I will try my best to keep this as short as possible. Basically, I am a University student in Canada, having just started the first semester of my second year. I am 19 years old, almost 20. I am also a male. Back in High School, I wanted to be a doctor, but after conversing with a few family physicians that I was close to, I was put off of the path and applied to University as an Anthropology major, which also interested me. My parents were not very happy, and before Uni had even started, got me to drop Anthro and enter in the Sciences.
I did Sciences for my entire first year and decided that I would probably become a Pharmacist, since I was good at calculus and chemistry. My parents, once again, disapproved because it was now "too late" for me to be a Pharmacist, my entire first year would go to waste, and not only that, they wanted me to switch out of sciences (since apparently you can't get a job with a science major) and here I am now, second year of Uni, doing Accountant.
It has been just over a month since the start of the semester and I already hate it. I really can't see myself going down this route any longer, Accounting is not for me, I don't want to be at a desk all day crunching numbers, doing someone else's taxes. I was enrolled in 5 classes this semester, I dropped 2 (Accounting + Computer Business Systems) since I was not doing good in them, kept the other 3 I was doing good in (Business Math, macroeconomics, microeconomics), in secret, my parents don't know.
I was surfing YouTube a few days ago and came across a couple of videos by male nurses. I watched them, heard what they had to say about the job description, and honestly, I liked it a lot. I have always wanted to do something where I'd be able to help people (hence originally wanting to be a doctor), but was put off by the high-debt and time-consumption of med school. Nursing seems like a much better option, less time in school, plus there is more interaction with patients, which I like.
I brought it up with my mom today and she flipped. She gave me the whole lecture about how I was bringing shame on my family and how wrong it was. I come from a Punjabi family, Punjabi culture is very conservative, men aren't supposed to be nurses. Women are nurses + teachers, men are doctors/lawyers/engineers/businessmen etc... That is one reason she disapproves. Another is that she thinks it is a really dirty job, all about picking up other people's poop, she told me she wouldn't let me in the house if I did that, she would be too grossed out. I know it is a part of the job and wouldn't mind doing it for a patient who needed the help, but she is not accepting. And the final reason, she told me if I try to become a nurse, I have just wasted 2 years of Uni and that it was all for nothing. I am about 5,000 dollars in debt as of right now, she says it will all have been a waste of money. And I haven't even talked about it with my dad yet, he will likely react even worse.
Anyone else from a similar conservative background where the parents disapproved of their son becoming a nurse? How did you convince them?
Also, how does one go about becoming a nurse in Canada? Are there any (course) requirements you have to fulfill before going to nursing school? And once in nursing school, can you start working after 2 years (under supervision)? 4 years to be a RN, right?
