nursepve21

Lol RNsRWe yeah, I know it's a messy job and I'm really not squeamish. The only thing I'm a little bit nervous about is feces... but I imagine a lot of pre-nursing students are nervous about it! I doubt it's anyone's favorite thing. I'm sure I'll get used to it like everybody else, and I really like and agree with what umbdude said about dealing with it being necessary to preserve a patient's dignity and comfort. I know I wouldn't think twice about making myself uncomfortable if it meant that I could help someone with their own comfort.

I'm glad to hear that you feel respected and empowered as a nurse and that you enjoy a fair amount of autonomy. Those are some of my greatest concerns about becoming a nurse. I've read so many complaints on this forum and others and it's really nice to hear from someone who loves her job and feels she is being treated with respect. If someone has some more insight about direct entry programs, that'd be great (that WAS my original question, after all). I'm not really interested in recommendations that I change my course of study. Thanks.

Hi, it's not that I'm not interested in many aspects of nursing, particularly helping people, advocating for them, and taking into account their emotional as well as physical well-being. I just have many of the concerns that I have seen others have on this forum: I don't really enjoy the thought of cleaning other people's urine and feces on a regular basis; I'd like to feel respected and appreciated at work and it doesn't sound like nurses feel that way (you hear "bottom of the totem pole, blamed for everything" a lot on here); I work best when I have autonomy, whereas it seems nurses must often carry out others' decisions, sometimes completely against their better judgment. I'm just trying to pursue a job in which I know I'll be happy.

Thank you for your responses! MyOwnBlueSky, do you know how competitive the pre-specialty entry program in your area is? Do you think my 3.0 cumulative GPA in undergrad will hurt my chances, or are my prereqs high enough to overcome that?

Hi, I'm a pre-nursing student at LaGuardia Community College in NYC interested in pursuing an MSN to become a nurse practitioner. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from 2011 with only a 3.0 cumulative GPA. So far I am doing well in the nursing prerequisites though, with A's in AP I and II, an A in General Chemistry, a B+ in Stats, A's in General and Developmental Psychology. I'm about to take Microbiology, Nutrition, and Sociology. I have a 3.88 GPA in the courses I've taken since I went back to school after my Bachelor's. I have no volunteer or health care experience. The trouble is, I'm not that interested in being a nurse. I'd really like to be a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. I want to counsel people and have the ability to diagnose their mental health disorders and prescribe meds for them. I've always been interested in mental health. Do I stand any chance of being admitted into a direct entry BSN-MSN program with my low cumulative GPA and lack of experience? If not, what would you guys advise? I'd prefer to spend as little time and money as possible, since I'm already in debt from my first degree, but I am willing to do whatever I need to, however much it costs or however long it takes. Unfortunately the advisors at LaGuardia are difficult to see and not very helpful, so I was hoping someone here might have some insight to share. Any guidance would be very much appreciated!