Nursing career dilemma-all advice/comments appreciated!

[molliejohns]

I have my associate's and am considering going for my bachelor's in nursing. Nursing has always been a career of interest for me; I love science, did great in all of my A&P and biology courses, and after spending about a week myself in the hospital, I decided that nursing is really something I'd like to do. After losing both of my grandmothers and my significant other's stepfather to cancer, I began to think that oncology is the field I would most like to enter. Anyway, to get the point of my post, I am incredibly squeamish when it comes to bones: broken bones, dislocations, compound fractures... I think this stems from me, myself, dislocating my knee when I was younger. Ever since then, I find myself terrified when someone even mentions a bone-related injury. I have no problem with needles, blood, or any other bodily excrements or secretion. Obviously if I were a nurse, I would want to avoid the ER department and the orthopedic department but is it really plausible for someone who works in medicine to altogether avoid anything bone-related? It sounds so ridiculous, I know, but I would really love a career in nursing and I would like to know if this is, in fact, avoidable or if I should maybe rethink my career path. I appreciate any and all advice you can give me.

[krenee]

I don't think your goal should be to avoid anything bone related but to learn how to overcome your fear. Yes, there are many areas of nursing which are not bone related in any way, but no one can guarantee that you won't have to deal with such things, particularly during school when you are in clinicals. If you don't think you can handle it on your own, you can seek help with your phobia.

Best of luck!