Jonboy

Hello everyone, I guess I will start out with a little history of myself before I ask the question. Apologies this could be long. I love people and I love patients. I enjoy my time that I spend with my patients a great deal and it always gives me the best feeling in the world when a patient leaves my care happy and feeling like during their time with me their life was better (even though it is just a sleep study with possible CPAP titration). In high school I was looking for a job, basically to get the parents off my back. I was able to get a job in the Dietary Department at the hospital my mom worked at (she's been a nurse all her life). For 5 years I gave dinner trays to the patients. I always enjoyed conversation with them, specifically the elderly. Obviously there were patients that scared me due to their condition, both mental and physical, but I enjoyed the interaction none the less. I have even done two Mission Projects to foreign, 3rd world countries to work at hospitals. I love the hospital setting. In college the only thing I knew I wanted to do and was good at, was working with people. I went through a few majors, including psychology, but none of them peaked my interest. I tried chemistry and it was great and I was good at it....until I ran into Calc-based physics. Once you add more letters then numbers I get a little lost. 5 years after entering college I graduated with a Bachelor's in Community and Public Health. The disease part of the curriculum interested me the most. I graduated in August of 08 and was lost after graduation. I didn't know what to do. I was able to get a job in late August as a polysomnagraphic technician, which is basically someone who does sleep studies on people who have apnea, narcolepsy, ect. As I stated in the beginning I love the interaction with my patients, even though its only about 2 hrs total, that is the only thing keeping me at this job (that and the benefits, sigh). So after mild depression sank in due to the night hours and limited person to person contact outside of my patients I started to think. I want to do something that puts me with people and that is centered around diseases. Due to my constant switching in college, loss of interest, and a few personal problems, my overall GPA suffered. My cumulative is 2.4 with my graduating major GPA of 3.1. I know I have a few hills to climb for either grad school or nursing school but I am will to go through hell to prove myself. A major decision is fast approaching for me. Either continue in grad school and obtain a Master's in Epidemiology, which would be great b/c it deals wth diseases however little to no patient interaction, or go to nursing school where I can work with patients, educate on diseases, and work for agencies that deal with infectious diseases (assuming of course I go back and get a MS in Epi). Due to my grades I know it may be very hard to get into an Accel-BSN program so I may have to get an ADN from the local community college then go back for my BSN. Everyone tells me I would make a good nurse. I've been told I'd make a great doctor because of my bedside manner (except I'm not that smart, and now time is a factor so thats out of the question), I guess there is just me left to convince. There are 2 major fears I have: 1) Bodily fluids (blood is no biggy, its the other stuff), and 2) coursework, can I handle the vigourous work (a friend of mine failed their boards a few times, i'm worried) and accept the responsibility of someones life in my hands. I have thought about this decision for 4 months now. Any thoughts on my situation? I have meeting with the Accelerated Nursing Program Recruiter from Creighton soon, so any prayers are welcome :) Thanks and again I apologize for the long post. ~Jon