Why did you want to be a nurse? Why be a nurse? Why not be a doctor?

kimtab · Jul 17, 2002

It's just a dumb question isn't it! Do they also ask kindergarten teachers why they aren't university professors? Truck drivers why they aren't racing the Nascar circuit? They are two different jobs for Pete's sake and I can't conceive of why people would think to even ask it. But of course they do...so here are the reason I can think of:

4 years of (EXPENSIVE) med school not getting paid at all and four years of residency working 100 hours a week for $35,000 is more than many of us could pull off strictly from a practical standpoint, I ain't saying we don't have the drive!

Sure, it's eventually a better paycheck but you have a much heavier load of responsibility to carry around with it. A heavier insurance bill too!

My unscientific observations tell me that docs get to spend less time with patients than nurses do- patient contact is a big reason many of us want to do this in the first place

Let's not forget there are Advanced Practice nurses and all sorts of different ways to expand your career, deciding to be a nurse is by no means limiting.

It's insulting, people who ask this are basically insinuating that you set your aspirations too low and are settling for second best. I would venture to say that if you polled everyone here you wouldn't find too many that have any desire to be a doctor at all. The thought hasn't ever crossed my mind, I am studying to be a nurse because THAT is what I want to be!

Sleepyeyes · Jul 17, 2002

Most docs are scientists who have little time or inclination for the warm fuzzy stuff.

As a nurse, I know how important to the patient the nurturing, warm fuzzy stuff is, and I can use that knowledge combined with science to achieve a positive outcome for the patient. :cool:

Nursemelo · Jul 17, 2002

i just say i want to get paid a lot less for knowing a lot more. hehe. i even told that to one of my doctors, he said it's so true isn't it? and laughed

jschut, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2002

I like the oppertunity to actually talk and listen to my patients. I like knowing what they look like.... hehe!

I like the warm fuzzy stuff too..... :)

live4today, RN · Jul 17, 2002

Actually, becoming a nurse was never in my mind while growing up, but becoming a surgeon was. I did not think about becoming a nurse until a friend asked me to become one. My major is in Psychology, so adding nursing to that major was kind of ironic being that I never wanted to become one in the first place. However, now that I am one, I have no regrets about that transition, but still miss Psych. Now, I have ideas of becoming a PhD in Psychology and hold my own therapy groups...mostly for women and children who have been or are being abused. Time will tell...:)

hobbes · Jul 17, 2002

Well, when I was thinking about a second career I did entertain the thought of becoming a doctor. However, when I had my son I made a mental promise to myself that I would be at all of his games as he was growing up because my dad was always there at all my ball games. I want to have the flexibility to be able to do that and I don't want to work all the time - I already do that now as a computer programmer (one of the reasons I'm making a carrer change). I also didn't like the idea of accumulating tons of debt at this stage in my life (34) and I really couldn't practically swing it because I am the sole bread-winner. Plus, I plan to have all the medical knowledge a doctor does in the long run because I think it will make me that much better a nurse.

aj1973 · Jul 18, 2002

Very simple really, when I finished hig school, you neede 56/100 to get into nursing and something like 99.2/100 to get into medicine - needless to say, I got 58/100 in year 12, so there really wasn't much choice in the matter.

There's also the little matter of having to spend a minimum of 7 years at uni to become a doctor - WAYYYYY to much studying fo my liking!!!

karenelizabeth · Jul 18, 2002

Never even thourght of becoming a dr, just never crossed my mind.

Wanted to work with children. trained as a nursery nurse and loved my hospital placements so much...... well here I am

StudentSandra · Jul 18, 2002

Nursing is just something I have always wanted to do. When I found out that I enjoy school and am could do well in it, I was actually very surprised. I hated HS, but at 43 I would like to finish school and actually be able to work before it's time for me to retire. Also, as someone else mentioned, going into that much debt at this point in my life is not something I want to do.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Jul 18, 2002

The only positive I see about being an MD is the money, but then again they are scraping themselves out of debt well into their thirties. And family docs certainly don't make a lot of money after office and staff costs.

So I guess the question would be for me - why would anyone WANT to be a doc?

One of my nursing instructors drilled in to our heads

"doctors are richer, but nurses are better"

Thank you Mrs Scaravelli.

getbabygirl · Jul 18, 2002

I just give a corny anwser like I like working with the elderly or doing patient care. They really be trying to make me lower my standards telling me to be a nursing assistant, plebotomist, etc basically everything but a nurse! I actually started of as a pychology/biology major too. I don't know how I ended up as a nursing major, truthfully I just woke up one day and said I was gone be a nurse. I also had an experince with doctors. My oldest brother Darren died Dec. 27, 2001 of a brain anerysm (hope I spelled it right) Anyway the doctors were telling us about how "optomistic" they were saying that his life was in no danger and he ended up dying anyway... this is the killing part.... when he pasted away the doctor didn't even tell us to our face that he was gone he called us at the hospital!!! It was the "nurse" that explained everything and made things a little easier... she said that he didn't feel any pain and that he was jsut sleep. It was a nurses there that were crying and they were just so compassionate and thats when i knew for sure that I wanted to be a nurse!!!