Realized floor nursing isn't for me, anything else i can do with a bsn?

[enchantedlife]

Hi all, new to this forum. I'm glad that i came across it. A little background about my journey first. I did my pre-reqs. and enjoyed it!. I fairly enjoyed learning anatomy, microbio lab, human development, nutrition, and so on, I thought these classes were very interesting! I took a few other classes like general bio and chemistry and I thought these classes were even more interesting and also more challenging. I enjoyed spending time in the lab to dissect or conduct experiments. After completing the prereqs and some other classes for my bachelors requirement like history and English (I loved history), I decided to apply to my schools nursing program and got accepted. Before I was an undeclared major. So I was now going into nursing theory and the clinical phase. All of the sudden the excitement for my classes i had started fading. I would go into clinical not feeling very well prepared as my pre-reqs seemed not to have much in common with this new environment i'm in. We were learning skills in the lab while going to clinical although i felt those skills should have been taught before hand. Anyway, I felt like a small bug in a large and vast hospital. I didn't really feel like i fit in. I enjoyed the classroom or the lab more than being in the hospital. I won't go into detail but there were somethings that I did not enjoy doing. I was talking to my friends and they said that i was just probably scared and that i need more real-world experience in order to feel more comfortable around patients. So they told me to apply for a student tech job at our local hospital to immerse myself with bedside care. I told myself to give it a try. I eventually got a job there but I ended up not liking it. 2 semesters have passed and I only have 2 more semesters left and not even a year to graduation. I kind of blame myself for not having shadowed a nurse before considering nursing school. I think i would of went an alternate route. My option now is 1) switch majors or 2) finish my bsn and find a non-traditional career in nursing. Do you know anyone that didn't work at the bedside and did something completely different? I'm willing to go to grad school if that will make me more competitive for non-traditional nursing job? Also can you guide me and list me a few careers that nurses go into that are unique? thanks, that way i can research them

[donwood1]

The only different perspective I might add is as a 48-yr-old who is back in school for nursing after another career. I am assuming you are a college-aged person. When I was college-aged, halfway through, I realized the program I was in was terrible, the professors awful. The thought of spending another two years was unbearable. I dropped out. Several times over the years I thought of going back, but it would be two or three years, maybe five! I wouldn't be done until I was 27, later, 33! later, 40! Those ages seemed far off and I didn't go. Looking back, I could have been a decade or two into another career right now. I love being a carpenter, but with a degree, in ANYTHING, I would have had 500% more options when the booms busted over the years.

I clicked on your post because I have a deep fear I may end up in the same boat. I can tell you, though, facing the same dilemma from a different point in life, that what seems like an empty platitude is true. Education is something nobody can take away from you, even if you never use it. It won't be long before you're laughing at how worried you were about this.

(I'd also add to what others said above; you'll still have a bachelor's. Your best bang for the buck, should you decide to change everything up, is probably to finish out, get the degree and apply for a masters program in whichever other field you want to try.)

[RNNPICU, BSN, RN]

Stay with the major and finish. There are things you can do without working in a hospital. Once you pass your boards and receive your RN license, look at Non-profits that work on health care issues, they may want someone who has some health care background, or health type degree, a BSN is a health care degree. You could work for vendors... i.e drug reps, supply reps.

Take a look at National or International organization that work on global health or local health issues that don't require nursing experience but rather health care related experiences. I remeber once years ago seeing a position that wanted someone who had a health related degree and it listed BSN, MPH, health administration.

You will just have to do your homework and search outside hospitals

[JustKeepDriving]

Nursing takes all kinds of personalities. Not all of us are bubbly extroverts with unlimited optimism and empathy. Also, not everyone is made to work in a hospital. I'm working in one now because it has the hours I need for grad-school, and although I don't hate it from the depth of my being, I definitely don't love it either. My career has mostly been spent in forensic mental health (which is my passion) and it has never hindered my ability to get other jobs. I know my personality and I do terribly if I don't have autonomy and have to follow extremely rigid rules (best practice/safety I'll never compromise, but if I have management breathing down my neck everyday because I don't smile enough, need to make the hospital 'more like a Disney experience!', or be micromanaged on everything from my looks to how I introduce myself - worked at a place like that once- I'm going to be rather miserable and daydream about pulling a Scarface from 'Half-Baked' quitting scene).

I know that you'll hear a lot about having to put your time in "on the floor". I'm not saying that's a bad idea either, but there is life outside the hospital. Other people have mentioned it - LTC, Community health, Mental Health, Public Health, Research, Corrections, School Nursing ect - Nurses are more places than you might think. Even in the hospital - what you're experiencing as a student is going to be completely different than your experience as a nurse.

[lrgarletts]

Yes, I worked for an insurance company and they hired nurses to do case management. You can get certified.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

What about nursing research? Or working in a setting where you are less likely to deal with poop and other things, such as in a doctor's office or maybe an outpatient ambulatory care center? Offices typically hire LVNs, though...but you may get lucky and find something!

[hottjboogie]

Telephonic Nursing Case mgmt is a good field you can still utilize nursing skills and they pay is good as well, alot of the jobs are now transitioning into working from home positions.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Telephonic Nursing Case mgmt is a good field you can still utilize nursing skills and they pay is good as well, alot of the jobs are now transitioning into working from home positions.

You have to have nursing skills to be able to do this job. This and case mgmt are not jobs for rookies. Nobody will hire new grads with no clinical judgment for them.

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

OP, you mentioned you enjoyed your pre-reqs and loved being in the lab. Have you ever thought of switching majors to Clinical Laboratory Science? You could get your MLS certification and work in the lab at the hospital.

[serotas]

You might like Private Duty nursing. However, most companies require a year of acute care experience.

[cmj806]

You could be an Operating room nurse.

[RAndaRoo]

If you did want to still work in the hospital you could do OR where obviously there's very minimal talking with the patients since they are asleep.

[direw0lf, BSN]

I really don't think there's anything wrong with wanting your dream job. Bedside nursing doesn't have to be everyone's dream who still wants to be a nurse and I don't know what the problem is if people ask. At least they ask!

Anyway...there is telenursing..over the phone. My book said it's going to be popular soon. I'm sure you'll need a couple years experience first though. I eventually want to be a public health nurse I think, or maybe a researcher. But think of this like paid education to something that's a better fit for you. And honestly I'm a shy introverted person too. I work at my communication skills. It's very possible. Practice. Volunteer. You'll get more comfortable.