PLEASE HELP! Career guidance needed

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  1. Should I apply to nursing school?

    • 0
      Yes
    • 7
      No

7 members have participated

I have been thinking about nursing school for almost a year now, I had a meeting with admissions last week and its making everything too real.

Im sorry if this post is all over the place but I need advice and guidance. I think I'm going to have an anxiety attack soon if I cant find peace with my dilemma.

Everyday I worry if going to nursing school is a mistake for me.

I love the opportunities and advancements nursing provides. I have my heart set on working with babies (NICU,L&D,PEDs) and feel that is the only population I could provide "bedside" care to. I wouldn't mind working in ER, possibly ICU, or in OR. But I know for a fact I would not be happy on a med/surg floor. I currently work in a hospital as a pharmacy technician and I round the units very frequently so I see the type of patients on med/surg and it makes me cringe knowing what nurses have to do. The other units such as Family beginnings and L&D I walk through with awe and wish I could spend more time there.

Personality wise i'm more interested in diagnoses and treatments rather than providing bedside care (with the exception of babies and children) I love learning and im very excited with everything im sure ill learn in nursing school.

Ive had many negative past experiences with the elderly and could be why im so opposed to working with them. im not saying I would not provide exception care if I had to but my heart and passion would not be in it and I would be miserable.

I would like to continue on with pursing a nursing care but the "heart" of nursing is bedside care and that typically is to the elderly. So im torn.

Im interested in nursing because:

  • 3 12 hour shifts is appealing and 36 hours is considered full time.
  • I love babies and would be very happy to help comfort and take care of them
  • I would eventually like to advance and become a NP, CRNA, or PA.
  • Im very interested in travel nursing
  • There will always be a demand for nurses
  • I like how im not limited to the work I will be doing and could switch units/specialties
  • I like knowing I will have basic knowledge of heath care

I know many new grads usually work on med/surg floors to gain experience and this makes me very nervous because I do not know if I could handle that even for only a year.

I'm also interested in diagnostic sonography but there is not much advancement with the career and I feel I would become bored. I like the idea I will still somewhat be working with babies, it is not beside care, the salary is about the same as a nurse, and schooling would only be 2 years instead of 4 for my BSN.

Please help me and give me your insight.. any other alternative careers will also be welcomed. I need to figure out what I want to do ASAP as I do not have much time to waste if im going to continue with applying to school.

Thank you so much in advance this has been weighing very heavily on me and I don't know what to do.

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PLEASE someone help! I'm desperate for advice!!!

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

First, to address your second post: It was only 30 minutes between both posts. It's also the weekend, where AN tends to see less traffic. Patience is a virtue.

Second, you make no mention of your age. Are you still in high school? If so, you should sit down with your guidance counselor. If not, try looking to see if a career counselor is available in your area. These types of decisions shouldn't be made based on advice from an anonymous website where those providing advice may not be what they claim to be.

Nursing is not all about comforting and caring for babies, even in those units you mentioned. There are times where the outcomes are tragic. You also won't be working just with those babies- they have families, parents, grandparents, etc.

Depending on where you live, it may prove to be difficult to get any job, never mind a job in your preferred specialty. Many areas are seeing a glut of new grads competing with each other for a limited number of positions. Many specialty units may require nursing experience prior to applying for open positions.

Have you looked into shadowing a nurse for a shift if there are any local facilities permitting it? What about looking into a job as a nursing assistant to get some exposure to the day-to-day life of a nursing unit?

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Thank you for replying.

My comment was to try to get someone who was viewing to comment.

Im 20 I graduated high school 3 years ago and graduated from my pharmacy tech program this January.

I have tried to seek a career advisor but the closest are two hours away and have a pretty high rate. I posted on here seeking advice because I have already tried other channels. I am desperate for advice and insight from nurses who understand my situation.

I understand their families come into play.. My point was I am not comfortable providing bedside care to elderly.

I also understand tragedy happens and my main interest is working in neonatal critical care.

My hospital is constantly hiring RNs, LPNs, and CNAs. There also is a bigger hospital 25 mins away that is expanding by 200 or so beds in the next couple of years.

I realize many new grads need experience which typically is med/surg and that is what worries me.

I am actively looking for job shadowing opportunities so far I have had no luck.

