So after scouring the internet and as much of AN forums as I possibly could, to no avail, I've come to you all with a question.
I currently have my BS in Biology and work in an andrology lab at a major reproductive medicine. I've been considering two routes. One is to pursue a Masters in Science concentrating on genomics or neuroscience, and going on to do research in industry. Two is to matriculate into one of the ABSN programs I was accepted to and be an RN in an ICU (ideally).
I enjoy them both for very very different reasons, and these reasons admittedly may appear to be naive and ignorant to some, so do not hesitate to correct me.
The research provides the deep intellectual stimulation that I seek, answering the "why" I so often ask myself in my head. Genetics and neurology have been passions of my since undergrad. The downside is often times the day to day tasks in research are extremely mundane, and this raises a quality of life issue in my book.
The RN side has the awesome patient care everyone is aware of, and I am extremely excited about this. On top of that, the extensive knowledge of the human body and its intricasies can only help one become more competent and efficient at providing quality care as well.
So I pose this question to you all. Are there any fields in nursing that eventually bring you deeper into the science of a certain field? Requiring you know the pathophysiology of certain diseases, etc. etc.? I know research nursing requires you to know the protocol, and the study in its entirety, but I mean delve really deeper into the science and literature.
Thanks for your time, and looking forward to hearing any insights you may have to offer!
I am a pathophys nut and in school it would drive me crazy when professors would not delve a bit more into it. They would say, "you are going to be nurses, not doctors. You don't need to know all the pathophys." Well just like you I am someone who has to know "why" so I did extra reading and research to really learn the process of each disease we covered. I don't agree with those professors because part of being an RN is advocating for your patient and I feel like it's hard to do that if you don't understand what is going on in their bodies and what should be normal, or how one value "here" could mean something could be going wrong "there" and alert the MD appropriately.
I plan to pursue the NP route, primarily for the advanced pharm and pathyophysiology, but also the autonomy that makes the position a bit more challenging. I guess I'm saying the same thing as everyone else- you can delve as deeply into the material as you wish and if you go the NP or CRNA route, that knowledge will definitely be utilized.
I was on the academic track (biochem BS, was going into molecular pharmacolgy for grad school) for years and kinda left in a huff (too many competitive crazy people), went abroad to teach and am now going to nursing school. --it's a long story :)
I have similar fears as you that nursing might get boring on an academic level but I find that I'm so curious about people on personal levels that I'm really engaged. Also, making someone smile or feel a little better is so much more rewarding than pouring a great gel or rocking a poster session. But that's me personally. Do I miss the "mental masterbation" of academia? Occasionally.
Do I miss the hours, the potential to work months without pay because a grant ran out, the crazy PIs, the lack of flexibility in where you can live, the minuteness of projects, the secret competitiveness? No. Not at all.
Is nursing task based? Yes. Though many nurses I work with now (as a CNA) bring a lot more to it than that, especially the oncology nurses who are doing cutting edge treatments. Personally, I want to be in ER one day-- probably as an NP eventually, and when I'm old have a little clinic on a foreign hillside somewhere beautiful.
If you find people fascinating you'll probably be fine but if you don't love all the strange and wonderful ways people are when they are sick (grumpy, brave, sticky, smelly, tearful, grateful, needy)-- maybe MD/PhD is a better option for you.
Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
I think that you can educate yourself to your hearts desire, and a deep base in the sciences will only serve to improve your critical thinking tools.
The bottom line from me is do you actually want to practice nursing or are you looking for a challenge away from the bedside? Acute care nursing IS very task oriented...but acute care nursing is not the only avenue available to you. Hospice nursing, for instance, is more about case management and interaction within the interdisciplinary team or group to achieve patient goals than it is about completing medical tasks. Nurses who bring advanced comprehension of the sciences are often excellent hospice professionals when they can marry the love of the didactic with a love of the basic hands on nursing care.
Hospice is not easy work, the hours can be long and the patients demanding; but it is very rewarding and there is plenty of room for the science brainiacs to help keep the rest of us on our toes.
I hate to say it, but I think you wouldn't be happy in nursing. Yes, you might be able to find a research position or something like that, but you'll always be ... okay, don't hate me, people, this isn't ME thinking this.... "just a nurse".
It looks to me like you have a passion for science. Be a scientist. You'll do the work a scientist does, and get the professional respect a scientist gets. If you're a nurse in research, you'll be perpetually at the bottom of the ladder.
And bedside nursing does have that scientific aspect, and it sounds like you'd be a brilliant nurse, but that's a small percentage of the time. Much, much more of it is appeasing unrealistic patients and families, physical labor, charting, and other mundane matters. The core of the work is devolving into a "customer service" model.
I could be wrong. I'm just sharing what I've seen.
Specializes in Managed Care, Onc/Neph, Home Health.
I hate to say it, but I think you wouldn't be happy in nursing. Yes, you might be able to find a research position or something like that, but you'll always be ... okay, don't hate me, people, this isn't ME thinking this.... "just a nurse".
