mpski

i haven’t quit yet but in about 12 to 15 months i will hopefully be out. i'm working on prerecs now and will apply for a program in late 09. what is going to make me quit my job is my personal desire to help others and try to leave a positive impact on the world. and i find the human body and experience totally fascinating. because this sounds so idealistic and cliche'ed, i did not come by the decision lightly. it has taken me personally about 2 years of soul searching, job shadowing, talking to career councilors, and talking with nursing students and professionals to decide that this is most like one of the best career paths for my interests and what drives me. leaving a lucrative career may be somewhat tough at first but if the job leaves you hollow and unhappy, and is clearly only a means-to-an-end then it’s time for a major change. hope this is somewhat helpful.

Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like job shadowing is a good way to see more of what a "day-in-the-life" is like. For now... it's back to studying microbio!!!

I’m hoping for feedback about why / how people decided to get into the nursing field. ** How did you learn what it really means to be a nurse versus simply a mental picture of what the job is like? My thoughts for now are to volunteer / job shadow at a hospital and to talk to nurses about their experiences. I personally want to help people and have a positive impact on others lives but what other ideas would help me better understand the day-in-the-life of a nurse. The pros and cons / ups and downs. A brief personal summery. I’m a 34 male and have worked in banking / finance for 6-7 years. I cannot imagine making this industry my “life’s work” and have not been happy for some time (even before the current economic woos). Over the past 2 years I have worked hard at personal introspection and trying to uncover what motivates me and provides contentment. After talking to consolers, professionals in many different fields and college career center reps, I decided that a career in healthcare and nursing is likely to be a good fit. I’m currently finishing up pre-recs and plan to apply to a nursing program in late 2009. However, I’m looking for a bit more advice before turning my live completely upside-down. THANKS :-)