do i want to quit i

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Have any of you changed your mind about being a nurse? Do you often question yourself on if this is what you want to do for the rest of your life? Work 12 hour shifts etc forever! I have been doing this for some time now. I am a CNA and I work in a nursing home and hate it., I love my people but hate the way that the family members want to keep problems going. They are never happy. I see how they treat the nurses and wonder why? HELP...

There are so many other areas of nursing that you can get into. Listen to your heart and pursue the area that interests you. If the nursing home scene is getting to you, perhaps you would be happier working with a different population of people such as kids and babies. Don't get discouraged, you'll find your home. We all question our paths in life from time to time, but that little voice inside you will point the way.

Have you ever worked a normal 40 hr workweek with overtime.

I think i'd rather work the 12 hr shifts

no matter where you work ppl will always cause problems...fact of life.

However, I do agree that I often wonder if this is something I want. It's hard for some ppl to justify spending money on something they are unsure about.

I guess you just have to take a chance...a big chance.

Don't base your decision to pursue nursing on what you're seeing in the nursing home. I used to work as a CNA in a LTC place, too, and I would never have chosen nursing if I thought that was all there was to it. There's so much out there to do; don't give up yet!

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Don't judge the entire profession of nursing by your one experience in a nursing home. As other posters have said, a nursing degree can lead to many different types of jobs. Before you quit, I suggest that you at least talk with nurses who have diferent types of jobs to see if those other types of jobs might appeal to you more than does being a staff nurse in a nursing home someday.

A long time ago as an undergraduate I, too, questioned whether or not nursing was the right career field for me or not. I knew that I would never be able to stand being a med-surg nurse or working in a nursing home. However, I liked babies and became a NICU nurse -- and really loved it. After a couple of years, I got my Master's Degree and have spent most of my career as a NICU CNS/staff development educator. In my mid-30's, I returned to school once again and got my PhD. I continued to work in NICU staff development for a while, but most of my work now focuses on being the liaison between my hospital and the local nursing schools. I also coordinate our summer extern program and do a few other odd jobs.

Most nursing students never even consider a career like mine -- or many of the other career opportunities that nursing can provide. They think of nursing as only one thing, being a staff nurse on a med-surg unit. While some people love that role, it is not for everybody. Fortunately, nursing offers a wide variey of choices.

Like most people, I am curious as to how my life might have been different had I chosen another path ... but I have no real regrets.

Whether nursing is right for you or not, I'm not going to pretend to know ... but don't base your decision on what you see about one type of nursing alone

Good luck,

llg

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