Scared to go into nursing.

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Alright, so let me just state first that I'm not in college yet. I've only just applied, as graduation is quickly approaching for me. I'm planning to go to a local community college and get my prereqs for nursing out of the way but I'm a bit hesitant about it because I'm doubting myself already. Growing up, I've always wanted to be a teacher. As an eleven year old, I had all of my six year old cousins in my room, sitting at their little foldable desks with notebooks and I had this huge whiteboard and ugh - I'm telling you, my dream as a kid was teaching. It's always been teaching. However, as of lately, my interest has moved towards nursing. I've been Chicken Soup for the Nurses Soul and the stories are really inspiring. I've also spoken to people who work in hospitals about it and so my interest has slightly shifted. However, I'm worried about getting my prereqs done and applying to nursing school. I'm not sure I can do it. I've never been good at science (I'm decent) and definitely not good at math. Like, at all. I'm much better at English -- you know, reading and writing. I also tend to forget things under pressure and I know that as a nurse you're probably overwhelmed all the time. I'm not sure that I have what it takes to ever be a nurse. Not the intelligence or the logic. Probably not even the people skills, as I've always been shy (I have social anxiety and that's something I have to work with). I don't want to slave through prereqs and apply to nursing school only to fail. That'd be so much time and money wasted. Have any of you ever felt like this? Like you were unsure about your ability to be a nurse? I don't know why I'm posting this, I guess I'm just nervous about college altogether. Sucks that you need to pick a career path at such a young age. I know I can always go back to college if I don't like my job, but still. Like I said, so much money and time wasted for nothing. That'd be a bummer. I really want to make the right choice, and I don't want to regret my decisions later on.

One small cavil: Your assumption that nurses are "overwhelmed" a lot. Not true for anyone who is on top of her game, the same as any job. I imagine there will be plenty of opportunities for you to be overwhelmed as a teacher, particularly in your early years. :)

Good luck in whatever you decide!

I truly believed and wondered for the first year of nursing school what in the world I had gotten myself into. I have worked in healthcare and with doctors for the last 20 years of my life and had NO idea what becoming a nurse entailed. I hated nursing school for the first year and cried a whole lot. By the grace of God I have gotten through this far and will graduate in May. Being a nurse is not for everyone, and probably not for many people who are nurses today after what I have seen. I can tell you that it has been a gift to me in many ways, I have come to love nursing as much as I have hated nursing school.

In the area where I live, there are no jobs for teachers, and plenty of jobs for nurses and particularly if you have your bachelor's degree in nursing. I would advise you to go through a couple of semesters of pre-reqs and work on getting a bachelor's degree in nursing, if you change your mind, you can switch to a teaching degree. You are very young and there are many many opportunities to teach in the nursing field and lots of time to decide what you want to do. Just know that the medical field is high-stress in my opinion. I agree with a PP who said to get a job as a tech/nurse aide and do some job shadowing.

Alright so let me just state first that I'm not in college yet. I've only just applied, as graduation is quickly approaching for me. I'm planning to go to a local community college and get my prereqs for nursing out of the way but I'm a bit hesitant about it because I'm doubting myself already. Growing up, I've always wanted to be a teacher. As an eleven year old, I had all of my six year old cousins in my room, sitting at their little foldable desks with notebooks and I had this huge whiteboard and ugh - I'm telling you, my dream as a kid was teaching. It's always been teaching. However, as of lately, my interest has moved towards nursing. I've been Chicken Soup for the Nurses Soul and the stories are really inspiring. I've also spoken to people who work in hospitals about it and so my interest has slightly shifted. However, I'm worried about getting my prereqs done and applying to nursing school. I'm not sure I can do it. I've never been good at science (I'm decent) and definitely not good at math. Like, at all. I'm much better at English -- you know, reading and writing. I also tend to forget things under pressure and I know that as a nurse you're probably overwhelmed all the time. I'm not sure that I have what it takes to ever be a nurse. Not the intelligence or the logic. Probably not even the people skills, as I've always been shy (I have social anxiety and that's something I have to work with). I don't want to slave through prereqs and apply to nursing school only to fail. That'd be so much time and money wasted. Have any of you ever felt like this? Like you were unsure about your ability to be a nurse? I don't know why I'm posting this, I guess I'm just nervous about college altogether. Sucks that you need to pick a career path at such a young age. I know I can always go back to college if I don't like my job, but still. Like I said, so much money and time wasted for nothing. That'd be a bummer. I really want to make the right choice, and I don't want to regret my decisions later on.[/quote']

First of all, you DO NOT need to pick a career path at such a young age. Anyone who tells you that has no right to since they have never stepped foot in your shoes. Secondly, I would definitely volunteer in both fields for a while during your first year of college. In that first year you will probably be taking mainly gen ed courses that will apply to many degrees so you can have a little time to really make up your mind. I finally decided at age 26 that I wanted to be a nurse and you know what? I'm soooo glad that I waited. My 18 year old fresh out of high school punk self would not have been able to swing nursing classes. Now, I'm 28 and halfway through nursing school and I'm very glad that I took the time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. You don't have to make up your mind now. You have your entire life to work. Why start off with a job that you hate?

Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

+1

You're young.

Volunteer, explore, get a sense of what you like/don't like. It takes some time to know where you want to go in life.

Enjoy the journey.

Every pre-nursing girl at my school who failed to get into nursing went into elem education. So that could be a backup.

Have your shadowed a teacher? A nurse?

Look into volunteering in a hospital as well.

I would research the market for teachers and nurses in the area, and get an authentic picture into what you plan to do. Ultimately whatever decisions you decide on will be yours.

Best wishes!

THIS! I wanted to be a teacher growing up as well until I shadowed a teacher for a semester and realized I would hate that job!

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