Several things are making me consider dropping nursing school

[samrusrn]

I'm 3 weeks away from ending my first semester at my nursing program and I am not looking forward to next semester. Things have not been going so great for me and I am starting to feel very stressed out and unhappy. I just feel like I'm stuck and I am not sure about what to do. As a teen, I've always wanted to go to med school, but that dream went away when I transferred to a 4 year university (bad grades). I decided PA or NP was the next step, but PA school required 2000 hours of experience and I had none. I decided to go for NP, but I have never wanted to be a nurse. I just felt like it wouldn't be something I would enjoy. I really needed the income though and it was a job in the medical field, so I thought it would work (it is very easy to get jobs in my area). I also thought that I could use the hours while working as nurse to go to PA school if I decided to pass on becoming a NP. Forwarding to now - every week, I keep thinking this isn't for me. I am always searching the internet for other educational options. I'm not failing my classes, but my grades are not amazing. I have very little motivation to study. I'm not crazy about the nursing program bc it can be very disorganized. I have been feeling very frustrated lately because our clinical instructor just told us she doesn't give out A's. I hate writing major care plans with a passion - nursing diagnosis's bore me. Adding more fuel to the fire (which also worsens how I feel and thus, makes me feel even more unmotivated), I am broke as heck. I pretty much have no support from my mom and older sister. My boyfriend who was helping me in the beginning is now unemployed. I don't qualify for aid and no loans are offered. I have applied for jobs and I have not been considered for any because of my schedule. I just heard that a nursing assistant job that is offered to students is not going to be offered this spring after-all (I have been waiting for this job for months now). My living situation sucks; I have no personal space and it can be impossible to study there (I usually take my stuff to my boyfriends home and it's annoying to take all my books). My whole family would freak out if I told them I was considering dropping the program. The only person I had mentioned this to is my boyfriend, and he thinks it's the worst idea ever. They all think it's a great, stable and awesome paying job and there are always openings in my area. I just don't know what I can do anymore.

I really hope this doesn't come off bad - I respect nurses and I think they are very intelligent and hard working people. I just feel like the job is not right for me.

Thanks for hearing me out. As always, feedback is great.

[BostonFNP, APRN]

My two cents.

You tell us you struggled in undergrad with bad grade and can't go to med school because of them.

Are you currently in a NP program? BSN? ASN? LPN?

NP programs, PA programs, and med school are all very competitive or admission. Are you sure you could get into a NP/PA program without retaking pre-reqs to boost your GPA?

From other posts it seems that you are struggling a bit with skills and theoretical material. All three NP/PA/MD programs are going to require a serious level of commitment to learning both theoretical material and practical skills.

[samrusrn]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I couldn't help, but notice that someone mentioned that I thought nursing was beneath me and this is definitely not the case. Like I mentioned before, I respect nurses a lot and it is clear to me that they do a lot way more than other health care professionals (in my opinion).

The money issue is causing me the most amount of stress. I recently found out that I can actually apply for a student job at a hospital so that has really helped my mood. We recently had a simulation and I got complimented by a tutor on my head-to-toe assessment and it surprised me how a simple thing like that could motivate me so much. Things are starting to look better, so I apologize for my sudden outburst and I once again thank everyone for their advice and support.

I do have a question, but feel that making a new topic isn't worth it. I can work in OB or surgery in my job position; can anyone give me pros and cons to each?

[llg, PhD, RN]

Which field -- OB or Surgery -- appeals to you more? When you envision yourself as a nurse, what type of nurse do you see as the best fit for you? Both specialties are popular, making them hard to get into because of the competition. So you should think carefully before choosing.

Do you see yourself being happy in OB? Does the whole pregnant women, new babies, delivery, etc. appreal to you? For some people, it's the main reason they become nurses. They are really into that sort of stuff. But other people feel out of place in that environment.

The same can be said for Surgery. It is often highly technical and a less "touchy-feely" than OB. Does that appeal to you more? (I am guessing that it does ... but I might be wrong.)

[samrusrn]

Yeah, I thought surgery would be best for me, but I don't actually know...I'm a first semester student so I haven't been in OB yet. I heard you either hate or love OB, so I honestly do not know. If I get to see surgeries, that would be great and I feel like I would learn more? I've only been in Med-Surg this semester, so I only know how that is. Before I entered the program, I thought ER or Surgery would be better for me.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

What I started out wanting in school was the last thing I wanted when I was done with school.....keep your options open!

[grpman]

You either have to learn a skilled trade, take a low paying job with upward mobility, or go to school. Unless you know someone in a high position or marry wealthy, these are your options. I would come to terms with this and make peace with it. Next, I would take a semester off if I couldn't make peace with this so you don't get bad grades. Next, get back in school.

I sometimes have the same issue with not liking nursing if I am being honest. You probably are not alone in that. But, it is a means to an end and a respectable career path. You can always go back to school later while working as a nurse.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Closing for time out.