Two Dreams?

[Lena M]

First off, I hope I am posting in the correct forum here. I am only a Nursing student, however I really wanted some insight from current/past nurses who have been/are already where I hope to be in a few years. Anyway, I am posting this question because I'm just seeking some kind of advice as to whether my future hopes are in anyway realistic or if I am just being ridiculous. I've always had two loves, my love for helping other humans, specifically the sick, and my love for wildlife. I went back and forth for a long time, not knowing which field I was truly interested and when I stumbled upon Nursing it all felt like a perfect fit. I enjoy the educational course work, I currently work in direct healthcare and love it, and the shifts and flexibility regarding the many fields and possibilities are really appealing to me...hell I even like the scrubs...what I am trying to say is that I absolutely, without a doubt know that I want to be a Nurse. However, I am afraid that after school and beginning my nursing career my love for wildlife and hopes to contribute in any small way to wildlife rehabilitation and interaction will be abandoned. So I am reaching out wondering if any Nurses out there have had the ability to be involved in multiple fields and follow two dreams, whether it be Nursing part time and working another job part time, or just consolidating their Nursing schedules to have time for other volunteer work or passions without overloading their lives? Like I said...I am really just trying to find out if I am crazy. I will want a future and family and a common lifestyle in the future, but I am hoping that I will not have to give up one passion ultimately for another? Thanks for reading all of this if you have haha, and thank you for any input and shared experiences! :).

[Step_981]

Hi!

I start by saying that i don't know your reality (i don't know, for example, working load, working time, and so on).

Having said that, i can tell you my experience and what I see/have seen.

After graduated I did voluntary work for 4-5 yrs.

I quit this activity primarily not because it was subtracting time to my family but because it was depriving me too time for other activities and other hobbies to which I didn't give up.

However I personally know many nurses that, in addition to your work at hospital, devote your spare time to voluntary work and so on with no problem with their family.

I hope I have answered your question.

Good luck!

(Excuse me for possible grammatical or writing mistakes)

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

I think you'd find most people (not just nurses, but people in general) have more than one goal, ambition, or direction for their lives. Since I think we all recognize that being a nurse for humans and caring for wildlife are not even loosely available as job options for a nurse, your question is really more along the lines of "once I become a nurse, will I have time in my life for my other goals and ambitions", yes?

And that's an easy answer: you will always have time for whatever your passion is, whatever drives you, whatever makes you happy (outside of work, which is the point of your thread). A job is a job is a job. Whether you love your job or hate your job, it CANNOT be an all-consuming thing for you, that's just not a healthy life. Even if you love what you do, you really must do something ELSE outside of work for a general release of stress and refresher of your soul :)

How much time that is, however, is dependent upon your other obligations in life: home, spouse, children, parental commitments, religious organizations, social organizations, and on and on.

We all have 24 hours in a day. How they break down is individual. Good luck to you!