Should I go for it??

[gerryfin]

Why a nurse? You have to really want to be a nurse to be a good one. ou want to be a photographer but if that isn't a reasonable financial career choice right now, look for something else you want (probably something creative) - You wont make a good nurse if you're not dying to do it

[mshockley]

Originally Posted by MattJohnRobinson

Why do you want to be a nurse?

You can't wait to work 12 hour shifts, on your feet all day long, so that you go home completely exhausted?

You're super excited to have doctors scream at you when you did absolutely nothing wrong, except follow their orders, aren't you!

You're ready to neglect the fact that you have had to to pee for 2 hours as you run around like a chicken with your head cut off, passing out the meds that are keeping your patients alive?

You of course can't wait to skip half of your lunch breaks because you simply don't have time for them.

Oh, and you LOVE to work every holiday for your first few years starting out because you are the lowest in the pecking order, and that's how it goes. Expect to either be working or on call.


There are two sides to every coin.

This!!!

Been there done that, and the post about how you may have 4 days off/week is true when you work those 12 hour shifts---allowing you plenty of time to meet with potential clients is all fine and dandy----if you have a live in maid/housekeeper/cook, etc.

And don't even think about how much of a time suck kids are

Trust me, when your dead on your feet and you still have all the cooking and laundry and grocery shopping to get done, your photography business will suffer, and that's saying you even have the proper time to get it off the ground. It is exactly what happened to me....

I'm just sayin'.....

[jannereed]

Thanks everyone for your thoughful responses. They were very helpful. I think I will put that decision on the back burner for now. It's not like people are banging down my door for me to do their photos. I did just get my first client that is willing to pay twice the amount I have been charging since I started, so that is exciting. I think I am just going to finish the NYIP program, try to get more involved on here, and learn as much as I can about photography and business before I try to get in over my head. (or maybe I need to get to the point where I hate my current job so much that I have the motivation to get out there and do it.)
MSchokley ...you have had a bad experience as a nurse? Most of the nurses I have met said they absolutely love their jobs, but maybe they didn't want to discourage me. I know there is a high burnout rate.
MattJohnRobinson...thanks for the compliment.
Niresangwa....I am going to write down all those elements you said are necessary for a photography business and look into them. You sound very knowledgeable.
graciousness....sounds like you know exactly what you want! That is awesome...I envy you! It's good to know that it's possible to balance motherhood with a photography business. I don't have any children yet, but it's probably not far off.

I appreciate everyone's input. It's nice to have found such a passionate and supportive community.