbeetle]

Hi Sarah,

Thank you so much for your response and for your document. I downloaded it so that I can take time to read it. You as well as everyone who replied to me, truly made my day / my weekend.

I'll keep my chin up and go for it!

I'm sure so many of those who posted a message here for an advice appreciate your response.

Thank you again,

vwbeetle

[trauma_lama, BSN]

STOP FEELING LIKE A LOSER, STAT!!! it's a tough call to make because it IS such a committment, but please don't let some website venting deterr you from pursuing this thing you've already worked so hard at...if you have OTHER reasons to doubt nursing for you, please give them all the attention they deserve. but if the website is the chief reason you're doubting yourself, perish the thought. people will always be inclined to publicize the negative before they publicize the positive...and besides, i bet that a lot of the venting that goes on is not by completely innocent victims...think about super jealous partners...disloyal spouses tend to be the first ones to be super jealous in relationships. i feel like that principal applies to a lot of things...while many of the vents on here are totally legit, keep in mind that much of the venting is done by people who may have an outlook/attitude that predisposes them to seeing the negative right off the bat. you're smart to take the decision seriously, but trust your gut on this one; at some point overanalyzing can be dangerous. good luck, love. i know you'll do what's right for you!

[SageSarah]

My pleasure. Great to know there is another fine nurse in the making!