Undecided about the nursing profession. Please advise.

[sc0628]

So I have been a member on allnurses for a while. I am a native Texan and have been contemplating what it is I want to do with my life for a long time now. I have owned a couple of business (small and not very lucrative) and learned a lot, but there is something inside me that wants to hold a title to my name. I want to feel accomplished and make some money. After a job loss my husband went through, a bankruptcy, the loss of our home, a move, the loss of my Grandmother (mother really) and the birth of my second daughter I am finally ready to start thinking about what it is I want to do with my life.

So here is where my heart lies. I want to have a career where I can have somewhat job security (don't' we all) make a good wage to help support my family, and feel good about contributing to my profession. I have always been a dancer (ballet, jazz, hip hop etc) and I have taught it but there is no money in that. I figured I could become a teacher and get certified in dance and teach at the junior high level since it is still considered a P.E. credit. I figured that is the way to go since I have experience teaching somewhat. Since the economy it seems that it is pretty tough to get a job teaching and the dance teacher/drill team opportunities are difficult to come by, not to mention the length of time it takes to get a degree in education. On the other hand there is always something in me that wanted to be a nurse. I guess I have never felt smart enough or interested in the field enough to really go for it. I have always been afraid. I feel overwhelmed when I think of it because of how tough I hear school is and if I will really be happy in the profession. However, I have known people who are nurses that say it is very rewarding, it is great money and that there are many other opportunities in nursing besides working in the hospital environment. This turns me on.

Another concern is if I do go to school, and graduate, will I hate working with other nurses. Will it be catty and will it be a constant fight and dread when I go into work dealing with employees. What is the work environment like. Will I be treated like an idiot because I am a new nurse learning really and will I be constantly having to watch my back so not to be set up to lose my license because the doctor screwed up orders or what not. These are very scary things to consider. Can anyone out there tell me why I should consider nursing? Or maybe it is just not for me.

Thanks,

sc

[grasshopper7780]

Hey SC - I am a prospective nurse who has been on this board for a while too. I have spent the past 6 months talking to nurses in all work setting, levels of experience, ages, etc., looking into schools, meeting with professors, going to open houses etc. I have been in health from a 9-5 desk job for 5 years and I have always thought of nursing but like you, I think I have been too scared to pursue it...until now. Now, I am about 90% sure I want to go for it and the other 10% is just scared to fail. This is something that most nurses and nursing students say they felt as well so I know I am not alone.

When reading your post, I think its important to ask yourself why you really want to be a nurse. I want to be a nurse because of many reasons but in the end, I want to help people, one on one and see the help I have given on their face. I want a rewarding career where I work hard, do a good job and fall into bed tired. I want good pay and a good schedule (dont we all) but those things are secondary. I think first and foremost, if you dont go into nursing to help people, you will not enjoy it.

As for the work environment, cattiness etc, I think that is a risk you take with every job. There will always be difficult people, coworkers, bosses etc. My mom was a teacher for 36 years and believe me there was no shortage of issues in the workplace, cattiness, etc there. There are alot of great stories of the profession on this site and alot of bad ones. You have to remember that nursing is a job and it will never be perfect. That being said, almost all the nurses I have talked to do like or love their jobs and they have been honest about the pros and cons of it. I think, in my experience, that more nurses have urged me to go into the profession and have a positive review of it than any other profession I have ever come across. I would say, most people I know, hate or tolerate their jobs but the nurses I know like what they do.

Hope that helps a bit. In the end, you need to go with your gut. Do you feel nursing is right for you and that you should go for it? Take all the school, difficulty, $, etc out of the equation and just answer with your gut.

[PACNWNURSING]

The reality of the nursing career has changed. Just read all the posts regarding unhappy nurses, experienced nursing being let go, and new grads unable to find work. Yes they are positives in nursing. This current situation is not going to go away any time soon. Add to the mix healthcare reform which we still do not know how it will affect hospitals and nursing salaries. If you are willing to take the risks go for it. It can be a very rewarding career.

[Streamline2010]

I have been wondering the same thing, sc028. So, I went over to the the male nurses section and asked their opinion on this problem, and does it actually exist. Or, is it BS. You know, with completion so high for jobs, there's an an economic advantage to limiting the supply of new grads, especially the very competent kind. If say, 50% of the class does not find a job, there is a pretty good chance that it's the bottom 50% and not the top. Many businesses have cycles. If there's an uptick in hiring, AND the supply of new grads is very low, maybe that unemployed 50% can find jobs. But if the schools continue to crank out grads, and employers hire continue to hire the top 25% or top 50%, then that bottom end better look at retraining. What might be happening with all of this negative talk on an Internet board is that we are hearing largely from the sour grapes, but there's a silent crew of very busy and very happily employed nurses out there enjoying their profession, but they are not on this board.

