re: Is becoming an RN worth it?

Expect 2 solid years of work. Studying near every night. A 2 year cram to prepare you to take the NCLEX. That's all it will be. You'll then need another 6 months of work before you feel like you won't kill anybody.

Money is what you want it to be. You'll have to get the hell out of Louisiana though. Keep in mind it's not a job JUST to make money. You will wind up bitter and an a-hole if that's all it is. I won't go so far as to say a "calling". That's cheesy. When you are elbow deep in a 300 lb renal patient with a GI bleed wiping arse and you go home after 8 hours and the smell is STILL in your nose hair? You may question whether your hourly wage was worth it.

Kind of like a cop hearing gunshots or a fireman standing in front of a burning warehouse thinking, "I didn't really sign up for this. "

Easy cops on here. I'm not REALLY comparing getting shot at to getting shite on you forearm, but I hope my point translates to the OP.