Are you a nurse?

J

jennifercareer

Active Member
So is anyone a nurse? I'm 30 years old and don't have a college degree. For the last 6 years, I've been planning on going back to school to better myself. I'm not exaclty satisfied with my jobs and I really want to do something that I'm gonna love. I don't want to dread getting out of bed for work. But also in the last 6 years, I've gotten married, relocated twice for my husbands job, and relocated again when we bought a house. Most recently I've had baby (she's 8 months now). So as you can see, life has kind of been getting in the way of me going back to school.......not to mention bills! My husband is an occupational therapist and has really inspired me to work in the healthcare field. I wanted to do something that would give me satisfaction as the end of the day, allow me to go to school in the least amount of time and offer competitive wages. So I chose the obvious....Nursing! I've been taking classed part time for 5 years now. All gen ed courses. I plan on going back full time to nursing school next year and I should be able to complete my bachelors degree in 2 years becasue of all of my transferred general courses. But I still can't help but think.....is this right for me? Can I be a nurse? Should I? I hate the thought of working weekends and holidays. I really want flexibility so that I can have a 2nd child and get to spend more time with my children. I just feel like nursing is so versitile that I'l have so many options. I'd rather not work in a hospital but I realize I may have to pay my dues for year for experience before I can get a better job. Are there any nurses out there that can tell me how they feel about their work? What are do you work in? Why do you like it? Is it flexible? Is it rewarding? Do you have any regrets? Do you have advancement opportunities? I know this was really long, but this is a huge career change for me and my husband and I will have to sacrifice a lot. We'll be cut down to 1 income for 2 - 2 1/2 years. We can really only afford for me to do this if it's really the right thing for me to do.
 
Congratulations on looking to a new career in your future. I've been a nurse for 18 years. I can tell you, yes you will have to "pay your dues" at first. working holidays and weekends isn't easy, but most specialty areas that have more regular hours want a broadbase experience. When I started out, i worked in the hospital for two years. From there, I was able to take that experience to work as a Home Health nurse. That was a great area for mothers to work, because of the flexibility. I used to stop by at lunch, stop at the school etc... during my visiting patients. After doing this thirteen years, I decided to stop the traveling and now work at a Monday thru friday outpatient clinic. I love it. Of course, I love people and have a great sympathetic edge. If you feel that way than this is the career for you!
the possibilities are endless. Good luck!;)
 
Many colleges require a day of shadowing a worker at the hospital in your desired area of study prior to entering the program. I'm in school for radiologic technology, and I had a great RT to shadow. I'd definitely suggest finding out how to shadow a nurse for a day to at least give you an idea of the day-to-day joys and stresses of the job.

There are tons of opportunities in all sorts of fields within healthcare and you needn't stick to just nursing--especially if you seek a more traditional schedule. Have you considered dental hygienist, lab tech, biomedical tech, ophthalmic assistant, respiratory therapist, radiation therapy?
 
Hi! I'm a newer nurse -- I've been an RN for 2 years, after going back to school when I was 38. I have to say, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made! I love my work, definitely feel that feeling that I've done something worthwhile at the end of the day, and I really appreciate the flexibility my job gives me. I do work in a hospital, 12-hour day shifts. I alternate working 3 days one week, then 2 the next, and that keeps me at full-time but also allows me to have stretches of 4 or 5 days in a row off, which is wonderful. I'm required to work every 3rd weekend, and of course a holiday rotation. The weekends aren't too bad, and the holiday part is just something you accept and deal with -- I don't love it, but I handle it. (I've also found that there are often people who don't mind working various holidays, so trading is sometimes an option.) As you note, nursing does offer flexibility, and you may be pleasantly surprised at what options are open to you, shift-wise -- though, as you recognize, you may have to pay some dues before you can take advantage of them. I do feel I have good opportunities for advancement, though I'm enjoying bedside nursing for now.

