Why is nursing important to you?

Why do poor or less than stellar academic students choose to major in nursing?

• This may sound like an odd question but the reason I ask is this: I have a master's degree and went to college with students majoring in nursing. Several people I knew majored in nursing. Two of my roommates majored in nursing...one completed the program and the other was unsuccessful. The one that was unsuccessful saw it as a way to make money and did not understand how serious the major was, nor did I observe her having the study skills and dedication for the program. A friend of mine was unsuccessful the first semester in the program due to a statistics class and she regrouped and studied harder and is getting her MA in nursing today. An associate of mine got her 2 year degree in nursing but it took her almost 4 years because she was working and had kids. I also know other girls I went to college with who declared nursing as their major and didn't even make it into the program because their grades were not strong enough. Now that I am older, I constantly meet young women who did not go to college right after high school and are now trying to go to college 10 years later major in nursing after having one or two children. Some of them may not have children but work full-time jobs to make ends meet. Many are not married. Some of these women I know personally and due to my experience of living with nursing students, I understand how tough the program is and how much dedication it requires. I know that you can be successful in college as an older student with kids because I was a single parent working on my masters but I was not in the medical field. I'm not trying to discourage these women. However, these women that I know were not strong academically in high school. Some have a GED. They seem to be choosing this major because they like to help people and view it as a lucrative job. I have heard many of them say they hate math and think science is boring. I am not sure if this disqualifies a person from going into the field but I know my college friends had to take lots of science and math classes. I'm wondering why they are choosing this major if they are not prepared? One of the girls I met is choosing nursing as a last resort because all of her other ventures have failed.

• Answer:

  I believe it has to do with a combination of the following: There's the "If you can do it, I can do it" attitude. A big plus. Good grades do not necessarily equal a good nurse and bad grades also do not necessarily equal a bad nurse. It's part personality. The nursing field is short on staff. This means many different opportunities and might mean that some employers are willing to overlook less than stellar grades & GEDs. Nurses are needed all over the place, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, health ins companies, schools, jails, etc... with so many location choices, a woman can work close to home. Less commute time is a big plus to a mom. This also helps in a minor or major emergency when she needs to get to her kids quickly. For women who go back to school years after high school, yes, they may have lead lazy or reckless lives before but they finally matured and are ready to become something they can respect. Even if a woman fails a nursing program, I believe it's a stepping stone to a better her.