I a firm believer that learning something in a classroom environment is totally different than actually applying it.
I have an interest in nursing, and have had it for some time. I like learning all of the nursing/ medical theories, am a pharmacology nerd, love anatomy, micro, patho, etc. Additionally, my desire and compassion to help people with physically and mentally is above and beyond.
However I am afraid that if I were to graduate nursing school and started actually practicing nursing that I wouldn't like it like I did when I was studying it, I'm afraid I wouldn't be good at it and would be fired and or burnt out and make an error in my work. I know that if you get let go of one nursing job your chances of getting another are like zero. I see all these stories on here of people who are miserable, burnt out, stressed and urge people to do a different career and it worries me. I'm afraid I will be one of those people but I feel as though I have know way of knowing until I actually am doing it. I wish there was someway to predict ahead how I will be!
I already have a degree so the though of going back for nursing to end of not liking that makes me feel like I'd be a failure.
Anyways so what happens if you go back and get a second degree in nursing and find you don't like it. What do you recommend?
And if I don't like it then what? does that make me an irresponsible person beforehand? and what will I do with my degree (or degrees) since this will be my second career and have another degree as well.
Ever heard of the phrase, "Analysis paralysis"? There are no guarantees in anything in life at all. I strongly suggest you stop asking all those other questions and focus on reaching the end of your dithering by using just one: And then what?
What if you get asked on a date and you might not like him?
And then what?
Well, you might not have a good time with him.
And then what?
He might not have a good time with you either.
And then what?
(eventual outcome:you don't date him again. No big loss. The answer is NOT, "Dither about going on a date every time and never go out.")
What if you aren't sure you should name your baby girl after your favorite aunt and because you might not like it in a year or two?
And then what?
Your best girlfriend might be upset that you didn't name your baby after her?
And then what?
Your girlfriend might not invite you to her birthday party?
And then what?
(eventual outcome: You learn that your friend doesn't give a rip what you name your baby, and she isn't having a party anyway. NOT, "Hold up the birth certificate for six months and call her 'Baby" until she goes to high school and makes you stop.")
What if you buy these shoes but then they might not match your outfits?
And then what?
You wasted your money on them!
And then what?
(eventual outcome: You won't buy that kind of shoes again. NOT: "Move to Tahiti so you can go barefoot all the time and never have to worry about shoe decisions.")
What if you are afraid to make a choice because it MIGHT not work out?
And then what?
People will think I'm irresponsible for wasting my tuition!
And then what?
They won't like me!
And then what?
I might not like it!
And then what?
I don't know what I'd do then!
And then what?
Well, I'd have to choose something.
And then what?
I'd go to a counselor and get some help on my indecisiveness..
And then what?
(eventual outcome... ?)(keep asking yourself, "And then what?" -- and nothing else-- until you know.)
Personally, if I could I would be a full time student for life, but I can't. Not sure why you feel like having a second, third, or possibly fourth degree is too much of an investment. If you like knowledge and the challenge of pursuing degrees it's not a waste of time or money. If you don't, then it is, and you should rethink your decision about pursuing nursing as a career. It pays well right out of school and you can job-hop until you find your niche when you get some experience, but overall nursing isn't a "fun" job. It doesn't take a higher calling, but it does take a certain personality. It's a field dominated by females who do not know their worth who will project all their frustrations onto the most vulnerable person available. You have to have a very strong personality to withstand the wrath of nurses who believe you dissed them because you said hello to them the "wrong" way. It's a crazy profession with crazy people in it. After three years, it's grown on me and I no longer regret my decision. By the way, it's my third degree and I feel like I found my niche in life. Good Luck.
I am not nurse for long time and as well as for you, this is my second carrier. I always loved science and medical field, but I before I applied to nursing school, I did volunteering in the hospital to see what is really going on. That really is only preview because how much I could really understand was going on... not much I can say that. But I knew I would like it.
