Soooooooooooooo Confused!!! Please help!!!

Disco_Superfly · Dec 4, 2009

Nobody can answer that but you. And the only way you can know for sure is to TRY working in nursing. God YES it is stressful. It can make you swear you're going crazy... Probably because you expect more from nurses/healthcare professionals than other fields. Honestly there have been many times I thought about doing something else. Sometimes I still do. But who's to say I wouldn't think the same way if I were a Teacher, Lawyer, etc. There is stress in every profession. Learn to laugh and don't sweat the little stuff because there is going to be ALOT of little nit-picky BS that gets peddled to you on a daily basis in this profession. Rise above it. Good Luck! :up:

nursejoy1, ASN, RN · Dec 4, 2009

I am currently an LPN, and will graduate with my RN in May. I work LTC and have been in healthcare a total of 18 yrs. I have to say, sometimes it IS tough and I wonder why I ever started along this path, but I also have to say, most of the time, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I LOVE MY JOB!!!! I love my patients, I even love most of my coworkers. I eventually plan to return to school for nurse practitioner or nurse educator. ( I am currently the education nurse at my facility). I will say as well- LPN pay is highest in LTC. If you wish to work in a hospital setting, many are not hiring LPNs at all , and those that do pay MUCH less. Hope this helps and good luck!!

FOCKER0014 · Dec 4, 2009

Your information is slightly incorrect. You DO NOT HAVE to work in a health care related field for acceptance into a PA program. It is suggested, yet if you come in with the right grades and good GRE/MAT scores then it does not matter as long as your degree is related to science somehow. One of the PA's that i work with just got her degree in Biology and then went to PA school. She never set foot in a hospital until her first day of clinical within the program.

Now onto the RN part. I have a degree in psychology and was a bartender/personal trainer for 8 years and then went into the nursing field. BEST decision of my life. Do somedays suck? Of course, but doesn't EVERY job have those days? Do I get yelled at? A little. Do I make a difference? In the end, I hope so and I think i do. Work environment plays an enormous part. Some RNs work at plastic surgery office and have very little autonomy or excess stress while others, like myself, enjoy the sick patients and somewhat thrive on the stress. There are nurses who work for companies like Johnson and Johnson that "sell" medical products. The sky truly is the limit with a nursing degree.

LPN, RN, NP, PA.....whatever you decide to do. Just keep in mind one thing...They all involve people and the ability to make a difference in an individuals life. Doesn't always happen, but at least the potential is there.

Everyone has a horror story. I am sure you have some from your own work. Experience it for yourself. If not, you may miss out on a life changing course.

EnkeliRN · Dec 4, 2009

Here is my two cents about becoming RN . First of all, I agree with Disco Superfly's comment, "nobody can answer that but you", VERY TRUE! I'm a recent RN grad, and before going to nursing school I worked for one of the top Fortune 500 companies for seven years. However, I always wanted to become a nurse for the same reasons as you have mentioned above: compassion, being a pt. advocate, etc. And, a couple of years ago, I left my job voluntarily to fulfill my dream. I'll tell you, it's probably the hardest thing I have done in my life, even though everybody sees it differently.

When I was in school there were so many hoops and loops I had to jump. The school work was very time-consuming, exams were hard, and there were personality clashes among most of the students (not saying with me, but just in general). The class I went to had about fifty students and most of us were bound in the same classroom all day five days a week, doing projects, group presentations, and clinicals, etc. As if that wasn't enough we all had to have at least 78% average in order to pass the course and continue from semester to semester. When I first got my brochure stating that you need to have whatever percentage to pass and stay in the program, I was like, piece of cake, I can do it. NO, it wasn't easy at all.

Anyhow, while I was in nursing school, I worked PRN as CNA/CA, and got hands-on experience about the hospital population and types of pt. load. After graduating in May, I took my boards and started working as a float RN because I didn't have many options to choose from in my area. After all the headache and being intimidated about the type of patients I will have to care for every time I go in, I'm now really starting to enjoy it. So, it's really rewarding just to make a difference in someone's life and come home at the end of the day and say I did it.