I work in a cardiac intensive care unit, primarily with post-op open heart patients, and other critical care overflow patients. It's fascinating and challenging, and one of the things I like about my work is that there's always something new to learn. And I have very supportive co-workers, and that makes a big difference. I'd eventually like to do home health or hospice work, but I find right now that the more I learn about my area of specialization, the harder it is to imagine doing something else. And that's also the beauty of nursing -- when you're ready for change, new opportunities are out there (and in an uncertain economy, it's been very nice to feel that my job is secure).

That's a lot of rambling...I hope it helps! Good luck as you decide what you're going to do!

Allison
 
I just have to say that I'm an occupationaal therapist the same as your husband! I don't find too many who know what an OT is nevermind someone is related to an OT;) What kind of OT work does he do? There are very few male OT's where I live. Does he work with other males??
 
I have been a nurse for 12 years and I can't imagine doing anything else. I knew when I was in school I did not want to work on the floors, I knew I would have too but I knew I was not going to for long. I worked as a medical assistant at a cancer center while in nursing school, I worked very hard and showed much dedication to the patients and nurses. This job was sweet because it did not require weekends or holidays, which was exactly what I wanted. After graduation they were not hiring nurses ANYWHERE, so I worked at the American Red Cross for a year. After that, the cancer center in which I worked offered me a job where I have been for the past 11 years. I am now the nurse manager there but am going back to school to become a oncology nurse practitioner. When you are in management you become a salaried employee making it very difficult to earn extra cash, but that is the beauty of our job we can do other things as well. I also work for a home infusion company once a month and also educate nurses for a pharmaceutical company providing the extra cash I need. Since I am getting married new years eve I need as much as I can. So all that being said ,there is much opportunities for nurses, you may not get what you want at first but don't ever stop trying because the possibilities are endless.
 
At 30, you still have plenty of time to go to school and carve out a nursing career. I would agree with previous posters that you should try and shadow a nurse before you decide whether or not it is for you. I worked as a med-surg nurse for about 8 years and then decided to be a book-keeper for our trucking company. In my younger years I had the patience to deal with offensive patients & family, demanding co-workers, and unappreciative administration at the hospital. Yes - it's most definitely out there - just a forewarning. I soooo appreciate the comforts of my own office now. I LOVED bedside nursing (and do miss it), but the BS that goes with a hospital nursing career was just not for me. I do agree that working in that environment is a first step no matter what you decide to eventually do with your nursing career. The experience of working in a hospital is second to none. But, it IS a very stressful profession. You take a lot of things home with you that tends to influence home life. I worked in a small hospital so I dealt with all levels of patients. Peds was the worst for me - I'd sometimes come home at midnight and go and sneak hugs from the boys while they were sleeping. Some of the things you see really hit home. It's not all bad since you do learn to appreciate what you have and how truly lucky you are, but there is a cost to your psyche - if that makes sense. Sometimes ignorance IS bliss.

I don't mean to be the dark horse, but I just wanted to let you know there are negative things to consider with this career. I had to work every other weekend and every other holiday while my boys were young. It was really hard to not be there for Christmas, Easter, 4th of July fireworks, etc. I was also mandated to stay and work overtime on many occasions. I knew what I was signing on for so it wasn't the worst thing in the world, but did cause problems at times.

On the brighter side, I met my BF while working at the hospital and also learned so much! Some of the patients I will NEVER forget - very inspiring and brave. I've been out of nursing for 6 years now, but with the experience I gained, I would feel confident getting back to it if I needed to. There's also lots of avenues you can take with this career. I worked in a clinic as well, and even though I made less money, it was much more enjoyable and the hours were awesome.

Just like anything, you'll get out of it what you put into it. If this is something you really want to do, I say - don't let anything stop you. Best of luck!!

Angie
 
I don't mean to be discouraging, but you wanted opinions. I have been a nurse for over 17 years and I have grown to hate it. I get so sick of sick people. I get tired of friends and family members calling and wanting me to diagnose their rash or broken toe or various symptoms! I am not a doctor and I have been a dialysis nurse for the past 12 years, so I have mostly forgotten everything else! I went into nursing school right out of high school at age 18 when I was young and really didn't know what I wanted to be. I now feel stuck with it. On the positive side though, you can make good money and you can possible get a good job with good hours after a while like a MD office or something.
 
