monikee

Hey everyone! It's been about a month and a half since I graduated from the LPN program and have been doing a lot of thinking about my next move in life. I don't have the courage of getting certified as an LPN, nor the courage to quit nursing school (I am in the ADN program now). There are times I wish I had gone to college as an undecided major, then there are times when I think I can make nursing work. I have asked for advice, as I don't want to "lose" another year doing something I may not practice, and the answers I get are something like, "If you don't have a backup plan, don't quit. Think about the financial benefits that you can get with this career, and besides, a year will go by either way, so why not just stay in the nursing program?" It seems that every time I try to ask for advice, the number one answer is "think about the financial benefits" I don't and never decided on nursing because of the money and much less do I want it to become the reason of me doing nursing now. What I hate the most is not knowing if I really don't like nursing, or is it because my first year in nursing school didn't go well causing me to be scared, plus knowing the amount of responsibility that I will have as a nurse? And I know the only way would be to start practicing as an LPN, but I can't. I don't have the courage, I am too scared ad don't feel that initiative to practice as a nurse right now. I spend sleepless nights stressed out almost as much as when I was in my first year in nursing school trying to look for other career options, and yet I don't find anything. What should I do??? I am in desperate need of help:(

Hi, So today, I have two questions: 1. I had a pretty rough first year in nursing school because I had very different expectations than how the reality actually was, and I will be on my second year this fall starting my ADN (I think that I do want to give it a second chance, now that I know how the nursing program really is). However, instead of feeling excitement, I am very scared and nervous. Is it normal to feel this way after a rough first year? And will the second year get better? 2. Even though I have all this doubts of nursing school, if I am able to go through the whole ADN program, I am very interested in working at a NICU. This has been a life-long dream before I got discouraged with my first year in nursing. My question is, will NICUs accept nurses with an ADN, or will I have to get my bachelors? I mean, in the future, I would like to get my bachelors, but as of now, I would like to start off working with my ADN. Also, is it required to work in other floors first before a NICU? If so, like which ones and for how long? Thank you, everyone:)

Hello! So, since I discovered this blog, I have read many things about nursing; a few negative aspects and few gross things (like bodily fluids) that nurses have had to deal with. However, I am also very interested in knowing something. While being a nurse, has something happened to you that has made you realize and if not realize just has supported your passion for nursing? Has anything been like "Oh, nursing is definitely my true passion" or "Nursing has been the best thing that has happened to me" sort of thing? Also, based on your experience in nursing, is nursing truly worth it? Even with all the negatives along the way like dealing with bodily fluids, being disrespected for being "just" a nurse, working long hours, holidays, weekends, working very early in the mornings or night shifts, having a great and big responsibility for patient's health and required continued education and if you could, would you do nursing all over again without thinking about it? Lastly, did you ever doubt about nursing being the right career for you? Thank you all, I am just very curious to see what you nurses have to say:)

Hi, I am really confused about the direction that my career is taking. I am a CNA and have worked for a year at a LTC. I loved helping the residents and putting a smile on them and I loved when they saw me as part of their family. However, as time went on, I began to get emotionally and physically tired. I have a high respect for all CNAs especially after being one myself, but I started to feel miserable working as a CNA after some time. I still loved helping the residents, but then came a nurse who I felt never liked me, and that honestly made me feel very uncomfortable. I was once going to a resident who kept on coughing, so I approached the resident and asked them if they were okay, and then the nurse just looked at me and said, "What are you doing, they are ok" and looked at me as if they were annoyed by me just because I went to see and asked that resident if they were okay. Then once, I was trying to put a resident on a lift to take them to the bathroom and since this resident was stiff from the limbs, it was difficult and that same nurse saw me struggling and instead of helping me, they stood right in front of me just watching me struggle. After a while of watching me struggle like a good 8 minutes, that nurse finally walked over and showed me how to do it, but again making me feel stupid and inferior to them by the way they showed me. Don't get me wrong, I love aspects of being a CNA, but then again there are those nurses that make you feel stupid, or at least that's exactly how I felt with that nurse, and this same nurse was different towards other CNAs and that's why I am saying that this nurse did not like me. It's not just the whole nurse issue that I struggled as a CNA, I also struggled with feeling like I never had enough time to get everything done, which always ended up stressing me out a lot to the point where I would cry and dread coming to work. Then, there was also the issue with some grumpy residents. I understand that in life and just in any work place, that you will deal with rude people and that maybe I shouldn't take it to heart, but I am that kind of person that is very sensible and emotional. So, I would hate it when resident's would yell at me because I wasn't doing things exactly the way they liked it, or whenever I was busy helping other residents and they had to wait a little, then they would get upset and yell at me even after I would explain to them that I was helping others. All of these factors contribute to me hating being a CNA. I have thought about being a home health aid, but I am just scared after going through all of these issues while working in a LTC. I am in nursing school, I have just finished my LPN year and going for my RN. This is where I am confused. After now being done with my LPN, I still have my doubts about nursing. I feel that maybe I won't like nursing because I did not like being a CNA and now after a full year and completing my LPN and I am still doubting. I like aspects of nursing, but there are others that I don't like. Things I don't like are for example, getting things done in a certain amount of time because of the limited time with each patient and paperwork. I feel like I spent more time doing paperwork than being with the patient and I really hate that because I love dedicating time to that patient and spending time with them. I am just confused if I should continue with nursing, if at this point I feel neutral about it while I see other nursing students really excited about it. Please, help me by giving me advice. And I am sorry for making it super long, but I felt like I needed to explain my whole situation to be understood better.