Why am I doing this...

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nursing school is really getting me down. i know its only temporary, but I feel like i'm gasping for air. I'm struggling to prepare for exams, stressed, frustrated, etc. Today I talked to a friend who makes 70k a year working in a refinery who said 90% of his job involves sitting around reading magazines and getting up once an hour to check pressure gauges.

So, i'm thinking "my god why am I killing myself !"

Has anyone else experienced this feeling of W-T-F am I even doing in this career field?

(not sure if I'm the only one that has had moments of serious doubt)

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Specializes in General Surgery.

I think it's human nature to have at least maybe some inkling of doubt about what they do as their career. I mean, it is something you plan on doing for the rest of your working career. Some people may not question their decisions but I think maybe in your case it would be beneficial to ask yourself why you went into nursing in the first place (think of Self-Concept and Self-Esteem topics).

Not saying this is you but a lot of people flock to nursing because they know they can make the big bucks, if you can get a job, but that's a whole 'nother animal. They don't think about the other things being a nurse entails. I think people forget why nurses get paid well, while it's a hard, hard job, it is a rewarding one. While I've only been in nursing school myself for a mere week, I've seen this firsthand with my mom who has been a telemetry nurse for almost 25 years. I don't think I'm that far off when I say I believe if someone gets into nursing solely for the money, they'll never make it.

I'm sure you've probably already realized this but nursing school is hard because end result, you are going to be responsible for someone else's life. I feel like they want to break you down to build you up, I look at that as a good thing. I am ready like a sponge, ready to soak up any information and knowledge I can!

When I read about your friend just sitting in a chair for most of his shift, for me, I couldn't do that job, no matter how much I was getting paid. I had a desk job for four years and it was hell. For me, becoming an RN and working as an RN is my dream. I know in the future there will be those hard days, really hard days because life is not easy or perfect but I see how much joy my mom gets from her job and the love she receives from her patients and colleagues. I want that. I can't even think of a job that is similar to the experience of being a nurse.

Anyway, enough blabbing from me, I leave you with this (something my professor shared with us I really liked):

Being A Nurse

You will never be bored

You will always be frustrated

You will be surrounded by challenges.

So much to do and so little time.

You will carry immense responsibility

and very little authority

You will step into peoples lives

and you will make a difference.

Some will bless you

Some will curse you

You will see people at their worst

and at their best

You will never cease to be amazed

at peoples capacity for

love, courage, and endurance.

You will see life begin....and end.

You will experience resounding truimph

and devasting failures.

You will cry a lot

You will laugh a lot

You will know what it is to be human

and to be humane......

-Melodie Chenevert

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nursing school is really getting me down. i know its only temporary, but I feel like i'm gasping for air. I'm struggling to prepare for exams, stressed, frustrated, etc. Today I talked to a friend who makes 70k a year working in a refinery who said 90% of his job involves sitting around reading magazines and getting up once an hour to check pressure gauges.

No way! not for me! I hate sitting around, one of the many reasons I chose nursing is because it is a job that I don't have to sit around for. I will always be moving and constantly thinking. Always learning and never fully "in control" of any situation. I can use my knowledge base along with my instincts and with any luck and maybe some skill... save someones life.

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Being A Nurse

You will never be bored

You will always be frustrated

You will be surrounded by challenges.

So much to do and so little time.

You will carry immense responsibility

and very little authority

You will step into peoples lives

and you will make a difference.

Some will bless you

Some will curse you

You will see people at their worst

and at their best

You will never cease to be amazed

at peoples capacity for

love, courage, and endurance.

You will see life begin....and end.

You will experience resounding truimph

and devasting failures.

You will cry a lot

You will laugh a lot

You will know what it is to be human

and to be humane......

-Melodie Chenevert

Does that really make you want to be an RN more?

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nursing school is really getting me down. i know its only temporary, but I feel like i'm gasping for air. I'm struggling to prepare for exams, stressed, frustrated, etc. Today I talked to a friend who makes 70k a year working in a refinery who said 90% of his job involves sitting around reading magazines and getting up once an hour to check pressure gauges.

So, i'm thinking "my god why am I killing myself !"

Has anyone else experienced this feeling of W-T-F am I even doing in this career field?

(not sure if I'm the only one that has had moments of serious doubt)

I often ask myself why I'm doing this because I genuinely don't know. I had no big desire to change careers and still may not. There aren't a lot of areas of nursing that I find interesting or appealing. Frankly, bring on the flack here, but I'd rather be a PA-C. However, the opportunity to do so isn't and won't ever be in my life. If it does transpire locally and the price is right I'll do it. Beyond that though - negative!

I grew up in a community of refinery and chemical plant workers that got paid a lot to occasionally go look at gauges and pipe. They had grills at work and would frequently send someone out for steaks or some other kind of meat along with vats of chili, gumbo, or whatever they had going on that day. Some of them had TV in their huts. The prospect of not having to do anything most of your time is pretty nice...for a while. I've had a job like that before, but I didn't get paid as much as 70k for it which made leaving it easier. I got bored and started finding problems with the organization as well as solutions regarding how to fix it. That generally doesn't go over well with managers, lol, and I quit before I could stick a foot in my mouth.

The caveat for me is that thus far BSN school hasn't been hard. I guess I groomed my previous life (degree, experience, etc.) in such a way that it hasn't been near the challenge for me that many report, and for that I am grateful. Part of that may also be that I'm not as worried about as many people are. I don't have a clue what I'll end up doing once I finish school. I didn't want to pay out of pocket (income or savings) for school so I took out a $12,500 student loan which I'll have to pay that back, but I won't have any other debt going so it won't be bad.

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Specializes in General Surgery.
Does that really make you want to be an RN more?

It sure does! :redbeathe:nurse:

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I knoiw exactly what you're feeling. I'm in a position that I had to make a career change, was positive I wanted to go into nursing. Now I'm three weeks in, and feel like I'm drowning. I'm having the hardest time remembering the material. The tests are kicking my butt. What really bugs me is that I placed relatively high on the entrance exams (7th out of 150 people). Any ideas on study tactics?

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Specializes in 1st year Critical Care RN, not CCRN cert.

To the OP: I used to have one of those power plant jobs, I made 70k base salary and 110k with ot and bonuses. I got hurt and had to leave. The job was boring most of the time and dead all the time.

I am in my 4th quarter of RN school and yes it is intimidating and most of the time I feel like I am way out of my league! You just have to suck it up and keep trucking, those jobs in power plants don't just happen. You have to have a reason for getting one, like you did the job in the service or have family in the field. I was in the Navy and learned the job and moved to the outside and did it all over again.

Good luck and keep your chin up, you can do it if you apply yourself.

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I like this post.

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Depends on your mindset dude. I'm the guy who makes good money to sit around and do nothing important all day and it drives me insane. I need to get on my feet and do something important and stimulating with my 40 hours a week. If you long to be that guy who sits on his ass with little human contact, then yeah maybe you should get out of the nursing field.

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Depends on your mindset dude. I'm the guy who makes good money to sit around and do nothing important all day and it drives me insane. I need to get on my feet and do something important and stimulating with my 40 hours a week. If you long to be that guy who sits on his ass with little human contact, then yeah maybe you should get out of the nursing field.

We must admit that sitting on your bum racking in a fat pay check is nice. I had people lined up to take that job when I quit. For a while I loved it, but eventually I hated it. I'm sure after a few years of working like the others that I'll be wanting that lazy job back for a while. I'm sure you will too.

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Doubtful. I'm not a lazy person, which is why it doesn't fit.

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