Nursing School???????

Well here is the story; i start nursing (lpn) school today. I cant sleep. Im having second thoughts and i dont know what to do. First i have to say i do enjoy helping people, i find it rewarding. I recently graduated with my BS in public health and Sociology but have yet to find a job its been 7 months. So i decided to go into nursing, i do not want to be an RN, only because i dont want to work in the hospital and i dont want all the paper work and responsibility, i would want more patient contact. I dont know if its just nerves or what? My friend just graduated and she loves her job, but on the other hand she has NO LIFE what so ever!!!!! I mean im a dedicated person and like i said i love to help people, but i also have my own needs.... Will my life really be over??? I know the schooling is hard and very time consuming. I just need advice....PLease

Hey girlie. Relax. I graduated college and I am going to be attending school to become a registered dietitian (RD), so I am not in exactly the same boat, but I can relate to how you are feeling. In my opinion, I think that you are doing the right thing to make yourself more marketable.

The fact that you studied public health shows that you care about people, and that nursing could in fact be a satisfying career. Yes, nursing school is very difficult, but I think that it will be worth it. Congrats on getting into a program. In my state (CA) that is very difficult, and highly desirable. Just remember that while you are in school you will be exposed to lots of different areas of focus, some you will love, and some you will hate. Keep your mind open and maybe you will discover what type of PT population that most appeals to you (i.e. children, cancer, chronic, acute care, etc.). Lastly, yes nurses do have to do paperwork, but that is only part of it. I do believe there is the potential for A LOT of PT contact. Keep that in mind when you are on the job market again. Look for hospitals that have the same philsophy as you.

Check out this link for further inspiration: It seems like it has some alternatives for nursing careers, other than the standard RN.
http://www.discovernursing.com/

When one reads your dilema, one wonders whether its the best career you wish to have or it is the security of a job that you are after.

In life, we do not take careers unless our interests, skills, job qualifications and values match the career requirement. You may be having an interest in helping people, but your values ie the time you want to spend on them does not allow you to serve them.. alongside that, you dont wish to be a registered nurse. That means you wish to train as a nurse but do not want to fulfil all the requirements to allow you practice as a registered nurse. That will still narrow your job prespects.

My advice would be:

Take a nursing degree only if you sure wish to fulfil all the professional requirements so that your job prospects are increased .

However if you do not wish to practice as a nurse, you can take the option of taking a masters degree in nursing with a view of being a lecturer in the same field. may be that will allow you be a "nurse" and your students can get your skills imparted in them..

You need a career counselor if you cannot make up your mind

You are sadly mistaken if you think a LPN requires less paper work and liability. The only difference between a RN and LPN is LPN can not do certain things (like IV push meds and sometimes give narcs) but this varies by state and where you work. A LPN is still liable for their work and not protected under a RN license, you are out there on your own just like a RN. Also you should consider getting your RN after your LPN a RN makes oodles more money for just a few more quaters in school. As well a RN does not have to work in a hospital, you will actually find more non-hospital type jobs with your RN then just with a LPN degree. LPN and RN's honestly have the same amount of patient care time. In hopsitals and nursing homes they pretty much do the same job and certainly do the SAME amount of paper work. If liabilty and paper work is something you want to avoid i would take a hard look at your choice to become a nurse. As far as being nervous about school take a deep breath and realize you should be nervous! A certain amount of fear is actually good, it keeps you on your toes and makes you study harder. You can do it, dont worry :) all of us have and lived through it and you are no exception. If you are confused about the different roles of RN vs LPN i suggest you look up your local state laws regarding practice as well you might shadow a LPN in a hosptial and a nursing home and compair, i think youll find the same level of paper work and patient care time between the two settings and the LPN to RN;s
good luck!