Hello,

I am a 23 year old girl and here is my crazy predicament I am in and I am hoping that the nursing students/nurses here could help me  in my situation. I know I sound confused just by reading this post, but I don't know if I should go into nursing school, or do nursing school and both court reporting school, which I do at home it is an online course. And also I am not worried about job security for court reporting they make good money, I just keep regretting that I never went on to pursue nursing which was my goal 5 years ago. I am scared I might not be able to type fast enough for the certification tests, although my teacher says I will, but I always doubt myself and hesitate, and It would take me 3 years to finish nursing school, and around 1 year to finish court reporting to be able to sit for the state/and or national exam.

I am currently in school to become a court reporter, I have been in it since June 2008, and in March 2010 I learned a new 'theory' so I could write shorter and faster. So my teacher is telling me that I would likely finish in  August 2011 if I study really hard. Here is the thing, I am blessed right now that I don't have to work while going to school and I love it because I sit my butt down for around 8-10 hours a day typing away on my machine trying to memorize all of the strokes for the words, it is not easy. But the thing is it is not guaranteed that I will finish in that time. Maybe it might take 6 more months, maybe I will finish. I'm not used to being on my feet for 10 hours a day, but I do need the exercise, since I began my CR court reporting training, I gained 20 pounds. So I figured it would be a good thing because I would be more active and lose weight finally.

The other thing is that I only need 3 more pre-reqs to apply to nursing school, and when I was in the anatomy class, it didn't even feel like a class, i loved it so much, I got A's on my tests, and the teacher always called out the highest grades and when I heard my name it made my day. But then I started to think and read forums where they said that patients will yell/swear at you for helping them, poop/pee on you, bleed, etc, because I've grown so accustomed to just sitting my toosh down all day typing at my machine and listening to dictaiton hoping that I will be able to type at 200 words a minute, feels like a dream that I will never be able do fulfill. I like court reporting because I enjoy typing and learning to type a multi-syllabic word very short in 1 stroke even, and it makes me happy, but I always feel like I will do good in nursing school because i'm a fast learner and I do love science and I'm good in math, and people always told me i'm very patient, so that's a good thing to have in nursing. My dad doesn't want me to go into nursing because he says that I will always be around sick people and it will make me depressed, I will not be happy, that I will be happy doing office jobs. That I have to clean poop/pee, it's only for some people.

And the nursing school requires that before starting school I need to finish the CNA---in order to become a CNA I need insurance, and my beautiful amazing mom has been working for 10 years as a bagger, and I just want to finish something I start so I can give her money so she doesn't need to work anymore, and I will be covered by her insurance starting January 2011, I have 3 more years until I turn 26.

I just don't know what to do.

In order to become a court reporter I have to pass a literary 180 (words per minute) at 95% accuracy, Q&A question and answer at 225wpm, and Jury Charge at 200wpm.

I am not getting alot of sleep because I keep thinking of this dilemma. It's not really that I can't pay for school because my parents are just amazing and pay for my schooling, but I just don't know if going into nursing school will make me stay longer in school to try and pass the national certification to become a court reporter.

For me nursing school starts fall of 2011, but I just don't know, i'm dazed and confused. Thanks for reading.

Hello AnaLady,

Thank you very much for your helpful input, I looked up "nurse burnout" in google and got many many pages on nurses being treated like crap, it saddens me. I don't think it would be worth it to pursue it even for the money, because I don't want to burn out as well. Wow 3 years, so what do you do now if I may ask? I always did like teaching, I might go into that then. Even if it's little money, but one coworker did say I was very patient and that I should be a teacher, and also my sister said that I would be a good teacher. I was thinking maybe pre-school or Elementary Education for 1st graders.

Thanks again Ana, you are amazing all nurses are, I could easily go to nursing but I will take your adivice. One more question, what about school nurse? Is it worth going through nursing school to become a school nurse, or better to become a teacher? I definitely think teaching/and court reporting is the best route for me.

Dearest confusedstudent:

You are soo young and might have a long life ahead of you , God willing. It sounds like you have truely been blessed by wonderful parents. Remember though, they might  not always be able to support you. I would suggest that you relax, take some time off and re-energize yourself. If you are stressing yourself so much trying to become a court reporter and loosing sleep over it, maybe that too is not for you. There is something wonderful and perfect for you out there. Just relax and let it come to you when the time is right. For now, do what your heart tells you to do. What really makes you feel great? What are your hobbies? What puts a smile not only on your face but in your heart.?That is a key to what you should spend your life doing. Retirement age is getting older and older every year. Remember that you are young. You can, year by year, prepare for retirement and for sustaining your life for the future..... years to come....some people live to be 90+ you could have another 60+ years to go God willing.....

God bless you with that inner peace and calm that will help you to hear His voice gently calling you and leading you to do His will.