I'm dropping my degree to do Nursing ~ advice needed ~

[misdirection]

Hey everyone,

I've recently decided to drop university after this semester.

This semester is my 3rd semester, and my 3rd degree. I know it's horrible =(

MY first year i chose to do Psychology, after a semester of failing i switched university and degree, to do IT. I managed to pass, but it was too difficult so i switched to Business. I am managing in business but i'm getting really depressed because i hate it.

 

After 1.5 years, my family tells me to just finish the degree. But i truly hate it. I've always wanted to do something with children, being a Pediatrician was a good idea, but i was apprehensive because it required 7+ years. After talking to the careers counselor i realized nursing was an option, and i could specialize in pediatrician.

 

There has always been a stigma with nursing with me, i've never even considered it. BTW i'm male as well ! But i realized it is perfect for me, and this time i am changing degrees for the right reason. Not for prestige (psych) or money (IT) or a way out (business). I am doing nursing because i think i would truly enjoy it.

 

I just want to know experiences from other nurses, especially male nurses! And also i'm deciding to take a long break from university before i do nursing, just to clear my head. I am thinking about taking a working holiday to the UK with the IEP (link removed). I will post another post on that also asking for advice.

 

*edit* I just realized i can't create another post*

So if anybody has any tips on working overseas alone, i'd appreciate it alot ! It will be my first time traveling overseas alone !

My plan is to work in the UK, preferably a live-in pub for a few months, and go traveling around Europe. Just the prospect scares me, but it's something i've always wanted to do. My biggest fear is not know what to do, and also being lonely. As i will be there by myself.

[richmonder80]

Do what makes you happy. If helping people through medicine or taking care of them is your passion then do it. Just because you are a male doesn't mean you can't be a nurse. Yes, there is the social stigma that male nurses are odd but not abnormal...odd as it there are few and far btwn.

 

College is largely about whether a personal can endure the stress, the academic challenge, and the ability to be in a setting where real life and academic cross. Which degree you pursue doesn't necessarily determine what you will do in life. A college degree is just a simple proof or validation that you were able to handle the academic stress in conjunction with daily livelihood.

 

I personally feel that obtaining your college degree is important because the experience of going through college is essential in adjusting to real life. College was hard but it taught me that if you want something you have to work for it.

 

For some, studying is unbareable but that doesnt mean they cant succeed in college. You just have to sit your butt down and just do it. It is what it is...and that is life...life is what it is...it's not fair...it's life.

 

Best of luck to you and if you want to give it a shot again (school) do it...it is never too late.

[Crazyaboutdogs]

It is fine to change careers..but I have to wonder what is at the root of the constant changes. You seem very restless and you can't seem to stick to something very long. You have done three different things in the course of three semesters...then you decide on nursing, but rather than be excited about this, you are running off to Europe to work. You can't escape from yourself. How long are you taking off...you say a long time. The longer you delay the harder it might be for you to go back to school, especially with your track record of not sticking to things.

 

If nursing is where you want to be, why not make an appointment with the Nursing Director of a hospital and find out if you can talk to some male nurses to get their input on what it is like. Do some real homework on this...find out what is involved, will you like the courses you have to take, will you like the practical aspects. There is a lot you will have to deal with before you actually work with children.

[misdirection]

I know. But my head is a big mumbo jumbo mess at the moment.

I feel i need a break from it all, to make sure that i will stick with nursing.

 

I have been doing research on nursing, and have been talking to my counselor. I'm afraid if i jump onto nursing after my failures at university, i might fail that too. And i don't want that. Also i should have done my gap year 18months ago, but my counselor says it's never too late...

 

Another thing about me, is my roots are maths and science, i've no idea why i've chosen to do IT and business... But i'm very smart, pre-university, i was ranked 3rd in my school. I don't know what went wrong... bad choices, i guess.

 

I'm just hoping i'm doing the right thing this time.

[misdirection]

I've gone through hours and hours of websites on nursing. Government sites, universities, forums, experiences from nurses (enrolled, registered, clinical)

 

And i've also visited every travel government website in australia, many websites with tips on traveling alone, living overseas, Youth Hostel Australia, i've ordered a few information packages and brochures. I will start applying at the end of the semester. The hard part is organising (And canceling) my scholarship, bank accounts... PARENTS ....

[Lana0120]

Are you sure the problem isn't so much what you want to do as university itself? It doesn't sound like you're into uni.

