ronsprincess

YOu sound just like me!!! lol! I am in school for teaching (elementary) and I have worked in daycare for eight years. I started thinking about nursing a year ago and one reason why I can't decide is because when I have kids I want a lot of time with them. Your right teachers have holidays, weekends, and the summers off, but I too question if I really want to be a teacher anymore. Especially here in michigan. Everyone one of my friends that has already graduated with a teaching degree has had to go out of the state to get a job. Nursing is certainly more stable, and theres more flexibilty, money, ect. And I too always feel envious of the nurses when I am with my fiance at the hospital (he has crohns disease). I really want to be a nurse and I know I can if want it bad enough. I am really just scared about nursing school, and wether I could make it through or not. You should job shadow a nurse, thats what I did. One of the parents at the daycare I worked at is a nicu nurse and I shadowed her and I talked to her a lot about nursing and nursing school. It really helped me. I went from thinking I could nevr be a nurse, to realizing a could if want it enough. And this nurse has a perfect scehule! She works two days a week, and every third weekend she works fri-sunday. Her little girl is almost never at the daycare! She has tons of time for her daughter. I know most nurses work three days, twelve hours each. Yeah you have to work some holidays, but I don't think I would mind. If you know any nurses see if you can shadow them for a day or night. All of the nurse on the floor when I shadowed were very nice and helpful, gave me lots of advice. They all said "If you can get through nursing school you can get through anything in life!" GL!

Hello I am new to the boards. I'm jennie, 26. Engaged to be married next summer. I could use a lot of advice! First, I have been going to EMU on and off since I graduated high school for elementary ed. During that time I have also worked in daycare with children of all ages. I would really like to be a teacher, but I am begining to wonder if I should continue to go towards elementary ed. Every one I know that has graduated has had to go out of state to get a teaching job. Now they are saying they are going to cut even more teaching jobs if the governor cuts some of the aide to schools in michigan. I just wonder if it's worth the time and effort to continue to work towards my teaching degree. For the past year and a half I have thought about going into nursing. My fiance has crohns disease, and has been in the hospital at least once a year his whole life. Being with him in the hospital has made me very comfortable in a hospital setting and seeing the nurses is part of what made me want to go into nursing. I even recently job shadowed a nicu nurse at st. joes in ann arbor. I loved it! However I am scared to death about nursing school! I have heard so many horror stories about how difficult it is, and how the instructors try to make you scared and try to purposely fail you? I am also horrible at math. Is there a lot of math involved in nursing? Especially nicu? I think I would really like to do nicu if I went into nursing. So basicly my question is can you tell me about some of the nursing schools in the se mi area? I am thinking if I went into nursing I would probably go to madonna? Do they have a waiting list? Also is nursing a great job to have when raising a family? Sorry this is so long, but I appreciate the advice!

Anne74-Thanks for your honesty, it scared the crap out of me, but I appreciate it, and I am still thinking about nursing! :)

Thanks so much for all of your advice. I have spent a lot of time talking to people who are either nurses or in nursing school to get an idea of if I would be able to handle nursing. As far as caring for people yes. I have experianced being both the patient and the family member of a patient. I have seen a lot of wonderful nurses, and I have seen them deal with a lot of rude patients, families, ect so I do know that I will encounter this. When I job shadowed a neonatal nurse I really enjoyed that. I think if I did go into nursing I would like to be a nicu nurse. The nurse I shadowed love it because she knew she didn't want to do ault nursing and she only works two days a week and every third weekend. And yes I know if I work in a hospital I will have to work weekends and holidays. I don't mind, I think it would bother me to work christmas day but I know everyone will have to do it during a career as a nurse. I guess you just do christmas on a different day. Can you tell me more about clinicals in detail? Also about how many classes do you take at a time in nursing school? And what have you had to disect in A & P? A lot of people have told me they have had to disect a cat with hair on it?! I'm a cat person............. How do I get past that? I know it sounds silly but I would have a hard time doing that. But I know if I want to be a nurse I will have to get over it. Thanks again for all of yor advice. Any reccommendations on some other boards I should visit on this site?

Hi I am a education who has been thinking about going into nursing over the past year. My fiance has crohn's disease so being with him in the hospital often is kind of what made me think about going into nursing. It seems to be a great career, one that pays well, and that will always be needed. I also like that there are a zillion different areas of nursing to go into. It has been very hard for me to decide if nursing is the right thing for me. So I have a few questions. I recently job shadowed a neonatal nurse and I absolutly loved it!! However I am still uncertain. How do you know if nursing is for you? Why is nursing school so hard and stressful? This makes me nervous. I am worried about flunking out, and if I can handle the stress. If anyone can give me as much info on nursing school as possible I would really appreciate it. Do you find that nursing is a field that allows you to have a lot of time for your family? This is very important to me in a job. Thanks so much for taking the time to anserw my questions! PS-I apologize if I put this on the wrong board, I'm new here!

Hi I am new to this site and for over a year I have been thinking of going into nursing. I have been doing a lot of research on it and talked to a lot of different nurses. My fiance has crohns disease and the hospital is particly our second home! We have spent many holidays and birthdays there. I think that seeing him in the hospital and watching the nurses, is what has fueled my interest in the field. I have been going to school on and off since I graduated high school for elementary ed and I have worked in daycare also for seven years. I have debated between teaching and nursing and I really can't seem to make up my mind! I am really confused! There are many pros and cons to both jobs. I like the aspect of doing the 3/12 shifts that many nurses have. Every time I think I have decided what I want to do I change my mind again. It usuaslly goes to me just sticking with teaching, but later nursing comes up again and I figure there has got to be a reason for it. I think part of me is scared and has a fear of failure at least as far as nursing school goes-I hear so many scary things like how hard it is and that you get yelled at. I have made a list of questions and I would apprecate any advice to help me make a decision. I should mention that at the end of the month I will be job shadowing a neo natal nurse and I am very excited about it! And my finace is also almost 100% sure he is going to enroll in nursing school very soon! :nuke: Is the pay and benefits in nursing really as good as everyone says? How did you become interested in nursing? If you have kids, does your job allow you to have enough time to spend with them? How often do you have to work major holidays? What are the good/bad things about nursing? Do you get to pick your shift or if you work full or part time? Thank you so much!!!