The other day, I got into an argument with a tech who said to me that many of the RNs become nurses just for the money and if it wasn't for the CNAs helping there would be big lawsuits because supposedly some of these nurses have no clue about patient care. In all honesty, I got really offended by her comment, but then again it's the nature of the beast. You got take the bad with the good and keep learning. GOOD LUCK to you in your pursuit of becoming a nurse.

PS: Sorry if I wrote too much.....just some info wish I had known beforehand :cool:

sunnycalifRN · Dec 4, 2009

I've read on this forum about someone working as respiratory therapist and loving it bcse it's very low stress. I've visited the RRT forum, and they all talk about actually sitting and eating on breaks and studying too, some for the majority of their shift. So now I'm wondering if I should go the RRT-PA route to my primary care dreams. I say RRT bcse you must work in a healthcare field before being admitted to PA school (and I want to actually put in meaningful healthcare work if I go this route).

I went the RRT to RN route and I will say that as an RRT, you do usually get your breaks/lunch. I'd say that I probably work about 6X more now as a RN in ICU than I did as RRT in ICU. I'd suggest shadowing someone in both professions for a shift so you can get some feel for what we do.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Dec 4, 2009

are you saying your friend stayed in a job she did not like for 20 years? Something not right there.

The way I combat my "dislikes" is to challenge myself with new topics to learn, new certifications, new areas to work in----. And I am old enough to know that every job has negativity and that people just get tired of working or tired period.

acubed · Dec 4, 2009

Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond. Let me clarify a few things. LOL, I am definitely NOT asking anyone to make my decision, yes I will make my own decision, I am fully capable of critical thinking. :) I want to get advice/suggestions from people in the field so I can make an informed decision. I do not have a science or healthcare background/degree at all, so if I go the PA route, I will need to work in healthcare first and do PA pre-reqs. I am not naive, yes there is no perfect job, but I do want to be REALLY excited about going in to work every day. So when I hear about patients throwing remote controls & demanding ice chips, the co-worker issues, and working 14+ hours instead of 12, stress, blah blah blah it really makes me wonder if nursing is for me. No one I know in healthcare (including nurses) has anything great to say about nursing. When I told my friends that I want to go that route, they scrunch their noses and ask "why"? They say I would be a good nurse, but the main issue is that no one treats nurses with respect and "nurses go through too much". Are nurses really the ones who are demoralized and blamed for everything? It seems so unfair for such a critical job. I don't want to go into nursing with lofty ideas just to have reality sink in later, and the threads on allnurses make me think it's not what I think it would be. I still would appreciate useful input as I sort out the info and make my decision. Thanks so much everyone, I really do value your opinions.

acubed · Dec 4, 2009

classicdame, no not exactly. I think she is now getting to the ready-to-work in another field stage but her pay is really really great bcse of her experience level. she wants to transition to holistic nursing.

acubed · Dec 4, 2009

I went the RRT to RN route and I will say that as an RRT, you do usually get your breaks/lunch. I'd say that I probably work about 6X more now as a RN in ICU than I did as RRT in ICU. I'd suggest shadowing someone in both professions for a shift so you can get some feel for what we do.

wow, and which one is more rewarding to you? pros/cons for each one? I am planning on shadowing both very soon, but like so many say, it really depends on the facility/person. thanks

rstrainRN · Dec 4, 2009

I think that any career is what you make it to be. What works for one person may not for another. For what it's worth we have happy nurses and unhappy nurses and happy rrt and unhappy rrts where I work. We have a rrt that is also a nurse starting in my unit as an rn soon. If you have the ability to shadow a nurse you should jump at that chance, see what it's like. There will be days that are great and days that suck but it truly is a rewarding career and I'm thrilled with my job. The great aspects of it far outweight the worst of it.

acubed · Dec 4, 2009

I truly appreciate the replies. I called a medical center, and guess what an MD actually called back! :anpom: anyway, i didn't get into the nursing issues with her, just asked her personal opinion about whether to go RRT-PA or RN-NP to do primary care. She said hands down NP bcse they are more versatile and are sought after more in primary care. Also said there are always so many opportunities avail and she expected more to open for NPs (she's the director of a program they have there). she even asked an NP there a question for me. I'm putting calls in for a shadow opportunity. I'm really glad with what you all have said and the MD, bcse my heart is really in the preventative and wellness aspect of healthcare, not just the medical (or medicinal) aspect of it. THANKS again

:)