Lena M

I apologize if this is not the right forum to post on...this is my first time back on this website in a very long time. I really appreciate any advice anyone has to offer. I was in a 2 year Nursing School program at my local community college when I was 17 years old. I worked as a PCA in home health care for years, loved it, and recieved very good grades in nursing school. Unfortunately I was very young, very timid back then, and due to personal issues in my life I chose to leave Nursing School in order to move out of home. I have since worked for years in home health care and as a bartender/server, I also recieved my EMT-B cert in that time, bought a house have a two year old as well as one on the way. My fiance is very supportive thankfully. Now that my life has settled a bit, I'm looking further into the past as to what I'd like to do as my career past bartending, and I'm considering going back to nursing school. I can not afford to work solely part time for two years at a time, however my local college has an LPN option, with the option of working after the one year program and bridging into the RN program when I am financially/mentally ready after getting experience in the field. My main issue is..I'm very scared of the pharmacology aspect of the job. Which is obviously a huge part of the job. Everything else I think I really enjoyed. I had clients with extensive medical needs when I worked as a PCA and was very comfortable with all aspects of that job as well. It's not that I was doing poorly in Pharmacology, but I will admit I have severe anxiety about making a mistake, to the point that it makes me sick. My question is...is this something that I may eventually get over with experience? Should I look into different fields instead? I'm very interested in Pysch nursing (I do hav some experience caring for combative clients), and am assuming this issue would hinder me severely in that field? I considered becoming a Paramedic at one point...however I'm 5' 2" 105 lbs and basically accepted that, especially with the part of the state I live in and the lack of demand for medics, I basically most likely could not physically cut it. Any advice would so be appreciated. Thank you!!

I just wanted to thank you all for the advice, I really appreciate the support. Unfortunately, this program and the stress of pushing medications has become too much for me, I have become rather unhealthy and have ultimately decided to leave my program. I intend on possibly becoming an LPN if possible, as well as getting an education in wildlife rehabilitation or fire science as additonal income supplementation. Thank you so much for the support, I feel a bit like a failure however I respect patients too much to feel like I am just winging it. I feel extremely comfortable at bedside and with ADL's, however I do not feel comfortable in the position of determing medication use and administration. Thanks again!

anh06005 I have to say that your answer has relieved me quite a bit ha. If that is the case I would feel much more comfortable pursuing this.

Sorry for the confusion, I feel like I cannot do anything right in the program regarding meds, considering the main focus is medication.. I am second guessing whether I feel comfortable with possibly killing someone with one mistake for the rest of my life. Thank you for your advice I.will try to do so. To the first poster, thank you for your help. I of course have considered CNA, I was also possibly looking into Medical Assistant, I really do want to be a nurse but I want to be in a career that I am confident that I am somehow helping someone, not constantly scared that I am hurting them with medication administration. It just appears that the job is so reliant on memorizing all medications and documentation, and I am worried that I will not be able to do that. Thank you for your advice!

First off, I'd like to explain that I am not and have never been a quitter. I worked full timebhours all through high school and my pre reqs, and am very head strong. I was positive I wanted to be a nurse, absolutely positive. I researched and went on this website everyday making sure that this was the choice I wanted and for the most part it.is a perfect fit. I am extremely comfortable with patients\residents, ADLs and all the bodily fluids that go with them are no issue for me, and I've been a PCA for years. I even got over my issue with needles pretty quickly and easily gave my first injection. I love caring for people, angry and mean or happy and sweet, and always have. My only issue is meds. I'm comfortable with the common medications, but I am terrified of hurting somebody by giving them the wrong dose\med and I do not want to be responsible for it. My instructors will ask the class general questions and I always feel clueless. If I have the information in front of me I am comfortable but I cannot remember it off of the top of my head. All I ever wanted to do was help people(cliche) but I was originally interested in fire fighting and other fields such as that. I want to care for people, but I feel.like I cannot do anything right in this program. I've missed one clinical and one lab class because it was.switched to a mandatory rather than open lab last minute. I simply want to help.people, but I don't want to.be responsible for possibly hurting them with medication, and as much as I still want to be a nurse, I have decided that at this point in my life I do.not want to dread getting up everyday with no.life trying to get through school feeling like I am doing nothing right. The advice I'm seeking is, should I leave? Is this a sign that i was wrong.and am.not cut out for this? If so, do you know.of any similar fields that I could.be involved in patient care? Any advice would really be appreciated, I feel pretty lost at this point. I never wanted to be in a competitive field, I don't want a big career or to get my masters. I just wanted to wake up, go to a job where I can care for others, and thats that. Please let me know what you think, thanks so much for your time.

First off, I hope I am posting in the correct forum here. I am only a Nursing student, however I really wanted some insight from current/past nurses who have been/are already where I hope to be in a few years. Anyway, I am posting this question because I'm just seeking some kind of advice as to whether my future hopes are in anyway realistic or if I am just being ridiculous. I've always had two loves, my love for helping other humans, specifically the sick, and my love for wildlife. I went back and forth for a long time, not knowing which field I was truly interested and when I stumbled upon Nursing it all felt like a perfect fit. I enjoy the educational course work, I currently work in direct healthcare and love it, and the shifts and flexibility regarding the many fields and possibilities are really appealing to me...hell I even like the scrubs...what I am trying to say is that I absolutely, without a doubt know that I want to be a Nurse. However, I am afraid that after school and beginning my nursing career my love for wildlife and hopes to contribute in any small way to wildlife rehabilitation and interaction will be abandoned. So I am reaching out wondering if any Nurses out there have had the ability to be involved in multiple fields and follow two dreams, whether it be Nursing part time and working another job part time, or just consolidating their Nursing schedules to have time for other volunteer work or passions without overloading their lives? Like I said...I am really just trying to find out if I am crazy. I will want a future and family and a common lifestyle in the future, but I am hoping that I will not have to give up one passion ultimately for another? Thanks for reading all of this if you have haha, and thank you for any input and shared experiences! :).

LadyFree28-It will not be covered no, and I'm hoping to go to an RN track and then BSN after so the community colleges do not have dorms, either. However, if I decided to choose the 4 year track I may look into those options, if they are less expensive. Thanks for the help!

Now after hearing some things here I'm also going to look into the option of a single dorm and see what the situations are at each college. Thanks for the advice!

nae312213-Alright great thank you. At almost every information session for the schools I've been accepted into they of course tell me it's impossible. So that's great to know thank you.

ShelbyaStar-my apologies on replying to your advice so late, thought I would get no more answers honestly and stopped checking in but my gosh your advice was seriously soo helpful, thanks so much!

BklynEMT- my apologies for never answering, honestly thought I had gotten all of my answers so I stopped checking in haha. Thank you so much!

Ecl09-Thank you!

RubyVee-I actually have a truck already, in my area it's pretty much impossible to get around with out one haha, so luckily that's not a problem for me. And I'll definitely look around for something like that too, thanks!

ant2cory-I'd really rather not live in a dorm do to personal situations, but I'll definitely look into a college apartment type of thing like you mentioned. Thanks for the idea!

I'd really rather not live in a dorm do to personal situations, but I'll definitely look into a college apartment type of thing like you mentioned. Thanks for the idea!