Allie031

Hello, I'm feeling pretty stuck right now and would like some feedback on what others have felt. When I applied to nursing school, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do as a career so I applied. I ended up getting in on my first try(rarely happens in my area apparently), and decided that that was fate pushing me in that direction. I ended up really enjoying my first year but in between first and second my dad passed suddenly. I decided to continue with the program without taking any time off and am now halfway through my second semester of my second year. However, I have began to realize I don't have that passion that so many people seem to have for nursing. I like the patient interaction but hate the schooling side of it. I feel like nursing is important and needs to be done and therefore I should stay. But my dad was always a proponent of doing a job you enjoy since you will be spending so much time in your life doing it. So that mentality is pulling me away, thinking I should drop out. My real passion is animals, painting and writing but it's it's not a stable job and therefore didn't go Tag route career-wise. Also, I've always been responsible. I'm 21 have never some drugs, don't drink, go to bed at 10 pm, exercise, don't break any rules. I feel like that side of me pushed me to continue to go through school instead of take time off. TL;DR, I think I might be going through a quarter life crisis, halfway through my RN degree with no passion for nursing. I enjoy it but am not in love with it. My question for those who have stuck through is: should I push on with nursing until I graduate hoping these feelings pass, take a year off to try and take some time to myself, or drop out completely and find a new path?

So I am currently in my second year of a four year BSN RN program. I have never been one of the people who have a huge passion for nursing and grew up wanting to be a nurse. However, I applied when I didn't really know what I was going to do with my life and I got in, so I took that as a sign. I actually really enjoyed my first year, albeit I did get kind of tired of clinical (long term care) for its repetitiveness. This past summer my father died suddenly and unexpectedly after a simply procedure went wrong. I decided to continue with the fall semester thinking it would help take my mind off it. At the beginning it was going well, but now I'm not sure if its burn out(2 weeks left of semester) or what but I hate school and find clinical repetitive. But what is making me reconsider it the most is I'm not sure if I want to work shift work, and I don't want to work with sick people. I find it makes me constantly think of my dad and makes me have a pit in my stomach any time any of my patients get new results or have to have more tests run in fear they will have a terminal diagnosis. I'm conflicted because I want to be with people and help them feel better in these bad times, but don't want it to break me emotionally if that makes sense. Should I defer a year and take this time to find peace? Or continue on, and pursue a career in public health, perhaps as a speech pathologist(enjoy kids), other venues? TIA!