To experienced nurses...

Published

After graduating with an AAS in Nursing, my aunt told me to consider medical school. She's been a nurse for more than 2 decades, working in several floors like ICU and medsurgical. She told me that at times, she wished she had more knowledge of disease processes.

Right now I'm in an RN-BsN program in a state uni. I can't help but brood over what she shared with me. I'm turning 23--and deeply hope I'm undertaking the right career.

So, my question is...do you share the same thoughts my aunt harbor? If you didnt ever wish to be a doctor, why? and if you think medicine should have been the path you took, why?

There were other posts here about choosing between Nursing and MD. I was quite stunned that most experienced nurses encouraged the OP to forgo nursing, underscoring the disappointments they have with the field....

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

Go to medical school and I guarentee someone will be wishing they'd gone to nursing school. Dreams, wishes, ambitions are endless, and offer endless choices. Opinions too. I've never regretted nursing, and have seen many doctors with careers they hated but had to continue to pay off huge student loans. I suggest you choose the dream that will make YOU happy, go for it, and never look back at the path not chosen.

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Specializes in ICU.

You can always go back and get your MD. Finish up what you've got going and you can always use the money you make with that when you start saving up for your next adventure.

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Specializes in Geriatrics and Quality Improvement,.

I do not regret NOT going to medical school, when I hear the woes of doctors and PA's around me. The primary care doc i have is GREAT, and clearly he loves what he does. He does not regret NOT goinng to nursing shcool.

follow your own path. and good luck figuring out what that is!

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Specializes in Emergency, Oncology, Leadership.

Nurses and physicians are like apples and oranges. It's impossible to compare the two. I have never wished to be a physician. Nor, do I envy them because I simply do not think about the patient in the same way as they physician. Nursing should be looking at the entire patient including support systems, environment, knowledge deficit. Nursing is about educating the patient, determining their ability to cope with the situation at hand. It is not about prescribing, diagnosing or determining tests. We are simply different creatures. All important and all vital to the process. None more than the other. I love my job and love the career I chose over 20 years ago. I think it's sad when nurses regret their choice. It's indicative of some sort of disappointment or disenchantment based on a misperception of what this career entails... just my thoughts.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

Ultimately you have to discover what blows your hair back...for me it is nursing and I do not regret my decision to become an RN rather than an MD.

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I am a second degree nursing student in my last semester in an accelerated program. I had once envisioned a career as a doctor in the early days of my first undergrad. But ultimately came back to study nursing because it was a better fit. Although I felt medical school at this point was not an option (too much of a time and financial committment. I'm almost 30, married and want to start a family), I knew I also felt very connected to the nursing perspective. I am getting my BSN in 16 months after taking prerequisites and using credits from my previous degree. Ultimately, aside from the logistic details I mentioned I also realized it was the right choice for me. As other posters have mentioned, you have to do what is right for you. If you are worried about not knowing enough of the science, that is up to you. I am deeply interested in the pathophysiology of my patients and as a nurse I feel like I have to understand what is going on in my patients' bodies. There is no limit to what you can learn. You can and should learn as much as you can. Find a good program that fosters critical thinking skills and prepares you with the science/patho knowledge to make good clinical nursing decisions. Read, ask questions, continue to expand your understanding throughout your entire career. Nursing is full of opportunities!

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Specializes in Medsurg/ICU, Mental Health, Home Health.

From the time I could express my career aspirations (before kindergarten), I'd wanted to be either a doctor or a singer.

I changed my mind in my later teens and switched to nursing. I'm still not sure why I made the switch, as I can't really relate to who I was at that time in my life, even if it wasn't all that long ago.

Anyway, I know that I did make the right choice in becoming a nurse! For one, (and this is a big one) I think four years of residency alone in one specialty would drive me nuts. Although I've done almost four years of MedSurg, I know that I can change to something else a heckuva lot easier than a physician can change specialities!

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IF i was your age, YES i would have to try medical school, no doubt.

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Specializes in Cardiac Cath Lab, LTC.

Personally, I'd go on for my NP license, but that's me. In no way would I want to be a Dr.....all those long hours, never getting to be home and enjoying the fruits of your labor??? Heck no!!! If you become a Nurse Practitioner, depending on which state you are in, you could open your own practice and/or join a group and practice medicine almost the same as a Dr but with less demands on your time/life. Ultimately.......gotta do what makes YOU happy :) Good luck!

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I think if the only aspect of my life I'm thinking about is my career, then I think I would wish I'd gone the med school path instead. The doctors I know work shorter, fewer days than I do, for a lot more money and respect. But I'm just not willing to give up a decade more of my life to school and a residency...especially because if I have the opportunity to be a stay at home mom, that's what I want to do. I think it might help for you to figure out what your priorities are, and think about what you want your life to look like in 15 years.

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Nurses and physicians are like apples and oranges. It's impossible to compare the two.

i especially agree with this...2 different birds all together.

when i was a nsg student, i consistently got feedback/reminders, that i was NOT training to be a dr.

this was told to me many times, r/t me being hyperfocused on learning as much as possible about the pathophys of any/all disease process.

so what i'm saying, is you can choose to learn as much possible, independently, and it'll still benefit you in nsg.

while we obviously cannot diagnose, it is helpful when understanding what is going on with our pts.

whether knowledge is formal or informal, it is never wasteful.

besides, you can always go for advanced practice.

hands down, i'd pick nursing.

we seem to focus on the entire pt...mind, body, and soul.

to me, that's the only way to go.

leslie

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