To Nurse or not to nurse?

Louie18 · Sep 5, 2003

NOT YOUR TYPICAL 9-5.

grneyes676 · Sep 6, 2003

We never worked with cadaver's in nursing school. As far as people dying and you taking care of the body after words....depends where you work!! When I worked in ICU, as a tech..I did a lot of post mortem care, but I was a tech, and alot of it was my job, dont get me wrong the nurses helped...Now I work on a surgical floor as an RN and (knock on wood!!!!) I have not done it once! Usually before a patient gets to the point of death we have them in the the ICU!!

Anyway..enough about dead people.... I love being a nurse, at least right now, maybe I should get back with you after I go back to work from vacation....LOL Really, I have only been a nurse just over a year, I graduated from a community college with an ADN. It is really rewarding, there are occasional jerks, but most of the patients are very grateful for your help. Pretty much all of the nurse I work with are wonderful as far as me learning from them..it is a continous learning process...always something new!!

Get a part time job at a Long Term Care Facility, or volunteer somewhere just to see how you like taking care of people. It may take a while to find something that you truly like, but there are soooo many different things you can to a an RN!!

Hope I helped!!

pls excuse any typos!! :)

AndyLyn · Sep 9, 2003

I would definitely suggest spending some time in the environment, like grneyes676 said. It would be worth it, and wouldn't take long for you to know if it was for you or not. It may be as easy as getting in touch with a nurse manager of a nearby hospital unit and asking for a tour of the floor.

I love being a nurse. But I was 27 before I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up! Nursing is a never-boring, surefire way to make a living, and I can't think of anything else I'd rather do.

p.s. No cadavers in nursing school, and very few since then. But actually, it doesn't bother me like I thought it would, either. You'll surprise yourself.

MelRN13 · Sep 10, 2003

Maybe you should job shadow and see what it is all about.

major_undecided · Sep 11, 2003

Thank you everyone!!!

I am going to job shadow next week with my friend's mom. She has been in nursing for over 40 years. I hope this will give me a chance to see what it is I really want to do. I asked my school counselors and she has been no help. The past few weeks I have been going around asking everyone's in put. You guys have been a good source of information for me. I know that I really want a career in the medical field I just need to see where I fit in.

Thanks again!!!! :)

glassam · Sep 19, 2003

major_undecided, please let us know how your shadowing experience went. Do you have any questions? Any concerns? What do you think?!

Toddbe · Oct 16, 2003

Also remember, there are numerous types of "jobs" in nursing, bedside nursing is only one. Plus there are unlimited type of "bedside" nurses. So if your first shadow did not go great, try it again at another location.

If you can not find a place to shadow let the group know were you live. We can give you contacts for places we work.

Also, some schools are not the greatest source of help, even more so prior to entering there programs. With the long waiting list of community colleges the nursing profs/advisors don't allways have time to meet with those we are "just interested".

Hope this helps.

major_undecided · Oct 18, 2003

I have not yet had a chance to go and shadow. I will be on Tuesday. I am very excitd to go. My friends mom is the Head Nurse at a hospital in the area. I have been sooooo busy with school and with work!! Then trying to get in touch with her is another story! But I cannot wait to go. I have been trying to apply at the hospital just to do desk work. I want to at least get in and see if I can get a better idea. I am very good with office, computer, and human resorces. So I will let you all know how things go on Tuesday, Sorry I didn't get back with ya sooner, but I think you all know what its like to be work, going to school, and trying to have a life outside of the both.

Thanks all for the information!! I think I might do that Toddbe if it does not work out!:)

major_undecided · Nov 2, 2003

This Tuesday I got to shadow at my best friends mom's hospital!! She is the Clinical Manager at a fairly large hospital. It was so cool! I really think that I would enjoy to nurse!! I was not very sure before but now I am pretty sure. I just really need to work on a few things like...my math skills (never have been good at that) and I am REALLY sensitive. I am really glad that she gave me the chance to do it! The only thing I am up set about is that I want to be a nurse's tech as I am going through school and all this time she could have given me a job. But now she is moving away to TX and I'm pretty much lost my chance. I am trying to find a job on my own, it is hard! If any of you know of a tech job that is open PLEASE let me know!! Thanks :)

major_undecided · Feb 15, 2005

Well it has been along time since I have gotten back here. You'll never guess--I decided to go into Radiology! I think that I am WAY to emotional for nursing. I am starting classes back up in the summer. I'm really happy about my choice.

:) Thanks again for all your input. It was a very hard decision for me!