Thinking of quiting school

User123456 · Sep 28, 2007

I feel the same way rn to be. Im 30 and in my first semester of rn program. two kidddies under three and hubby and household to handle. but we can do it. I want my kids to be proud of me and i want tofeel accomplished. just keep chipping away right? BTW they have really nice wigs now a days LOL

DaFreak71 · Sep 28, 2007

Hi KrazyKev,

Did you say you are in your first semester of your nursing program? Sorry, can't recall. If so, it might be too early to make a decision to quit until you've experienced more of it. As the other posters have pointed out, please consider talking to your instructors or program director about your feelings.

With that being said; nursing isn't for everybody and if that's the decision you come to, you have NOT failed. To quote Dr. Phil (in a bastardized way) There's nothing worse than spending six months being miserable in your situation than to spend six months and ONE DAY in a miserable situation.

Some people are just suited to different professions. You wouldn't say that a lawyer or accountant was a failure if they had first tried (then quit) nursing school. We each have to find our own niche, which is often hard to do.

Despite being stressed in school (which we ALL are) and despite feeling incompetent (which we ALL do at some time during our schooling), do you enjoy being around patients? Do you enjoy the environment of a hospital or other health care facilities? Are you interested in the information you are learning, despite feeling like you are incompetent? If the answer to the above questions are no, I would consider looking into a different career path. If you don't think you'll like the job, there's no point in going through a program full of stress just to get a job that you're going to be miserable with. But first you have to try to separate your feelings in the moment and consider the bigger picture.

There is no shame in starting a nursing program and finding out that it isn't what you want to do. If you don't want to do it, quit. But base your decision on your potential future happiness, not on the feelings you are experiencing at this very moment.

My husband had a passion for history and that is what he got his bachelors degree in. You know what that got him? A job as a pizza delivery guy, a blackjack dealer, and a truck driver. He chose nursing because it provided job security and better pay. My point is that you don't have to have a "calling" for nursing in order to be successful at it or in order to be happy with the job.

Use your intellect to guide your decision, not feelings because feelings are transitory. Only you can figure out if nursing is right for you. But I would not stay in a nursing program if I discovered that I just didn't enjoy it.

Best of luck in your decision. As I mentioned above (and as others have mentioned), before you make a decision, you owe it to yourself to seek advice from your instructors and/or program director. They may be able to help you see things more clearly. It's hard to be objective when you have strong emotions about something, that is why seeking advice from more knowledgeable people is vitally important.

fmrnicumom · Sep 28, 2007

I just wanted to say hang in there. Please do talk with the teacher and an advisor or counselor. They're there to help and truly do want you to succeed. I can understand feeling overwhelmed and wanting to quit sometimes. It's human to feel that way once in a while. You're doing new things, learning lots of new material, and while that can make you feel "like a fish out of water" sometimes, that doesn't mean you're incompetent. Would you expect a child to master tying his shoes the very first time? Would you consider him incompetent if he didn't get it right the first few times? Not likely, right? It's the same with us as we learn new skills. Skills that, I might add, are a bit more complicated than tying shoes. It takes a while to feel comfortable with a new skill. Give yourself time. You can do it! Remember you have support here, too. :)

Tiffany