I'm in my second semester of an ADN program and just started clinicals in the hospital this semester… and I'm thinking of quitting. I have no problems with the material and do well on the tests, so I have no fear of failing, which makes the decision all the tougher to make. I hate clinicals. I hated clinicals last semester and considered quitting then as well. I'm trying to figure out if I legitimately am not cut out to be a nurse or if I'm just being emotional/stressed/etc. I feel miserable on clinical days and sometimes the only way to get through the entire day is to tell myself that I really could just walk out of clinicals and never return (obviously I wouldn't, but knowing I could†helps me cope). I would like to be an OR nurse (already have 3 years OR experience), but I don't know if I can get through the clinicals to become one. Plus if I can't get an OR job immedicately, I don't know if I could work on the floor until I get one.
Here are the red flags†that make me think I should not be a nurse:
- Being introverted and shy, talking to people constantly is exhausting and sometimes gives me the worst headaches I've ever had
- I'm not excited about clincials/being a nurse as I see the other students are. Shouldn't clinicals be the good part†of nursing school?
- I can't think of a really solid reason I want to be a nurse. I think the pay and job security are attractive, but is it really ok if that's my main motivation?
- I don't have a big heart for patients. I know I'd be good at the critical thinking aspects of nursing and I honestly believe that's the more important part of being a nurse, but I don't really care that a person has COPD after smoking 40 years or that a noncompliant diabetic has sores that won't heal when they won't follow their treatment regimen. I feel like if I'm this disillusioned already, it would only be that much worse when I graduate.
- Everything within me is screaming that this isn't right, that I'm doing the wrong thing.
Maybe part of my hatred of clinicals is that I'm not staff and we're only on each floor for a few days, so I'm not a part of the culture and feel very much like an outsider. I feel very uncomfortable when I'm not working with my assigned patient(s) because I want to be busy and look competent to the staff, which I'm not sure I always do since we are so limited in the number of skills we can do without an instructor (who has to give her attention to 10 students spanning 5 different floors, so I barely bother asking her to observe my skills because it takes so long the nurse does the skill anyway).
I do have a good, steady job that I enjoy (though it can be repetitive and boring), but it makes half as much as nurse, which is the only real thing keeping me from doing that for the rest of my life. It's hard to make the decision to quit when I have nurses at work saying I would make a great nurse and when I'm doing so well on the exams. I've never had a clinical instructor who was concerned about my performance. I'm doing fine, but I just can't stand it. Should I get out while I can?
I am sorry this has been your experience. What made you want to be a nurse in the first place? I agree with everything Julius Siezure said... being a nursing student is nothing like being an actual nurse. You already have so much time invested into this between prerequisites, getting into nursing school, and your first two semesters. You really do not have that much to go. Who knows, maybe a clinical in your next year will "click" for you. There are so many different areas of nursing, many that do not involve prolonged patient contact. I would not give up on this yet if I were you.
Thank you everyone for all the feedback. I did decide to leave nursing school. I talked to some classmates and my family and I really just feel like nursing is not for me. It was a difficult decision because I know I'd be good at the critical thinking aspect of it, but that's not the only thing that makes a good nurse. Fortunately I worked while taking pre-reqs and received tuition reimbursement (just for the pre-reqs), so I don't feel like I'm overly invested or losing too much. I appreciate receiving feedback from you guys, I just wanted as many peoples' thoughts as possible, as I didn't feel comfortable talking to my instructors (and yeah, maybe I should have talked to them too). Thanks everyone!
Thank you everyone for all the feedback. I did decide to leave nursing school. I talked to some classmates and my family and I really just feel like nursing is not for me. It was a difficult decision because I know I'd be good at the critical thinking aspect of it, but that's not the only thing that makes a good nurse. Fortunately I worked while taking pre-reqs and received tuition reimbursement (just for the pre-reqs), so I don't feel like I'm overly invested or losing too much. I appreciate receiving feedback from you guys, I just wanted as many peoples' thoughts as possible, as I didn't feel comfortable talking to my instructors (and yeah, maybe I should have talked to them too). Thanks everyone!