[Hope75]

Another thing about me, is my roots are maths and science,

 

Hi There,

 

I am a nurse and a recent grad from nursing school (december 2006) after switching careers. I am female, but I have several friends both from school and work who are men- and they enjoy nursing and are just as good at it as the women are.

 

Math and science are a big part of nursing- but it is also an art, and your psych education background will add to your abilities in this field too.

 

If you have any questions feel free to PM me. I can't tell you about working internationally but I can certainly give you advice about nursing.

[richmonder80]

Why do people on here refer to college as university? Is that how people overseas (those who aren't in the US) refer to them as? Just curious.

[CaptainPlanet]

Why do people on here refer to college as university? Is that how people overseas (those who aren't in the US) refer to them as? Just curious.

 

Tertiary education referred to as a 'College' is an American adaptation in the US you still have Universities but I think they're collectively referred to as a College.

 

I'll over simply it and say that College's are supposed to be vocational training grounds and Universities are supposed to be more academic and research orientated.

 

You also might be surprised how different our highschool system is in Australia our VCE or HSC is roughly equivelant to your first year of College.

 

For the OP..

 

Can you get work experience as a nurse or at a hospital to make sure it is what you want to do ?

 

Don't waste another 2 years of your life to finish your business degree and taking some time off University is definently a good idea if you don't know what you want to do.

[d1211]

Im also going for my degree in nursing, RN. I start next month. I have my degree in Information Technology but i just wanted a change, i have always wanted to be a nurse so now im gonna go for it, its never to late.

[philipsteele]

Nursing is a good career and also it is the best service for the society. So without worry you can choose this. Now medical fields have wide opportunity and also will get more relations and more experience from many of the people. If you are ready to taking this career then i think link removed is also good one. Because it will helps to improve our knowledge and also can give more suitable high quality patient care.

[Snny]

My fiance and my maid of honor BOTH have nursing degrees. It is where the money is if you can get into a hospital. However, it is a LOT of work and a LOT of studying. If you are going into it... you have to be truly committed and dedicated to work hard. That means picking up internships while you are studying because hospitals aren't going to want to hire a nursing grad without ANY experience. You have to be on top of everything to get your degree.

 

Be VERY prepared to be willing to work odd night shifts. They sometimes work from 7pm until 5 or 6 in the morning.

[catfeeder]

If you're taking some time away from studies, it would be smart to work as a nurse's aid for at least a few months to get some floor experience and decide from there whether it's for you. You'll either love it or hate it. If you don't love it, it's best to find that out before investing the time and money in starting another program.

[cmax01]

I am an RN, BSN. A nursing degree is not easy or an easy out and is much more difficult than a psych degree. You should talk with a guidance counselor to help you decide or take career tests based on personality..they help.

[gingerlemon]

Where I live, it's possible to work as an assistant to nurses without having formal qualifications. If this is an option for you, I would try that before embarking on another study. Check out what it's like in the real world before you throw yourself into degree number four

[Pure Beef]

Go for it, my friend (a male) switched to nursing when he was 22. He will be graduating in a year, a few months before he turns 25. It is a great career choice.

[Jetta]

It's always a good idea to go for a career that will bring you joy, however are your parents paying for these changes you keep making? Maybe you should apply for financial aid to ease the burden on them. How much longer did you have to complete your degree? Maybe just suck it up and finish then go back and get a degree in nursing.

[Snny]

Where I live, it's possible to work as an assistant to nurses without having formal qualifications.

Except they make s*** money. If you want to make money, go beyond an assistant degree. Medical assistants (who usually do a lot of tech work) make more than a nursing assistant. My maid of honor was one and she barely made crap until she became a nurse.

[catfeeder]

Except they make s*** money. If you want to make money, go beyond an assistant degree. Medical assistants (who usually do a lot of tech work) make more than a nursing assistant. My maid of honor was one and she barely made crap until she became a nurse.

 

Working as a nursing assistant before you make the big investment gains you the experience to make an informed decision. This wouldn't be about the pay, it would be about learning what you're getting into. Nursing is a tough job. Deciding you're cut out for it based on opinions of others without gaining first hand exposure will set you up for an awfully tough road if your heart wants to bail against fears of ditching yet one more path. Do the smart thing and solidify the choice based on actual floor work. Then if you commit you'll be confident, and if you want to change your mind you're free to do so without additional financial loss.

