not sure if I should continue

emmy · Jul 2, 2004

Hi

I have never had a burning desire to be a nurse, however I have wanted to be a midwife for the last 14 years. I am thinking about giving up my nursing degree but I am not sure if it is because I am nervous about going on my first clinical or whether it is because nursing is not for me.

Does anyone else ever feel like this?

IamRN · Jul 2, 2004

My sister did. She wasn't sure about nursing, but had to get some sort of career going. I encouraged her to go for it. At the very least she would find out it wasn't for her, but had something to fall back if/when the time came for a change of careers. I also pointed out the many varieties of nursing practice available.

If it wasn't for your perceived ambiguity about where your concerns are coming from, I would say go for the midwife career right now.

IamRN · Jul 2, 2004

My sister did. She wasn't sure about nursing, but had to get some sort of career going. I encouraged her to go for it. At the very least she would find out it wasn't for her, but had something to fall back if/when the time came for a change of careers. I also pointed out the many varieties of nursing practice available.

If it wasn't for your perceived ambiguity about where your concerns are coming from, I would say go for the midwife career right now.

Energizer Bunny · Jul 2, 2004

hmmmmmmm.....are you then going to consider being a lay midwife? or did you have your heart set on being a CNM?

Energizer Bunny · Jul 2, 2004

hmmmmmmm.....are you then going to consider being a lay midwife? or did you have your heart set on being a CNM?

emmy · Jul 3, 2004

Thanks for the replies.

I'm from Australia so we don't have CNM. I was planning to do a nursing degree and then go straight into studying midwifery.

I think my apprehension stems from worrying about washing people, examining fecal matter, vomit etc. I know no one goes into nursing looking forward to these things and I know that once I've done it a few times it will be something that I won't worry about, It's just getting my head around it I suppose. I suppose it's also because I'm on a semester break at the moment and have been offered a place on a different Uni course that I am wondering and stressing over what to do as I have to make my mind up soon. I'm just worried that if I do pack in my nursing over something so trivial that I'll regret it down the line as I actually also like the idea of being a theatre nurse. Decisions decisions :rolleyes:

emmy · Jul 3, 2004

Thanks for the replies.

I'm from Australia so we don't have CNM. I was planning to do a nursing degree and then go straight into studying midwifery.

I think my apprehension stems from worrying about washing people, examining fecal matter, vomit etc. I know no one goes into nursing looking forward to these things and I know that once I've done it a few times it will be something that I won't worry about, It's just getting my head around it I suppose. I suppose it's also because I'm on a semester break at the moment and have been offered a place on a different Uni course that I am wondering and stressing over what to do as I have to make my mind up soon. I'm just worried that if I do pack in my nursing over something so trivial that I'll regret it down the line as I actually also like the idea of being a theatre nurse. Decisions decisions :rolleyes:

Energizer Bunny · Jul 3, 2004

WEll good luck with whatever you decide!

Energizer Bunny · Jul 3, 2004

WEll good luck with whatever you decide!

RNNoMore · Jul 4, 2004

If you are really nervous about those things, then midwifery may not be for you either - there's lots of yukky stuff that needs to be examined during childbirth, and many women vomit or involuntarily defecate during the process too... I think that if you are set on being a midwife, then the nursing degree would give you a good background to work on.

Best wishes, Paint.

RNNoMore · Jul 4, 2004

If you are really nervous about those things, then midwifery may not be for you either - there's lots of yukky stuff that needs to be examined during childbirth, and many women vomit or involuntarily defecate during the process too... I think that if you are set on being a midwife, then the nursing degree would give you a good background to work on.

Best wishes, Paint.