To be or not to be a Nurse?

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Should I be a nurse?

I know that in the end I am the only one who can make this choice, but I'm incredibly indecisive.

I first considered going to school to be a nurse when I was a junior in high school, after I got into an unfortunate car accident. I was very grateful to the nurses on staff for their patience, humor, and smiles. I wanted to be able to make someone feel that kindness, when in a situation like that, because I know how truly helpful it can be. I still remember them and it has been over 3 years.

I am however, a little wary of dealing with things like injections and such...my hands start to shake when I'm nervous, and If I'm doing something along those lines, I can only imagine that I'd be extremely nervous. I can also be a bit of a hypochondriac and I worry about the constant exposure to sickness. The last thing that scares the crap out of me are the stories I have heard here while lurking on allnurses about the doctors. I'm very sensitive and it seems like it'd be incredibly taxing to deal with some of the inflated personalities that some posses. How do hospital politics work? :p

On another note, I hear horror stories from my sister about ill tempered, misinformed nurses that are uncooperative and generally scathing towards her. She works as a birth doula, and is an advocate of homebirth. I don't want to break out the statistics...but what is your opinion on the way she is treated by nurses? Just curious. I know it isn't all nurses. :)

Anywho! What do you think--do I worry too much or are some of my fears justified? Any comments or stories to share?

Thank you!

Heather

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You can make a difference in a person's life without being a nurse. Find a way to shadow in different units by contacting the hospital. LISTEN TO YOUR GUT INSTINCT!!!! If it doesn't feel right, run like the wind.

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Specializes in Med/Surg < 1yr.

Shadowing is definitely the best way to find out what it's like to be a nurse.

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Relax, dear. When I first began my training to become a medical assistant, I was terrified. Prior to enrolling in school, I had knots in my stomach at the mere thought of injections and venipuncture. And what do ya know, the very first day we were taught to give injections. And I was totally freaking out!! When it came time for me to give my injection I was sweating, and I felt as though I was going to faint! But guess what? I got through it. Trust me when I say you'll definitely get the hang of it. Injections and venipuncture (especially the venipuncture, something about the sight of blood makes me oddly happy) are now my favorite part of my job!!

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Specializes in critical care, rehab, med/surg.

:nurse:The country desperately needs nurses but if you do not feel right about it or have the uneasiness that you do, maybe you should consider another career choice. Nursing school is tough and then working in the real world is even tougher and it is no place to be just because that's what the rest of the family does or you don't want to disappoint them. If you don't have a deep desire to be a nurse then don't. It takes a lot of courage and "tough skin" to do what we do everyday.

There are any number of other career choices that you can do that are just as important and needful to society. We are not all cut from the same cloth.

Good luck, dear, in whatever choice you do make.:loveya:

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Thanks everyone. I appreciate the advice especially SuckyCMA (despite the name lol). :loveya: I believe that a life without doubt is a dangerous life indeed and it was comforting to realize that everyone has these same fears.

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Specializes in psych,maternity, ltc, clinic.

Honey, we all felt that way. I was 32 when went to Nursing School. My worthless BA in Psychology did not offer me enough choices in work. I always managed to get a job, but was often stuck with ones I hated.

I have no regrets about being a nurse. Much of it was a practical decision...the need to have a specific skill in todays marketpalce rather than just the dime a dozen liberal arts degrees out there. But Ive taken to it, especially knowing I will never have to be robbed of joy again by staying in a job I hate. (Luckily am in a job I love and am not going anywhere, so not feeling the economic pinch some nurses are when it comes to job searching.)

Here's my story for the first shot I did. My first semester of clinicals on med surg, and a guy was being discharged, and one of the orders was to give a tetorifice shot as it had been more than 10 years since his last one. He was not assigned to any student but our instructor said she'd get one of her students to do it. ME! We had the day before done the give shots to an orange thing....It took forever for me to draw it up. Then we went to see ny guinea pig. He was a young guy maybe 35-40, with well defined deltoids:wink2:. So the instructor was chatting him up while I got ready. I swabbed his arm, then stuck the needle in, pulled back to check for blood return(there was none) but then I froze. i couldnt remember what to do next so Im standing there like an idiot with a needle in his arm, looking like a deer in the headlights....the instructor was chatting away with the patient and glanced at me and just said, "push the medicine in , pull the needle out". Then she went back to chatting up the patient. So I proceded to finish the shot and 15 + years later I have probably given 1000 shots. That first one was the only one I ever had trouble with.

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Specializes in psych,maternity, ltc, clinic.

Oh, and BTW, I've worked with many Doctors and have never had a bad experience.Some have become like family. Oh, everyone, including me, has a bad day now and then, but no complete a$$holes. I know this is not everyones experience, but in MY experience, MD as total jerk is way overblown.

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