[bellygood]

Hi

I've just finished year one of Nursing (external/part time - so actually two years of study to get to this point).

I'm now at a point where I need to decide: to go on, or not to go on and I need your thoughts!!

Background: I've moved to a rural area and want job security/decent income > I have a strong background in another profession but not really many/any opportunities here for that > I've always had an interest in health/healthcare but not necessarily in nursing - truth be told I would rather be in Allied Health or Medicine but cannot study that from here as I need to be external >I committed to doing the first year of Nursing then reappraise... so here I am

On the plus side:

1. I feel great that I've done so well at study - the 'book work' part I have found really good and my results reflect that
2. I have enjoyed having this extra dimension to life outside home, family and (part-time) work
3. I really believe nurses 'do good' - it's a good, practical, useful job that contributes to society (sounds schmaltzy but I believe that)

On the minus side:

1. It costs a bomb - not just direct cost of study but indirect eg taking a month off work for placement...
2. It does put stress on the family around exam/assignment/placement time... hang on, that's the whole semester
3. I just fully hated my first clinical placement - an 'aged care' placement but done at a large hospital - it was absolute sh*t and I hated it (though did quite well on the 'report card')
4. Though I've done well at study I'm not really 'into' it - I have to force myself to read etc...

So ... to go on or not

I would not feel bad quitting - I've done great at my studies and am proud of that. Unfortunately it doesn't count for jack sh*t (unless TAFE let me upskill to EEN without too much more study) but I would not feel like a failure for quitting now

However, I think I would feel at a loose end work-wise - what to do, how to earn dosh?

I would feel bad going on in that I'm sick of part time and want to take on fulltime study which means thousands of bucks either spent or lost in wages and months away from home/family ... because I work in the health system I would not be placed in local hospitals.

On the other hand, I'd love to have that 'ticket', that option to nurse even part-time (actually only part-time ... after placement I'm convinced that I personally could not be a fulltime ward nurse).

Thoughts?

This post has been edited by bellygood: 16/12/2012, 12:34 PM

[triangle]

Never in a million years would I base my opinion of my nursing career on my first ever placement in aged care in a nursing home.

If I had have done that i NEVER would have continued...

I love acute care... (although am not working in the hospital setting currently), but am still specialising in my chosen area.

I'm not quite sure I understand your hesitation to not finish it? If your marks are good, you enjoy the course work, stick it out.

Or at least enrol in your next subject so you can do your practical placement in acute care to see if you like it more, tehn decide if you want ot go on. (I get it is an expensive risk with fees, and time off work).

I guess my main point is, I personally wouldn't work in aged care in a heart beat, it's not my thing, but there are SO many different aspects to nursing than ADL's, which let's face it, when you're a student on your first placement, and an aged care one at that, you are learning basic skills.
THe more interesting/exciting stuff comes later.

[bellygood]

Thanks Triangle, I get what you are saying and appreciate your insight into how the first placement might not reflect the job itself...

For me, my reluctance is about money and time

Money: if I could get my hands on one of the scholarships (applied, rejected...) I'd go on, no questions asked - but out of my own/family budget, studying hurts

Time: not so much study itself as I can get a fair bit done in not much time, but placement was hard, really hard... I commuted each day (two hours total) and was absolutely shattered each night... in hindsight, perhaps I should have stayed locally as the commute was maybe the straw that broke the camel's back

I really appreciate your answer and hope to get some more thoughts on this...

[MoonPie]

My aged care hospital placement was my first too. I HATED it.

I stuck with it, loved most of my other pracs. Worked in nursing for 5 years and have now specialised in midwifery. Hang in there!

I know in WA you can work as an EN after 3 semesters. Look into that?

[annie13]

I would do second year. I don't think 1st year is much to gauge by. There are so many different areas in nursing. I love it so I'm probably biased though. What exactly was it that you didn't like about your placement?

[triangle]

I'd probably think about it in terms of short term pain for long time gain.

Are you planning more children? I guess I was lucky I did my study pre-children, but am considering further uni studies in a different field to what I currently do... am undecided though.

I get how difficult the juggling and financial strain would be, just that long term you will be ok. Can you enrol in summer school and get it over and done with asap?

Also, I like to think I am a pretty great nurse, and very experienced in my area, but where I am today didn't happen because of how hard i did/or didnt work at uni. I did enough in uni to get me through, but I also worked full time, so for the crappy subjects, I didn't dedicate as much effort as I did to teh more important ones.
A pass is a pass really... no one cares what grades you got. What counts though are your placement reports etc, so if these are all good then they count most.

I didn't come out of uni an expert, I had general knowledge about a lot of areas. Even now... if you were to chuck me in a surgical ward I'd be lost.... but in the area I am in I've learnt more and more over time, and still do, which doesn't have so much to do with my time at uni, if that makes sense?

[Mianta]

Hmm, I wouldn't base my opinion on the profession on an aged care placement. When I did my aged care placement, I actually didn't mind it, but I found it so depressing!

Maybe start researching other areas of nursing, that you may be interested in or consider cutting back part time. Also, realise that while it seems unaffordable right now, it really won't be that long until you will graduate and start earning money and then you can do post graduate study, if you choose to, while being in paid employment.

[Julie-Anne]

I would stick it out, first year is dreadful and that is why there is such a drop-out and they are able to accomm the intake of EN's (Div 2s) into second year.

My first placement was in a secure dementia unit for 2 weeks, we were like lambs to slaughter and were allocated the most violent and unsettled patients by the nasty PCAs who thought it was most funny. Anyways, stuck that one out just to stick it up them. We had 4 students in a group of 8 drop out after 2 days in that placement.

Anyways, second/third years are better, you will be in acute med/surg and acute mental health and you will be learning a lot. Some placements are better than others but even if you hate it, do the time, get a good report and move on, it's only for 2-4 weeks a time.

I graduated 3 years ago and now specialise in diabetes education, there are so many areas you can work as a RN, try and stick it out!

This post has been edited by Julie-Anne: 16/12/2012, 03:54 PM

[librablonde]

I just fully hated my first clinical placement - an 'aged care' placement but done at a large hospital - it was absolute sh*t and I hated it (though did quite well on the 'report card')

I went to Uni with student nurses who fainted from having to deal with the especially icky parts of aged care and they went on to make brilliant nurses in other areas. OP, I know nursing can be a tough role but there are lots of opportunities with it too and my nursing friends have shown me there's lots of scope for variety and even travel within that career. Unless you're really ambivalent about nursing and caring for people, I'd keep going with it.

[beebs09]

It is a really tricky decision to make. I was in a similar mindset as you minus the family disturbances thankfully as I did uni prekids.

I basically stuck with it as I couldn't decide what else to do.

There's heaps more practical in 2nd and 3rd year which is hard on home routines and finances. It is more interesting, but doesn't stop the feeling like you're working for nothing.

Grad year first year out of uni is also hard, as you want to take a good supportive position, but then it is shift work which I found really tiring -especially the 4 night duties a month.

In saying all that it has got me to where I am now in community nursing, with lovely regular hours which has lowered stress immensely. I really love my job now. The pay is reasonable basic professional wage - I think all nurses feel like they should get paid more. I love the job security, and being in a profession where you're always in demand. I love that I can easily work part time or full time and swap shifts week to week. It is very satisfying an you always feel good about what you do. After a year or 2 out of uni, you can make your job and learning as hard or as easy as you like. Or like me atm working 2 days a week, you can cruise along for a while. There's plenty of scope to move up the ranks, and there's so many varieties of nursing.

I sometimes think I might change careers at some point, but nursing is always a great job to fall back on, and a degree is worth a lot even if you don't use the education directly.