I am a university graduate and am currently researching my options for a second degree, in a healthcare field. I am strongly considering a degree in nursing because it offers me almost everything I want in terms of a future career: stability, a dynamic environment, patient contact and interaction, etc. However, I do not operate well under high stress situations and do not want a very physically and emotionally demanding job. Due to this, I am very reluctant to work as a staff nurse in a busy hospital. I know that there are many branches of employment besides bedside nursing, but is a certain amount of hospital experience absolutely necessary for all fields? Given this information, would you say that nursing is not a good option for me?
Sincerely,
Seeking Options

Dear Seeking Options:

It's a rare job that has no stress at any time! A person on an assembly line, where machines lift everything, may still be on his/her feet all day, and doing shift work, and may be stressed about layoffs, plant closures, and "did I put that rivet in right, or is this car going to fall apart when someone's grandmother is driving it?" A secretary may sit all day, but end up with eyestrain and headaches, and the constant pressure of meeting deadlines.

Or consider this: I spoke with two RNs, both of whom had done stints as OR nurses. One found it stress-free, but also extremely dull, because as she experienced it, it was a very controlled environment with many hands making light work. The other nurse found it an extremely stressful environment filled with pressure and the constant worry that anything could happen. Two totally different views of the same job.Or how about this: Some would find the responsibility involved in being a nurse practitioner demanding in general, while others would find one particular specialty more demanding than another, e.g. family practice over mental health, or vice versa. While you probably will have to do bedside work during your practicum, it's a good way to get a feel for things – you may find it's not as bad as you thought, or that it's worse than you thought. And afterwards, you don't necessarily have to work at the bedside at all. There are areas that tend to be less physically and emotionally demanding than bedside work, such as clinics (walk-in, doctors' office, hospital-based, diet), IV therapy, hemodialysis, public health, research, occupational health, diabetes education, insurance, etc. (These jobs also tend to be less abundant than regular bedside jobs, but they are out there.) In some areas (e.g. clinics) you could begin work in immediately, and in others (e.g. occupational health) it's a good idea to do a post-RN certificate, after which you could start in the field.

In the end, what it comes down to is not only what you find demanding and stressful, but what you find interesting and fulfilling, and so worth the challenges that may come at you.

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Dear Cindy – Stress-Free Job?