Second thing was to choose college. While I was still working on my prereqs I started to searching school,(and it is impossible to know if things will work out or no, if it is good school, and what you getting yourself into) and as they say "things happens for reason" one of the school which charmed me with opportunity to have clinicals abroad - turned out to be wrong choice. What happened was that it was newly opening school, not accredited yet in the area - Chamberlein college, the advisor knew I been accepted to community college and totally mishandled my case - pretty much did not bother to even answer my several emails for almost month. I went to community college and THANKS GOD for that, since part of my professors teach as well at named private school, they said that it was not good school. Can't name them, sorry. Community college was not easy track, it had it's issues, but after all - the math is - I could take extra class and be an LPN while still continue toward RN, I had not connections, and it took me while to get first job, but after all, I was getting experience and money while still in the school! (So I owed only 8000 right after school) I passed NCLEX without any preparation, fist time... I just walked in, and passed it. - I had an melt down sure right after exam and regrets I did not study...and I had to visit my friend to log into the site and I let him to tell me the result, because I did not want to know. I was scared, but I passed it. but hey seems college get me ready pretty well. I got ok job. I love work, I enjoyed it, I did lot of overtimes, I am burn out, as it is the fact nurses sometimes does not treat nurses well. But I still like the job. It is not perfect, but it is addictive, I really like it. It is maybe just faze in the process but so far, I really enjoy it even if it is challenging and hard, and yes I had days when I cried, I had days when I felt really really bad for patient. I still don't have that attitude it is just a work and I can leave it by the clock machine. No I take it home with me, and I need to sleep it over, but still it is worthy to me and I would not change the path. So I gave you my story, hope something will be to use to you. Oh, and I got job in hospital quiet quickly after NCLEX.
Oh, and when it comes to patients - yes some has attitude, some are nice, some will torture you. Companies buying hospitals or nursing homes wants to make money... it is still customer service here as well.
OP I have the same concerns too. I have another degree and work in another field (human services) and am currently taking prerequisites for ABSN program in a couple of years. I thought about the slow route (do evening ASN program then RN-BSN) so that I can "test the waters" before diving in but I have a family and I am in my 30s and really don't want to waste time to get a second BS. I think I would like nursing but in case I don't like it and can't go back to my old job I will do something else. Life is short and something you just have to take a chance. Sure I would be disappointed (especially because of the sacrifices I am making now to get a second degree/career) but I will feel worst if I didn't try when I have the opportunity to do so
I think what you are looking for in life is happiness. I think you have this idealized dream of what nursing is. I think you think it's going to be this hugely rewarding, challenging job that you will leave very happy at the end of the day and feel somehow fullfilled in life. I think you're not happy in your life right now and the first thing to blame it on is the job. Am I right about any of this?
Life is what you make it. You choose to be either happy or sad every, single day. A job is somewhere you go to get paid. It's good to like what you do, but your job does not define who you are as a person. Take some real time and evaluate your complete life and why are you unhappy? Is your current job sucking the soul out of you? Are you not making enough to pay the bills?
Every morning, I wake up happy. I wake up with a positive attitude and I do not let other people bother me. I go to school and go about my day. When I come home, my day begins with my family. The day that just happened whether is was good, bad, or just irritating stays outside. But even like today at my clinical, I had an extremely negative, burned out nurse, who hated her job and the fact that students were there. I was happy and positive the whole time with her. I came home and left whatever happened at the door. I have too much other stuff in my life to worry myself who are perpetually unhappy. Maybe she was just having a bad day and needed some kindness. I gave her some.
I just hope you can understand what is going to make you happy and realize your job does not define who you are as it is just a part of your day. Nursing is like any other career. You will have good days and bad days. You will have great people to work with and not so great people to work with. You will have happy patients and very angry patients. You will see people at their most sick and vulnerable. You will have family members treat you like crap because deep down they are scared about their loved one being sick. People in general can be difficult to deal with. It's not sunshine, butterflies, and unicorns. And that is how you have to approach it. Not with some romanticized notion of what nursing is.
I think you all have this idea that I am some young person with no work experience who doesn't know what life is about And think nursing will be roses. This is not the case
The reason for me asking all these questions are not to try and ask if nursing is the perfect career.
Its to ultimately see if I go into nursing and don't like it orvam not cut out for it, does that make me a failure? Especially since its my second career?
I think you all have this idea that I am some young person with no work experience who doesn't know what life is about And think nursing will be roses. This is not the case
The reason for me asking all these questions are not to try and ask if nursing is the perfect career.
