wide-eyed

I just read this on Wikipedia: ‎"Employment of surgical technologists is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations. In fact, according to the Bureau for Labor Statistics, employment of surgical technologists is expected to grow 24 percent between 2006 and 2016, much faster than the average for all occupations, as the volume of surgeries increases." Sounds promising, yes?

Actually, when I wrote that the image in my mind was of physically taking the bedpan from the patient's room to some other room and literally washing it out like a dog dish, as I often did when working at the animal hospital. I had no idea patients shat themselves with such frequency and ferocity until I read the horror stories! I am well aware (personally, even) that being clean contributes to a general feeling of well-being and I agree with you that this is part of caring for the patient. You're right that I don't know much about what a nurse does, but I have said as much in prior posts. The example, as I later explained, was really to make the point that I did not want to go through the rigors and expense of nursing school to find that I was performing tasks that required no education whatsoever. My exposure to nurses has been minimal. That's why I'm here! Speaking very frankly here, I think alternative/natural treatments should be the first course of action for many ailments. I'm someone who rarely even takes an ibuprofen for pain unless it becomes unbearable or distracting. I don't think the human body was designed to process or handle the medications we've designed, however well it might tolerate it. I mean, the body can tolerate drugs such as heroin and cocaine for a time as well, but they're hardly beneficial. I recognize that modern medicine has done a great deal of good, but I also think it's created conditions that, in part, make it more difficult for the body to heal itself and use natural methods for healing. I believe there is great strength in the mind to affect changes in the body. I do not think I would feel completely uncomfortable administering medication, depending on the illness. I do have a problem with having so narrow a perspective as to completely rule out alternative approaches or dismiss them as "quackery" as some here have described. I would want to be in a position to advocate for other treatments. I am well aware that there are not very many who feel as I do, and I am okay with that. I know it was just an example, but I am not of the opinion that drugs are always the best treatment for psychological issues. I believe it can help in the short-term, to make it easier for the patient to work on changing their way of thinking, but I don't view it as a long-term treatment. (I have personal experience with this.) I believe it's possible to mostly cure oneself of diabetes and I have read good things about the Gerson Method for treating cancer. I think death is a very natural part of life, and it's unreasonable to attempt to prolong life when the body has quit working to the extent that it requires we end up going so far out of our way to prolong mere existence properly. I think it would be great if I could shadow a nurse, but I don't immediately see how that would be possible for someone with zero training and not in school. I am not aware of volunteer programs in hospitals other than "candy-stripers". How would this be done?

Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who has responded, all of this information and dialogue is extremely helpful. I'm just beginning this research and examination process, and there are so many things I hadn't considered and so much to learn! Surgical tech strikes me immediately as being incredibly interesting... When I first entered college my goal was actually not journalism but biology, and I intended to work in research in a lab. Part of my motivation was the diabetes that runs in my family; last week an uncle who had it worse than other family members passed away, and it's brought the medical field back to mind. We lived 1000+ miles apart so I hadn't seen him in many years, but we kept in touch online. He had so many caregivers and hospital visits and eventually ended up in a rehab facility after his foot was amputated. I know all of this is irrelevant to this topic, but I'm very aware that without all the people who attended to him during his many, many hospital visits and health issues, he wouldn't have lived half as long as he did. He stopped his dialysis and had hospice care in his last week (after quitting dialysis he only lived a few days), and there were three different people (healthcare personnel) who stopped to look in on him that last day. It just seems like there's so much good to be done in this field if I can find the right fit. Edited to add: He took horrible care of himself, by the way, and in every way contributed to his ill health. Buckets of prescription drugs could never have undone the damage, and this also in part contributes to my interest in naturopathy and health and wellness education. So many issues could be prevented or lessened in severity just by doing right by yourself each and every day.

In some roundabout way this feels like support for my lack of nurturing, even if that wasn't the intent. :) I'm curious, since I am clueless here, in what way you think nurses act like doormats? Can you give me a fer-instance? Is there an expectation of a 'just smile and take it' attitude that you disagree with? In what way would you want to see nurses behaving differently?

Thank you so much for your input! This was very helpful. I doubt s/he intended to come across that way, either, and someone with 32 years of experience under their belt has certainly seen all types of fresh nurses come and go and has a feel for the ones who will make it and those who will get fed up. It just seemed like s/he failed to read the whole of my post where I did say I like people, want to help people and make a difference in people's lives--how that translates to misanthrope I can't say. I guess I would also expect someone with so much life and job experience to have learned to deliver their ridicule in a more constructive manner. Although I have been working at home for several years, I have had normal jobs before! I worked long, hard, dirty hours as a vet tech, wading in worse than poop daily, and without the benefit of gloves, goggles or gowns. I am not above poop! And those horror stories are hilarious! Nurses are truly bright lights in the world, I agree with you that it is a servant's profession and godblessya for doing what you do and dealing with the whiny rest of us with grace and compassion! I just think there are some of us out here who may not realize we're where we're supposed to be until we get there, and some who may not enjoy what they're doing to begin with, but like anything else, with perseverence it can become what you love. I don't believe it's necessarily true that because I don't feel like a caregiver now that I would not become one out of a desire to make others' lives less miserable. I have considered naturopathy school (just considered, not done any research), but I guess my concern there is that there may not be much demand? Do you find many patients saying they'd prefer to avoid taking drugs? Are those patients ever referred to a naturopath or someone who can guide them in that direction?