[n87934]

Go for it!

Nursing is an extremely rewarding profession, both personally, financially, and in the sense of providing stability.

No matter what job/profession you chose, you will have challenges like the ones you mentioned above, and you will have to deal with people of all shapes/sizes/quirks/pathologies no matter where you are in life.

Do your best in nursing school, work in health care while in school to gain experience, volunteer your time in some area of caring for others, always carry yourself with dignity, be honest, show kindness and respect toward others and avoid gossip at all cost.

If you didn't have all your fears, what would you be doing right now? Two years from now? Ten years from now?

In two years you will be two years older no matter what. Do you want to be two years older still in your present situation and restrained by uncertainties and fears, or do you want to be two years older with an RN behind your name and a different future ahead of you?

[kylifesaver1]

Here is the thing about nursing school and being a nurse. i just finished my LPN and plan to start on my RN soon. i hope to become a pediatric nurse. the reason i chose nursing was not only job security and pay but also because i enjoy taking care of others, especially children. i worked in a trauma unit for two years as a nursing assisstant and loved it. i was new to the field but learned so much. i had to deal with the cattiness and such and i still didn't think i was smart enough to do what the nurses did. It was only 6 months later after quitting there to go to school to be a medical assisstant that i realized that i missed having patients i missed the work and i certainly did not want to go back as a CNA because i wanted to do more then what i was doing. so i signed up and took the entrance exam and am now graduating in a week. My point?

you have to love nursing for what it is instead of just the pay. ignore the people who are in it for the money and ignore the people who are negative or catty(this i know from working in a hospital setting for 2 years). i don't know where you are in texas but i know if you want to go through school without being with 18 year olds i know there is a Galen College of Nursing in Texas. i went to the one here in KY and loved it because it focused on nothing but nursing and i was done with night classes within 18 mos. All I'm saying is that make sure this is what you want to do. if you want a better a career and want experience before you go into nursing become a nursing assisstant or an UAP i forgot what it exactly stands for but it is basically a CNA and you can work in more then just nursing homes. You will get experience that way and it may ease your fears that way. Some colleges even want you to be certified as a nursing assisstant before you become a nurse. look at your options. and good luck.

[sc0628]

Wow n87934 that was an amazing post. Are you sure you are not supposed to be a motivational speaker. Thank you everyone for the responding. I have a lot to think about. I feel that I would be able to find a job quicker with nursing than with teaching thus far. I could be wrong, but you never know.

Thanks again.

[babyNP., APRN]

To the PACNW above, the nursing shortage will come back in full force in a few years when the economy fully recovers and/or the older nurses who might have already retired will officially retire.

We have a shortage--the problem is that the economy has slowed it temporarily. The numbers just don't equate when you look at the aging population and the incoming numbers.

[grasshopper7780]

There have been some great posts on this thread, I agree with the above, motivational speakers all around.

Question: I have looked into being a CNA but I have heard the pay is horrible. This is a consideration for me because I live in DC ($$) and I have student loans (not bad, but enough). I am starting to volunteer at the nurses stations at my local hospital, thought about being a CNA but am afraid that I wont make enough to live off of.

Thoughts?

[RevolutioN2013]

To the OP - I am in somewhat similar shoes in that I am 40 years old and at a crossroads in my life career-wise. I have spent the last two years thinking and thinking about my current job, how it might translate into other jobs and how I might increase my marketability by getting more education, specifically getting an MBA and possibly become a CPA or financial planner. The jobs outlook in those sectors aside, the idea of it just didn't turn me on at all. I know I'm smart enough to do it, but it would be an absolute slog to get through it. I realized that I was really at a point where I needed to decide whether or not to completely change course or keep going on the existing path. I did not choose my current job- I sort of fell into it and have stayed with it for 17 years. I'm good at it and I like it okay, but I am not inspired at all. Through a lot of self-reflection and seeking information from a lot of sources I have decided to pursue nursing with an ultimate goal of working as a PA or NP. I am fascinated by the human body and what it can do and I am so energized by the thought of all of that wonderful knowledge that awaits me in school (I'm a total nerd at heart). Furthermore, the idea that I would end each work-day knowing that I made a real difference in someone's life is huge! I can't even comprehend the fulfillment that would come from it. I think what someone said about listening to your gut is right. Listen to your gut, make your decision and then just dig in your heels and refuse to fail or be side-tracked from your goal. I'm not so much about the "if it's meant to be it will happen" school of thought. I'm more of a "if I want it then then I will damn well find a way to make it happen" kind of gal. You can do it if it is what you truly want and you are committed to executing your plan! Good luck!