alwayslearning08

I, too, thought about becoming a vet. One thing you (and your GF) have to remember, is that you won't soley be dealing with animals if you get your DVM. Ask any vet, and they will tell you that you must like people as well. You don't just grab an animal from a room, take it to the back, and not even talk to the people. You will have to deal with emotional, sometimes angry clients. People that are resistant to what you say. You will have to talk to people about hard situations with their pets, life-long diseases, injury, even death. You will have to spend hours on the phone reassuring clients, explaining test results and procedures...and don't forget the mountains of paperwork! It is not an easy job, and I would say you only spend about 50% with animals.

Thanks for your input. And I agree, you should enjoy what you are doing. I think being an ICU nurse is one I would really like. It would be challenging and rewarding. I would want to work with really sick/injured people. I had thought about ER work, but could only work in a trauma ER. I think I would get frustrated seeing people with silly complaints and not real emergencies. But I will definitely think about what you said.

How easy is it to get ICU experience while in nursing school? Is it usually part of your clinical rotations, or do you have to request it?

I am curious as to how many CRNA's went to nursing school simply to be CRNA's. Or did you decide to change while working as an RN...and if so, why? A little on my background. I used to be a vet tech. Ended up getting into a surgery only position at a large emergency/specialty hospital, and I loved it. We did everything from exam, place IV lines, calculate and give meds, intubate, work as a scrub/first assistant, monitor anesthesia, and wake-up/extubate the patient. I really enjoyed it, but the pay and lack of respect (and the inability to move up), forced me to look at other careers. So many people told me to go into nursing, but I wanted to do surgery, so I became a surg tech. It is fascinating, but I want more. More of a challenge (I am feeling very underwhelmed and bored lately), more responsibility, more respect. The money is decent, but I wouldn't mind a bigger paycheck either. So again I am thinking about nursing school. But what I am really interested in is CRNA school. I find anesthesia absolutely incredible. I wouldn't go back, but I kind of miss my days running anesthesia on animal patients. I think I would much rather be a CRNA than an OR nurse (and definitely more than a floor nurse). So how many people went to nursing school just so they could go on to CRNA school? Were you able to get right into an ICU after graduation, or did you work other areas as well. I would love to hear some backgrounds on the CRNA's in here. How you got to where you are now. And was it worth it??

I am new to this site, been lurking for a little while though. So if this was already brought up, I apologize. But I am wondering, who here went into nursing (or plan on pursuing nursing) because of one field, and only one field? Did you want to be a nurse because you could only see yourself being an L&D nurse, and would never consider another specialty? Do you love trauma and would only work in the ER? Did you see nursing school as a stepping stone to an advanced degree? LIke, you always wanted to be a CRNA, and couldn't fathom being a floor nurse...so you went to nursing school, worked in the ICU, then went straight to CRNA school and never looked back? For those that had a set idea in their head, how did it work out? Were you able to work in your dream job? Is it everything you hoped for? Did you change your mind in nursing school? Sorry for all the questions, but I am thinking about nursing school (along with other healthcare options), and want to get a feel for where nurses are coming from. Nursing intrigues me, but many fields I can't see myself working in. I was wondering if that was normal, and if I should still consider nursing, or if maybe I am not cut out for it. Is it ok to only be interested in one type of nursing?