Shouldn I Become a Nurse

KCAmbition · Oct 7, 2014

Can't really do anything with a Psychology Bachelor's unless your going you have a PhD or Doctorate. My mom is a LPN and my sister is a CNA. They both say it's pros and cons, but do what you feel is right everyone's views are different so find out for yourself that's what I'm doing. I might be cut out for nursing.

RunBabyRN · Oct 7, 2014

I agree with the PP about psych. You really need at least a master's to do anything with it.

Yes, healthcare has changed over the last 25 years. So has psychology. So have most fields. We're all doing more with less, and there are more politics, more lawsuits, and more responsibilities. That's the way it goes, unfortunately.

What makes you want to be a nurse? Only you can decide if it's right for you, but take some time to think about WHY you want to be a nurse, if you have realistic expectations, what you want to do with nursing, etc. For some, it's rewarding, for some, it's not. Either way, it's a job with a paycheck and a competitive market right now.

HarryTheCat, MSN, RN · Oct 7, 2014

The previous posters have given you some excellent advice. There really isn't much you can to with a BA/BS in Psych unless you go on to earn a PhD. Even then, the career opportunities are pretty limited. If you do decide to go into Nursing, the best thing you could do right now is get your BSN. There are still opportunities out there for LPNs and ADNs, but the market in most areas is pretty much demanding a BSN as the entry-level degree now.

To get into nursing at this stage in your education you may have to go back and pick up some additional pre-requisites before applying to the Nursing program. Check the requirements for the schools of your choice, and plan to shoot for as close as you can get to a 4.0 in those courses. Admission to nursing programs is extremely competitive right now, and it's not unusual for a SON to have 400 - 500 applicants for 50 or 60 seats in each new class. They weed out the applicants by GPA, entrance exam scores and sometimes interviews, and try to admit those with the best chance of succeeding in the program and eventually passing the NCLEX.

Getting in is hard, and staying in may be even harder. Some schools will allow you to fail one course and repeat it the next semester/quarter. Some may make you repeat all the courses in the entire semester. Others are now going to a "one and done" policy -- fail one class and you're out of the program. Period. Sorry, no refunds. Your life will revolve around school. You won't have a social life to speak of. Saturday night isn't party night. You'll be buried in your Pharma notes preparing for a test on Monday, or proofreading your Theory paper one more time for those nagging little APA errors that will drop you one full letter grade. Your circle of friends will suddenly all be nursing students. If you aren't 100% committed to making this work, re-think your career plan and go do something else. But if you decide to do it, Godspeed!

anicole23 · Oct 8, 2014

I've known that I would have to go to a higher degree after the bachelors in psych since I started, I just can not keep going to school and working hard knowing that once I receive my degree, I will still have to jump through more hoops and struggle to even get into graduate school and have no job.

But besides that, I just have a gut feeling that nursing is what I want to do. I've always had the desire to help people, I'm not necessarily a "people person", just because I'm pretty shy, but regardless, I find joy in making a difference in someone else's day. And I enjoy working in fast-paced, stressful environments and taking control of situations. I feel better already knowing that I have decided on a set plan for the future and how many opportunities there are in this field. Guess all I need now is my hardest work and dedication! Thank you for your post!