You made it past the title! Congrats. That was a bit too direct.
So I want to go into nursing or medicine. I have no idea how it will be like but I've already completed pre-med pre reqs and spent some years after college working office jobs and It. My core motivations are wanting to interact with people and apply my technical skills/make a difference, and not be chained to a desk, also pay and the fact that nursing field is broad and I would be able to change specialties. Cons are that I don't like the hospital environment and I get stressed out easily, which leads me to hate people. (I've only shadowed someone several times and was not in the best place at the time) I admire that they make a difference but they look hella stressed out the whole time and I don't know if I can take it or if it worth it.
Any advice for someone in my position? Are there any jobs that would be suitable that would be in a relatively decent environment and have a combination of office and patient interaction time? Thanks!
First, suck it up and get your year or two of experience in patient care, as it will help you down the road more than you know. Then look at outpatient, research, informatics, sales, utilization review/insurance, compliance, education (perhaps you can focus more on designing the materials), case management, or administration.
Have you ever worked post partum? Inner city, high risk pregnancies?
Jerry Springer has nothing on my hospital's units
I'm not starting a pissing contest as another suggested.
OP asked a question; I answered it. You don't like my opinion, and that's fine. However, I am not changing my opinion, and it will not be productive for either of us to pursue this topic further.
OP: Have you considered other fields in the healthcare industry? You can still help people without being so hands on. If you like research, like really, really like research, a job in public health may right up your alley. Keep in mind though, the MPH's that I knew left public health to go into nursing because they eventually wanted something more hands on. However if you never see yourself wanting that, maybe you can explore that as an option. There are also more mathematically-based jobs out there like demography.
Specializes in Psych, LTC/SNF, Rehab, Corrections.
There are areas, i.e., HEDIS, case management, utilization review, etc...
I'm just not sure that you could get your foot in the door without clinical experience.
I'm not saying that it can't be done, though. I worked with a new grad (lpn) who got on at Humana doing telephonic nursing?
Just network and brush up on your interviewing.
Also, you don't have to work FT on the floor. Just do PT/PRN/flex and work when you can stand it. The facilities will keep you on the rolls for months. It's an easy way to "a year of experience" (on paper).
Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.
Folks, please stay on track. You have successfully derailed this thread, and then some. Thanks.
Sorry for my part in that.
OP - I really don't know what to tell you. Honestly I think you should go to med school and perhaps pursue research, dermatology or pathology. Med school will be TOUGH for sure but it's temporary and it might be much harder to specialize as a nurse - therefore you might end up in a hospital environment interminably. Find some med schools whose graduates have been accepted into residencies in the areas I've mentioned.
I wrote Passing California NCLEX-RN in 60 Questions Mini-Series, so you can expect brutal honesty.
1. What made you want to go into the nursing profession?
A 2-year degree = $65K starting salary? Sign me right up!
Side benefits: respectable social status and something about helping people. I do say exactly these three things, but in a more diplomatic way during interviews."
OP, if someone gives you beef, you may plagiarize mine.
In return, do negotiate for higher pay as a new grad. Good luck.
I personally ⤠your advice/comment! I don't feel that everyone who enter the field should automatically love it and do it solely because of passion. If I knew I could achieve my ultimate dreams, I would be headed to a state like Maine, or a city like Boston to become a writer or poet.
That'll be cool if that ever happens, but is it realistic becoming a none-starving artist that lives solely on my craft? My chances at a comfortable or very comfortable middle class lifestyle is better with nursing or other healthcare field than it is with writing to any fandom.
Effectiveness, I believe, is by having great technical and clinical skills, a nice bedside manner and time management. I cannot stress enough that i am currently a pre-nursing major and NOT a nurse or nursing student. Shrugs shoulders.
I personally ⤠your advice/comment! I don't feel that everyone who enter the field should automatically love it and do it solely because of passion. If I knew I could achieve my ultimate dreams, I would be headed to a state like Maine, or a city like Boston to become a writer or poet.
That'll be cool if that ever happens but is it realistic becoming a none-starving artist that lives solely on my craft? My chances at a comfortable or very comfortable middle class lifestyle is better with nursing or other healthcare field than it is with writing to any fandom.
Effectiveness, I believe, is by having great technical and clinical skills, a nice bedside manner and time management. I cannot stress enough that i am currently a pre-nursing major and NOT a nurse or nursing student. Shrugs shoulders.
@Moderators, not to help further derail the conversation, I too think of all my options upon entering the field of nursing. This discussion gives me insight to the different clinical and non-bedside aspects of nursing. I'll have to further research IT nursing, research based nursing and the likes.
Many of my peers are like me and do not know the area of nursing they would like to ultimately join. While others just know......
Informatics? I've never seen the point of needing nursing experience to become involved in nursing informatics. I've come across nurses/doctors who can barely type or figure out how to print a document. There are still facilities that use a paper system, like my bf's facility. I saw Cedar-Sinai post a position in December for an entry level informatics position that required only a bachelor's degree in ANY field. No experience or RN license required.
Still, it'd be best to just put up with clinical experience for a year or so, then get into IT, or administration. However, I should mention that my bf has a friend who got into the ED as a new grad, and he's starting up his own business in home health services with a focus on the Asian community. He can't wait to get out of the ED.
Perhaps you could do something similar if you have experience in IT, like try to work for the companies that develop health information technology?
There are jobs that don't seem to specifically require clinical nursing experience, usually it's like business administration, clinical healthcare, computer technology or science, or some other "closely related field." Example:
Still, I have to ask, if you don't want to work with patients directly, why did you go into nursing?
It's not about nurses being able to type and use computers, it's about the Informatics people being able to understand what nurses need to do with their EMRs. IT people who don't know 2 shats' worth about what nurses need or want are pretty useless. They create constant headaches for us. That's why so many organizations are moving toward nurse-driven informatics, with clinical experience as a pre-requisite.
"As you already said, it would be stupid to invest so much in a career and find out you cannot do it."
Your quote. Seriously - if you are truly having the negative thoughts and feelings about becoming a nurse - DON'T!!!! It's expensive, physically and mentally demanding, and even if it was always your dream to be a nurse and you love everything about it - it's a tough job. As a 33yr veteran - I feel very lucky to have chosen a career that I love to this day, although it has become increasingly difficult to be the nurse I want to be as the years go by. And you know - it's silly things that make the job difficult - not the patients themselves usually. Hospital politics, bullying, short staffing, demanding schedules, mandated overtime, increased workload, lack of appreciation and on and on. You just can't escape it - at least in a hospital environment anyway. Think carefully and choose your career wisely - because unless you plan to change careers on a frequent basis - you will be working at your chosen career for a while - maybe a lifetime! Good luck to you.
Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN
4 Articles; 7,907 Posts
OP: at least you're honest. I can respect that.
First, suck it up and get your year or two of experience in patient care, as it will help you down the road more than you know. Then look at outpatient, research, informatics, sales, utilization review/insurance, compliance, education (perhaps you can focus more on designing the materials), case management, or administration.