to be a nurse or not to be a nurse

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Hello all, I graduated from college last August with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts (Graphic Design/Photography as my concentration.)

Coming out of school I have found that I did not receive a lot of the teaching necessary for these roles and am stuck with a crap job in a crap economy.

The other day my mother-in-law sighed and looked at me, and said, "If I had the money I would send you to nursing school." Later that night an old friend from high school mentioned she was going to school to work in radiology. This got me thinking, should I go back to school for a few years and try my hand at nursing? There are tons of ads posted for people needing nurses and the money is much better than what I am making now. I was almost sold on it, then I found this site along with a few others. After reading about how many of you absolutely hate nursing I wonder if it would really be a good decision. I don't want to go back to school and end up with a job that, from what I have read, is so horrific.

I thought it sounded like something I could do, but I don't want to end up regretting it forever. Any advice? Is it as bad as everyone makes it out to be? Thank you.

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Wow, I just graduated from Nursing school so I cannot really give you advice on working as Nurse because I have none as of yet! But what I can tell you is that, I decided to go back to school after I had a career in Accounting and when I got hurt on the job I decided it was time to move on.

I can honestly say that you must do what you love, but I've always wanted to do this and never really liked school enough to stick it out. Now that I'm older, I stuck through it!! In an economy where things are uncertain, there is certainty in the medical field. Just to think that I will always have a job and pretty good salary made me chage my mind! Also, there are so many aspects of nursing and you are free to choose or specialize in an area that you like. There are endless possibilites.

Good Luck whatever you decide!! I am sure more people will give you advice on this topic!

Take care, :twocents:

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Specializes in Cardiac, Adolescent/Child Mental Health.

A lot of us use this site to vent our frustrations among supportive peers. I wouldn't say we hate nursing.

There are plenty of stories here about the rewarding side of nursing as well.

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Specializes in DOU.

I've been working only a few months... The demand for nurses is regional, and even in areas where nurses are needed, hospitals often want experienced nurses. Several of the people I graduated with are still trying to find new grad programs.

About the job - it is a lot of hard work (both physically and mentally), and I am never bored. Some of the patients will grate on your last nerve, but most are fine. The paperwork involved in nursing is overwhelming, and the doctors can be a little intimidating. It's not for everyone, but so far, I like it.

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I personally feel that if your heart isn't into it, you won't make it. I recently saw an article regarding 1 in 5 new grads quit nursing within 2 years.

I suggest taking a realistic approach to nursing and see if it is right for you. It's more than just bed baths and butt wiping - it's a lifestyle.

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Specializes in ED.

:typing Not for me! I enjoy nursing on most days in the ER! You may want to look into a shadowing program at a local hospital. There are many positions in healthcare, not all are nursing. You may find that you would like one of the other professions more. But whatever you decide Good Luck!

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Honestly, I don't think you're the only one all of a sudden realizing that the economy is bad and the medical field may be your only hope. In fact, we will probably see a huge growth spurt in nursing students, flooding the field with competition. Go in to nursing because you love it, not because of the economy. The economy is ever changing, as is the demand of nurses. Remember supply and demand- if all art, philosphy, business, and english majors decide that nursing is a sure bet- there won't be any jobs for any of you- and trust me- that is happening right now. Like a previouis poster said- it is regional. Nursing is HARD and stressfull- you have to do it because you've always seen yourself in such a role or there is nothing you would rather do.

Another point no one has brought to your attention is how increadibly competitive nursing school is- and sometimes you have a 1 to 2 year wait just to begin. I got my associate's degree in 2008- and I have to take 32 credits at my school just to QUALIFY for their nursing program for fall 2010! (BSN program). Nursing school is not easy or easily attainable. If you want to do it- go tomorrow and get in line! Or else you may be waiting another year!

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I know that this is a little off topic to the post, but since someone brought it up ir sprung a wuestion on me that I have to ask. What other careers are available in the medical fiend, maybe some that are less known bout. I am an esthetician ( and have been doing hands on esthetics as spa management for 7 years now) I know tht managing other people is not fir me and I have always dreamed of being a nurse but her drug and alcohol addiction and her finally losing her RN license, amonsgt the fact that I am about to traguate my 2 year college with my A.S. in Business which I chose becasue I was in spa management at the time so I though it would be a good fit. Althuoh everyday of my life I try to be nothing like my my mother that threw her life and family away I was scared to get into nursing b/c I was scared i would do the things she did (steal meds etc.) I have worked as an esthetician at plastic surgeons offices where the dr was "loose" with hus scrips and I never did anything with them or have EVER stolefrom a job period. So now I am in the position that i have to decided where to go for my 4 year degree and nursing is on my mind again and I have a husband I have been married to for 6 year and together 14 and a 2 1/2 year old daughter.

