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Does it sound like I'm making the right decision ?
Hello, I'm currently a sophomore in college. A year ago when I started college I did so as a nursing student. I was top of my class and my enjoying everything I took. However, at the end of my first year I had a bit of a life-crisis when I realized I didn't want to be a nurse because I was afraid I would end up cleaning out urine pans all day or that I would get injured because I'm a petite female. I also didn't want to work 12 hour shifts and only wanted to work with children, but was told it's very difficult to get into pediatrics.
I was also afraid I wasn't giving what might be "my true passion" a real chance as I had started developing a big interest in world affairs.
Well I wound up transferring to another city after being accepted on scholarship to a better school and when I did so I decided I was going to leave medical and changed my major to Government and World Affairs.
After taking 4 Government classes, I've realized my passion was medical. I constantly miss my medical classes and learning all about the body. I'm just not retaining the information taught in my government classes the same way and it's not what I thought it would be. The government teachers don't seem to care as much and I don't feel happy like I do talking about my old major. I also miss the job security that came with medical classes, as I constantly fear that a degree in government will ruin me.
Now I think I'm going to go for a degree in Allied Health instead and make my goal to become a Physicians Assistant. I realize this will require a Masters degree and 2000 hours worked in a medical facility, but I'm up for the task, knowing it will guarantee me a real job and that I did so well in my medical classes. I also feel like it will be a huge relief for my family and friends who feared I was making a big mistake going for government instead.
I can also apply all of my first year nursing classes to the major since they are very similar courses and use the government classes as social science credits towards my overall degree requirements to put me ahead.
My only fear is that in another semester I'll want to flip-flop again or that without a Masters, I won't be able to accomplish much in the meantime with an Allied Health degree. I know for sure I don't want to be a nurse and a PA sounds right up my ally. I feel like a huge weight is off my chest though just thinking about being in medical again and I haven't officially switched yet.
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the only thought I got here was a caution to you. Ask yourself if perhaps while in gov. classes, the reason you believe you are happier talking about medical stuff is not entirely because it is a passion but more right now about it being a topic you are more familiar with and comfortable with?
I am like the next person, not liking the learning stage, it's scary and often diasspointing and in any job I've ever had when trained on the spot, I remember that each job, like each class, has a lot of information that is important that you are meant to retain and its hard to learn it and keep it easily in memory from the start.
I guess it all depends on what jobs you go for in the medical field. A nurses or drs assistant in a local doctor clinic is not going to be cleaning bed pans.
I would suggest writing out a list of exactly what parts of being a nurse you find exciting. It may be that some of those qualities are the same that fit other jobs not even remotely related to nurse care.
Heres a few ideas to give you a start:
LIST
Make some ones life a little better
Nurturing
Teaching people how to take best care of themselves
Help those unable to help themselves
Hating to see children suffer illness
You won't come up with a complete list overnight but carry some paper with you and jot down thoughts as they come to you over the next few days when you're not concentrating so hard on having something to jot down.
Perhaps world affairs as far as a hands on position is what you would find more satisfying, working in a 3rd world country, helping to teach people how to take better medical care of themselves and work with children somehow to better their lives and it need not pertain to medical either, just where ever there is a need.
I hope this gives you something to help decide.
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I'm not quite sure where to start here so forgive me if I ramble a bit. Being a nurse or PA are both great positions. Being a nurse as in a RN which with a 4 year degree you should be emptying bed pans & urine pans would be a waste of your education and talent. Hospitals have other less educated nurses and CNA to do that job. This is not to say you will never empty a bedpan.
There is one other position you left out of consideration. One where you can finish your undergraduate degree in nursing. Go out and get a good paying job in a hospital that does not require 12 hour shifts. Only hospitals that are severely understaffed require 12 hours shifts. These are also the hospitals that pay at the top of the chart for nurses though.
The position is Nurse Practitioner. You work as a nurse then after a given time in nursing, not very long, you can transition to Nurse Practitioner. My Nephew will finish his course work in the transition this December. He started his medical career as a Paramedic/Firefighter. He found there was a bridge course to nursing from being a paramedic. He took the course. His fire department job requires 12 days a month from him.
His nursing job in the hospital schedules him around his fire department schedule for 12 8 or 12 hour shifts in the ER. Combined he brings home a six figure salary that would allow his wife, my niece to be a stay at home mom. Instead she works and they bank her salary towards retirement.
No I'm not suggesting you become a firefighter/paramedic though it is a very rewarding career. What I am attempting to show you is the income potential another career in the health field which will allow you to start earning a great salary while you prepare to advance to a level similar to what you are currently looking at.
Going the route of being a nurse gives you much more flexibility arrive at the end goal.
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