It looks to me like you have a passion for science. Be a scientist. You'll do the work a scientist does, and get the professional respect a scientist gets. If you're a nurse in research, you'll be perpetually at the bottom of the ladder.
And bedside nursing does have that scientific aspect, and it sounds like you'd be a brilliant nurse, but that's a small percentage of the time. Much, much more of it is appeasing unrealistic patients and families, physical labor, charting, and other mundane matters. The core of the work is devolving into a "customer service" model.
I could be wrong. I'm just sharing what I've seen.
"as a nurse you can think outside the box all you want to, but the bottom line is that you have a doctor dictating the medical care of the patient. you can delve into the pathophysiology, etc., as you mentioned, but if it is autonomy you are after, nursing isn't it. you said possibly "rn in icu." you would still be held to the limits of your practise, and can't even give a tylenol without a doctor's order. i think you might be bored as an rn, cleaning poop, etc., kinda limits your aspirations of something more..."
totally untrue. i had more autonomy and freedom to choose what to do next in cvicu than in any other bedside position. i found my job there thrilling almost every day. it's also where i learned a tremendous amount about physiology in my field, a great basis for grad school, teaching, and writing. as someone said above, there's never anyone stopping you from learning all you want, and sometimes that will lead you to new opportunities you never dreamed of.
as to the original question, you might seriously consider pursuing a position in a genetic research unit, most often found in children's hospitals but not always. they deal with patients (and nurses do that better than anyone), do a lot of teaching (informed by all the hard science they know), and also there's plenty of research to play with. it's an exciting and expanding field. you sound like you'd be perfectly positioned for it. get yourself listed as a coauthor on a few papers, travel to international conferences, write for the nursing press to explain all the cool stuff you're doing, do research in many areas-- yes, nurses in positions like this design and execute their own research too, don't just work on the physician/phd papers... you're making me wish i were 30 years younger, sounds so cool.
Thank you for this post because I am in the same position as you. I also have a degree in Biology and enjoy the science aspect a great deal. I also have heard the statement from previous professors (pathophys in partciular) that "you are nurses, not doctors......or......we don't need to go that deep into the pathophys of it (it being the condition)" I NEED to know the "WHY" ....Its not that I want to know the why but I need to know the WHY because that is how I put everything together into a puzzle. Just today I was having a heated debate with a classmate (all in educational fun) and I needed to understand the HOW and the WHY.....I do not learn with someone stating this is what it is and thats it. I need you to tell me why is this the way it is. (I hope I'm making sense). That is why I also plan on advancing my degree to get that much needed science stimulation that I need. I'm in no way, shape or form downplaying the RN profession by any means but I would like to advance.
I don't think any nursing really is as scientific as you sound like you want your profession to be. It can be what you want it to be, so a BSN degree and RN license are great starting points to lead you into a job as a CRNA, PhD in Nursing or an NP. Good luck!
I've only been a nurse for a little over a year but I really feel like I know what the OP means. I too love the intellectual part of nursing. In fact my passion for the pathophysiology part of the medical field coupled w/ my desire to help others & work w/ the general public is what pushed me into nursing. I agree w/ many of the other posters on here that nursing can be as intellectual as you make it. Yes, nursing often does feel very task-oriented but it is the critical thinking skills (knowing the right questions to ask of the pts, doctors, other nurses, etc) that really make a great nurse. I had many debates w/ myself between going to med school or nursing school & in the end I am glad I chose nursing. I have always seen myself advancing my nursing degree & becoming a NP or perhaps even going to med school someday. I have never seen myself doing bedside nursing for more than 5-10 years. I really do love bedside nursing but I agree that it isn't always the intellectual challenge I would like. However, when I watch the doctors work, I realize that their job isn't always super intellectual either (most of the time they're just following diagnostic protocols & ordering insane amounts of tests & procedures to prevent them from getting sued). In other words, their job can be very mundane also. What makes nursing so rewarding is that we actually get to spend quality time w/ our pts (albeit not as much as we'd like b/c we're usually so busy) & do a lot of very important pt education. That is what I love the most about bedside nursing & what keeps me coming back to work each day/night w/ a smile on my face.
As I said before, I have found that the best nurses are those who have a broad scientific knowledge of the why behind every medication they give, every treatment they perform, every test their pts undergo, etc, AND are able to combine this knowledge w/ compassionate care. Intellectually skilled nurses can perform pt teaching easily & can serve as a tremendous resource in answering pts questions instead of constantly saying "Well, you'll just have to ask the doctor about that."
As others have pointed out, one of the greatest things about nursing is that there are so many different paths you can take. I know I want to explore as many as possible that interest me & then when I truly am "bored" w/ bedside nursing I'll go back to school to become a NP, nurse educator, or whatever other advanced nursing career seems to suit me best.
whd13b
55 Posts
Have you ever thought of forensic nursing?