Thinking about nursing and have some questions

U.S.A. Texas

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Hello, all:

I have been considering a career switch to nursing (I am currently a lawyer). My ultimate goal would be to pursue a MSN, but in the meantime I need a BSN. My wife is currently in grad school, so I won't be applying to a BSN program until she is graduated and employed - fall 2011 at the earliest.

Since I have decided that my first career choice was the wrong one, I would like as much information as possible before making a second career choice. The problem is this: how do I get real world information about the day-to-day practice of nursing, about specialties, about what to expect working in a hospital versus a doctor's office, etc.? I am in Houston, Texas and would plan on staying here, so although I would like any input regardless of location I would particularly appreciate any Houston RNs or NPs answering any or all of the following questions for me:

- Are you an RN or NP?

- What is your specialty?

- What are your hours? Are they flexible?

- What is the salary range for your specialty?

- What are your likes and dislikes about your specialty? What daily do you find rewarding/stressful? Are you happy?

- If you have experience in another specialty, are there any contrasts between the two that you think are important to know?

- What skills/personality traits do you think are vital to success in your specialty?

- Anything you wish you knew before becoming a nurse? Anything else you want to tell me/any other questions I should be asking?

Again, I will appreciate any information I can get. Thank you.

Cleopf01,

Question related to pre-reqs for UT: how strict are they on fulfillment of the non-science pre-reqs? I never took Texas history, American history, introduction to philosophy, government, etc. in undergrad; however, I took a history class, multiple philosophy classes, and multiple english classes. Do you know if they waive the non-science pre-reqs if you have a suitably diverse educational background?

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NeoNurseTX,

That's interesting about the judge, but it doesn't surprise me. The practice of law generally is not very emotionally rewarding.

Would you mind taking the time to answer some of the questions in my original post? I'm looking for all the input I can get.

Thank you.

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Specializes in med-surg.

- Are you an RN or NP?

RN

- What is your specialty?

med/surg

- What are your hours? Are they flexible?

32 hrs/week. 3 shifts a week. need to work 3 weekend days in a month, rotating holidays, rotating days/nights. flexible, yes. (used to work 40 though, still flexible).

- What is the salary range for your specialty?

hmm.. when i first in 2005 i started off at $23/hr. after 2 years experience, i was making like $27/hr in texas before i moved + night/wkd diffs.

i have since relocated to the northeast where i earn more but its mainly to comp for the cost of living (b/c new grads start higher here anyway )

- What are your likes and dislikes about your specialty? What daily do you find rewarding/stressful? Are you happy?

likes- working with people/ high intensity / fast paced environment/ never bored/ life & death situations/ bonding with patient and families at a very significant time in their lives (sickness/health/death/life).

dislikes- bad back. painful feet from standing/stooping/lifting/crouching/running/walking for 12 hrs a day. lifting 400 lb patients. patients who complain a lot and can help themselves but they are lazy. patients who expect hospitals to be 4 star hotels. lack of appreciation.

i am in pain from the laborious aspects of the job, but overall i like nursing and it is one of the most rewarding parts of my life. i really enjoy developing relationships with patients and families, and i like getting to know them (and their health) better so that i can tackle a problem before it happens. i like being at the bedside and truly knowing someone and being the eyes and ears for a doctor (who only goes in for 5 minutes). i like using my 'intuition' and acting upon it and then saving a life.. its incredibly gratifying. its also extremely entertaining and there is never a dull night. ( i cant' stand mundane and routine/mind numbing work).

- If you have experience in another specialty, are there any contrasts between the two that you think are important to know?

i oriented in an ICU for 2 months. biggest contrast is nurse/patient ratio, but the work itself is totally different in terms of thinking. in a med/surg setting, your patients are healthier and you have a few problems you try to treat, so you take care of more patients. in an ICU setting, you have less patients, but they are sicker with more problems, so they are more complex and your care of the patient is more thorough.

- What skills/personality traits do you think are vital to success in your specialty?

skills: listening skills / patience/ perseverance/ teachability (being able to learn quickly in a new experience and picking it up quickly after being shown once or maybe if you hadn't done a skill in a long time), sense of humor, major coping skills (because dealing with death/life/insanity on a daily basis can be depressing when you go home if you dunno how to deal with it). oh yes- biceps for lifting. =)

- Anything you wish you knew before becoming a nurse? Anything else you want to tell me/any other questions I should be asking?

your heart has to be 100% in it. otherwise you'll get burnt out from all the responsibilities, all the emotions, all the crap you deal with on a daily basis. when you are burnt out you're no longer therapeutic to your patients- and then you ain't helpin' nobody.

the upside is that nursing is so versatile- and you can go into various areas of specialty with the background of a BSN so if you want to switch into a diff area, you have that flexibility. (this may change though if you become an NP and must choose a specialty).

p.s. i worked in houston as a RN for 2 yrs but have since relocated to the northeast.

i miss my houston co-nurses the most- my job there was actually higher stress level than my current one (similar hospital setting) however the co-nurses there were so much more laid back, easy going, and made work more fun. it helps to have great co-nurses and PCAs. (the pcas will make or break you.) =)

also, i have a nursing blog- if you private message me i will link you to it in which i write a great deal about the daily musings of nursing. =)

i hope that this helps!

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Good question. You should email UT admissions on this. Make sure their response is in writing. Sorry, I can't be helpful with this one.

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Specializes in PICU.