You are smart to be seriously asking these questions now...I'm not a nurse, I'm a Respiratory Therapist in the field for 16 years. I'll give the pros and cons of working in healthcare in regards to my experience. I currently work in neonatal/pediatric intensive care but have had many jobs with different patient populations. I think it's a fabulous idea to shadow several nurses in various fields you might be considering.

Most, if not all, healthcare fields are very stable and reliable as far as job security, especially nursing. There will always be sick people and a need for nurses. There are many different jobs in nursing, from neonatal ICU to pediatric clinics, pulmonary and cardiac rehab and home care and everything inbetween. There are so many possibilities for job opportunity and growth, especially with an advanced degree for education/management careers. It can be very rewarding...it can also be extremely depressing, mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting and sad. If nothing else, it gives you a lot of perspective on life and priorities (I deal with life and death situations a lot).

When I look back, I am happy that I went into healthcare, it afforded me the time/money to do lots of things with a short education time. I work three to four 12 hour shifts per week. The downside is that when we moved to another state I had to start all over and "pay my dues" by working the night shift (7pm to 7:30am). I HATE this but I do it because I have to. There were no day shift positions open and this is a big stress on my body/sleep and family life. That said, I am getting burned out and am looking for a career change. I'm tired of watching parents watch their kids be sick and die. I love working with kids but what I do now is depressing. I am transitioning into health/fitness field but it takes a while to build up a clientele and make a name, etc.

Off the top of my head, some questions to ask yourself:
Where do you see yourself when you wake up and love what you do? Do you like working with sick people? Are you a caretaker by nature? Are you patient in stressful situations and with difficult family members and seeing people at their worst? Are you ok with increasing your risk for diseases to take home to your children (I have been exposed to TB and meningitis twice and had to take medication)? Are you ok looking at/cleaning up all types of body fluid? How do you feel about needles, etc?

You say you hate the thought of working holidays and weekends...how do you feel about night shifts? Depending on the job you get/what's available you will probably have to do all of these at some point.

I work with some AMAZING nurses that are so wonderful and they can't imagine doing anything else. I think that after you weigh the pros/cons for your life and situations and perhaps shadow some nurses you will know if this is for you.


jennifercareer said:
So is anyone a nurse? I'm 30 years old and don't have a college degree. For the last 6 years, I've been planning on going back to school to better myself. I'm not exaclty satisfied with my jobs and I really want to do something that I'm gonna love. I don't want to dread getting out of bed for work. But also in the last 6 years, I've gotten married, relocated twice for my husbands job, and relocated again when we bought a house. Most recently I've had baby (she's 8 months now). So as you can see, life has kind of been getting in the way of me going back to school.......not to mention bills! My husband is an occupational therapist and has really inspired me to work in the healthcare field. I wanted to do something that would give me satisfaction as the end of the day, allow me to go to school in the least amount of time and offer competitive wages. So I chose the obvious....Nursing! I've been taking classed part time for 5 years now. All gen ed courses. I plan on going back full time to nursing school next year and I should be able to complete my bachelors degree in 2 years becasue of all of my transferred general courses. But I still can't help but think.....is this right for me? Can I be a nurse? Should I? I hate the thought of working weekends and holidays. I really want flexibility so that I can have a 2nd child and get to spend more time with my children. I just feel like nursing is so versitile that I'l have so many options. I'd rather not work in a hospital but I realize I may have to pay my dues for year for experience before I can get a better job. Are there any nurses out there that can tell me how they feel about their work? What are do you work in? Why do you like it? Is it flexible? Is it rewarding? Do you have any regrets? Do you have advancement opportunities? I know this was really long, but this is a huge career change for me and my husband and I will have to sacrifice a lot. We'll be cut down to 1 income for 2 - 2 1/2 years. We can really only afford for me to do this if it's really the right thing for me to do.
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I am just thrilled at the responses I've gotten! This is so exciting for me! Thank you so much everyone! I would like to take a minute and just respond to a few though....just so that everyone understands that this isn't something I've done on a whim. I've been planning on going back to school or 6-8 years now. I've weighed many options and nursing just seems to fit the field that may most suit me, but yet I still am concerned that I may make the wrong decision.

