Career Change to Nursing

[speculative]

Howdy. As I job search and read various career change discussions, articles, etc. on the Internet, I am surprised at the very high number of people I run across who are changing careers to nursing. Some are unemployed, but some already have well-paying jobs in other industries. For example, I just ran across someone who was making a bit over $40k a year in an IT job and was taking classes part-time to become an RN to change careers.

I was just wondering if anyone was currently making this sort of change into the healthcare field, or knew anyone who was making this change, and what your thoughts were about it? It seems like very difficult and demanding work as far as the duties and tasks you would be doing minute to minute. However, the job stability seems good, there are going to be a bazillion people entering the AARP years soon so this industry should continue to grow until someone like myself is ready to retire, and the pay seems very good. (Not as good as a doctor or lawyer or something like that perhaps, but very good.) Does being a nurse really involve being empathic with people that much? Do the skills or relating to people, sympathy, empathy, and soothing people who are in pain really play into it that much, or is it only about the daily tasks involved?

 

[Scott N Denver]

Interesting. infpGC had discussion about whtether INFP's are well-suited for nursing, as I recall the overall evaluation was INFP's are better at "alternative" stuff or one on one stuff [think audiology, physical therapy, etc], whereas nursing is FAR more SFJ and very S in work. Also, people said its not as personal and people-interactive as you might expect.

 

[speculative]

Interesting. infpGC had discussion about whtether INFP's are well-suited for nursing, as I recall the overall evaluation was INFP's are better at "alternative" stuff or one on one stuff [think audiology, physical therapy, etc], whereas nursing is FAR more SFJ and very S in work. Also, people said its not as personal and people-interactive as you might expect.

Thanks for the info. I need to start visiting GC again and get back in touch with my fluffier side. That's kind of what I suspected about nursing. I've watched a couple episodes of that "Mercy" show about nurses. I always wonder how close entertainment is to reality when watching something like that. I've worked in corporate office environments, and when I watch The Office I think that sometimes entertainment can come fairly close to reality...

 

[King sns]

Does being a nurse really involve being empathic with people that much?


Do the skills or relating to people, sympathy, empathy, and soothing people who are in pain really play into it that much, or is it only about the daily tasks involved?

Yes.. It does involve sympathy and empathy. You don't have to be a mother theresa or anything, but you need to be able to listen without going crazy. You need to at least like most people. You need to care a little bit. Tasks are a big part of it. But if you don't like people, you're going to hate it!
It also involves a great deal of detailed observation, which is why S's always have a little edge, I think.