Hello all!
Perhaps this is a no brainer but here goes. Does anyone (or did anyone for the seasoned vets) feel intimidated by the medical lingo? Besides all the normal fears of starting down this fascinating path, I keep coming back to my fear of even being able to pronounce the diseases/medications! I did a search on this as to not embarrass myself beforehand, but I couldn't find anyone that has questioned this.
First, a little about myself. I am a second career jumper. Currently I work in the travel industry for 20 plus years, and I've never been truly happy or satisfied. In a way, I figure that it's been a good training ground for nursing because in travel, you always have to have a high adrenline charge for so-called emergencies, but they are usually the variety of missed flights and the all important "WHY am I sitting in a center seat??" 
I could scream for how many times I have to hear that complaint, and I want to say...complain about something "real". Maybe I am kidding myself, but I feel I can work with patient's complaints because they are fear-based. I'm tired of having a high adreneline charge for virtually "nothing".
I was lead to this path in an odd way. First, I should mention that I NEVER thought of becoming a nurse. I can still hear my mom echoing "don't be a nurse" b/c I usually showed little in compassion. My thing was always "buck up and deal with it, it could be worse"...or "be thankful for what you have" I am a divorced with one 12 year old son and even when he'd get small cuts and bruises, I'd look at it and say "eh..not that bad, deal with it!" You see I didn't want to raise a pansy.
I always felt like I was missing something since I didn't pursue the college route, but to be honest, I never thought I had what it took. I once wanted to be a marine biologist, but that's the closest that I came to thinking of a medical career. I was put down by my school counslers...but I also didn't really apply myself...and well I'm sure you know the rest.
Fast forward to 9/11 I was laid off and had 3 months to figure my new path. During that time, we had a sick Golden Retriever who couldn't urinate on his own. My son and I inserted a cath 4x day for 3mos to no avail, (the vet gave him a "female" incision to be able to do this, and taught me how to insert and draw out his urine) We still ended up having to put him down 3 days after Christmas in 2001. We then in January got a "rescue" Siberian that was scheduled to be euthanized b/c she was found running free. You might say we rescued each other. My mom said that whole experience changed me, I became more compassionate through a dog. I love dogs... always have, but I never dreamed I could learn an important life lesson through one. I have to say looking back, during that time I felt like I was really "doing something" I didn't think about it at the time, I just wanted him to get better, but it wasn't meant to be, but I can see how that feeling of doing something that felt significant has led me to this point.
The next life altering event was my dad passing away from a brain aneurysm suddenly in Nov 2003. Now even though I've always believed that "this" isn't it...that we go on to our "true" home as it were, and this isn't the big picture, just a stepping stone, well it really started to come together for me to question more, "why am I here?" I did a book study during early summer called "Purpose Driven Life" and honestly I started to not mind my job, b/c as much as I always wrestled with "there's got to be something more" I realized it really doesn't matter what you do...as long as you do it with a servant's heart.
We always spent summers at Nags Head growing up, and as sort of a remberence to my dad, we started going back. When I came back from vacation last summer I was so sad. I wanted to move to OBX something fierce, so again I started to think of career paths that would lead me there. As it usually does, the sadness eventually left from being back home and getting back in the groove. However shortly afterward I started being bothered by the same feelings that I am not happy doing what I am doing, plus the very real threat of the extra money that I receive for child support would run out in 6 years. But you need to understand that I come from the place that what needs to be provided for will...if you have faith, things just always inevitably work out for the best.
So I started doing another search on possible career avenues and that's when it hit!!!! Nursing. It never even occured to me, but then I saw that we are in a crisis, and especially here in Pittsburgh, we have an abundance of the elderly whom I would love to work with (I just love their stories) For me, and you can roll your eyes if you want, it all comes down to being able to answer the question at the end of time "what did you do for my people?" and as corny as it sounds, I need to have an answer for that. I do not believe everyone does or should, but I think it's been placed on my heart for a reason. I am far from a saint, just trying to do my part and help someone else in the world, b/c that's why we're here. If we could do it on our own, we wouldn't need anyone else, but there would be no point. Okay I really am not trying to go into a "share the love moment" here! :chuckle
Anyway since last fall I went through near panic attacks thinking "am I doing the right thing?" Well much to my amazement I had a ball. I've gotten through 2 pre-req's and working on my 3rd (psychology) all with a 4.0! I'm very proud of that being I work 40 hours plus raise my son completely on my own, his dad only choose limited time on some weekend...but that would be ANOTHER thread...and I choose not to bore you! I am loving school this time around perhaps that comes with age, as I turned 40 last fall and life couldn't be better. The more that I'm following this path, the more it just feels 'right' ...I am falling in love with nursing the more that I read. I am loving the science aspect of it, I find it utterly fascinating and math....go figure it's now one of my favorite subjects b/c I find they are like little puzzles! That was always grounded in the fact that I had an awesome math teacher that really made it "click" after all these years, she took the time and it showed.
Sooooo I do apologize for the length of this, but I'm wondering b/c of my fear that keeps creeping up...will I truly understand the lingo w/o it getting all twisted on my tongue? It just seems so overwhelming to think I will really be able to say all those terms eloquently and with speed. I'll read posts that talk about something specific and it sometimes frightens me that I won't "get it"...then of course my son chimes in with "that's why you're going to school mom"...that and "don't worry about tomorrow...tomorrow will take care of itself!!!"....yeah he's a pretty fun 12 year old....we keep each other laughing...and he's a far from a saint too...but he's a pretty good kid...esp for what he's had to go through.
Thanks in advance for reading/responding.
Take care
MacNurse
115 Posts
You'll get it, it comes with time.....I remeber reading pt's chart info my first placement and going WTF?? It'll come...the key is those suffix's, prefixes...I never took a course, nor did any of my classmates...we made it...so can you!!