I also would rather not work as a nursing aid.. I already currently work full time in the pharmacy. I visit every unit at least 4-5 times in a shift and every morning I deliver cassettes to patients rooms on various units. I feel I understand for the most part of the hands on work an aid does.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
All these views must be mine because no one is giving me any feedback.. Im honestly desperate.. Ive tried searching other fourms.. talking to my family and friends.. No one will give me advice and I cant decide myself and I really don't want to regret this and waste any time or money. Please someone reach out to me!!!

If you can't make a decision on whether or not to go to nursing school on your own, then perhaps your personality isn't suited to nursing.

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All these views must be mine because no one is giving me any feedback.. Im honestly desperate.. Ive tried searching other fourms.. talking to my family and friends.. No one will give me advice and I cant decide myself and I really don't want to regret this and waste any time or money. Please someone reach out to me!!!

Rose gave you some feedback. What exactly are you looking for? We don't know you or anything about you. We also cannot make life decisions for you. Have you talked to your parents, friends, or like Rose suggested, a guidance counselor? Those are your best places to start.

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I think I have stated my apprehensions as to why I'm torn on going to nursing school. As for school its self I think I would love it and I'm very excited to start if I choose to do so.

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I think I have stated my apprehensions as to why I'm torn on going to nursing school. As for school its self I think I would love it and I'm very excited to start if I choose to do so.

Meant to quote, not to like.

Then all you can do is decide if it's worth it or not to you to go to nursing school.

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Rose gave you some feedback. What exactly are you looking for? We don't know you or anything about you. We also cannot make life decisions for you. Have you talked to your parents, friends, or like Rose suggested, a guidance counselor? Those are your best places to start.

That was posted before I had seen her comment and I'm grateful for the interaction.

Im wondering if I can have a successful career as a nurse even with my apprehensions with med/surg floors and providing bed side care to the elderly. Or if I should try to find something else.. (I have been activity looking)

I want to get into nursing because I think I would very much enjoy working in the units mentioned. I also would like to eventually advance and not many other careers or degrees allow for those opportunities like nursing does.

I have talked to everyone I know and receive no guidance. I would love to talk to a career advisor or some one of the sort but I'm having a difficult time finding one which is why I turned to all nurses for help.

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You will have to do clinicals on a med/surg floor or a nursing home, so you WILL be working with adult populations no matter what, even if your first job is in NICU. Although, NICU and peds are very popular specialties. Most of my classmates express interest in working with children and babies, so it is extra competitive. You may be disappointed if you can't get a job in your preferred specialty right out of school.

Since you don't seem interested in bedside/caring for adults at all, I really don't think nursing is a great choice. Most people at least wait until their first semester clinicals to decide that. The only job I can think of where you only work with babies is a day care center. If you are ambitious, you could look into starting your own day care.

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Specializes in ICU.

A nurse does do the work of an PCT often. Visiting a unit during a shift to drop something off does not constitute an understanding of what a nurse does. It doesn't.

Can an I ask why you bothered with Pharmacy tech school? I'm just curious.

Personally, I think you need to make up your mind 100% before deciding to do this. Otherwise it's simply a waste of time and money. It will be wasting your financial aid. You can only get one degree at each level. Financial aid is not infinite.

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Specializes in Pre-hospital Critical Care.

Like some others have said, we can't make this decision for you as we don't really know you.

I can tell you that I go to school with plenty of people who know they do not want to work with general or elderly populations and only want to work with babies. There is nothing wrong with that, everyone has a population they like or accel in, but in nursing school you will have to work with every population. If its worth it to you and you really want to get to neonatal, then you will play the game, and get through nursing school to reach your goal. It's like anything, you don't get to just start where you want, you have to work for it and get a well rounded education so you have the knowledge. Just as important is where you want to work. I don't know where you are from, but as RoseQueen said, some areas/states are not in a nursing shortage and can be selective, thus it's hard to get a job as a new grad, let alone in a specialty. In these areas you will most likely have to start in Med/Surg. But there are areas/states that are in a shortage and like where I am now; every person who wanted their specialty has already been hired prior to even graduating. We have students who will start their careers in NICU and will probably never leave, but this isn't possible in every part of the country.

I think you need to shadow a nurse for at least a full shift to get an idea of what it's really about and then it may be easier to make a decision.

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