RN tried to talk me out of Nursing school...

[NYCHikerRN]

So I went to my GP's private clinic today to get blood work, a PPD round, and antibody titers done for nursing school which I'll be starting this coming Fall. Upon meeting with his nurse, I told her I needed all of this done for nursing school. She blankly stared at me for a good three seconds and then asked: "Why in the world are you going to nursing school?". I wasn't sure what she meant by that, so I asked her to clarify. She said "Well, you're a young guy with flawless English skills. What the heck are you getting yourself in to?" (This Nurse is a Russian immigrant, whose English skills are not perfect. I'm Russian too, but came here at a very young age unlike her. I guess a lot of Nurses in New York City are immigrants that lack great language skills so they choose nursing as a "last resort" profession apparently?). She went on to explain to me how nobody is hiring right now, and that hospitals are closing. She assumed I was going for an Associates degree, but the program I'm entering is for the BSN. I told her this, and then she questioned why I didn't go for PA or PT instead. I told her Nursing is what I truly wanted to do, and she smirked and said "Okay, you don't understand the situation yet. You'll see."

Not that I was discouraged by this, but I found it interesting how bitter some people can be against their own profession. Especially a nurse, who knows that there is a dire need for people to enter the profession, especially as many baby-boomer nurses are going to retire in the coming years.

Have you ever had people try to discourage you when you told them you were going into nursing? And do you regret not taking their advice?

I think I know what I'm getting myself into (hopefully), and I'm mentally prepared. I just hope that at some point in the future I won't end up hating my job like she does...

[Lovely_RN, MSN]

I think it was very rude of her to offer you unsolicited advice. That said...she does have a point. Being a nurse is interesting and meaningful work but it definitely isn't glamorous and it is hard to get a job right now even with a BSN. This is just my opinion but PA and PT is more on par with an NP than a floor nurse.

[sauconyrunner]

I think the most shocking thing here is that your GP actually employs a Registered Nurse in the office.

[Stephalump]

It seems to me that she was just trying to alert you to the negative realities of the profession. Your use of the term "dire need" implies that you may, in fact, need a dose of that.

I think in any profession there will be people who will welcome you on the bandwagon with starry-eyed ideals, and there will be people who feel the need to make sure you know how often the bandwagon breaks down on the side of the road. I don't think most on either side are trying to be hurtful, but they both can be if not kept in check. Just do your research, set your goals accordingly, and move forward :)

[NYCHikerRN]

Lovely_RN,

I agree. She also tried to scare me with the NCLEX, claiming she failed it three times, and knew somebody who was in the top third of his class in a good program who failed it six times then gave up...

[Scarlette Wings]

Perhaps that person chose nursing as a last resort but many people choose it as a first choice, or like me, after my son died I saw it as a way to pay people back for the handful of wonderful nurses that made my path through childhood cancer more tolerable. I never do well with pediatrics or deathly ill children, but find I am a natural with adults and ICU and end of life care with the elderly or terminal.

Please do not let anyone else's negativity destroy your vision for your life. :)

[sauconyrunner]

Lovely_RN,

I agree. She also tried to scare me with the NCLEX, claiming she failed it three times, and knew somebody who was in the top third of his class in a good program who failed it six times then gave up...

Well that just says she and that guy went to a program that did not prepare them for the NCLEX. It's really not that crazy of an exam.

There is Nothing wrong with being a Nurse. I enjoy my work. I do think that it is a difficult time to enter the profession, dire need or not, it seems no one is hiring.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

I think the most shocking thing here is that your GP actually employs a Registered Nurse in the office.

She may or may not have been a nurse. She may or may not have been an RN. She might have been an LPN with a grudge against RN's who command a higher rate of pay.She may have been a Medical Assistant who has come to believe that she can can do anything and everything that a licensed nurse can do and doesn't understand why anyone would pay money to go to school to obtain a licensed position.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

She may or may not have been a nurse. She may or may not have been an RN. She might have been an LPN with a grudge against RN's who command a higher rate of pay.She may have been a Medical Assistant who has come to believe that she can can do anything and everything that a licensed nurse can do and doesn't understand why anyone would pay money to go to school to obtain a licensed position.

You mean everyone who wears scrubs and a scope around her/his neck isn't always a nurse?

[KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN]

You mean everyone who wears scrubs and a scope around her/his neck isn't always a nurse?

:lol2:

[Katie82, RN]

I actually tried to talk my son out of nursing, but this was 20 years ago. I was not trying to discourage him from becoming a nurse as much as from the treatment I knew he would receive in nursing school. There was a time when men were not particularly welcomed by nursing programs, as was the case in my own. We had 2 male student in my program and the discrimination was blatent. Things have changed. My son is not only a good nurse, but he is involved in an organization that works to encourage men to enter the profession. My guess would be that the "nurse" you encountered was trained in her home country and unable to transfer credentials, I have seen this happen often. I have heard that the test for foreign-trained nurses is horrendous, and a lot of nurses fail it. Causes a lot of resentment. Either that, or she made a poor career choice and needs to go work at WalMart. Very inappropriate and unprofessional.

[33762FL]

She's right that NYC is a tough job market for nurses and a few hospitals there have closed in the past decade. You may have to look into working/moving to the surrounding areas after graduation. Long Island (given that it's isolated and the housing is expensive) is an easier job market. Upstate NY is also an easier job market.