For what it's worth, I think you made the right decision for yourself. I work with one new nurse that hates her job and is miserable doing it. I'm also new, but I like it. Having made a career change in my life, I know how soul sucking it can be to do something you've lost your passion for. It is best to get out and do something else; especially if you feel that way and you haven't even started yet. Good luck in your future endeavors.
Unrelated, but if you are wanting a job that pays well and good job security, you need to get into some sort of engineering or other science field working for the government.
Clinicals, I felt were the worst because it had to teach you how to interact with patients, real-life situations and I did not have an aptitude for that in the beginning. I watch nursing students now and see that they are just getting started with being comfortable. A lot of them are scared of the unit (psychiatric) so that adds another layer to the uneasiness that they are already feeling. I do not look down on them, quite the opposite because I know how they feel. They are not going to be "part of the floor" because they are students, not staff and we know they are here to learn so we usually let them be. As long as they do not do anything unsafe then there isn't a problem. Our floor is high acuity so we do watch the patients interact with students to make sure patients do not assault or threaten them. But I do like when the students alert me to patient problems and it is nice to have them talk to the patients, especially those that require a lot of attention. Unfortunately, our students do not pass meds or chart which would be awesome!
I also do not have a big heart for patients either; but I can still help them. I did witness fellow students that were excited about clinicals but I do not have that personality, I dreaded them like you do. But I did find one that I loved and that was mental health.
Your head hurts because this is what growing pains feels like; strength will follow. I started working a couple months ago and still feel pain everyday. I have heard it takes a year to feel comfortable with nursing on your own. But I do feel I am learning so much.
I would consider making this decision when you are not going through stress. I assume you will have a week break at some point and then you can seriously sit down and decide if this the right situation for you. Keep pushing through, some days it feels like you cannot handle it anymore. I just would tell myself "Keep pushing through, take it one day at a time, one clinical day at a time, one test or paper at a time."
I would also like to say you can always come up with a reason not to do something.
I think there is not one person who doesn't feel down and struggle with nursing school. Take it from me, I was pre-med, did my Bachelors in Biology and nothing I mean nothing prepared me for the rigor of a second degree Associates RN program. Mind you, I thought it would be easy since I started that program after being an LPN for 1 year. Point is, I relate and I think a lot of nurses do. Don't remember being comfortable or feeling competent during clinicals until maybe the very end because one or two clinical days a week will never be enough. Like everyone says, you do the majority of your learning AFTER you graduate. What worries me the most is your lack of passion and enthusiasm. And I'm not being critical just following what you self-reported. Most nurses I know can't imagine doing anything but nursing. Most students struggle with the exams and the academic portion of their nursing program not the love for the profession. That being said, the good thing for you is that you have options. Always. Consider other paths in the medical field such as a tech program. You seem like you have a very analytical mind and that helps but nursing is about a love of people not just science. Not telling you what to do but consider that your spot in a nursing school probably meant someone else got denied. Best of luck.
There's nothing wrong with self-awareness. Liking sick people is not a requirement to be a good person. Not everyone is a people-person or enjoys service professions. There's nothing wrong with that. And a lot of people are motivated by money. Nothing wrong with that either.
Maybe you missed the part that OP was in NURSING SCHOOL and trying to make a decision about NURSING. I was responding to that subject matter.
If they have an aptitude for science and like making money I would suggest diagnostic imaging (ultrasound, CT, MRI, nuclear medicine etc)
It really seems that you don't like nursing. That's nothing to be ashamed of. Leave nursing school and find out what it is you would like to do. Nursing is hard even if you love it. If your heart's not in it, it would be torture every day. There are so many careers to choose from that you shouldn't waste your time or money on something that isn't for you.
LessValuableNinja
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