When a To-Be Engineer Wants to Become a Nurse

Asian parents that wont allow their children to work as they wanted. They wanted them to study more specialized field like docs, lawyer, engineers, accounts... The most ridiculous is we have to follow their footsteps, complete their own dreams, without asking or think about our future life. What should I do now?

When a To-Be Engineer Wants to Become a Nurse

Hi, I just completed my diploma in engineering field, but I just realised that Im still intetested in medic line. Biology is my fav subject as always, but since Ive got a better result in Physics, so then I proceed to study engineering. As my parents both are engineers, so I will have to be an engineer in my family, this sounds normal as everyone follow their parents footsteps. So I just went on to study without asking myself whether I like it or not.

After 2 years of struggling in diploma, Ive never think about to proceed my degree in that field. My parents said that if I wanna work in medic line, is either doc or pharmacy. Nurse is definitely not a choice for us. I would like to ask, whats the problem of choosing to become a nurse? Why theres so many pupil keep saying nursing is not a good job,which not hygiene at all, gottta work shift by shift, gonna clean up form time to time. As in my opinion, I doesnt care about what they say, I just wanna serve people, makes pupil happy, works that can saves lives in every minute. This is the job that I wanted.

Parents and cousins will say that Im just kidding, Im just wasting time and money to study it, not working in the field that Ive studied. But I thought that Im the one whos gonna proceed my future, live in my future myself, but not them. But if I proceed my degree in engineering, I will regret that I didn't make a choice just for myself, it will be more wasted if I continue to study.

What should I do? How can I convince my parents to change their mind and thoughts about nurse? Just because I will be the first nurse in my family so they dont have any reference for me. They just simply dont allow me to study that. Im so frustrated now that I have to make a decision to choose which field to go. Im ready to get scolded by them if I discuss this topic, is just few weeks time for me to decide. But what if Im wrong?

I went to school with my friends around, Im happy to be with. We discuss about engineering stuff, but Im the one whos the most quiet when it comes to this session. If someone just ask why I chose this path, my answer is always 'coz I didn't hate or like it, I just chose it.' for no reason. During festival celebrations, many of my relatives will be very busy body asking is my course tough, its obviously tough for me. When they heard the word ENGINEER, they will wowed. I was thinking, is engineering the best for you guys? Why?

I saw my cousins talked about their courses, like biotecs, biomedics, architec, etc. They shared their funs ands interest one by one with excitement. My turn, I will just said, erm... Engineer is like that, about leds, lights bla bla bla... No any excitement on me, this is the first time I realised that Im not that interested in my course. Ok next is, after school, I have no other minds to think about my course stuff, Im not curious about the news, the updates. Until my sis told me one thing, she said, hey, why dont you feel curious about your stuff, your future stuff. Shes studying software, she writes codes, and once the software run, she feel curious and excited about it. But I dont really have that kind of excitement when it comes to me.

Parents always tell me us to do business in futire, not just to be employed, they dont even ask about my opinion, just ask us to do what are the RIGHT things they thought of. How can I convince them about nursing?

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Jinac

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Jinac,

I think your parents might be falling into the trap of pushing their child into a "high prestige" or "high status" profession (or what they *think* a high prestige profession is). Nursing doesn't have the same cultural cache as being an engineer or a doctor (probably because its been historically female dominated) so they are assuming it's just cleaning bedpans. If you want to bring them around some, show them what nurses can make (hint: a lot more than most college professors and even lawyers or engineers I know) and point out that you can still get a Masters or Doctorate in the field and be a manager, professor, etc... Ultimately, you are the only person who has to live your life, so you'll have to find something that makes you happy. But I also think if they knew more about the field they'd be a lot more enthusiastic about encouraging your interests.

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If you possess the aptitude to successfully complete a degree in engineering, you will not be very happy in general staff nursing, IMHO. Surely some will take that the wrong way and perhaps be justified, folks with 90th percentile academic abilities go on to advanced practice or medical school. At this point in your academic career, I'd encourage you to investigate the PA route if not medical school. You'll wish you did.

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Sometimes parents who are dismissive of nursing careers, are open to their children having careers as nuclear medicine technologists ie CT, MRI, as they view these careers as more prestigious than nursing. The admission requirements are rigourous like engineering programs and may even require at least one year of university in biology, math and physics.

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Specializes in Med-Tele; ED; ICU.

Well, I'll tell you that I earned far more money each of my last two years in nursing than I ever earned as an engineer -- even accounting for inflation.

Engineering is a much more challenging course-of-study and the work is more interesting than nursing but as a career, nursing is the much better choice (here in California, anyway - it appears to me that you're not in the US so I have no idea in your area).

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Ultimately, you need to do what makes you happy. For some people, the prestige of certain careers drives their happiness, which is fine, I'm not judging that. As someone who did obtain a master's in engineering, worked in the industry for a few years, and realized that wasn't what made me happy, I went back to school to become a bedside nurse and I'm happy every day I leave work. Sure, days are hard; physically, emotionally, mentally. But I'm happy. Working with people, making a difference in their lives, that's what makes me happy, and I'm thrilled to have found nursing to satisfy that. Figure out deep down what makes you happy, and why you think you want to pursue nursing. If the reasons align with what nurses really do, go for it! If you realize they are more in line with what a PA or MD or NP does .. go for that! Rock on!!

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.
Well, I'll tell you that I earned far more money each of my last two years in nursing than I ever earned as an engineer -- even accounting for inflation.

Engineering is a much more challenging course-of-study and the work is more interesting than nursing but as a career, nursing is the much better choice (here in California, anyway - it appears to me that you're not in the US so I have no idea in your area).

I don't know how long you were an engineer or what type, if you had your FE, passed your PE... but for most fields, engineers make similar money to nurses at the start of their career, but engineers stand to earn far more as they gain experience.

RNs generally don't have that far to move up in their pay scale and often get "great pay" through methods like OT, traveling, nights, and weekend differentials. Although some engineering fields offer similar opportunities for compensation for less desirable employment hours/locations.

My spouse is an engineer BS and passed her FE. We both moved up the ranks in nursing and engineering achieving the highest rank and performance promotions achievable (based on our years in) without being in management from the highest paying employers in our fields in our state. After 3 years, we had similar pay rates... but I won't ever see a big promotion or raise again as a RN. I'm topped out except for the possibility of occasional 3-4% merit raises for exceptional performance. My spouse has many large promotions ahead.

I'm not even 4 years in and I have to go back to school or become management to ever see a significant change in my pay rate.

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