Seriously considering getting into nursing. Anything I should know beforehand?

Philly R.N. · Apr 30, 2015

Hi,

Yes, getting a nursing job is hard right now, but not impossible. However, the first thing you mentioned is that nursing is not your "passion,". That being said, it will be very difficult for you to continue in the nursing field once you join. Nursing is such a rewarding experience, but you really need a passion and love for this type of field. If you still want to do a medical field, there are other options out there, such as pharmacist, or public health for example.Hope this helps!

Mavrick, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2015

No. Don't bother with nursing. Too much stress and pay is not that great if you have a big student loan debt.

Where is Gateway? What kind of school is it?

oliegirllvn · Apr 30, 2015

Just think about this and if you still want to go for it. You will see everything and anything. You will see memberes lady partss and they will be in all kinds of conditions not only that but you will have to cath them. you will clean peoples briefs and give them bed baths and some of them will be twice your size and unable to help or even actively be unhelpful. You will deal with people who are veryemotional due to different situations and YOU will be responsible for pt care

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2015

No. Don't bother with nursing. Too much stress and pay is not that great if you have a big student loan debt.
Where is Gateway? What kind of school is it?

Gateway is a community college in Connecticut.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2015

I'm a male. Honestly, nursing isn't my "passion." I'm 22 and still live with my grandmother. I'm sick of being always broke. Finding a decent job is next to impossible so I'm considering nursing. I would be going to Gateway for this. What should I keep in mind? Are jobs in this field scarcer than rumors lead me to believe? I've always heard there's tons of jobs in the medical field, but I'm also reading there aren't many jobs in the nursing field.
I read you should get your cna and gain experience with it while going to school. Is this pretty much required? Experience seems to be a large part of finding a job in this field.
Thanks for any feedback.

You asked what you should keep in mind...here are several things:

There is NO nursing shortage...I repeat..there is NO nursing shortage. Especially in CT.

Jobs are hard to come by..especially as a new grad RN. On top of that being a new grad RN with an associates degree (the degree program that Gateway has is an ASN/ADN) it makes it even more difficult. Most of the hospitals postings say 'bachelor degree highly preferred' or even required.

Getting into the nursing programs (most especially the community college programs) is very intense and competitive..take a look through the postings on the CT forum of people who are trying to get in. There are many who've applied multiple times only to be waitlisted or denied.

Nursing isn't easy. Period. We are not paid what we are worth!

Going to classes for CNA and working as a CNA will give you taste of what nursing is about. But its only a small taste. It is a good idea to work as a CNA, but its not required for most of the nursing programs. I can't think of one around this area that does require it.

Are you looking into nursing only because you've heard there are jobs o' plenty and that nurses make 'bank' (to quote my 22 yr old daughter)? If thats the case, don't waste your time doing it. Are you interested at all in healthcare? If you aren't, again, don't waste your time if it isn't.

Before you move forward, I'd suggest thinking about what really interests you. Are you really drawn to hands on care of a sick person. Are you sympathetic/empathetic? Do you have thick skin...you'll be called names, have your integrity questioned, have patients and families make your job miserable.

If you like health care but not so much hands on (physical and emotional), how about something else in health care like pharmasist, physical therapy, social work, resp tech...things that still involve treating patients but not as much hands on and up close and personal as nursing.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Apr 30, 2015

If nursing isn't your passion, don't do it. Like the PP said we don't get paid what we deserve, there is NO shortage & there are waiting lists for schools. If you think you will walk into a school & then just get a job that will not happen.

If you LOVE & WANT to be a nurse, then you will probably have to relocate to get a job if not also to get into nursing school as well. I would go a different route & go after something you ARE passionate about. Nursing isn't easy & if you don't at least like it, you will be miserable.

anewsns · Apr 30, 2015

You would have to grow to make nursing a passion and it can very well take over your life. Also, the market is flooded and I don't think we can predict when the next shortage will be. This is not a job just for security and money. You need to have other valid reasons. My gut is no on this one.

turtlesRcool · May 1, 2015

How much actual work has gone along with "seriously considering" getting into nursing? Have you taken any of the prerequisites? As someone mentioned upthread, getting into the Ct community college nursing program is tough. It will take you at least a year to two years to take the prerequisites. Have you taken a college level biology course already? Because if you haven't, you can't even start taking A&P (and you will need two semesters of it). You will have to do extremely well in your prereqs to be competitive for admission (even a few Bs can be enough to get you wait listed). Then once you've spent two years working your tail off and applying to the program, you'll still have another two years to actually complete your ADN.

In the same amount of time, you could get a bachelor's degree in something that you actually ARE passionate about. My advice would be to get yourself over to Gateway ASAP (or another CC near you), and talk to a counselor about your options. CT does a really great job of linking the community colleges to state 4-year universities. There is a formal program that allows you to start at a CC, spend 2 years there doing your core classes, and then guarantees you admission/transfer to a CT state university. There is still time to register for the fall, so you could start at Gateway in August, put in two years there, and then transfer to SCSU for the last two years. Given your OP, it makes much more sense to go that route than to spend 3-4 years to get an associate's degree in a field you're iffy about working in. And to echo what others have posted, there is no nursing shortage in CT, and getting hired with an ADN is tough.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · May 3, 2015

You should really shadow a nurse for a day or two to get a feel for the profession and the day to day. That will really demonstrate to you whether it what you should pursue. I'm afraid you're going into nursing for the wrong reasons however as you readily admit you don't have a passion for it. While that's not necessarily a requirement, it has to be for more than just money. Nurses work way too hard for it to just be a job.

RunnerD1987 · May 13, 2015

Volunteer at a hospital, take on shadowing a nurse, go to info sessions, or/and take a pre req class see if anything peaks your interest. If you love it then go for it. Go for CNA if want to get some patient/bed side experience. However, your young keep in mind there is so much you can do in healthcare if that's the direction you want to go. Research jobs and what they do.