Switching career moves...slightly

[cltcmusk08]

I'm a sophomore Nursing major, in a BSN program, and well, frankly...I'm borderline considering switching majors. Part of it was just the disorganized chaos of the department, and the slight hints I seem to be getting that I'm just not cutting it.

I was originally a psychology major my freshman year, made mostly A's. Then I decided to switch to nursing because of the variety, security, and ability to interact with pateints. Bam! My GPA just slides downhill fast. I have only a 2.9 right now in my major.

I started out 3.4 from Psychology...

I'm still applying to graduate school to be a school psychologist for a district, and my initial plan was to just work part time as an RN while in grad school. And then I found out about this wonderful thing called a graduate assitantship, which is free tuition and a stipend..not much, but still. Plus you can lecture a few undergrad classes.

Don't get me wrong, I very much loved clinicals in the peds unit and the oncology units. I really do love that aspect, but my goodness it's a struggle to keep grades up with pharmacology and microbes much less have any social life.

Most of my friends are psych majors or english ed majors and I'm all the time having to skip out on so much. It's extremely frustrating...and it's making me stubborn enough to say, make this stop and switch majors:nono:

Talk about being in a rut.

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

I thought about being a psych major instead of nursing. But nursing won out. It pays MUCH better with MUCH less education needed, and there isn't a problem finding a job in most area's. And if you get sick of one area, you can move to the next. Sick of the bedside? There are other things that can be done in nursing. The possibilities are endless. Its what works for me since I get bored easy. If I would have remained an education or psych major, I would have no where to go when I got bored, and I would have spent so much more in loans, and be making so much less $. And there is psych nursing so you can have the best of both worlds. I loved psych nursing. I would have never left the job if I didn't get married and move away from the hospital.

[burn out]

Sometimes our path in life does not take us where we think we want to go and then we realize that we are right were we are suppose to be. I never wanted to be a nurse when I was starting out in college but I got married along the way and suddenly I was going to need a job that would allow me to be able to keep up with my husband engineering career moves...therefore nursing was the most practicle course. I have not regretted it at all. I know alot of pysch and education and english majors now without jobs in their field because there are none.

[NaomieRN]

CLT, I believe you went to nursing school with the wrong motives and expectations. Going to nursing school is not about getting high GPAs. As long you are passing your classes, it should not matter. When you become and RN, no one will ask you, what your gpa is. If you really wanted to be a nurse in the first place, you would have stuck to it no matter what. So what you sacrifice four years with no fun. When you done with school, you will have plenty of time for that stuff. Besides, it is a dangerous world out there anyway, so you better off not go out. My sister was pregnant while she was in nursing school 12 years ago. She had no car for transportation. She had to walk somedays when she missed the bus. She stuck to it becaue she knew in her heart that's what she really wanted to do. She did not allowed circumstances get in the way of her dream. Good luck to you.

[control]

CLT, I believe you went to nursing school with the wrong motives and expectations. Going to nursing school is not about getting high GPAs. As long you are passing your classes, it should not matter. When you become and RN, no one will ask you, what your gpa is. If you really wanted to be a nurse in the first place, you would have stuck to it no matter what. So what you sacrifice four years with no fun. When you done with school, you will have plenty of time for that stuff. Besides, it is a dangerous world out there anyway, so you better off not go out. My sister was pregnant while she was in nursing school 12 years ago. She had no car for transportation. She had to walk somedays when she missed the bus. She stuck to it becaue she knew in her heart that's what she really wanted to do. She did not allowed circumstances get in the way of her dream. Good luck to you.

I think the bolded part is kind of silly.

I had fun in nursing school. Sure, it was with "the dirty dozen" of us BSN students. Fun is what you make it, really.

I don't see the OP as a "traitor" or whatever, but I get that vibe from some of the above posts. I was disappointed when my gpa fell in nsg school, too. I was used to making straight As as well. A 2.9 is a good reason to change majors, IMO.

I think you will make the right choice for yourself. Don't follow the money or other peoples standards of what is good or worthy of your time. If you're not living the lifestyle you want to live, then make the appropriate changes.

Honestly, I would have graduated summa instead of magna if I'd gone with English Lit, as I sometimes wish I had. And assistantships are wonderful things!

Everyone can't be a nurse. If you know it's not right for you, it's better to exit now instead of getting to the last semester and having second thoughts. Otherwise, missing out on fun and not having a high gpa will be the least of your problems....

Good luck to you!

[casi, ASN, RN]

When it comes to chosing a major and sticking with it you have to follow your heart. Find that which you really love and stick to it.

Don't chose something because it's easy, has a lot of job oppertunities, or whatever lame reasons people have for getting a degree they never use because they find out they don't like it. You have to find your nitch and go for it. I've almost changed my major many times, but keep going back to nursing, it's seriously where my heart is and where I believe as a person I can do my best. One of the girls I grew up with startted out majoring in nursing. She's one of the most compassionate people around and has always been obsessed with workign with children. In her first year of college it hit her that she was going for the wrong thing and called her mom up sobbing and switched her major to social work. She couldn't be anymore happier with her decision. It's where her heart is and where she feels she can do the most good.

Don't switch for anyone but yourself. Nobody will judge you badly if you decide nursing isn't your thing.