Struggle

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  1. Which one do I better qualify for?

    • 1
      Nursing
    • 0
      Psychology
    • 2
      Pick another field to go into

3 members have participated

Hello all. I am currently a senior nursing student. I have about 6 months left before I graduate and receive my associates. I am really concerned about going into my next semester (NU240) and I feel as if I'm not confident or competent with my skills. I really have trouble with dosage calc and IVs. My struggle I'm posting about is whether to head to the finish line with nursing or to stick my foot into the door with psychology. I have been torn between both majors for a while but have more experience in the Healthcare field (I've had my CNA and medical assisting certificates) . I found an on the job opportunity in the psychology. With the end stretch of Nursing school needing me to be completely dedicated I do not think I'll be able to do both. I also have no idea what I want to do after nursing college. There are so many options. I'd rather avoid IVs and potential error. I used to think I'd want to work in a nursing home or as a psych nurse but I'm not really sure

Any suggestions or experiences/insight or comments are greatly appreciated.

Thank you, Sarah.

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Most nursing students feel uncomfortable and lack confidence in their skills at the point you're at now. Keep in mind that you can get licensed and start working with your associate's in nursing. If you switch to psychology, a baccalaureate degree would be the bare minimum that might make you employable in psychology, and the baccalaureate really doesn't prepare you for anything except getting into a graduate program in nursing. You would have to have at least a Master's in psychology to be able to do anything that would pay decently. Lots of inpatient psych settings hire people with BA/BS in psychology to work as techs/aides, while the RNs are in charge of the unit and making a lot more money with less (in the case of an ADN) formal education.

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

Dosing calculations and IV's are a pretty basic skill for an RN; if you don't want to do them then nursing may not be for you. However, they are also skills that get easier with time. It sounds like you are in an associate program- a two year degree in psychology won't exactly get your foot in anywhere, nor will even a 4 year bachelor degree. Most careers within psych require a masters, even a Ph.D., with the exception of an associates degree RN specializing in psych. You won't deal with IV's a lot in psych, but you do need to know dosage calculations, that is a skill every RN needs to be very competent at.

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Thank you for your response. I hope these skills do become easier with time. I'm still torn but it would be nice to see what the psychology position (behavioral technician is all about).

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Good points. Thank you.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

As the other posters have said, dosage calculations are actually quite simple.

As for me, I use ladders/unit conversions to determine the amount that should be given.

Please know that, in real life, as a nurse, you'll have resources to pull on, such as the pharmacy and the fact that alaris pumps (quite common) will calculate this for you.

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Thank you. We were taught the ratio and proportion method. The alaris pump programming is a very good thing to point out.

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Hi Sarah,

I was in the exact position as you last year as a senior student. I still have not found a job yet but I do want to encourage you in finishing your schooling. I told myself the same thing when I had 3 months left, wanting to quit because I was not confident enough. Guess what, I finished the program and so can you! Back in HS I also aspired to be in psychology and actually got in to a good university for psych as well but heard horror stories over unemployment rates and too many student overfill heck nearly a quarter of my classmates went into psych in HS. It is different in your case however that you've perhaps landed a job. Is there any way you can postpone the job offer until after you graduate? or perhaps take it as a part time/casual option while trying to finish the last of your school work? (this might be harder though). As people pointed out psych is a tough career because it requires heavy schooling involved much more than a bachelors. Even if you think nursing isn't for you, you can always find a job or another career after you graduate. There's no set stone in which you "have" to be this or that in life. I had the same mindset thinking I had to graduate, I had to pass NCLEX, and now the thought that I "have" to get a job as a nurse. However, time will tell. Because as much as I had planned, and tried to predict the unknown, I could not. I still to this day remain unconfident and unsure about the future but what I did learn is that there are many times in life where you feel your being pushed away like a water current and feel that you have to be "pushed" and there are no options to take but to go along that route. Some people do , some don't. So know that there are always options ahead in your life even if it's not in nursing or if it's a different avenue in nursing.

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Hello, thanks for replying. You haven't found a job yet? Are you are nurse? I'm going to try to finish the program, I have been working my way up to a RN for so long. Yeah that's what I hear and see that psychology doesn't really have employment opportunities and you need your Master's degree for a lot of positions. It would be a part time job (10-15 hours a week) but I'm not even sure if I qualify for it but it would be nice to experience it. Thank you for saying that :). Although sometimes I wish life had less option heh.

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Specializes in Ortho.

Hey SarahJane. I am starting my last semester in 2 weeks and I feel almost the same as you.

My issue started with an instructor. She really hammered me and it got to me. I got super nervous and freaked out. And then I choked and made a simple mistake. The whole experience has left me questioning my abilities and if I'm competent enough to be a nurse.

For me though, I've come too far. I've put so much time and work into getting to this point. I've always made good grades and I've always had excellent clinical reviews. This one rotation will not define me. I have to get through. There will be no other option.

I know you've worked hard too. And the beautiful thing about nursing is that there are so many different opportunities. Yes, some may require experience. You can do anything for a year though, right?

My first semester instructor has been a nurse for 30 years. She told us that she has never done an IV. She said she didn't like to do them and so she didn't. I'm not sure it will work that same way for you. However, I'm sure you can find some line of work where IVs are few and far in between. And maybe you'll have a great coworker who loves to do them and will help you if you help her.

I'm just saying that when you finish in 6 months, you will have options. It's a lot of work to just start over. In the end, you have to do what's right for you.

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I'm sorry you had an issue with an instructor. I had something similar happen. I'm sure we will both get through this. Wow never doing an IV seems like it's impossible. Yeah I'll have to see what happens as time goes on. I'm still going to stick with nursing but I don't think I can allow myself to not at least explore my other option or talk to the employer. Thank you for your feedback.

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