I honestly believe that most people don't know what their getting themselves into when they try to pursue a career in nursing. Like seriously!
Today, I asked my closest friend why she wants to be a nurse (she's pre-nursing with me) and she said, "Because of the money, the hot male nurses, and because I like babies".
Lol, she also wants to get her CNA license next spring because she witnessed the birth of her neice and an actual CNA woman who helped "deliver the baby" told her she could be that in just 3 to 5 weeks. I really just wished that woman would've told her that she'll first probably end up working in a nursing home until then some. So now my friend is saving up to become one.
I'm not going to tell her the truth about nursing though, only because she's a grown woman and is capable of making her own decisions and learning about nursing on her own like I had to.
Although, I am secretly steering her to get her ADN first before she goes in debt trying to get her BSN, blindly.
Hey I just diagnosed myself; Misophonia. Thanks Ixchel, now I know why gum chewers and poppers drive me absolutely batty.
Tell me about it! I react physically to nasal/oral sounds. The first time I learned about misophonia, I thought "so this is why I never slept on vaca as a kid??" My dad snore. I'd take earplugs and a pillow into the hotel bathroom and lie down in the TUB, and still not sleep for days, because I was so sensitive to the sound. Now without my Bose headset and sleep meds, I can't even sleep in the same room as my husband. (I managed to find a 135 pound man with OSA. Yeah.) I can't be in the room if he's eating Ramen noodles because he likes them boiling hot and eats them w/ chopsticks. Read: he slurps them.
Many years ago people would definitely chose nursing as a career because they truly wanted to be a nurse and to serve their fellowmen. It was not for the money and the other reasons you listed above because the pay back then was like a stipend. Also, there were not as many career options like today. However, in the 21 century, people chose their careers for diverse reasons and nursing is no exception. Some use other careers and jobs as a stepping stone, while others also use nursing as a stepping stone to get to other careers and vice versa. Also, because of globalization and advancement in technology, people can go more freely or advance from career to career. If she becomes a CNA, it may give her some insight into what nursing is all about and she maybe better able to determine if nursing is really for her.
Tell me about it! I react physically to nasal/oral sounds. The first time I learned about misophonia, I thought "so this is why I never slept on vaca as a kid??" My dad snore. I'd take earplugs and a pillow into the hotel bathroom and lie down in the TUB, and still not sleep for days, because I was so sensitive to the sound. Now without my Bose headset and sleep meds, I can't even sleep in the same room as my husband. (I managed to find a 135 pound man with OSA. Yeah.) I can't be in the room if he's eating Ramen noodles because he likes them boiling hot and eats them w/ chopsticks. Read: he slurps them.
Derail over.
I hate people who slurp their food. Or gum it. I also have a low tolerance for snorers. And 4 year olds who live in the apartment above me who spend their time running up and down the hall in it. The night they moved in they were at it till 5 in the morning and he was running all over the apartment. It went on nightly for about a week but he's settled down and occasionally he does it.
My Dad smacks and slurps his food. I want to tell him to stop.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
I hate people who slurp their food. Or gum it. I also have a low tolerance for snorers. And 4 year olds who live in the apartment above me who spend their time running up and down the hall in it. The night they moved in they were at it till 5 in the morning and he was running all over the apartment. It went on nightly for about a week but he's settled down and occasionally he does it.
My Dad smacks and slurps his food. I want to tell him to stop.
I think I just diagnosed myself too.
I must also be a sufferer. I used to cuff my brothers for noisy eating. Even now, when my parents encounter someone who eats like a pig, they joke to each other about wishing I was there to handle things.
Another thing that drives me up a wall: young women who speak in high-pitched nasal voices and pronounce their words in the back of the throat. Listening to this on the phone is downright painful. How do these people even get hired by anyone?
Specializes in M/S, Pulmonary, Travel, Homecare, Psych..
I don't think what your friend is experiencing is unique. Every career path has its people coming and going who seem to be in somewhat of a fantasy based perception of reality and what they're jumping into.
I take it you are young, in school, and your friend is the same. What they're experiencing is a part of life's journey. She'll learn the truth at some point, and she'll organically change her mind more than likely. Pushing her in either direction (stay with the career choice or change it) will most likely just breed defensiveness in them.
When I was in grade school, I thought I wanted to be a stand up comedian. Then I found out being in front of so many people having to entertain them was nerve racking. That option died.
Later on, thought I wanted to work with animals, perhaps be a Veterinarian. Eventually, reality set in that I only like animals when they're fluffy and cuddly. When they get sick, not so much fun. This revelation came to me when my kitten got very sick and I was cleaning up poo from the carpet three times a day for two days. Thankfully, I moved on from this dream.
When I started college, I thought accounting was the way to go for me. I did well in math, and the Accounting major seemed to offer a lot of classes I'd have liked. Eventually I realized it felt too much like work, and I wasn't even out of school yet. I had to force myself into classes, and staying disciplined with studying was becoming a non option.
Then it dawned on me. I did a summer job as an assistant at the local nursing home for two summers and loved what I was doing most of the time. So I decided something that had a lot of involvement with people might be more for me. I ended up being right.
Just saying, being clueless about a profession you're considering is an almost necessary part of the journey for us all. How we find out why something is or isn't for us is as unique to us as anything else. Let your friend blunder and fail as she discovers the truth about things. In that lesson she learns, there may be the clue she needs to know what *is* a good career choice for her.
Farawyn
12,646 Posts
That could be a song...
I chew loudly, because I like crunchy stuff. I do keep my mouth closed. I get yelled at when I eat granola.