I too made the mistake of starting life off as an attorney and am now working as a nurse. I finished nursing school last December. I took a lot of time before I decided to switch careers. I spent a lot of time on these forums reading what people had to say to get a feel for the good and bad things about nursing. I also talked to friends who were nurses. It was absolutely the best decision for me, but it is a huge switch from law. Nursing school is hard, in a lot of ways I found it harder than law school. The hours are definitely better and I'm making more now than I ever did as an attorney. (I'm not a TX attorney, so don't know what pay rates are here, but they were very low where I was practicing.) You will most likely be working nights as a new grad, so that is something to keep in mind. I would not recommend going into a BSN/MSN program. Get your BSN first. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me.

- Are you an RN or NP?

RN

- What is your specialty?

Pediatrics

- What are your hours? Are they flexible?

32-40 hours a week. Not at this point because I'm still a new grad.

- What is the salary range for your specialty?

$50,000/year +

- What are your likes and dislikes about your specialty? What daily do you find rewarding/stressful? Are you happy?

I love my job so much that I can't say I've felt stressed. Nervous, excited, unsure, but not stressed. I love working with kids and their parents. I can't imagine having to do adults. It is a very caring supportive environment, very different from a law firm.

- If you have experience in another specialty, are there any contrasts between the two that you think are important to know?

Babies are supposed to be wearing diapers.

- What skills/personality traits do you think are vital to success in your specialty?

Caring about people and their health. Liking the education part of nursing, because you spend a lot of time educating parents. Having an approachable, i.e. not scary or intimidating demeanor.

- Anything you wish you knew before becoming a nurse? Anything else you want to tell me/any other questions I should be asking?

I did all of my pre-reqs at a community college. Where you go isn't as important as getting As. GPA is extremely important, both for pre-reqs and in nursing school. Make sure you have the time and commitment to get As. The new grad job market is bad right now, but the top students are still getting jobs.

Good luck!

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I'm in the TWU program in Dallas right now, but TWU has a very nice, shiny new campus there in Houston. (Tax Accountant/Consultant turned nurse, here.) There are a few things you should know...

1. The history and government requirement is non-negotiable, as you must have these four classes in order to get a degree in the state of Texas. Or so I've been told.

2. TWU only looks at the pre-req grades--Nothing else. And your entrance exam score. Whoooolllle 'nother post there! I believe the pre-reqs are Chemistry (watered-down version), A&P 1 and 2, Microbiology, Human Growth and Development, 2 Histories, 2 Governments, and Nutrition. So, those are the only grades considered in your application. Seriously, I was baffled at the simplicity of the application--Literally, name, address, entrance exam score, grades in those few classes, and $30.

3. TWU, as well as most of the other schools, is very competitive. When I got in last Fall, there were around 700 applicants for 120 slots. I've been told it's easier to get into medical school!

4. I like the TWU program. Our instructors are fabulous, very encouraging and helpful. The program is very highly respected, and most all grads have jobs when they get out. The Houston program is run a little differently, but I have a friend who's going through it right now (second career) and likes it.

5. Call a hospital and ask to shadow a nurse. It's the best way to figure out what a nurse does all day!

6. Go for it. Nursing school is challenging and time-consuming, but so far, I don't regret it for a moment. I was so tired of my job; tired of apologizing for being a nice person. Nice people don't get anywhere in Big 6...5...4 firms.

7. One more thing: TWU just added a DNP program. You have to get your MSN first, but it may be something that would eventually interest you.

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Thanks, Annaiya!

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Thanks, AggieNurse2B!

Embarrassingly, I didn't even know TWU had a nursing program in Houston. Hopefully, between TWU and UTHSC, I'll be able to find a nursing program in Houston.

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One more little tidbit...And others here may not agree with me, but I'll state my opinion anyway.

There are some accellerated programs out there. TWU had one, but killed it this past semester. I originally applied for that program and couldn't get in, but thank GOD for small blessings! Those people went through hell, and I'm ever so happy I didn't get in. I was offered a spot in the regular nursing school class and took it. Best thing I've ever done. I'm finally where I'm supposed to be.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Embarrassingly, I didn't even know TWU had a nursing program in Houston. Hopefully, between TWU and UTHSC, I'll be able to find a nursing program in Houston.
Do not forget about the less competitive schools of nursing in the Houston metropolitan area. Prairie View and Houston Baptist University are two other schools with nursing programs that you may wish to consider.
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Specializes in PICU.

It sounds like TWU's accellerated program was poorly run, but I would highly recommend that type of program to anyone who is switching careers. I did a 15 month BSN program and loved it. I can't imagine having to take longer. Given how much I still owe on my law school loans, there was no way I could have afforded to go to a 2 year program. Also, I don't feel like I missed out on anything in school. I am working with 14 other new grads who all did traditional BSN programs and our knowledge base is the same. I worked with a nurse during school who did one of the 12 month accellerated BSN programs and she had good things to say about it as well. They are intense, but I thought it was cake compared to my first year working as an associate attorney:)

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Specializes in ER, Pediatrics.

As far as the accelerated program....guess it depends on how you handle school...I did the accelerated program (In Detroit) and while it was a lot of work...I handled it just as I did with with previous college education...to me...school was school so I guess it depends on how you handle things. I think the program itself is also an important thing to consider. I think the nursing program I went to was well structured.

As far as figuring out if nursing is for you...I can't stress enuff...research, research, research! By that I mean...get as much input as you can about what the field involves and what it is like. I was told before I started that you either love nursing or you hate it...there is no in-between...I found that out thru experience. You certainly don't do it for the money...the money is a good side to nursing but that is not the main reason you should go into it cuz it you do go into it for that reason and you find out u can't stand it...you will get burned out fairly easily.

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