This is what I was meant to do!

I'm a softie and a CNA. You will learn very quickly when to be compasionate and when to hold back. I'm sure you will do just fine and become an excellent nurse! Good luck to you!

It's great that u are a compassionate person and it will definitely be an asset as a nurse. There will be times when u will have to be confident and self-assured in your skills as well when u have to deal w/ nasty nurses, docs, families, etc. But that comes w/ time. I have a lot of people who try to discourage me and u can't listen to them. There will always be someone for whatever reason that will try to lead u astray but u have to follow your heart. U can't do it for the money but for the desire to help others. Your mother-in-law has experience and she is probably drawing from that; it isn't the right career for everyone, there will be days that u will question yourself but in the grand scheme of things, it will be very rewarding. Only u know yourself and what u can handle. Have u applied to nursing school?

i agree with what have been said so far, and let me tell you that i'm a softie too because i'm always on the patient's side, and for that same reason, there have been some nurses telling me that i'll be easily used/manipulated by patients. i don't believe that, my sin is to make sure that the lab process and give the results in quickly, so the anestesiologist can be called, so the mother to be can have an epidural to stop the painful contractions instead of making her wait 30-45 minutes. that lenght of time, in her condition it feels like an eternity. my sin is to ask why is patient so and so calling so often "well she just wants her cane, er was already notified" so i go to er myself (from the 11th floor) for the patient's cane, for which she has been asking for the past 6 or 5 hours, since her admittion from er. it took me only seven minutes to take care of that. after i gave the cane to the patient the calls stop,.. she went to sleep. i sympathize with people but specially the people that are in a vulnerable position which are the patients. i take my time reading every patient's kardex for care, precautions, and diet. i do it to better take care of them. so yeah, i'm a softie because i have a heart. go for nursing and hang in tight because is not a smooth ride. good luck to all of us going for nursing!

I'm a HUGE softy and I'm going to be an L&D nurse!!!! I can be tough if I need to be, but I think being compassionate goes much further than being tough. You'll do great! I can tell it's what you want to do..... So follow your heart and remember to not let anyone tell you any different! Good luck!!!

Thank you so much for all who replied! It's so wonderful to hear such encouraging stories. I'm going to go for it now. I have not applied to nursing school yet, because I would like to take the CNA program first and do that to gain hospital expierence while going to nursing school. I really believe that I can do it because I was taught at a very young age how to stay calm even if the world is crashing down around me (sad story that I won't get into now), and I think that will help in nursing as well. Thank you all again! I just registered to use this site yesterday and I love it so much already!!!!!!!! :redpinkhe

I feel like I could have written your whole post! I decided to go to nursing school this fall, and my mother-in-law is the ONLY person who thought that it wasn't for me. She also said that I'm too much of a "softie" and that I would not enjoy it. The thing is, I can see myself enjoying it, even though I am a soft-hearted person. My husband said, well, don't you think you would want a compassionate nurse if you were sick? That made me feel better! However, I wish my MIL would have been more supportive. It is weird when a family member isn't very supportive of a big decision like changing careers/going to school, etc. She is trying to be "supportive" now that she realizes I'm serious and determined. But I already know how she really feels. I think there are many "personalities" in nursing, but I know that if I were sick, I would rather have a soft-hearted nurse taking care of me!!! You'll do fine!!!

I think you will be fine. If this is what you want to do, don't let her comments stop you!

Fortunately, most of my family has been supportive. I don't think dh's grandmother approves me going back to school however, I don't care what she thinks. I have very little to fall back on if something were to happen to dh! And eventually, my daughter will be in school and then what? I desperately need something different.

My aunt is a RN. We are not real close but she is beyond excited that I'm going to school for nursing.

What does she mean by "soft"?

You seriously have to have tough skin to make it through nursing school and as a nurse. Maybe she hasn't seen that side of you. Most of us toughen up in school and beyond. Sometimes it's through some hard knocks. You occasionally read the story of the student or new nurse who bursts out in tears over a situation at school/work, eventually this grows the thick skin that is needed to make it in the world.

However, is she means too caring, too compassionate, too much of a people person, then it's a no-brainer, those are qualities to nuture.

Even if you are "soft", life and nursing school has a way of helping you to grow the thick skin it requires to face all the blood, guts, death and dying, low patient ratios, tough and demanding work that we face every day.

Don't let her turn you off. Follow your heart into nursing. Good luck!

I would much rather have a compassionate nurse, too! My husband sliced his finger once and I had to take him to the ER and the nurse was pretty rough. He has a phobia of going to the doctor's anyway and after the NP stitched up his finger (he was really nice, thank God), this nurse came in without a word, jammed a tetorifice shot in his arm, and walked out. I think it's true, MIL really hasn't seen the "tough" side of me. I'm always kind of quiet around her. Reese19, it looks like you're going through EXACTLY what I am. Thank God for my husband. He usually kind of veers more towards her side if we disagree on something, but he stuck up for me in the nursing thing. :1luvu: Thank you all again. I can't even tell you how much I appreciate your support!!:icon_hug:

I am there with you. I am a softie and can cry and the drop of a hat. I made it though lpn school and only had to dry the tears during the only birth I got to witness. I felt that it was a privledge to get to care for people who were very sick and terminal. I got to help them when they were getting ready to leave this world for a better place. So my advice would be to go for what you really want and become a nurse.

Since I don't know you and your character, I can't really say, with honesty, that you will or will not make it. I can, however, say that, as it appears to me, if a relatively intelligent person with a strong will has determined to do something, he or she will certainly succeed. So, in other words, if you want it and are willing to sacrifice and remain steady, of course you can.

Your mom-in-law is probably just projecting her own insecurities onto you. Avoid these people at all cost (or as much as your husband will let you get away with :wink2:). Let her insults motivate you. As a cadre in special operations once told me, "Get big, get bad, get mean!!!"

My MIL seems to be getting more supportive now. She was telling me horror stories from her nurse training days to gauge my reactions and I think she was impressed that I didn't pale once. I think she was worried that I would "steal her thunder" in a way because she is the family nurse, the one everyone goes to for medical advice so I'm not sure if she was completely open to the idea of sharing that position with me. So when I told her I would be coming to her to quiz me. She's the type of person who always wants to feel needed and included in everything, so I think she feels better now.....hopefully. So....here I go! I can't get over how cool this site is!!! I love you guys!!!!