What am I getting myself into?

[k8e_97]

I just graduated from a good state university with a degree in exercise science. I am now in my first semester of nursing school. I chose nursing after exploring other health careers. I thought I wanted to be a physical therapist and I "liked it" but I didn't love it. I felt like nursing would be the best choice for me because I've never doubted my interest in health care and there is a lot of flexibility in the field. I've been in nursing school for about a month now, it's challenging but I've been doing well. After reading some of these threads and comments I'm starting to get really scared that if I make this career choice that I'll live a really miserable life. It seems that few are really happy. I honestly want a job where I'm intellectually challenged, feel fulfilled, and making someone's life a little better. Am I unrealistic about having this expectation for nursing?

[mfrn]

Nursing definitely has its ups and downs. The great part of the nursing profession is that you have a career that can take you anywhere. There are unlimited jobs all across the united states(at least that's what I have found). Maybe try and look at what kind of nursing you are most interested in and go from there. I wouldn't say that nursing is the greatest job on the planet but it definitely can be one of the most rewarding jobs.

[Dogen]

I've enjoyed nursing, but I went through nursing school not knowing what kind of nurse I wanted to be. I did a clinical on a unit where the staff seemed awesome and when I graduated I went to work there... and to be honest, if staff changed and it became less fun I'd move on to another unit or specialty. I feel like I could enjoy anything as long as it allowed me to exercise my curiosity and I had a good team around me.

I feel a difference in myself on days when the shift is filled with the grumpy complainers. I can't wait to get out, I spend an extra minute or two on lunch, I avoid the nurse's station and the break room... but when my A Team is on it's a totally different unit. Everything feels less annoying, and it feels like we have fewer problems because we're constantly helping each other.

[LorenW28]

I am not a nurse yet, but will start nursing school in the fall. However, I've worked at an urgent care clinic in the past two years at the front desk. Since I've been there a while I've been crossed trained to perform drug tests, and even assist the nurses with vitals and discharging the patients. I have great friends who are nurses, and yes they have bad days. Honestly, 90% of the time when they are complaining... It's about co-workers and doctors. Rarely are they complaining about patients. When they do complain about patients, it's for good reason and they end up making great stories to tell! Of course without using names (thanks to HIPAA). Every single one of them will tell you they would not do anything else with their life. Maybe at a different company or hospital, but never careers. We are constantly getting comments in surveys from patients, and they are 95% (that is an accurate number btw) positive. We have even had patients sent us thank you cards and pictures!!! The career is rewarding, and the opportunities are endless. Negativity breeds negativity... Stay positive, stay encouraged, we will be helping others even when they don't see it. You know you are, and that is rewarding in its self.

Future Travel Nurse and CRNA :)

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

Are you a nurse? Your status does not reflect that.

No, sorry I should have clarified. I am a nursing student. I love my clinicals and working with all different kinds of pts (Mental Health rotation was my fave so far). Of course, my experience so prob does not reflect how actual nursing is since your focus is usually on one pt throughout most of clinicals. But loving it so far :)

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I too vote for PT over RN plus I think it would mesh more with your exercise degree and you could even work with sports injury patients who are really motivated to heal and progress. Nursing may be a quicker degree to get, but is filled with landmines that you are already aware of. I think there are very few people who actually thrive and enjoy nursing and the rest of us just struggle along to pay the bills and make the best of the situation. I think it takes an exceptional person to truly love nursing due to the stress, heavy, physically and mentally, work load and long hours. When you are young maybe 12 hrs doesn't seem bad, but as you get older it is not so easy especially if you have any chronic pain issues, like back pain which is notorious in nursing due to all the unsafe lifting and turning we are expected to do with increasingly larger patients like 300-500+ pounds. I think it will take an Act of Congress to force hospitals to provide a safe no lift environment with ceiling lifts and hover mats to protect our back and body and likewise to require safe ratios, which only the state of CA has so far! It's not too late to rethink things and change majors to PT.

If you stay in nursing, plan on going back to school quickly for NP so you can be truly using your mind, not your body.