Can I Be A Nurse And Not Work In Nursing Homes? (and Other Nurse Questions)?
I am interested in becoming a nurse, but the biggest thing stopping me is the fear of working a nursing home. It sounds ridiculous and maybe even insulting, but I don’t intend it to be that way. I don’t feel that it’s the elderly putting me off, but the environment. The fake, “home” environment. I suppose maybe the fact that the patients are typically all dying off and in such bad shape that also makes it hard and off-putting.
I’m considering becoming an EMT instead as I love the idea of life-saving and trauma and tragedy have always had some sort of draw for me. I like the idea of nursing more because it has SO MANY different areas that you can work in and a lot more jobs are available for nursing than EMT/Paramedic.
If I do go for nursing, I could start out as a CNA to get a taste of it but can I be a CNA and not work in nursing homes? I’d like to work in hospitals. If I liked it, I’d go up from there to eventually be an RN. What degrees and such would I need to be a psychiatric nurse or something else mental health related? What would I need to do trauma related work?
Thanks!
Have you been in a good, clean nursing home. It’s actually not that “bad”. A nurse’s job in a nursing home isn’t that difficult either. Don’t make it sound so morbid. It isn’t at all.
EMT? If you want to deal with life saving and trauma, you can also be a nurse in ER or a paramedic. Don’t be fooled by watching TV shows. Unless you thrive on this sort of excitement, it gets old really quickly when you realize that most of the patients have problems that don’t need to go to ER for treatment, i.e. a cold.
You don’t choose the area of nursing during school. In fact, as a new grad, you may not get to choose to work where you want. Most ER will not hire a new grad RN. See http://www.rn.ca.gov/careers/steps.shtml
p.s. CNAs do not work in a doctor’s office by the way. They work in hospital and nursing homes since they’re nurse’s aides. Medical Assistants work in doctor’s office.
And nursing in acute care hospitals doesn’t have individuals “dying and in such bad shape”? I have never met anyone admitted into the hospital that goes there because they are in such great shape! Remember…………that is healthcare.
There will be less acute conditions in the nursing home, the medical condition of residents in nursing homes are more stable, and the care they receive is long-term (except someone who goes there for therapy to return home). Yes, people die in nursing homes, but not all residents in a nursing home are actively dying or in such bad shape either. People die in hospitals too!
If you live and work in the U.S., you can choose where you work. Many CNAs work in small doctor’s offices. One I visit has a group of doctors who work in the same office building and have a common area for nursing staff and records. You can work for an individual doctor, or a small clinic, or a hospital. You could even work for a school. I have had friends who have been EMTs and they like the work, too. There are courses for EMT certification. (Check with your local community college, university or junior college. You might also visit a fire station and ask them about the career details.)
No one has to work in a nursing home, its not a requirement. There are plenty of jobs in hospitals. If you like drama, then maybe a surgical nurse is what you would like. I met a woman who was doing her CNA this weekend who was working in the CCU of a hospital. If you want to be a psychiatric nurse then you could go for an advanced practice nurse masters degree. I’ve given you a link to the Rutgers site for their advanced practice programs. You can then become a Nurse Practicioner, which allows you to operate more independently if you want.