Having Second Thoughts

Is it unwise for me to go into nursing if I'm not much of a people person? I'm not the "touchy feely" type and being comforting is not my strong suit. I don't want long (adult) patient contact. I could picture myself in NICU and the OR. (Babies are good as are unconcious patients that are just "passing through".) I would most likely continue my education to get out of bedside nursing.

Does this sound terrible? There are so many options in nursing, surely I could find my niche, right? But will I be miserable until I do?
AND... why is it that you want to be a nurse?:stone
Quote from onconurseRTAND... why is it that you want to be a nurse?:stone
I can relate to what you are saying. I'm much more technically inclined than psychosocial. While I know I need to develop that weakness, I also know I'll still prefer the techincal & skills more. There is absolutely someplace for you to fit in nursing! At least you recognise this in yourself and are looking to find an area where you and your interests fit together. For me, I know psych nursing isn't going to be my cup of tea. At the moment ER is attractive (lots of skills there) and the ultimate goal is CRNA.Have you ever looked into what personality type you are? Jungian typology, Myers-Briggs? Knowing that helped me find my way as well. I dig that sort of stuff though.Good luck with you!
Remember that NICU infants have parents that have HUGE psychosocial needs, that you as the RN will have an opportunity to meet. I thnk the only place where the concious patient contact is really minimal is the OR. And even there, I imagine with all the surgeries with blocks these days that is changing.Are you uncomfortable with patients? Because, after all they are just people.
Quote from maolinI can relate to what you are saying. I'm much more technically inclined than psychosocial. While I know I need to develop that weakness, I also know I'll still prefer the techincal & skills more.
Quote from land64sharkEXACTLY!I'd just like to do what I need to do and move on. Of course there will always be patient contact. I'm not "afraid" of people. I just don't see myself comfortable with "extended" individual patient contact. At this point, I really think the OR could be a good fit for me. Who knows? Maybe I'll find I like other areas during clinical rotations. Then again, I might not.
I am not someone that is touchy-feely either. However, I have empathy and compassion for people and that is (IMHO) the most important part of nursing. I'm a little concerned that people are concerned and enjoy the "procedures" of nursing. Assessment is actually always, always, always the most important. For instance, being able to place IV's in everyone is a wonderful skill. But...if you don't understand that the "why" of the IV, then its not important. I have done fine in nursing as far as not being a touchy-feely person. I work in a level one trauma center and enjoy the intense, short contact that I have with people. I do realize that I make a difference (sometimes) too by being able to provide patients and their families with information in order to make care decisions. For me, providing the information in a non-judgemental but friendly way is gratifying. Good luck.
OR sounds perfect for you. And good for you for realizing your feelings before you get stuck in a job you hate. Too many nurses burn out before they find the right specialty. Nursing is not just "nuturing the sick" anymore. All personality types can find their niche if they just keep looking.
How about being a Physician's Assistant instead of a nurse? That would put you more on track with what you originally wanted to do (MD).
Sorry, but nursing is a touchy-feeling and giving comfort type of profession and if you are not that type then you will really need to find your niche elsewhere. I have been an RN for over 20 yrs and when I went to school in Phila, Pa the hardest thing to teach some people(because of Philly being a big city where you didn't touch those you didn't know) was the simple art of touching people. I have seen enough "nurses" in my time that should never have become nurses in the first place. I would hate for you to get into nursing and send negative vibes to patients you attempt to care to further make them suspicious of all nurses and demean those of us who are very good at what we do. This may sound mean but I am a very big Nursing advocate and I just feel you would be wasting your time/money and take up space in a school for someone who truly wants to be here helping people and making a difference. Good luck in whatever you find to do that is not Nursing.:angryfire flaerman
Nursing has become a profession that is so much more that just giving comfort. There is administration, legal, ethical, research, product reps., education, consulting and the list goes on. You don't need daily contact with patients to be a nurse. We need all types to fulfil our constantly evolving mission and should not discourage those with different interests.
Ok, I totally know what you are saying and have actually posted on this before. I think it is wrong when other people get so judgemental and ask you "why you are going into nursing then?". I am not a bad person. I do feel for many of the patients I care for...........I mean, how can you not, when they are 29 with cancer!! It is not because I have a lack of empathy or compassion (which is what I used to think it was) but rather.............I am very uncomfortable with my "people" skills, especially when it comes to relating emotions. You know, dealing with that foo-foo stuff. I am just NOT good at it. I don't know why. I don't know if it my ISTJ Meyers Briggs personality or my dysfunctional upbringing.......it just IS. I don't ever seem to know what to say at the right time and that makes me feel so inferior. If a patient starts crying and says they are afraid it just isn't me to run to their side and hug them and let them cry on my shoulder. Doesn't mean I don't care, just means I am bad at showing it. I will say that I struggled with this, thinking nursing wasn't for me..........so many people told me I had the personality of a doctor.........WAY before nursing school even started. I still do struggle with whether I made the right choice but I am getting to see other areas of nursing and I am now more aware of the possibilites. In addition, I find that every clinical day my confidence goes up just a bit.............my confidence in my clinical skills AND in my people skills. Plus, look around......you are not all that unusual. I find that some of my peers have trouble relating too. We are all nervous, scared, and green. People are different. I try to see that maybe I won't be so personally affected by the patients as my more "mushy" peers. Maybe that personality trait will make me a BETTER nurse???? Who is to say???I deal with whether the insanity of nursing is for me. By this I mean the hectic pace, doctors yelling at you, pts yelling at you, family yelling at you, attitude from co workers....you get to see all this when you get into clinicals and it is EYE OPENING. But, the other day I spent a day in Endoscopy, and while it was still fast paced, it was much more "routine" than the oncology floor I had been doing clinical on. I could envision myself being pretty good at what they do there after about a year. I like routine and finding a certain "comfort zone" in my work. I would like to find an area that is my specialty in nursing as well. Endoscopy nurses seemed to have less patient contact and more routine tasks than the floor nurses. It was just different, so don't make up your mind with your first scary rotation, OK??:chuckle I compare myself to my peers endlessly, which is bad. I am my own worst enemy!! I look at nursing school as the learning experience of a lifetime. If it ends up not being for me and I am miserable, OH WELL. Look how much knowlege I will have gained, and a degree. If it doesn't work out, well, I plan to go into laboratory or fitness. Lab rat doesn't sound too bad, . But right now, I am going to try. When I think about the kind of person I want to be, it is the kind of person I am not, so I am working to develop that. I know why I feel so uncomfortable though, after doing all those personality tests. My "feeling" nature is soooooooo underdeveloped. It is at the very back of the bus in my personality profile, which explains why I am so uncomfortable using it.You can do Meyers Briggs Personality testing at these two sites:http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asphttp://haleonline.com/psychtest/Anyway, GOOD LUCK TO YOU. Work on finding out where you fit in. Remember, it is all one big test. None of us can be 100% sure of the way to go. You only know for sure once you try...