I know I could do nursing but the are some financial considerations and my husband just go a raise yeaterday that is we lived VERY minimally I could possible attend NS and we coud keep our hoke and have our credit be kept decent and then I would have the career of my dreams for my life. It fits well with esthetics becasue I could be a skin care nurse and works for a plastics and do what I do now but also assist in surgeries and give botox and other facila injections as someone that is a licensed esthetician and RN is a dream to a Plastic Surgeons practice. But as I said financialy it would be cutting it close ans I would have to sacrifice A LOT of time with my husband and daughter and I also had an emergency spinal fusion 8 months ago and althouh I fee almost back to normal I dont know if I coulod keep up with the physica demangs of NS, the though of making besd etc, makes my back hurt, but I know it wouold make it stronget in the long run.

So I have quite a few things againt me and a few things going for me, not to mention I live in atlanta so I have every option for any kind of medial related school I want to go to within a 45 min drive max.

My ? is given my back situation and financial situation and dream of nursing what other prograns or jobs are there in the medical field that are not so physically demanding and the programs are not as intense?

I am looking into rediology tech but they are only given at voc. schools here and I have a scholarship here in GA that if I maintain at least a 3.0 GPA I can go to ANy gA UNIVERSITE FOR 100% PAID

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Thanks for the responses. Let me be clear though that I had considered Nursing before the economy got so bad, I just didn't know if I'd be able to do it. And I know just what you mean by "If all ____ majors went into nursing, the market would dry up." I've been talking to my mother-in-law about it, she's a medical transcriptionist and her sister is a nurse, and she sees opportunities pop up all the time. I know that it would require at least 2 years of school before I am out there (longer depending on the wait), and I asked her if she thought that there even would be nursing jobs in 2 years. She seems to think there will be just as much demand if not more.

At the end of the day, what I am doing now is ok (I am a photographer for a major company (yay!) who works only on commission (boo.) and is barely scheduled) but it's not fulfilling. I am doing what I love, but the job is mostly a sales position, and I constantly feel that I am swindling people out of their hard-earned money. I want to do something where I feel like I am making a positive difference in someone's life, not just convincing them to buy stuff so that I can pay my rent.

The only thing that scares me as far as actually becoming a nurse is that I don't have a lot of confidence. I am always second-guessing myself and I don't really think I am good at anything. From what I hear, the atmosphere in a lot of medical institutions only makes that worse for people. I'd like to think that along this journey that would change, but of course I can't really say for sure.

I guess the only reason I am really worried about the economy/job security thing is that when I do get done with the schooling (if I did it) I will have taken on more student loans and will be more in debt. If I get out there and can't find a job, I don't want to have gone to school for nothing.

I am going to go to my local community college tomorrow and talk to a recruiter and ask them about these things, and see what their thoughts are. Thanks again, any other advice is more than welcome.

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Specializes in L&D.

Wow, that sounds familiar. In 2003, after months of career exploration, I looked at a newspaper and saw all the ads for nurses wanted. I thought to myself, "it's perfect. I want to help people and do something meaningful, I'm attentive to details, I liked biology in school..." So I decided to become a nurse. I graduated from nursing school at the end of 2006 and have been in Labor and Delivery since then.

Some thoughts for you. I had previously worked in computers and graphics. I had absolutely no experience with healthcare. Shortly after I got into nursing school, I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life. Two things I realized were that, 1) I really wasn't as interested in medicine as I should be, and 2) I didn't really like being around people that much.

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i am sorry to have jumped in on your thread like that, asking my own questions. i actually decided not to post that here and put it under the general tab but my 2 an 1/2 year old was trying to type on the computer with me at the same time (or in all honestly she was probably trying to get me off) but i have 2 papers to knock out for school today and my husband and i had an agreement the i would spend the day with her yesterday while he played a computer game that he never gets to play and he would keep her occupied today while i did my assignments (as always at the last minute) but i honestly get better grades that way. i know that wouldn’t be the case and something i would have to change for ns.

anyhow it must have posted here and on the general board where i intended it because i wanted to get some opinions from seasoned nurses as well.

i also spell checked my final version because this one was hard to type with my daughter trying to type as well so i see this post is not corrected and not the one i intended to post so i am sorry to have barged in on your post selfishly like that and am sorry.

