Nursing or psychology? My neverending dilemma

knittwhit · Oct 1, 2007

Have you considered psych nursing. It is a dynamic specialty area and one that is being impacted earlier by the nursing shortage due to most psych nurses being a little older than the average nurse. You can work with a variety of age groups from children to geriatric. I kind of got into it by accident...almost 25 years ago, and never regretted it. A psychology degree with a nursing degree would be a very marketable combo. I say go for it.

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Oct 1, 2007

It's funny how sometimes we feel most drawn to things that don't come easily, isn't it? I'm a NICU nurse who is now finishing a psych BA that I started prior to becoming a nurse. (I went for 4 yrs, burned out/took a break, then changed schools and became a nurse.)

I can relate to a lot of what you describe. Much of the nursing process, technical knowledge, time management, and prioritization definitely was not second nature to me. However, I was passionate about the career that I wanted to pursue and I managed to graduate from a nursing program and get a great job.

If your interests lie in pediatrics/neo/women's health, I think your background in psych will only help, especially if you've had any experience or training with things like active listening or crisis intervention.

In the NICU, you'll deal with many sensitive (sometimes tragic) situations that would drive most normal people nuts. Even nice, normal people can turn plum crazy when their babies are seriously ill. One of the toughest things for many new NICU nurses is learning to communicate with familes. If you already have skills that will facilitate that communication, you're a step ahead there.

My advice: Try to get some experience shadowing or volunteering in a NICU or L&D. If you find that the reality matches your expectations, then go for it! It may be a long road, and it may be a while before you see any benefits from your prior educational path, but this can be a great field for those who are passionate about it.

smile123 · Oct 2, 2007

I am a senior with a degree in Psychology. I can't decide which path is right for me.
Nursing- I am insanely passionate about babies, women's health, ect. Everytime I look at babies, I go crazy with my desire to work with them. I just can't help it. The biggest problem I have is that I am AWFUL at math and memorization, so I feel like nursing will be a major uphill battle for me.
On the other hand, my degree is in psychology. I am good at speaking and writing and conceptual knowledge, but as I mentioned, not at memorizing. I think I would be good at working with people and doing therapy and I am also interested in assessment and treatment of behavioral problems in children. But gosh, everytime I think about working with newborns/neonates and helping them get better and go home with their families, it just makes me feel so excited.
Bottom line: I think being a nurse is more exciting to me and would make me happy, but that its going to be difficult for me to do the schooling, to the point of not being sure if I can get in. However, I would be good at being a psychologist and the schooling would be easier for me. What would you do?

I agree with the previous poster, sometimes what we are attracted to is not necessarily our strong suit. I liked math, but it took me a while to get the hang of it in high school. But I got a sense of accomplishment when I solved the math problem. If you really want to go into nursing, let your passion lead you. If you know your weaknesses, that's half the battle.

Here's what you can do: enlist the help of a math tutor and take a math class (statistics). Go in with the attitude that you CAN do it, instead of "I'm so awful at this." Our thoughts often shape our actions (outcomes). So think positive. If it's been a while since you've taken math, you could even take a basic math course (they have them at community colleges so it's relatively inexpensive) to get your mind in gear for numbers.

As far as memorizing is concerned, it is an acquired skill. I too, did not have a photographic memory. ;-) When I took anatomy and physiology as a pre-req for nursing school, I would spend hours and hours memorizing. I made it into a game, used mnemonics, practiced by writing out flashcards, and used my spare time (while waiting for a bus, etc.) to help me. I also put post it notes on my bathroom mirror, so there would be a visual reminder while I brushed my teeth! Later, when I got into nursing school, I used those same techniques for my classes, especially pharmacology. There are other forums and websites (just use Google) on memorization and visualization techniques for medical info.

You may want to volunteer at a hospital to interact with infants now. There are some volunteer programs where you can be a baby cuddler or work with kids in recreational therapy. You may also want to shadow or can talk to other NICU nurses (ask your school counselor or contact various hospitals) to see what it's really like to care for babies.

Yes, babies are cute. Many nursing students are drawn to babies. However, some of them are REALLY sick. Not all of them make it. Can you deal with some adverse outcomes? Would you be able to provide emotional support and comfort to patients' families in times of crisis? How would you feel giving a newborn a vitamin K shot, assess a 1 lb 3 oz infant who is barely able to breath on a respirator, or care for a crack addict baby who is going through withdrawal symptoms? Are you in love with the adrenaline rush of holding a healthy baby or are you ready to help sick infants who may or may not make it? It would be important to see what about neonates drives you.

All that being said, a psych nurse or a NICU nurse may be a wonderful profession for you. Nurses use psychology all the time when they communicate with patients, family and friends. We have to be understanding when patients become frustrated, throw tantrums, or berate us; remember, they are sick so don't take it personally. Understanding human nature is inherent in our quest to provide excellent patient care.

(P.S. There are LOTS of postings about pre-nursing forums here for support!)

Good luck!

knittwhit · Oct 10, 2007

As far as memorizing is concerned, it is an acquired skill. I too, did not have a photographic memory. ;-) When I took anatomy and physiology as a pre-req for nursing school, I would spend hours and hours memorizing. I made it into a game, used mnemonics, practiced by writing out flashcards, and used my spare time (while waiting for a bus, etc.) to help me. I also put post it notes on my bathroom mirror, so there would be a visual reminder while I brushed my teeth! Later, when I got into nursing school, I used those same techniques for my classes, especially pharmacology. There are other forums and websites (just use Google) on memorization and visualization techniques for medical info.
All that being said, a psych nurse or a NICU nurse may be a wonderful profession for you. Nurses use psychology all the time when they communicate with patients, family and friends. We have to be understanding when patients become frustrated, throw tantrums, or berate us; remember, they are sick so don't take it personally. Understanding human nature is inherent in our quest to provide excellent patient care.
(P.S. There are LOTS of postings about pre-nursing forums here for support!)
Good luck!

Students learn in a variety of ways, to enhance your learning experience, determining your learning styles or learning intelligence will be a very helpful tool. You can find out more by googling "multiple intelligence" or learning style evaluation. In that information you will find strategies for enhancing how you learn.

Regarding the second half of the quote. I am and will always be a firm believer that all nurses are psych nurses