Questions about nursing career! Help me please

I have always been interested in the nursing career but I have just been scared to put myself out there, I worry a lot and never think I am smart enough. I just finished my freshman year of college and every major I think I am interested in I always feel guilty inside because I feel like what I want to do is nursing. So I am thinking of going to my community college and taking the pre reqs. needed for nursing and just going with what I feel. As of now I am interested in the baby/mother nursing field but I'd like to hear about other specialties. What makes you love your job? I am a very sensitive person and some people say that is a good thing for nursing but others say its bad. What is your opinion on that statement? I want to be able to help people and make someones day a little brighter. I just want to hear from real nurses and find out what makes them love/hate their job. What qualities do you think a person should have. Also I want to be able to have a family and be there for them, is that possible with this career? Thank you for who ever responds. It is will be greatly appreciated and very helpful to me. Last edit by mba05984 on May 23, '11
Hi,I have been a ER RN for about 14 years now(wow where did the time go?) and I have to say it's been a great career. I got my BSN and I worked my butt off out of school, took a night position in a Level 1 trauma center in Chicago (after 1 year of med-surg) and am still happy to this day I found ER nursing. I have met all kinds of people, seen so many interesting medical problems and also have learned so much about myself along the way. What I love most is the great people I work with and the ability to constantly learn. You can do so much with nursing, work as little or as much as you want. I am married and have two kids and I work twice/three times a week. It fits in great with a family. You sound like your heart is in the right place. Just know that the work is very hard at times, emotionally and physically. I just give it my all and try as hard as I can. I really think it takes a brave soul to go into nursing, to care for people and their families at their worst is very difficult. But you can do it, follow that voice that's telling you to change your major. I would definitely recommend getting a BSN. It gives you so many more options and you will be glad you did it. Good Luck!

Yes, you can have a family and be a nurse. I have 7 kids and have worked FT to per diem, and quit for a few years, only to come back again. It's a very flexible career.As for personality, having a thick skin does help. It's something you do develop after awhile, IMO. You realize that you can't help everyone, because not everyone really wants your help. So, you help those that want it and tolerate those that don't, lol.

Sensitivity is required to be an efficiant nurse, but not the type that will bawl infront of every patient that's dying. Sensitivity in a sense where you can look at that patient, and have a professional heart for them and strive to make every aspect of their hospital/rehab stay more pleasant. Love - There's a beauty in leaving people in a better state than you found them..and even a beauty in making a terminal persons transition to death easier on both them and their family. To make it a celebration of life.Hate - People stealing my lunch.Have faith in yourself. As a nurse you must rely on YOUR instincts, yourself, your judgements and your heart. If you haven't built that strength enough in yourself to even get the ball rolling for enrollment...take a good hard look in the mirror and demand respect from that person looking back at you.You may be interested in mother/baby...but after transitioning through the entire units...youll be surprised where your HEART lands you.

I worked as a CNA before entering nursing...it really helped me to learn how to focus that sensitivity and learn how to be a compassionate caregiver without draining myself. I also learned how to"keep it together"in a emotional situation...good stuff!I love being a nurse, and as a new grad have a healthy amount of confidence in my abilities. As an aide I learned how to work for and with people, and use my sensitivity as an advantage. You grow thicker skin with experience as well Good luck and best wishes!

I have been there when a baby was born, and I have been there when someone took their last breath. It's not like any other career! Even when I stopped working during 6 years of being a stay at home mom, I was still known as "the nurse". It's definitely more than just a job... There are so many specialties, and even then there are so many sub-specialties. And, many nurses will change specialties during their careers.You said you might like mother/baby... you may end up working as a labor/delivery nurse, maybe pediatric ICU (NICU) nurse, a lactation specialist, a pediatric homecare nurse, a nurse in a ob/gyn clinic, etc. etc. etc.... Or, you may end up in a totally other type of nursing! That's the beauty of it.You may hear about nursing jobs being hard to come by these days, but that's true in so many fields in this economy. But, the future of healthcare is strong. Nurses will be needed. This field is always changing and you will always be learning! Good luck as you make your decision...