Nursing student here...need encouragement. Not sure I can do this!!

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Hello all,

Been lurking around here for some time now and decided now was a good time to join up. I am a male nursing student in my 2nd semester of nursing school and........the thought that I made a huge mistake has been racing through my mind.

I don't know if nursing is right for me. I am so nervous during clinicals and often feel like a "deer in the headlights." I have also discovered that I do not enjoy patient interaction at all. I came into school all excited and motivated but quickly found during my 1st semester the reality of what being a nurse is (BTW, much respect to all RN's out there).

I have done clinicals on med-surge floors both semesters thus far and know 100%, absolutely that I want no part of med-surg upon graduation. Dear God I hate it!

I guess I need some ideas of things to look foward to while im still in school and what types of specialties might work for me. I had no healthcare working experience prior to nursing school so everything is new to me. Im interested in knowing more about psyc, radiology, PACU, OR and dialysis nursing but its more because I just dont know what exactly goes on in these places for an RN.

I worked so hard to get into nursing school and dont want to bail but I need something to latch onto to push me through to the end. HELP!!!

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I think if you don't enjoy patient care nursing will be a LITTLE hard for you lol. Psych should be fun , they do have a wise variety of specialties in nursing. 2 semesters ? Hmm I would wait it out a little longer before I made my choice. You never know ! Good luck

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Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.

Well, what parts of patient interaction don't you like? CNA-type duties like cleaning up poop and bathing patients? Actual patient interaction? Specific types of interaction? (For instance, I hate teaching patients. lol.) Interaction with a certain type of patient? There are certainly nursing jobs that have very minimal patient interaction altogether but either pay poorly - I'm thinking, specifically, of maybe a night time private duty gig - or require traditional experience and, often, advanced degrees.

The deer-in-the-headlights anxiety usually starts to fade after the first six months to a year that you've been working as a nurse. Might as well get used to it. ;)

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There is always doctors offices, which I think may be a little rare now with medical assistance becoming more popular. You could get a higher degree and become a nurse educator or a nurse practitioner but I do believe you will need floor experience for those programs. I also think nurses can work in lawyer offices, insurance companies and there is home health care which is still patient contact but probably not as overwhelming because its one patient at a time. I just found this list from a college, maybe this can be beneficial

http://www.brookhavencollege.edu/pdf/careerctr/Places%20Where%20Nurses%20Can%20Work.pdf

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There is always doctors offices, which I think may be a little rare now with medical assistance becoming more popular. You could get a higher degree and become a nurse educator or a nurse practitioner but I do believe you will need floor experience for those programs. I also think nurses can work in lawyer offices, insurance companies and there is home health care which is still patient contact but probably not as overwhelming because its one patient at a time. I just found this list from a college, maybe this can be beneficial

http://www.brookhavencollege.edu/pdf/careerctr/Places Where Nurses Can Work.pdf

All of this will require experience. The dislike may be from the fear of the unknown. You CAN jump straight into a specialty, but depending on where you live and jobs available, this may be hard and you might have to suck up MedSurg to get there.Think of an end goal. Research to find your "light at the end of the tunnel" and focus on that. It all points there. Take a day off (no studying) and go do something you really enjoy! Come back rested and relaxed and maybe you will find a new perspective!

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I am also wondering what it is about interacting with pts that you do not enjoy?

I LOVE talking with my pts but pt teaching not so much. Why? Because I don't feel qualified enough yet to be teaching. I feel like I'm still learning all this myself and that I'm just blowing smoke and afraid that I will teach them something WRONG and look stupid.

Which by the way, I constantly feel stupid in clinical.

I cried on my instructor last week after I failed to put in a catheter. (TWICE) :facepalm: Nursing school is really testing my self confidence and I'm in the "what the hell am I doing?" phase.

BUT I will keep trucking along because I know this is a phase and I can't wait for it to get better!

You can do this too and eventually, you will find a place that works for you. Keep jumping through those hoops NS throws at us!

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Thanks for the replies thus far.

As far as the patient interaction thing goes. I guess for me its the same concept as having somebody lurking over your shoulder waiting to pounce on you for screwing up. It simply rattles my concentration and seemingly everything i've learned thus far goes out the window.

I like to lose myself in my work but it's hard to do that with real, live patients. I didn't anticipate this being a problem for me and have been waiting for a moment that would tell me I was doing the right thing by being in nursing school but I have yet to have that happen.

Im willing to relocate anywhere in the country for the right job. Med-surg would simply be too miserable of a time if im forced into it. I have read many threads on this forum pertaining to different specialties but not many have mentioned their personal path to get that job/position. Would love to hear those stories!

Again, without knowing much about these specialties, the following sound intriguing to me:

OR

Radiology

PACU

Informatics

Dialysis

Im open to any other suggestions. I worked so hard to get into my program and hate that im not enjoying it.

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Give it some time... There are different nursing specialties. I'm sure you'll find one you like. :)

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Are you in a BSN program? If so, wait until your community health nursing class. This is something that I absolutely hate because I do not get enough patient interaction. Lol. Seriously.. There is something out there for everyone. Keep your chin up. And from one student to another.. Remember to breathe and own whatever you do (even if it is a bed bath)!

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I am actually in an ASN program.

I had an intro course in my 1st semester that was essentially med-surg 101, and now my current semester which is a med-surg course as well.

I have OB/GYN and Mental Health/PSYCH next semester. In my final semester I have Critical Care. That will be my backround when I am turned loose to look for a job.

Community Health Nursing was mentioned to me but I dont know anything about it.

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Most specialties require patient contact/interaction or require a lot of experience with patient contact/interaction first.Feeling self conscious or awkward during clinicals is completely normal.It does get easier and after a while it will be something you will not think twice about.What exactly do you not like about med/surg?

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Med-Surg to me is:

*Obscene patient:nurse ratios

*Never being able to focus on any one patient to give them proper care

*Staying after 12 hour shifts to catch up on documentation

*A-hole Dr's that i've seen yelling at RN's on the floor over something the patient caused (pulling out an IV lock as one example)

*Geriatric poop/pee out the waazoo

*Unrealistic, demanding patients/families

*No breaks over the aforementioned 12 hour shift

*General uncomfortable feeling around patients (this one is me personally)

Again, this has been my personal interpretation based on what i've read, seen, and asked question about. It seems like hell and thus i've become concerned over the path I have chosen.

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