Tartay021,
Good luck in school & Congratulations!
I was at a dinner party with my husband's company & thier spouses the other night & everyone was asking each other what they do for a living. Mostly people in the advertising industry - some said "oh, I could never do what you do, I hate the sight of blood" or "wow, you hardly ever hear of young women being nurses anymore" etc... At first I felt a little inferior. But then I thought to myself, "None of these people know what it is like to save another human's life or too bond with a child taken from an abusive home or receive a hug from a patient leaving your unit after waking from a coma." Nursing is an extroadinary profession!
I'm going to be honest with you. I love being a nurse but, you may as well prepare yourself for some negativity! Especially in nursing school. Although you will meet nurses who truly inspire you, you will meet burned-out, bitter, menopausal old hags too! And many of them have good reason to be that way! However, if you really want to be a nurse, don't let the negative things get you down!
So, how do you stay encouraged? Concentrate on the patients. They were a source of strength to me. So many times I heard patients say things to me like, "You are going to be a great nurse" or "Here comes an angel" It means a lot when an HIV or Cancer patient tells you that you have brightened their day! Too me, that's what nursing is all about!
Once I had a nursing instructor tell me, "If you are ever in a place where you feel yourself getting burned out, make a change. Change up your hours, change to a different department, change to a different facility or a different type of nursing." That is so true! Granted, I haven't been an RN for very long - but my eyes have been opened to the great variety of nursing jobs out there! I have several friends in Home Health Nursing who absolutely love it! They say they have a chance to form a rapport with thier patients that they did not have in the hospital & they have a fairly flexible schedule so they can be there for their children if needed. I have another friend who did 2 yrs in hospital ICU's then entered travel nursing & loves it. She gets too see the country & never stays in one place too long. One nurse I knew from school went from working in the OR to a private Dermatologist's practice. The doctor saw her in action & hand-picked her - she gets great hours, benefits & better pay than her hospital job & she accompanies the Dr on all his surgeries as his personal nurse. One of my classmates is now working in a dialysis clinic & loves her job. The list goes on & on! Like anything else - nursing can be what you make it - a positive or negative experience! Just be open-minded & focus on the positive! Remember the patients! You are entering a field where you can really make a difference in people's lives - be proud of that!
Feel free to E-mail me if you need encouragement through school!