Thinking of nursing

SmilingBluEyes · Jan 27, 2009

HI and welcome to allnurses.com.

You sound like you could be an excellent candidate for nursing. That said, I will try to help you out here.

There are several roles in delivery of patient care; we will only discuss nursing, obviously, but be aware there are respiratory therapists, occupational and physical therapists, as well, who deliver care in their own right----most programs require at least some college, often 4 years or more, particularly in the case of occupational and physical therapy.

An RN is a registered nurse who has graduated from a college/university school of nursing. This means he or she has an associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing. Also, he/she has passed the boards, NCLEX-RN to become licensed in a given state where they intend to practice.

An LPN is a licensed practical nurse (or in Texas or California, LVN, licensed vocational nurse). This person has been to a vocational or technical school training specifically in practical nursing, and it can take a year to 18 months to complete such training. He or she also has passed boards, NCLEX-PN to practice in his/her state.

A CNA (often called patient care associate in some areas) is a person certified to provide unlicensed assisting care to patient, under the supervision of an RN. This person has a broad role in some places, and more limited one in others, based on state laws and facility job descriptions. He or she will spend their time assisting with patient feeding, bathing, toileting, bed linen changes, etc and also in some places, checks vital signs and blood sugars, recording and reporting them to the nurse in charge of that patient's care. This person usually either gets trained "on the job" or goes to a vocational environment to gain training do the job.

The RN is in a more supervisory role in most institutions.......particularly in nursing homes and on nursing hospital units, etc. The LPN also provides direct patient care, often under supervision of an RN, particularly when it comes to patient assessments. Both roles call for administering medications, finger sticks, Intravenous treatments, wound care, etc. The RN is, in most states, legally responsible overall for supervising care and assessments of patients on any given unit.

You might want to consider becoming a CNA to start out, if you are interested in nursing. Many schools of nursing require this credential and experience, anyhow, for admission to their programs. You will learn a lot and be able to decide if spending your time and money on a nursing education is right for you. I would start there, or at least become a hospital volunteer and get a feel for the environment in which you would be working, before deciding to change majors to nursing.

I wish you the best and I hope this post is helpful to you. Good luck.

3KittiesRN · Jan 27, 2009

Hi there!! Here is my $0.02...

I am a new nurse. I know it may sound cliche but... nursing does take a special kind of person. If you were to change majors to nursing you would need to start off with completing your nursing school pre-requisites. The most important classes that you MUST do good in are Anatomy & Physiology and Microbiology. You also need to take a bunch of general education (English, Psychology, History, Math etc.) These pre-req's can take about 1-3 years to complete depending on if you go full or part time. You also need to take Biology and Chemistry in order to advance to the A&P and Micro classes. TONS of science classes if you like science! But for me personally I LOVED learning about the human body. Then you need to apply to Nursing School...at either a university or a community college.

The above poster did great about differentiating the different roles of the healthcare team (RN, LVN, CNA etc.) If you want to become a nurse it is not necessary to become a CNA first, but it will definitely give you a great foundation for hospital nursing. I never worked in a hospital before nursing school.

Oh yeah and about the "gross" stuff. It comes with the job. Especially if you work bedside nursing. I empty bedpans, commodes, clean and change incontinent adults. There are also CNA's to help with this, but they are not always available. I do dressing changes and see some crazy looking wounds, and have worked with a tracheostomy. This stuff can be gross at times but I guess I am used to it. You will find that nurses can talk about the grossest things while eating lunch and not get sick!! LOL

Well there is my two cents for what it is worth!! I am the only nurse in my whole entire family, I just decided after high school I want to become a nurse!! Nurses are educated professionals...I am so happy with my chosen career. It is stressful and rewarding at the same time. If you have an "itch" for nursing...then check it out. Do some more research into the field. There are tons of opportunities for nurses and you can specialize in an area when you find your niche. GOOD LUCK and welcome to allnurses!! Be careful because you may just become addicted to it!! LOL

VORB · Jan 27, 2009

What you will find in nursing today is quite a diverse group of folks, many of whom entered the field mid-life who come from all backgrounds. There is no special kind of person who will fit the mold, though certain attributes go a long way toward avioding the 'square peg in a round hole' syndrome. It is, largely, a customer service position -- albeit a very important one -- so those who can't deal with that need not apply.

I, for one, entered the field for the career potential. I guess if there was a higher calling it'd be my 403(b) retirement. Where else can you go through a 2-year degree program and make $55-65K your first 12 months? Because of it, I am able to sock away 25-30 percent of my income -- something I've not been able to do in any of my previous 18 jobs. Of course there are other perks to the job, like 3 days on - 4 days off with 12-hour shifts, being able to truly help folks in genuine need, and better-than-average benefts. Not to mention a climate controlled environment -- something I haven't always worked in.

So a typical floor is staffed with all sorts of nurses from those who've been doing it 20+ years and nothing else, to those who entered the field mid-life who bring a myriad of experiences to the table. It makes for one of the most interesting/unusual workplaces you'll find anywhere.

Katnip, RN · Jan 27, 2009

In addition to the above advice, I'd add call hospitals in your area and ask if you can shadow for part of a shift on a couple of different units. You may be able to follow a nurse around and see what it's really like.