Should I really be a nurse?

guest239592 · Dec 12, 2008

Hey there,

While I am not a nurse yet (almost though, graduate in May!) I feel my path thus far has been very rewarding. With you already having another degree you could do a fast track program and finish up in about a year and a half. It would be very intense but I'm sure if you really wanted it you could do it. As far as clinical skills, it comes with time (heck I'm still learning and will continue to do so in my new job next summer!). Skills can be taught to anyone and with time and repetition they will become second nature. Being able to think on your feet, critically think and work with people in my opinion is the most important part to the job. Working as a CNA could give you somewhat of an idea if nursing is for you, HOWEVER, the work CNAs do is very different than what nurses do. Nurses have a lot more knowledge, skills and critical thinking to do than CNAs (don't get me wrong, they are great resources, I'm one myself). The biggest thing about nursing is finding your niche. Johnson and Johnson has a great campaign for nurses (maybe you've seen their commercials) and an excellent website http://www.discovernursing.com/home

On the website you can explore all kinds of careers as well as aspects of nursing. Know that if you do get into it there will be many hard days and even days whether you question if you made the right decision. That is normal, we all think it from time to time, but getting through those times builds character and the kind of go-getter attitude nurses need. Ok this has gotten long, I know I'm still a student without a lot of life experience (only 21) but those are my perspectives. If you have any questions let me know!

WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2008

So I really feel like this is the right path for me, but, being a second degree student, I really want to be sure. I've got some general experience in the nursing world, having worked about 2 years in a group home for severely disabled children where I had to pass meds. and deal with g-tubes. I really liked that--especially the passing meds. part. During college I also worked one-on-one with a autistic girl. After graduating from college with a BA in Psychology, I worked for a couple of years doing psych. research (basically just asking people a bunch of different questions that they couldn't easily answer for HOURS on end...wasn't all that enjoyable for me). Then I continued with what had been my plan for several years, and went to law school. Spent a year there and HATED HATED HATED it. I cannot adequately express how much. I think it just really dawned on me how difficult and draining it is to argue all day long, and how little I would actually be helping people, as I had intended. Anyway, being 20k in debt (uh...still makes me nauseous thinking about it), I got a job as a social worker and began working full-time. The work is okay, and if I could make a decent living doing it I might continue, but to make a liveable wage in the industry you need a Masters, and with a Masters you almost always practice therapy, which I'm really not interested in. Not really sure I fully believe in the efficacy of therapy.
Anyway, this is getting long, so let me get to the point. As I said before, I really feel that nursing is right for me, but I'm scared to death. My mom has been a nurse for 25+ years, and was a second degree student herself. I feel pretty certain I have the people skills for the job, but am not sure I could easily pick up the clinical part. I also have some scoliosis, and experience some back problems. I worry I would be doing myself in by going into nursing. By the same token, though I really like active work, and, in fact, find that sitting all day aggravates my back far worse than most anything else. So the basic point to all of this is that I feel I made a huge mistake going to law school, and I want to be as certain as I can be this time around. I was thinking about becoming a CNA, and hoped that might give me better perspective, but I am also hoping maybe some of you could share your wisdom.
If you've gotten to this point in the post, let me tell you how much I deeply appreciate your help and kidness.
Kind Regards,
WantAccel.BSN

I just noticed the error. "kidness" is "kindness." Opps. I miss the edit button!

GOMER42 · Dec 12, 2008

Just curious- You were passing meds in the group home? Under what qualification?

Flare, ASN, BSN · Dec 12, 2008

Gomer -some states allow group home employees pass meds as long as they take a med certification course. Same goes with some juvenile detention centers.

Wantaccel -

It sounds like you certainly have teh drive and desire. I say go for it. Your back will be fine as long as you opserve good body mechanics, wear goos shoes, and keep yourself fit. Remember -noone is born knowing all the fundamentals of nursing so take your time to learn how to do things the proper way in clinicals.

GOMER42 · Dec 12, 2008

Gomer -some states allow group home employees pass meds as long as they take a med certification course.

Sounds dangerous

Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Dec 12, 2008

I would definitely do some research before taking any nursing plunge. Perhaps it is a good idea and work as a CNA in order to get into the environment in which you will work and speak to the nurses. Read the posts on this website, shadow a few nurses. Take a good look around and then decide if you want to drop the money for a nursing education. It's not all peaches and cream and fuzzy feelings every shift. Weigh the pros and cons and see if it is something you want to do.

