Quit nursing school, now what?

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I recently withdrew from my diploma nursing program in the second semester. I was severely depressed in the direction I was going and after trying to bring myself to enjoy clinicals and working as a cna I just don't think this is for me. It wasn't a snap decision as I have been thinking about it since the end of the first semester and my only regret now is that i didn't finish out the semester and the fact that I didn't finish what I started.

I have read numerous posts on here about the things nurses go through and seen it first hand. I have always heard that nursing is either for you or it isn't and I guess it's just not for me. I feel like a weight has been lifted although now I am faced with reality as I am 25 with a b.s. in biology and in need of a full time job. I'm not really sure what I would like to do as a career to be honest. I have considered coaching as I already have a solid foundation, but always pictured myself working a career in healthcare. Perhaps I could work for awhile and maybe try to get into pharmacy school.

I started off wanting to eventually be a crna, but after gaining experience in the hospital setting I feel like I really don't have the desire to be a nurse. I'm a little lost right now so any information would be helpful.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

I commend you for stepping back and taking a look at your choices towards nursing school and being honest with yourself about how you feel about it.

I was in a similar position as you back in my 2nd semester. I figured I had not even gotten to the "good" part of nursing school and that intermediate care homes were of no indication of what nursing could be for me. So i continued on. I have found my place.

I just think it is smart that you decided before you spent more money on something that you do not see a future in for yourself, or something that you do not enjoy.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
If you continued you probably would not be able to find a job in nursing, unless lucky and very connected.

I don't really agree with this. And any students or prospective students reading this should not give up on their dreams and wants of being a nurse because an economy says its not possible at this time. Nobody can tell what the future of nursing holds.

I know it is a totally different situation here in BC where I live, but to say that she is lucky she got out early because there are no jobs anyways is not really all that helpful IMHO

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Sad that you have nothing to show for it. Whether or not a person makes nursing their career, the license is good to have as a fallback in hard times.

Caliotter, I am sincerely curious, I don't understand your comment. These are hard times we are in right now. I think it would be difficult, if not impossible, for someone who had not made nursing their career to now "fallback" on nursing. Certainly, there was a time when that would have been the case. I think those days are long gone, at least for the forseeable future / OT

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Specializes in LTC, Med-Surge, Ortho.

Why not try ultrasound sonography, pays very well and you still have some interaction with patients.

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Congrats on your decision! :yeah:

Here I am with my BSN which I was told to get by my family (years of nagging) and I am not happy.

Daily, I look at my life and sigh. I live in a smaller city where there are not a whole lot of options and I have figured out that I can do this job and I do it well but I don't like it.

I am burnt out badly after graduating in 2008. My best friend, who also graduated with me, is hanging on until she can "do what (I) really want to do". I hear these statements from many of my fellow grads so I know that when a person in nursing school has doubts they need to really examine where these doubts are coming from and be honest.

Look around- you may find a good job in as in one of these suggestions but you may end up finding something you love totally non medical related too. Good luck!

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A nursing license allows one to get a job as a nurse when one is available and the person needs to support her/himself. It is a lot better than nothing. I can speak to this from personal experience. When I needed work and looked for anything and everything because I was tired of living in my car, I did not get a job until I got a job as a nurse. Go figure.

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SarahUGVsn, I've always thought that "dreaming" about being a nurse is such an odd thing. Nursing somehow is full of that little girl dream stuff as a reason to enter. Very odd when you consider it requires considerable outlay of money to become a nurse, and in most cases you will need to work for an employer to actually fulfill that "dreamy thing". It will be a JOB, and the little girl dreams will quickly be destroyed once it is realized that you need to be all grown up and nursing is something not at all like what those dreams were about. If the OP is not in need of a paying job, and is able to volunteer somewhere like Haiti, or Japan, I'd say then those "dreams" might come true, where, you can give as a nurse.

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I quite the 3rd semester of my ADN program. I was so lost, scared, hated myself, my life, and nursing. For various reasons I re-applied and was accepted back into the same program the next semester. That break (it was over the summer) and re-doing the 3rd semester made many "things" clearer for me, things "came "together."

I was still a scared new nurse, scared new grad. But now I sometimes I can't believe I get paid to do my job I love nursing so much.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

Congratulations!! I really mean that.

Nurses are degraded, humiliated, embarrassed and used in so many ways today. I would not encourage any young person to go into nursing now.

Stick to your pharmacology plan or go do another degree.

Nursing gets you nowhere in the end, and you are viewed by other health professionals - especially doctors - as a fool and an idiot.

It's soul-destroying, you burn out very quickly and you get old REAL quick as well. You have no social life as a nurse.

Don't worry - you made the right decision to quit and my advice is to not ever look back on the past. Just keep looking ahead to the future - you will be fine as long as you have a sound plan of attack.

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I recently withdrew from my diploma nursing program in the second semester. I was severely depressed in the direction I was going and after trying to bring myself to enjoy clinicals and working as a cna I just don't think this is for me. It wasn't a snap decision as I have been thinking about it since the end of the first semester and my only regret now is that i didn't finish out the semester and the fact that I didn't finish what I started.

I have read numerous posts on here about the things nurses go through and seen it first hand. I have always heard that nursing is either for you or it isn't and I guess it's just not for me. I feel like a weight has been lifted although now I am faced with reality as I am 25 with a b.s. in biology and in need of a full time job. I'm not really sure what I would like to do as a career to be honest. I have considered coaching as I already have a solid foundation, but always pictured myself working a career in healthcare. Perhaps I could work for awhile and maybe try to get into pharmacy school.

I started off wanting to eventually be a crna, but after gaining experience in the hospital setting I feel like I really don't have the desire to be a nurse. I'm a little lost right now so any information would be helpful.

My .02 and that's what it is.

First, your mind will play tricks with you on what you should have could have, etc. But you made your decision and as you say you thought about it hard before you did so. Besides, what's writ is writ. 25 is young; you have loads of time to build a career in something you DO enjoy.

As I see it you have many options with a 4 year degree in biology.

Is there a pharma company in your area? I bet you could get on there, esp if you indicate you'll be going on with a graduate degree. if you want to do something in the biological sciences in a meaningful way, you will have to get an advanced degree. If that's not in your financial cards right now there are a host of affordable trade schools where you could get a 2 year degree in bioinformatics which is red hot right now, or learn to be a plumber or fix airconditioning or do computer graphics, you name it. Look into it as you can even get a one year certification and make a living. It doesn't have to be your final destination. Just a way to put food on the table. For now.

If you do go on to graduate school there are a host of options in the biological fields or in any science you already have at least the prereqs done.

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Im in the same boat and am conflicted . Its to feel uou wasted time and money on study if its not for u

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On 4/11/2011 at 2:56 PM, headinsandRN said:

No harm in stepping away to consider your options.

Nursing school is not free. I would suggest that if in the future you decide to return that you make a personal commitment to complete the program to avoid debt that you have nothing to show for.

 

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