it sounds to me like your heart is in the right place when it comes to nursing but since you just graduated and another 3 years of school is going to be a lot more school for you, i am just curios, if you are considering a career change that is fulfilling but that you would have to go back to school for in most states is teaching (which will always be stable as well) even though right now they are going through their struggles with cutbacks as well but hopefull as everybodies economic fears statrt to die down, which i think they finally are b/c i had been looking for a medical esthetician position since i healed from my back surgery 9 months ago and after month i felt ready to go back work and i have a really great, stable work history and live in an area that is typically booming working for plastic surgeons which is the area that my backround is in and i literally looked for 6 days a week for 7 hours a day and got 2 phone calls from people that wanted to "interview me" just to tell me i am "overqualified" to return to being :just an esthetician" since i have been in mangement for the last 3 years. why did you bother to have me get dressed up for an interview when you just wanted to tell me that?

anyway back to your situation, if you want a solic career teaching should be piucking back us soon and in most states you just have to test in your area photography, graphin design to be able to teach it. of course those classes would be on a h.s. level if that is somehting you are interested in and you may not be interested in at all but since yu already did 4 year of college and got your degree if you are open to it and have ever thought about teaching you can try that before going to school for another 2 years, of a very intense program, just to try nursing in hopes that nursing as a long term career works for you and with as many people as the other poster said all of the people that do not have their hearts in it and are just doing it for "stability" and "good pay" not realizing how hard it is to first pass the program and then be successful and enjoy being a nurse.

just a though since you already have a degree in something you love but don’t particularly like the job you are in which i completely understand.

my daughter is going nuts again no time to spell check, let me know your thoughts though, b/c i know i could be totally off and you have never considered teaching but i just cant imagine for me personally to be able to go to school for a 4 year degree just to go back to school for something totally unrelated but by that time if you try it and find out it’s not for you ten you can go to ns and all of the people that flocked to ns will have already gotten jobs and quit b/c they were doing it for the wrong reasons.

let me know your thoughts and again i didn’t mean to jump on your thread.

good luck

christine

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Specializes in L&D.

OOPS!!!! Ok, so I wasn't finished when I accidentally posted my reply, and now I just lost the extremely long reply I had typed up. So I'll be shorter in this one.

I was in my early 30's when I considered nursing, so my experience is a little different from yours. I felt pressure to make a definitive decision on careers. Anyway, I have grown to enjoy my job in labor and delivery, and whereas I started out thinking I wasn't going to make it, I feel much more confident now. I'm not *passionate* about it, but it's pretty decent. You definitely have to care about people and their wellbeing, and you do have to be interested in health/medicine.

You say you feel unprepared in your job. Most new jobs are like that - school is nothing like the real world. I'm impressed you got a job in your field; count that as a success! You say you're doing what you love except for the sale part of it. I think that's how a lot of "artsy" jobs are: you start off in the more commercial side until you get more experience, more contacts, and a better portfolio, and then you can move into an area you desire more. You mentioned wanting something fulfilling; did you see yourself doing something meaningful with the arts/photography degree, like working with an advocacy or cultural organization? Those jobs are harder to come by when you're fresh out of school. What I'm trying to say is, if you're passionate about it, don't give up on too quickly. I don't mean to condescend (you sound pretty smart!), but have you looked into volunteering your talents with local organizations that you might find meaningful? I know it's daunting (call, call again, call back) but it can open doors and make connections.

What interests you about nursing? Are you interested in a particular specialty? If so, it might be helpful to see about shadowing for a day or two, or at least trying to interview people in that area. Also, what do you want in a job? I wanted something that used a lot of my skills, was meaningful, had visible results, wasn't a desk job, paid decently, had relative job security, and would allow me to get a job without having to stay in one place and work my way up for years and years and years. There are things I miss about my computer/desktop publishing job, but I can pursue them as hobbies.

Continue looking into the nursing if you feel compelled. About debt, many hospitals offer loan repayment in exchange for working there for a certain period of time. Some states do, also. It is a lot of work. I took prerequisites and worked for almost 2 years, then went through an accelerated nursing program which took me 2 years to complete. About the confidence thing: do you feel confident about what you do now? Try and focus on anything you feel confident in from now or the past. I had that problem throughout school and still do sometimes. Helps to have role models and focus on your successes.

Well, the other reply was much better and addressed things more in depth, but I guess this boils it down to what I was trying to say. Good luck.

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