Gmokey - I have actually done several different job shadows in an attempt to point me in the right direction. I've job shadowed a respiratory therapist, an MRI technician and a nurse. I was supposed to job shadow an oncology nurse....at least that's what I requested. However, they ended up setting me up with a nurse on the pallative care unit. Needless to say, not too much went on there! Just a lot of cleaning patients that were dying. Not my cup of tea. But I've still done a lot of research. If I work in a hospital, oncology or pediatrics would be my first choice.

Nurse34 - It's interesting that you want to be an oncology nurse practitioner becasue I'd ultimately love to become a nurse practitioner someday. Oncology is an area that I've seriously considered too.


April71rn- Don't worry about being discouraging. I'm looking for honest answers here and you were. I personally am not worried about family bothering me with questions. My sister in law is a nurse and seriously no one asks her. I just don't like to ask her about nursing because she likes everyone to think that she knows everything because she worked at Hershey Medical Center in PA . She would never tell me the bad side of things because she doesn't want anyone to think that her job isn't perfect. She would sugar coat everything and therefore not a real reliable source of information. She's just one of those people who always has everything better than everyone else.

cab0899 - yes my husband is an OT. He's actually the rehab manager where he works but he never tells anyone that. If they asked what he does he says he's on OT because he's modest and doesn't feel that he has to flaunt around that he's the manager. But it's hard work and I think people deserve to know. He's works in an nursing home and loves it He's never worked with another male OT! He always complains that he never works with guys. He wants to talk sports and he usually gets stuck with girly talk. Three women he works with just had babies (and we have a new baby too) so that gives them something in common to talk about. The guys are usually PT's.

ellesan - Job security and job openings is another reason I've chosen nursing. When my husband graduated college, we had to relocate 3 hrs away for him to get a job because we live in the country in PA and there were no jobs. I can't afford to go to school for something that isn't in high demand. I need a job when I graduate. And since we own 16 acres of land that we have intentions of building a home on when I'm done with school, relocating really isn't in our future again.
Ultrasound is really an are of interet for me too. But I've been looking for job opportunities for years in my area.......and no one is ever hiring a respirator therapist, or an ultrasound tech, etc. But everyweek, you can bet you'll see 15 jobs in the paper for nurses.

If I could wake up one morning and be doing something that would make me happy, it would be helping babies or cancer patients. My mother is a 25 year cancer survivor so it's an area that hold dear to my heart. I guess once you have a baby you see all kinds of bodily fluids too, so that doesn't really seem to bother me. I get allergy shots every week so needles are like nothing to me. I've been praised in previous jobs of how well I've handled stressful situations. I'm very sympathetic and caring towards others needs and feel a need to educate people on being healthy. Anywhere I can sneak in a suggestion, I do. And I'm not crazy about night shifts, but I think I'd rather do that then 2nd shift. I think I'd see my baby and husband more if I worked the night shift. But I do see how many family get togethers that my sister in law has missed (she recently had a baby and has now switched to Home Care) and I can't stand the thought of it. But if I could suck it out for 1 year, then I'm hoping I can move onto better hours, even if it means less money. It means more to me to have another baby and be able to be there for my young children, then to make a lot of $$.
 
I have been a nurse for 14 yrs. Right after graduation, I worked in a walk-in clinic, which was open until 9. I worked a lot of 12 hour days, holidays and weekends. Unless you chose to work in a clinic 8-5 M-F, there really isn't any way of getting around that. Keep in mind that the pay is considerably lower in a clinic setting. I still work at that walk-in clinic in an "on-call basis" and work at a local hospital in the ER. The hospital pays me almost $12 more per hour. The nursing profession has something for everyone...you'll find it!

Becky
 
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