Good luck to you!

WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2008

Sounds dangerous

Gomer-

I think there has been a long and ongoing debate on this one. I have read some threads about it on this site. Personally, I felt I was equipped to do it, but I certainly agree that it probably wasn't the best practice overall, given the capability level of some of my co-workers. There were RNs and LPNs that were usually in the vicinity, but then again we were also passing controlled substances, and I was only 17 when I first started there!

So yes, overall, I do understand the concern.

WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2008

I would definitely do some research before taking any nursing plunge. Perhaps it is a good idea and work as a CNA in order to get into the environment in which you will work and speak to the nurses. Read the posts on this website, shadow a few nurses. Take a good look around and then decide if you want to drop the money for a nursing education. It's not all peaches and cream and fuzzy feelings every shift. Weigh the pros and cons and see if it is something you want to do.
Good luck to you!

Thanks for the recommendations. I have been attempting to do research for quite some time now, but would openly welcome being pointed to some particularly telling stuff, if anyone knows exactly where to look. It is hard to sift through all the crud out there.

It seems that maybe being a CNA would be the best bet, as I could easily shadow nurses in the context of my job. However, that said, I worked as a legal assistant before going to law school (which I assumed would give me the information I needed), but I think I convinced myself that school would transform me into the person I needed to be to function in that role. I don't think I'm quite as delusional anymore....

And I totally get the "not all peaches and cream and fuzzy feelings thing." Remember, I have been working as a social worker. I definitely get that! :smokin:

As for the pros and cons...could you tell me what you think those are? Hard to weigh the pros and cons when I'm not exactly sure what I'm weighing.

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond!

SoundofMusic · Dec 12, 2008

Well, you could work as a CNA, but in all honesty, what they do is not exactly what nurses do.

Nurses have to know their pharmacology, and are basically the "managers" of the care of the patient while in the hospital. You will interface with all of the "team" -- the docs, the physical therapists, social workers, techs, etc. You are the coordinator. And you are providing care. But you CAN delegate a lot of the care to the techs, as long as your requests are reasonable. I personally LOVE being that person who knows all about the patient and what is going on -- because I'm a busybody by nature.

I always elevate beds up to save my back, use good body the physical work, but more just to do with the long shifts and rotating from days to nights.

The positives of nursing to me: never boring, often fun to deal with co-workers and the "good" patients, great hours, good pay, good benefits, and I'm proud of what I do -- I feel it's a really necessary job -- so I feel valued and useful. I don't sit down, and I like that also. I hated being trapped in a cubicle looking at a computer all day. That is my idea of prison.

The negatives: bad patients and their families, sad situations, nasty co-workers, the constant being on your feet, never getting a break (sometimes no lunch until 4 p.m.), heavy workloads, etc. One nasty patient can really send you home in a down mood -- it has happened to me, but nasty co-workers usually always take care of that also for me. And paperwork -- it is insideous. And they just keep adding more and more to it to the point where I don't know how they can expect nurses to provide care AND provide SUCH meticulous, sometimes in triplicate documentation. I mean -- it's just wearing! A LOT is expected of you as the nurse.

If we COULD just BE nurses -- it would be a lot better. Also, if hospitals would just find ways to make things run smoother -- ours is just a constant battle against aging equipment, systems that don't work, etc.

But sometimes the patients are so endearing and that provides rewards to the HEART, not necessarily the bank account. :loveya:

Mainly, I feel a good fit myself in nursing. I'm the eternal older sister, the Boss, the one who makes things happen, The advocate. I am nurturing, intelligent, love science, and love people when they're being good. I dont know -- it seems to be a good fit for me, more than my former career in journalism. I compare it a lot to being a mother -- that prepared me for it more than anything. I am also a 2nd degree student. Good luck. You will never find another career quite like nursing. It has something new in store for me everyday.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Dec 12, 2008

Sounds dangerous

I tend to agree... but having seen the content of the class that the juvenile detention centers do, i can say that theirs at least is very thorough and comes with a written and practical test.

WantAccel.BSN, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2008

I tend to agree... but having seen the content of the class that the juvenile detention centers do, i can say that theirs at least is very thorough and comes with a written and practical test.

Yup. We had that too (written and practical tests). If I remember correctly, if you failed, you had to wait a certain amount of time to retake it. But everyone passed eventually. Whether or not they should have is probably another question entirely.

:)