Unit secretary is considering a career in Nursing

[Jalessa]

Hello, I am currently a unit secretary in the MEd/ Surg unit at my local hospital in Middlesex County and I am torn between two majors field: 1) Nursing 2)Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Treatment. In my job, I typical help my nurses with incoming calls, handled all Admission paperwork whenever we have a patient coming to our unit, checking them in and checking them out whenever they are discharged. I also help them with getting the charts ready for Post Op , special procedures and entering all Physician orders including Post op orders, MRI, chemo orders and etc. I love what I do as a unit secretary. I have started this position in Sept. 2016. I just chose this position to get hospital experience. But as the months going by, I watched and observe other nurses on my floor interact with their patients and they seems like they love what they do and I want to be just like them, having a responsibility to take care sick patients. We also get nursing students on our floor to help out and they seem so eager to learn and excited and I was hoping that I will be their position one day. But I also have an interest of helping people with mental illness and disorder. I'm not sure which one to choose. I desire psych and nursing. If I decide to choose nursing what steps do I have to take to become a nurse? I'm going to attend Middlesex county college and what prerequisites do I have to take before i take the nursing program? Give me some feedback and information I need to know. Thank you.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Nursing would enable you to take care of psych patients. Only your college can tell you what prerequisites you need and what your course of study would be.

We are nurses, not academic advisors. You need to start with interviews with the college advisors for direction.

Best wishes in your career.

[Jalessa]

Thank you for your feedback.

[MikeyT-c-IV]

I'm going to attend Middlesex county college and what prerequisites do I have to take before i take the nursing program?

Middlesex County College has a website and the required classes are listed. That may help you a bit.

Good luck!