I understand. But I'm curious if you could explain why? What is it about nursing that you think would not agree with me? I have tried to touch on all the factors I thought might be important, but there is a lot I don't know and it's that knowledge gap that leaves me unsure whether or not to progress down this road. I have also looked into teaching English, but emigration is not my primary concern. It's a big desire, but mostly I would like to find something I love doing that will ALSO be valuable overseas. I have done some research into visa requirements and obtaining perm. residency/green card elsewhere and there are few occupations on those lists that I would be willing to pursue. Nursing was one that I think I might like and would be willing to put time and effort into if it will pay off. Also I suspect I would not be a very good teacher.

Thank you for this information, I am not very clear on the differences in the certifications and what jobs are available to each. Just based on my past college experience, I would expect the more education, the better the options, yes? Truthfully I am not averse to poop--I have five cats and they are worse than any human could be as far as that's concerned! What I really meant to say is that I don't want to go through the rigors and expense of nursing school and what follows to find that I'm mostly performing tasks that don't require any education whatsoever (like cleaning bed pans). I do realize there is so much more to nursing, but my interaction with nurses has been minimal and infrequent, so I don't know! Primarily only when they were asking questions, taking blood pressure or drawing blood, things of that nature. I have never been in a hospital as anything more than a visitor. Thanks again!

It was a sincere post, and I don't think there's any need to be rude. If you don't have anything to contribute here but mockery, maybe there is another post on this forum where your wisdom would be better received? I am not a misanthrope and I openly admitted that I am not sure this field is for me. There is a big difference between the self-awareness that one may not be a caregiver type but still wants to make a difference in people's lives and simply disliking all people outright. The question about naturopathy was also a genuine one--surely there are others like myself who DID go into nursing, and I would like to hear whether or not their opinions about modern medicine influenced the specialty they went into or the way they practice. Thanks for your thoughts, anyhow.

I hear what you're saying about the demand for nursing being a farce, but I wouldn't intend to practice in the U.S. so it's possible wherever I'd want to practice would have more of a demand. There are many countries who will give you bookoo points on your visa/permit questionnaire for being a nurse because they want to attract more quality workers. This is another big draw for me because I desperately want to move to another country but my current occupation (and a degree in a field I don't practice in--a degree is helpful but doesn't really get you far unless you've also been working in that field for the last two years) would make it difficult to earn enough points without sponsorship or a job offer already lined up. I definitely don't want to be spreading misery around! I am a happy person and I do enjoy making others happy--but nursing is obviously so much more than bringing a smile to someone's face. A small part of my problem is, I think, not knowing what options are open to nurses after school. Doctors do residency and specialize in surgery or oncology or pediatrics, etc. I assume the same is also true of nursing, since a nurse working in those areas will need specialized training and education to do his/her job well. But I don't know for certain? Is that how it works? I feel like I can't accurately gauge whether or not I will like it without knowing more about the job itself. Obviously it would be great if I were naturally drawn to this field and all it entails, but medicine is so broad that I feel certain there's something within the field I would enjoy and do well. One other consideration: I am vegetarian/vegan and a bit of a "health nut", and I have pretty strong opinions about just throwing pills and chemicals at illnesses. I am a proponent of naturopathy and alternative medicine in many cases. I'm curious if this predilection would interfere with my duties or if any similar individuals have gone ahead into nursing and what their experiences were.

So, the basics: I'll be 30 in a couple of weeks and earned my Bach. in Journalism in 2001. I haven't used it since and I didn't want to become a journalist (long story). My jobs since then have run the gamut from vet tech to custom framer to online marketing to now I work for a major search engine improving their search results. I've enjoyed most of what I've done since graduation and I actually really like my job and it's decent money for what it is, but it's not a career. Although, come to think of it, I'm not sure I'm looking for a career. I enjoy the freedom of working from home and not really having a "boss". I am not married and have no kids (no plans for any, either), so there are no big distractions to consider. My life is wide open (aside from financial constraints). Every time I think about doing something different with my life, I keep coming back around to nursing--and then dismissing it because I am TOTALLY NOT the caregiver sort. I don't enjoy coddling people or listening to whinging. I really don't want to be back at the bottom of the totem pole cleaning out bed pans. Others have reminded me that I could specialize when it comes time for an internship or whatever it is nurses do similar to residency after the school bit. I would LOVE the school bit and have no qualms about my ability to perform extremely well--school has always come easily to me--but I would be afraid I'd be terribly unhappy when it came time to actually BE a nurse. Part of the reason I keep coming back around to it when considering life options is that nurses are in demand EVERYWHERE in the world, make a decent living, are surrounded by intelligent, educated, motivated people and do good things for others. My first choice would be to practice outside the U.S., and I am even less familiar with nursing in other countries. I am also concerned with the ick factor. I am not comfortable with gore and the awful things that sometimes happen to people. So, given all that, do any professional nurses have any suggestions or advice? I am not sure this is for me, but I wonder if there are areas I could specialize in that will work to my strengths? Or rather, I think I just don't have an accurate picture of what nurses do on a daily basis and what options would be open to me.