Its to ultimately see if I go into nursing and don't like it orvam not cut out for it, does that make me a failure? Especially since its my second career?
Do you think it makes you a failure? Because how you feel about yourself, your decisions, and your situation is the only thing that matters.
Specializes in Acute Care, Adults, Telemetry, Stepdown, SNF.
Why don't you shadow a couple nurses in specialties that you are interested in for a shift (or two). See what real nursing is like, and then decide. Ask family, friends, and colleagues if they have any nursing friends who would be willing. With such an over abundance of nurses out there right now, chances are that someone you know knows a working nurse. I would not recommend entering into this profession blindly, only to end up with debt, regret, and burnout. You may love it. If not, allied health careers may be worth looking into. Good luck !
The reason for me asking all these questions are not to try and ask if nursing is the perfect career.
Its to ultimately see if I go into nursing and don't like it orvam not cut out for it, does that make me a failure? Especially since its my second career?
You wanted to know then (and now, it seems, still) if WE THINK you'd be a failure if you didn't do well in school, OR if you didn't succeed in nursing.
You were told then by any number of people (including me) that what WE think of you is not relevant, it is what YOU think of you that is. If you are so worried about this that you would consider yourself a "failure" for not accomplishing whatever you believe is the goal, then STOP right now. You can never become a failure if you do nothing, right?
One thing I do know, with certainty: if you go into any new venture with the attitude that you might just fail, that you probably will fail, that you might not like it, that you probably won't like it.....you have created a self-fulfilling prophesy.
With this much indecision in your life about this, you already know where you stand on this question: you're not ready to commit, period. So don't. Find something else; no point in letting it take over the rest of your life, as it has been your focal point for the last nine months, with NO resolution, NO getting any closer to an answer than you were on the FIRST DAY you asked your first question.
Agreed that only you can answer whether or not you will like it. But have you ever considered going back to school and obtaining a degree in Health Education? You have to study and have knowledge about illnesses, prevention, procedures, etc. without having the clinical aspect of it. In a lot of cases, health educators work for hospitals, the CDC, and state health departments and teach nurses too! I took a certification course for nurses to be able to administer PPD for the Tuberculin Skin Test, and was amazed to see that the woman giving the course was a health educator and not a nurse! You should research more since the only part about nursing that you're not sure about it the clinical part...
OP do you realize how immature you sound? I do not mean to be rude but I'm reading your replies and you sound so needy and immature....
Listen.... None of us are going to pay your tuition. If you are so unsure do not go into nursing. Because with that attitude and severe lack of confidence for your decisions, you will surely crash and burn.
nurseprnRN, BSN, RN
1 Article; 5,116 Posts
Ever heard of the phrase, "Analysis paralysis"? There are no guarantees in anything in life at all. I strongly suggest you stop asking all those other questions and focus on reaching the end of your dithering by using just one: And then what?
What if you get asked on a date and you might not like him?
And then what?
Well, you might not have a good time with him.
And then what?
He might not have a good time with you either.
And then what?
(eventual outcome:you don't date him again. No big loss. The answer is NOT, "Dither about going on a date every time and never go out.")
What if you aren't sure you should name your baby girl after your favorite aunt and because you might not like it in a year or two?
And then what?
Your best girlfriend might be upset that you didn't name your baby after her?
And then what?
Your girlfriend might not invite you to her birthday party?
And then what?
(eventual outcome: You learn that your friend doesn't give a rip what you name your baby, and she isn't having a party anyway. NOT, "Hold up the birth certificate for six months and call her 'Baby" until she goes to high school and makes you stop.")
What if you buy these shoes but then they might not match your outfits?
And then what?
You wasted your money on them!
And then what?
(eventual outcome: You won't buy that kind of shoes again. NOT: "Move to Tahiti so you can go barefoot all the time and never have to worry about shoe decisions.")
What if you are afraid to make a choice because it MIGHT not work out?
And then what?
People will think I'm irresponsible for wasting my tuition!
And then what?
They won't like me!
And then what?
I might not like it!
And then what?
I don't know what I'd do then!
And then what?
Well, I'd have to choose something.
And then what?
I'd go to a counselor and get some help on my indecisiveness..
And then what?
(eventual outcome... ?)(keep asking yourself, "And then what?" -- and nothing else-- until you know.)