scared!

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As soon as I graduated high school, i began the nursing program at a local college. Now after one year of nursing classes and one to go, i have no clue what field of nursing i want to pursue, and it really scares me. I will be graduating with an associates degree. I have had clinicals on a Med-Surg floor and Mental Health Nursing, neither of which i found a liking to. However, i don't think the school has shown me all the possibilities available to me. I do know this about myself; I hate giving needles and IVs to patients; I enjoy relationships with people but i can be very shy when meeting a patient for the first time; it takes at least a day for me to feel like i fully open up; i do love routine and having set rules on what to do and wouldn't mind doing the same thing every day; finally, i love taking care of someone who needs help.

Any suggestions on what i should pursue for nursing in the future?

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:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeatHave you thought about LTC, home health. . or Rehab nursing? I did clinical hours at a brain injury rehabilitation center in Iowa and I truly admire this type of nursing because they build such a bond with their patients during such a hard time in their life. . . their life's work is truly rewarding. Whatever you decide. . I'm sure you'll find an area you love and be very successful:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat

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Thank you for the suggestion! Rehab nursing sounds pretty interesting.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.
As soon as I graduated high school, i began the nursing program at a local college. Now after one year of nursing classes and one to go, i have no clue what field of nursing i want to pursue, and it really scares me. I will be graduating with an associates degree. I have had clinicals on a Med-Surg floor and Mental Health Nursing, neither of which i found a liking to. However, i don't think the school has shown me all the possibilities available to me. I do know this about myself; I hate giving needles and IVs to patients; I enjoy relationships with people but i can be very shy when meeting a patient for the first time; it takes at least a day for me to feel like i fully open up; i do love routine and having set rules on what to do and wouldn't mind doing the same thing every day; finally, i love taking care of someone who needs help.

Any suggestions on what i should pursue for nursing in the future?

You shouldn't have to feel like you're the one that needs to open up. Most of the time a nurse can be empathetic by just listening to his/her patient, ask open ended questions, let the patient open up. ;)

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Thank you for the suggestion! Rehab nursing sounds pretty interesting.

:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeatGlad I was able to help. . . I'm sure you'll find a place where you just feel comfortable. . .shop around. . .there are so many opportunities out their for nurses anymore. . . I'm sure you'll find the perfect job to fit your personality and style of nursing. . .GOOD LUCK:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat

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Specializes in ICU, PACU, Cath Lab.

Another idea...maybe Dialysis..though you will use needles. Not to bad though..if you work in an outpatient clinic you will see the same patients all the time, and you really get to know them well. It is pretty routine, but can have some pretty exciting things happen also!

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I recommend to just get in there and do those things that you are scared of. The more you do something the more you will be comfortable. Sometimes you just have to force yourself, but then after it's over you feel really good about yourself and you actually feel motivated. I graduated with an associates as well; and your first year of school you're not going to know what you want to do yet. The second year is a lot better and you start to kind of figuere it out. I did my preceptorship (capstone some may call it) in the ER in my last semester of school and it really prepared me for now. I used to be scared of talking to Doctors and giving report to other nurses. I would be intimidated, but after I did my stent in the ER that fear went away. I think after you come across that one bitter nurse who just likes to be mean to new nurses or students and just makes things difficult for you that intimidation goes away because I went through it and I've realized that I really don't need to care how that bitter nurse treats me over the phone when I'm giving report; it's not my fault that she hates her job, and I just pay no attention to it.

Things aren't as bad and scary as they seem. I still don't know what type of nursing I want to do. Right now I work in an intermediate care unit, but I was thinking eventually of getting into cardiac ICU or ER. I also recommend try doing you're preceptorship in the ER even if you don't think you will want to be an ER nurse. You get to do so much clinical stuff in there and you poke everyone who walks in that door with an IV :) HA! That's my advice, it worked for me. Good luck. Oh ya, NCLEX isn't as hard as everyone makes it out to be!

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