Questions re: taking the plunge into RN-hood!

[grrl77]

Hey guys!

I found this board when searching google for "How do I know I want to be a nurse?" :) (It's amazing the google combinations you can come up with!) Thought maybe you guys could offer your advice.

I currently work in the software world, doing a humdrum job that pays well, has a decent schedule, great coworkers, but I'm just.. so not passionate about it. Lots of fluctuation in the company, so I thought hey, I'm 36, I want to make more of a footprint on this world than helping sales reps that make triple what I do, make more.

Hence what brought me here. My sister's an RN. She's always known what she wanted to do, and well.. I never have. What draws my interest to nursing is the empathy and care I have for people. It isn't so much that I question whether or not I want to be a nurse, I'm just not sure what *kind* maybe, which makes me question the overall. I've thought about being a hospice nurse, because I think it'd be nice to take the time to get to know my patients, and I would love to eventually work independently. A friend of mine from Denver says she can get me a job once I get my RN license (won't be for a few years yet) at the hospital she works at. She's a dialysis nurse.

Did any of you feel a little crazy at first, trying to figure out if it was even for you? Did you find that it was just a matter of finding your niche? It seems like the degree can take you so many places. It seems like a secure field. Just wanted some feed back. :) Thanks, in advance! :)

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

If job "security" is one of the factors that is driving your decision, you may want to re-think. Nursing is no longer a safe bet for lifetime employment. If you poke around here on AN, you will find a lot of evidence & plenty of unemployed, laid-off & "downsized" nurses who are sharing their stories. US Healthcare is in the midst of unprecedented change & no one really knows how it's going to turn out or when (if?) everything is going to settle down.

With very rare exceptions, direct care nurses do not have time to 'get to know their patients'. They are running at top speed for 12 hours, bouncing from patient to patient just trying to accomplish all of the required tasks. The work load is daunting & physically exhausting. Nursing is the bottom of the clinical hierarchy in healthcare professions. If you are upset now by comparing salaries with the sales reps --- it's much worse in the healthcare industry. The top earners are administrators who don't (can't) make any contributions to patient care; making 10 X the salary of the average nurse.

If you're dead set on making the change, you need to aim for a BSN because of the increasing job limitations for ADN nurses. Best of luck on your career change. Say 'hi' to your sister for us; you're lucky to have a built-in nurse mentor!