Hi Lori,
I'm also entering nursing as a 2nd career after 18 years in the insurance industry. I have to say that I'm not very worried as attending school and clinical has reinforced my thought that nursing would be more of a passion than just a job as my 1st career was. I believe that having that passion will make me a good nurse, at least that's what I hope anyway!
I think we all feel as if we don't have a clue yet when our clinical instructor listed all the skills we had learned last semester at the end of the class, we all felt pretty good and realized just how much we did actually learn.
So, hang in there!
Carroll

lb, there is an absolutely enormous difference between clinicals and real life omg I'm a nurse! You're still under continuous pressure by your instructors to achieve basic nursing skills, although you're coming to the end of that phase. Once you begin actually practicing nursing outside the confines of academia, you're going to find all you've learned really suddenly makes sense.

BEEN IS A OFFICE FOR YEAR IM TIRED OF IT!! NEED A CHANGE AND GUARANTEDD CAREER RN IS EVRY STATE A JOB

I don't have any regrets doing nursing as a second career, it's just hard sometimes when someone who is old enough to be your daughter is your 'leader' at work and treats you like a dummy.... moments like that get to me, but I'm still glad I've done it. (I'm just over 40) another aspect of this is that I feel pressed for time to make up for the things I don't know and find myself getting self critical and stressed as a 'beginner' with what I don't know and forget to ENJOY the course - I remind myself I have alot of LIFE experience, have raised a family, worked for years and this experiences enhances how effectivley I work and treat my patients. I still have a good 20yrs in me to be a nurse and thats no small contribution...

LOL Jenna, did you push her into taking a month off?? I know what you mean with so many being younger. I'm 36 but I've done alot in my life up to this point. Unfortunately I've missed out on having the family. I think it is great that you did that first. There's still hope for me though...........I think. (lol)

I guess I'm just used to people looking to me for help and advise in my previous job. Now, I feel horrible when I let others down. Even my instructors. I just hate letting people down and looking foolish.

charlita said:

No matter how old you are or experienced you are-there are always some people who can make you feel dumb as a post. Sometimes it's their high and mighty attitudes that do it. There was this one nurse (RN) who would always drill me at report. When I was around her, I would stutter and everything would just fly out of my head. Some people can do that to you-intimidate you. She did. I don't know what her problem was-but she made it mine too. I would avoid her like the plaque. I still cringe when I think of her.

I am not regretting leaving an almost 19 year first career for nursing. Like you, I am kicking myself for not having done it sooner. The fact is, that life experience does count, and it will give you great inner strength to conquer the challenges that RNs face....I am only in my first official week as an RN (today), and I have to say that the only thing that scares me is being the 'new kid' after all of those years of being the 'seasoned veteran' at my old job.....doing the training was much less nervewracking than being the trainee.....I will get through it all, I know, because nursing is my passion:) "Don't let the turkeys get you down"