What's a good reason to quit nursing school?

Resolute00 · Jun 21, 2009

I don't think you should quit after your first clinical. I have a couple of friends in nursing school and their first clinicals were in nursing homes. My opinion is that you should stick thru it. The nursing field is so broad, why would you quit after on clinical. Hang in there and make it to your next semester. The things you want in life are not easy to get, so just hang in there. I don't think your first clinical should be your reason for quitting. Good Luck.

FireStarterRN, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2009

It's a tough call, since staying in school for longer, and then finding out you hate each and every single aspect of nursing, would be a major bummer! On the other hand, nursing school puts you through many different rotations that will expose you to different specialties, one of which might very well ring your bells!

As I recall, my first rotation was in a nursing home, then a in-hospital sub-acute unit, most of which dealt with geriatrics. But there were many other rotations, including a psyche hospital, OB, peds, ER, ICU, Cath lab, OR, etc. The point in these is basically to give the student a taste of all the specialties of nursing.

I do agree with llg that too many people stick it out in nursing for all the wrong reasons. On the other hand, I personally found nursing clinicals distressing, although I didn't cry. I didn't excel particularly at clinicals. I'm very happy I stuck with it and have been a nurse for 15 years with success. I have a well paid job I enjoy and I like nursing.

llg, PhD, RN · Jun 22, 2009

I should have added that I hated most of nursing school ... but really liked most of my work as a real nurse. As others have said, nursing school and real nursing are not always the same thing.

butterflykisses11 · Jun 22, 2009

It really concerns me when you state that you feel as though you have no compassion and that because someone is comatose you feel like your not helping them. I can't tell you whether or not you should quit nursing school, but if you find yourself staying only for the money and job security maybe you should consider other avenues. I've worked with nurses who are not ashamed to tell you that they are only in it for the money. They complain about everything, say how much they hate nursing every time they work and show no empathy at for the patients. Please, if your attitude toward the patients doesn't improve do yourself, your future co-workers and ,most of all, your future patients a favor and look for another career.

smarti15 · Jun 22, 2009

I don't know your financial situation, and I know that many are in a hard place right now. If you have the option to work for less pay, and can put off nursing school for a semester, you could try working as a nursing assistant (hard work, I know) in various settings to get a taste of what might rock your boat as a nurse. Obviously, you don't enjoy geriatrics, but you might try working in a hospital where you could be exposed to more specialties. By doing this, you wouldn't be out tuition money, and you could earn a little cash while exploring your avenues.

One thing you should keep in mind, is that nursing school is like bootcamp. You will be told what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and where to do it. You will not be able to have any freedom. I know I make nursing school sound horrible, but let me tell ya! I just graduated with my LPN, and I have found that even though I hated nursing school, and I felt so stupid all of the time. I got to experience many wonderful opportunities, and I learned more than I have ever learned in my whole life. I wouldn't change it for anything, and all those tears and late nighters were sooooo worth it!

This is just my experience, so take it with a grain of salt! :wink2:

RN2Bee84 · Jun 22, 2009

I agree with "llg" there are alot of nursing students that should quit school because they are only there because they know that nurses make good money or they just want to beable to say " I'm a RN". The first thing you should do ( if you are a religous person) pray about it. Ask to be led in the right direction. When I did my first set of clinicals I didn't like it that much either but I was excited! I have wanted to be a RN since I can remember and I am not going to let nothing stop me from achieving my dream. Also wait for your next set of clinicals which is more nursing oriented and see if you still feel the same way. if you do..... just let it go honey. Pray he won't lead you in the wrong direction.

TexomaNursingstudent · Jun 22, 2009

as far as you are allready i say finish it, you will make great $, and then you can try another field and be able to take care of yourself as you finish another degree.

Even in nursing, in certain fields you have to be a lil cold to make it, like neonatal icu, or at least i am told that by a few nurses in that specialized field.

beachbutterfly · Jun 22, 2009

I've read a lot of threads here about quitting nursing school. Most of them were someone saying "I have problems with this, this, and this" and people saying "well that's just not a good reason to quit."
I had my first clinicals last week, and I was miserable every single second of it. I've cried every day since, dreading the next. I've had nightmares about it. I honestly can't come up with a good reason to stay in school, aside from my pride, money, and the job security nursing would provide, but everyone around me is just saying "Hang in there! You can do this!"
I used to want this so bad, but now...I just don't. Surely there's other ways to get what I want out of a job without going through all this mess.
So, what is a good reason to quit nursing school? How do I know if this is just stress from school and a bad instructor and a hideous clinical site, or if this is something serious I need to address?

I think you should keep going,I'm sure many of us if not all experienced a bad,awful day in the clinical,keep in mind that this is a stressful learning envinronment but you have been provided with a blessed opportunity.

lesliedabbs · Jun 28, 2009

Let me tell you something, I don't know how your nurses have been in clinicals (not the clinical instructor) but some of the nurses I've had have treated the students like pure ****. They have even gone so far as to say "Oh, I've given the meds already, sorry you don't have any to give" and when you look at the MAR, they were given 30 min after she/he told you that.

These nurses are NOT the type to work in the interdisciplinary team or whatever... they're all for themselves, and guess what, that makes the patient SUFFER. We never had a conference room or anywhere to sit, so we sat in the hall once, out of everyone's way, we then had one of the nurses come down the hall and start ******** us out say "This is NOT going to work, you're going to have to move" and we politely got out of the way. Also, in their breakroom, we've had nurses being complete dicks to us, and we just kept going.

The whole point to this, when any of you have student nurses in the future, please be nice to them, because I know how I feel about some of the nurses right now, and I wouldn't have their back for anything.

shann106 · Jun 28, 2009

I think it is much better to realize it is not something you want/like and get out early. I am not saying you should definately quit, just don't stick with something you hate because you feel obligated.

I stuck with radiology even though I hated it from day one. Now here I am age 36 in nursing school because I hate xray everyday for 15 years.

If nursing is not for you, it not for you.

A lot of people hate nursing school, but it sounds like it is not the school part it is truly the nursing part that you do not like. There is no shame in recognizing what you want for your life.

chrisciwi · Jun 28, 2009

While reading this tread i was thinking to myself that this person is just horrible (no offense intended) But the more i read through it and thought about it, it really sounds like you just dont like geriatrics. I hate it, it drains me emotionally and physically. But just remember you will move on to something else in a couple of weeks. I am going to hate with all of my heart geriatrics, most people do. I come from a family of nurses and doctors, and not one of them liked it and they would never go into it. So please don't feel bad, you already paid for the semester, and so why not just stay for another clinical site, and wait and see if you will like another clinical site. Just remember that clinicals is NOTHING like being a real nurse..... I would talk to you advisor and or councleor especially with the stress your having. Its normal, everyone has stress, especially with a major like nursing! so please bear with it...and if you decide to leave nursing school. atleast you put in a good effort! so dont feel bad if you do decide to leave

ErinJane · Jun 29, 2009

I was the only person who "liked" geriatrics in my group (of 45). I didn't love it, I just didn't hate it like everyone else. However, I too have a hard hard time with end stage Alzheimers and other mental issues. I had one patient who could only moan and I was on the verge of tears because I felt like I was accomplishing nothing. I ended up telling my nurse that I needed to switch her patients. She was nice enough to help me out, but I then had to prove my competence to my instructors (I ended up taking care of alot of patients with Alzheimers.

And I too dreaded my clinicals after that, but when I was able to work with different patients, I grew to love it. If you are anything like me, it's not that you like geriatrics, but Alzheimers as a neurological/psycho condition is overwhelming.

So, good luck. Make whatever decisions works for you.