[twistedfate]

Misdirection-

 

I am in somewhat of a similar situation. I went to college/uni for journalism, and midway through my time there (around 2006 or so) I became really unhappy with the degree I was pursuing. I didn't think it was what I wanted to do, and I was only finishing the degree because I was so far along and my parents always expected me to finish college. I didn't want to be a quitter and I didn't know what I'd want to really switch my major to. I had always thought about going into nursing as well, and toyed with the idea of switching into nursing school at that time. I wanted to be a part of a surgical team and always was fascinated by medicine because my mom is a paramedic.

 

I graduated with my B.A. degree in 2008 and soon after got a marketing job. There were no newspaper/magazine jobs to be had in my town and I took a job doing marketing at a television station. I quickly became unhappy with this job and kept thinking I should go back and change things up. I couldn't see myself happy in journalism, in fact... I hated interviewing and the media in general. I was miserable and stuck. Last March I weighed some options and ended up finding out about surgical technology/surgical assistance, which I think is a better fit for me than just an RN in an operating room. I started the surgical program at a local community college/tech school and will be graduating with my 2nd degree in February 2012. I couldn't be happier and finally feel like I'm doing something I am going to enjoy.

 

Point of the anecdote is that you should do what YOU want to do. You can't live your life based on what other people want you to do, because at the end of the day, YOU have to go to work everyday and have that career. You have to be happy with what you're doing, and hope that your parents, friends, etc support you. If they see you're happy, I can't imagine they wouldn't support you. My mom always tells me she's glad that I am going back and doing this now (I'm 25) instead of working a job I hate for 20 years just because I was afraid of disappointing her. I'm sure your parents will be proud of you NO MATTER WHAT you decide to do-- they want you to be happy and healthy!

 

I say go for your dreams. I read a statistic that the average college student changes their major several times over the course of their studies. This is the time you want to be exploring your options and figuring things out. And now, you know what makes you happy, and what makes you unhappy!

[Snny]

Working as a nursing assistant before you make the big investment gains you the experience to make an informed decision. This wouldn't be about the pay, it would be about learning what you're getting into. Nursing is a tough job.

That's why there are internships and it's important that people research the job duties before entering the field. You HAVE to have internship experience with this profession, along with earning certifications. Nursing degrees aren't cheap either... a lot of college grads invest so much in fields like this in hopes they will gain enough pay to live by. I got a friend w/ a Nursing Assistant degree who barely make her bills and lives with her parents... how frustrating is that? That's why she is continuing her education for the full fledge RN Nursing degree and internship just to afford to live on her own.

[catfeeder]

That's why there are internships and it's important that people research the job duties before entering the field. You HAVE to have internship experience with this profession, along with earning certifications. Nursing degrees aren't cheap either... a lot of college grads invest so much in fields like this in hopes they will gain enough pay to live by. I got a friend w/ a Nursing Assistant degree who barely make her bills and lives with her parents... how frustrating is that? That's why she is continuing her education for the full fledge RN Nursing degree and internship just to afford to live on her own.

 

I understand, and given that nursing is obviously your friend's talent, she's smart for earning the best credentials--especially because she's already proven to herself that she IS a good nurse. In OP's case, having zero floor experience before making yet another plunge into a program is a huge risk. It's unnecessary given that OP intends to take some time off from study--that's the perfect window of opportunity to discover whether the art and science of nursing is the right combo for OP.

 

Internships come after you've already committed time and a ton of money to the program. That's an even bigger risk for someone who's already changed programs several times at great expense. Working as a nursing assistant before taking that plunge -again- will either set OP up for a realistic understanding of what the program will require, or it will prevent OP from making an expensive and humiliating error.

 

It's one thing to feel stuck in a program that has multiple uses if you can just get through it. It's quite another to be invested beyond return in a single-focus program only to discover that it's the last thing in the world you'll want to do at the end of the thing. The time to learn whether nursing is for you is BEFORE you sign the loan.

 

Fingers crossed, and lets hope it turns out to be a fabulous experience.

[sophie274]

Moderator note: the original post in this thread is three years old!

[Snny]

Moderator note: the original post in this thread is three years old!

 

Even so, isn't it quite informal for those who might be in a similar situation as the OP? Or should this thread be deleted by a mod? Not trying to be a smart ass... just saying.

[sophie274]

Of course it's informative, which is why I did not close it. I simply wanted to let people know that the person they thought they were helping is not checking this thread.