Hi,i’m new here,on this site but also in U.S.I already have a degree in CS obtained in my country,but now i’m considering nursing.I haven’t thought about that until recently( 2 months ago) when my husband suggested that i could pursue a career in healthcare because it’s rewarding,stable etc.I started to think about this and researching the problem on the internet,borrowing books from the library,and finally i ended up with the conclusion that the career with the most oportunities would be nursing,with all that programs that will allow somebody that already has a degree to obtain a BSN in as little as 2 or even 1 year.But the problem is that i still have doubts about that,i don’t know it’s the right job for me,of course first because of the main problem that i don’t know if i can handle the sight ob blood,seeing sick people or even diying people every day and all that,but also because i don’t think that i am such a “people person” and i don’t know that i will get along with the pacients.To enter this career also seems so difficult for me.I mean,it’s a nursing shortage,ok,but why thinks are made so that it is hard to enter a nursing school?For example,currently i am looking for an online training program for a CNA,and i can’t find anything that i would’t spend a little fortune and also that looks serious. Can anybody help me with an advice,with an opinion about my choice to be a nurse?

sakura, don't do an online program for CNA. They are a waste of money, and many facilities will not hire graduates of such programs. Check out your local CC, or vocational school for a program. The State Board of Nursing would be a good place to find a reputable program.

If you don't like working with people, then you won't like nursing. Nursing is all about people. Many students have trouble with the sights and smells associated with health care, and we usually get over them. I still can't stand the smell of stool after 23 years in nursing, but it's a minor distraction compared to the satisfaction I get from my job.

If you're not sure nursing is for you, try volunteering at your local hospital. That will give you an opportunity to have contact with staff, patients, and families and decide if nursing might be for you.

But don't go into nursing just because it's a stable job. Nursing is stressful and emotionally draining. If you aren't committed to helping others, you will burn out quickly and quit the profession.

I think I have got my answer. I was thinking about nursing but I have a real problem with smells. I cannot stand the smell of stool or urine. I think I will look into something else.

Yes but squirmals she still has to deal with people, very strong, independent, opinionated people, aka the staff

squirmals,what is OR?

I am currently a nursing student and I agree that nursing is a people job. While most patients I've worked with were awesome, some of them were a handful and very difficult. Dealing with the sight and smell of things gets easier with time (although I have to agree about the stool - my fellow nursing student friends and I were talking about it and someone mentioned that it was probably because everyone's stool is slightly different, therefore you can't get used to it all!) Still, if you have difficulty communicating with all sorts of people, you might find it difficult because it's all about working with people and caring for them.

Even in the OR you'll have to talk to patients. I had the opportunity of sitting in on a surgery once and while the nurse and anaesthesiologist were preparing the patient for surgery, the nurse was there for the patient, talking to her and easing her concerns.

Theala,you make it sound like every nurse is some kind of saint,and i know for sure that it's not like that,not even by far (for some).

wow,now i see why they say that they(nurses) are eating their young...

sakura you were honest in saying you were not a people person. If I came off harsh to you, I apologize. You said this to theala, "you make it sound like every nurse is some kind of saint,and i know for sure that it’s not like that,not even by far (for some)." There are many in the healthcare field who do not belong, but they are there and we have to deal with them. I have never been a nurse who eats their young. I have taught, supported, helped new nurses. I have never sabotaged, ridiculed or set anyone up. I have been on the receiving end of those behaviors and it is a painful and demoralizing experience. We have all given you our honest and educated opinions. There is no area of nursing, until you reach a certain level where you do not have patient contact.