Some people are too smart for nursing

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Apr 17, 2015

OP is a she :). Engineers can be women :)

LOL, but a rare breed, indeed!

PapaBearRN, BSN · Apr 17, 2015

OP is a she :). Engineers can be women :)

Lol I get the whole "you're going to be a doctor?" Because I'm a male. Then I explain to them I'm a nursing student and I'm going to be a Registered Nurse. It takes them a minute or two for it to click.

happyinmyheart · Apr 17, 2015

OP is a she :). Engineers can be women :)

My bad :) I didn't even think about the engineering thing haha :)

brandiep1982 · Apr 17, 2015

You know, I think it is pretty odd that I never understood nursing to be an easy or "not smart enough to be a doctor" thing. I totally see how/why people would say such things in the culture most of us are raised in. However, in my household, where I was raised, nursing was seen as highly professional and only the most dedicated and hard working people should consider the occupation. I watched my mom and how she presented herself at work and in school (both when she attended and when she began teaching). Nursing has always been a hugely respectable, non-dimwitted profession. When I hear people ask her why she didn't become a doctor, she responds: "Because I love being with my patients. I love the freedom and time I have to actually talk to them and listen to them. Doctors are far too busy for all that." She now works as a nurse practitioner for a doctor. She does a lot of his rounds because he doesn't have time. She gets to spend the time with the patients. She also teaches professionalism and geriatrics at her Alma Mater. I am darn proud of my mom. She is incredibly intelligent and by no means did she settle for being a nurse.

Angeljho, MSN, NP · Apr 17, 2015

Ha! That's a good one. Too smart for nursing. :)
FWIW, it's pretty commonplace to have a patient or family/visitor say to the nurse taking care of the loved one that "you're too smart to JUST be a nurse, why don't you become a doctor?" Many of us have found ourselves saying "because I wanted to be a nurse". Sometimes going further with "because my education took a lot less time, I like being out of debt and never ever being on call!"
As for your situation, being smart is uber-helpful when it comes to nursing school. Unlike many other science-based curriculums, however, there is that subjective, intangible aspect of the program that trips up many people, including very smart people. Smart is important, obviously, but by no means a guarantee of success in this profession.
With that, I wish you luck :)

This, this, this, this, this, this!

I can't tell you how many times I have been asked, "Why didn't you just become a doctor. You're really smart." Um, because I WANTED to be a nurse, hence I'm a nurse.

SweetPotatoes · Apr 17, 2015

I haven't started school yet and I've been getting this. Why not med school? Why not PA school? You have more potential than nursing...etc. If I feel like talking then I mention a list of reasons (passion, practicality, time with patients, versatility, opportunities for advanced practitioner degrees, useful skills for real life, etc)...if not, it's Because I want to be a nurse."

edmia, BSN, RN · Apr 17, 2015

Yes. I've gotten these comments and always felt defensive about my career choice. But, I have my own regrets due to waiting until my 30s to figure out what I wanted to do in life! I get defensive because I really did want to go to medical school and at times I have felt too smart for nursing.

I've come around, I've grown up, and now I'm happy where I am and where I'm going. I love being with patients and am looking forward to making real connections with people as an NP. I will be where I really wanted to be.

A PP mentioned the anti-intellectualism in nursing. I see it all the time and it saddens me. Nurses need to be experts in whatever they are doing! Bedside, home care, LTC, hospice, critical care, emergency, psych, peds, neonatal... Everyone should be part of a professional organization and should subscribe to the best journal around for their specialty. There is no excuse for not updating your knowledge, none.

Sent from my iPhone -- blame all errors on spellcheck

allnurses Guide · Apr 17, 2015

I hate this comment.
I have a degree in biomedical engineering but my passion is in nursing so I'm going back to school for that.
Lots of people say I'm too smart to waste it on nursing.
Have people said this about nursing? I'd think you'd have to be pretty smart to take care of sick people.

I feel lucky I've only heard it a few times. Nursing challenges you to integrate your "book-learning" intelligence into other areas of your brain and sensory input and social skills in a very unique way. When you start to get into various nursing theories it can get very esoteric and philosophical.

Also I think people who say that must be unaware of all the avenues for specialization and advanced practice nursing we have now. "Doctor vs Nurse" is already an obsolete comparison.

SmilingBluEyes · Apr 17, 2015

To me, it is truly smart when you don't give a rip what such people think in the first place.

RNJill · Apr 17, 2015

Ehhh, do what YOU want and tune out the peanut gallery :) I can tell you that people will ALWAYS have comments (even about the stupidest things at the most ridiculous times!) and really, that it all the more reason why YOU should make the decisions for yourself. We don't always love what seems sensible to other people and careers take unexpected paths that no one from the outside can judge. As long as you have really investigated whatever career path you want to take...be it nursing or something else...you should feel secure no matter others say. Don't feel like you have to give people a long-winded explanation either! Even when I was in NP school I had patients ask when I was going to be an MD. I reached the point where I merely told them, kindly but calmly...."never." It was amazing how quickly and painlessly that ended the discussion.

Good luck!

sauce · Apr 17, 2015

everybody thinks their career is the hardest it seems. you know whats hard though? Anything computer related and that stuff they call rocket science. Of course there are different types of hard, hard is very subjective, and people have different skill sets and have had their brains trained differently during their life. You cant really compare difficulty. The 7 types of intellect come into play here.

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 18, 2015

There are smart and dumb people in just about every profession, and nursing and medicine are no different.