Nursing or Not?

[Gabrielle1818]

Hello,

Nursing will be my second degree. I have Fibromyalgia and I just want a second degree, so I will have something to fall back on. The only problem is, everyone says that its very hard and tells me "good luck with that." Makes me wonder if I should start my pre-reqs or not.

Is nursing school extra extra hard or do people kind of exaggerate? Does someone here have fibro and was it hard for you?

Thank you.

[RN403, BSN, RN]

If you are planning on getting your nursing degree just to have something to fall back on, I personally would not find it worth my time or energy. Nursing school requires a lot of time and energy for studying, clinical, and lab time. I wouldn't say it is that much harder than other majors it just requires a different type of thinking and applying knowledge which in itself can be a lot to get used to.

Physically, nursing school can be demanding as your clinical experience will require you to lift patients, transport patients, turn patients, etc. as with being a nurse. Your PCP can guide you with this decision as only they can clear you for the physical requirements of nursing school.

You might try shadowing a nurse for a few days to see what really goes into being a nurse and seeing if you feel that you could handle the load. Many of us deal with chronic pain, fibromyalgia, and other physical issues that could technically inhibit our ability to nurse, but, we push through anyway. Again, it is up to you and your PCP to come to a decision that is safe for you and your potential patients.

Do your own research into the facilities into your area, shadow a nurse (or a few nurses in different areas), talk with your PCP, and talk with academic advisors of potential schools and come to your own decision. Others will always have something to say regarding the decisions we make, but, ultimately we have to come to our own decisions and live with them.

Best of luck.