katadat49

I recently got accepted to an accelerated nursing program for this coming January. After completing all of my prereq courses, I've been starting to have doubts about going back to school. I think this is the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my life . I have a decent job now in a lab, but it's not very fulfilling and there's not many opportunities to grow. I thought nursing would be a job that would allow me to put my compassion to work for me and would also allow me to give back to people in need. However, sometimes I feel that the pros and cons equal out and I'm having a hard time deciding. I've never worked in a hospital setting as a CNA, and I don't want to go into this blindfolded to find that it's not what I thought it would be. Not to mention the $40K price tag. It's a pretty big gamble that I don't want to regret doing or not doing. I've shadowed a nurse at a private nursing home, but the experience was basically set in an office with a bunch of paperwork and no patient contact. People may say to work as a CNA first, but for me to quit my job to try it out is not practical financially. With the current economy, it is a major step to leave a decent job (I'm lucky I have one) to a career that I'm not sure is right for me. On another note, I am a hard worker that enjoys a fast paced work environment. However, I am a sensitive person and I fear that the patients, doctors, and nurses would eat me alive. I know one of the characteristics of a nurse is to have tough skin, but I'm not sure if I can handle the abuse that sometimes accompanies a stressful situation. I also feel like I if I don't go back in January and decide to give it more time, a lot of my prereq courses will be over 10 years old which would require me to take them over I am not about to take Algebra and English all over again, that's for sure. I feel a lot of pressure to decide and I know I'm the only one that can make that decision, but your input would be greatly appreciated :wink2: