[illogic]

It took me a while to find this messageboard, but google sure gave me a helping hand here. Anyway, I was just wondering, as I'm currently at my first year of studying nursing and I still don't have a clue on what I would like to do later on. I've been through a 4 week "practical course" at an retirement home, and although I got through it, I found out that I'd prefere not to wipe peoples behind for the rest of my life. So therefor I was wondering what field within nursing you are in, and if your job consists of lot of "ass-wiping", washing etc. ? I was perhaps thinking about going into anesthesia(spellcheck please) or maybe psy. or something like that later on, but haven't made up my mind just yet. Thankfully I have a couple of years left to decide. I mean, I know there are tons of directions you can go within nursing, but I hardly know any. But do you have any suggestments on exciting fields to go into?

And another thing I was wondering about, is how much a RN usually earns in USA. I know it varies a lot from what kind of job you have and so on, but I was just thinking about the averge, cause I have no idea at all. I live in Norway, and I'm studying here, but I have a dual citizenship and tons of family in Florida, so I was thinking about maybe going over there for a couple of years just for the experince. From what I've heard the license I get from my nursing degree here, is valid in America, so I should be all set.

Sorry if this seems as a hopeless thread, but I just have a lot of questions, and don't know any male nurses so I'm having trouble asking people about this kind of stuff.

Thanks in advance.

[nursinghumor]

So you got your first taste of nursing and didn't care for working at the bedside? That's not a good sign for your future in nursing.

It's true that there are many areas of nursing you can go into after you have some experience that don't include bedside care, most however do require that you spend a few years as a staff nurse. If you're working in a nursing shortage situation, you'll likely be shortstaffed and need to pitch in with the "hands on" care frequently.

I suppose it would be easier to answer your question, if you could tell us what interests you about becoming a nurse?

As far as salary, RNs make 40-60K working full-time in most places on the average, with lots of opportunities for overtime. It's physical, stressful and deeply satisfying if you enjoy the bedside.

Andrew Lopez, RN
Nurses' Views of The Nursing Profession
http://www.nursefriendly.com/views

[illogic]

Thanks for answer nursinghumor. I wasn't saying that I hated the idea of the bedside, but when i worked at the retirement home, where I went through tons of dipershifts etc each day, I thought it went OK, but I'd be lying if I said it was something I liked doing. But it's probabaly a bit "better" at a hospital.

Anyone on here who has any experinece from the emergency room for instance? Seems very stressful, but very exciting at the same time. I don't have trouble with blood, wounds etc, but right now I'm mostly worried about the reactions I would get from washing people in their "private areas", but that might be something I can learn to grow off me. After all I'm still just 20 years old and never been through that part, except on a couple of demented elders, which could hardly speak nor tell me how the felt about it.

[veritas]

One of the nice things about nursing is that you don't HAVE to do bedside bottom-wiping for your whole career. It's good to know how to do the basic procedures (which is why the education process will take you through so many departments) -- and that also helps you discover the departments you truly enjoy and can contribute to. Keep in mind, there are very few nurses who wake up and think, "Geez, I can hardly wait to get to those bottoms...."
Hang in there.

V

[numba]

I just want to know. What oppurtunities are waiting for those who took up practical nursing? Is is easier for them to work in u.s or I might say is there a chance for to get a job there?
thanks in advance