[allthemadmen]

Where is this idea that nursing jobs are "iron clad" coming from? Obviously there will always be a *need* for healthcare professionals- but devastatingly poor countries have that need too, and no money to pay those professionals. If the money isn't there, as it won't be if we head further into recession/depression, it isn't there.

The other problem with the "iron-clad" fallacy is there are too many people who have virtually no interest in nursing except that they've heard "it's a good job, and there's a shortage!" In my own nursing program I see some students who have no passion whatsoever for healthcare, no interest in caring for the sick, disgust for the tasks they need to perform, and no compassion for the patients they "care" for in clinicals.

[scrubs820]

That was funny, but true. I'm an Aide now, but I will be going to nursing school this fall. With all the work the nurses along with myself do in a 12 hour night shift sometimes I have to ask myself do I really want to continue in this field?

[scrubs820]

ADD ON..... The funny part was what jjjoy said about how the ad for Nursing should read, not the shortage or nursing itself.

[Quickbeam]

posted by hyperactive TTU:

For some reason, the break rooms for nurses are horrible. Plastic couches, a vending machine, a coffee maker, a fridge, and (if your lucky) a small tv.

I've never even gotten that! You just described a dream break room in my opinion.

[SaderNurse05]

Originally Posted by rhollins

I am not a nurse yet, and I appreciate your response to the OP's article. I too am leaving the financial industry for much of the same reasons the woman in the article stated. I would like to point out that if the "potentially good nurses" are driven away from the profession after only a few months or years, it is because they haven't done enough research to know what they were getting into. Before I made the decision to go into this profession I spoke to nurses, shadowed nurses, read articles, perused this website, and did as much research as I could. Anyone who decides to change their careers should do as much research as they can before making the jump.

There is no way to truly understand what you are getting into until you are there. Shadowing, clinicals and research only go so far to aquiant someone with what their job will be like. It sounds like you have done a good job to be prepared but do not be shocked if you look up 6 months after graduation and say what the heck happened?

[hpcat]

I'm a third career nursing student. I currently have one of those jobs that if I lose it, I have to travel into NYC (I live on eastern Long Island) to earn the same money. I struggled with having to go back to school, the long hours and late nights and expense... but I felt it was something I needed to do to have more control over my life. I wanted a career with more flexibility and opportunity that paid close to what I am currently making.

I'm halfway thru school, and guess what? My company was bought out - my job is moving into the city. A 5-hr round trip commute on the train is out of the question for this parent - I'm adopting a 14 yr old, she needs me near home. I can coast with a lesser paying job until I finish school, and then I can get a good job within a couple of miles of my house (lots of hospitals & nursing homes by me).

I chose nursing after being a patient a couple of times myself - I saw good nurses who loved their jobs. I saw lousy nurses and I knew I could do a much better job. I worked at a nice adult home part time when I was in college and remember how much I liked working with the seniors - and I always seemed capable of helping in emergencies, even more so than some of the nursing staff. When my SIL the RN told me about the wide range of types of nursing I could do, I was sold.

I think too many people come to nursing for the $ - big mistake. But I do think there's something to be said for the flexibility and many opportunities. And let's face it, even when there's hospital nursing layoffs, even when there's a recession, even when the insurance companies mess with everyone, there's always a need for nurses somewhere.

I lost my secretarial job in the recession in the early 90s. I couldn't find another full time job to save my life. This next recession would make me nervous if I wasn't going into nursing. I feel much more confident about finding a job now.

[bollweevil]

Originally Posted by rhollins

I am not a nurse yet, and I appreciate your response to the OP's article. I too am leaving the financial industry for much of the same reasons the woman in the article stated. I would like to point out that if the "potentially good nurses" are driven away from the profession after only a few months or years, it is because they haven't done enough research to know what they were getting into. Before I made the decision to go into this profession I spoke to nurses, shadowed nurses, read articles, perused this website, and did as much research as I could. Anyone who decides to change their careers should do as much research as they can before making the jump.

You can do all that and still be bum doped or just plain lied to. Or circumstances change, you get the manager from hell, your coworkers are horrible, whatever, and you still might wind up wishing you'd made a different move. Yes, people should research as thoroughly as possible, look before leaping, but it doesn't guarantee a soft landing.

[november551]

I used to be a construction worker (carpentry). Then I ended up taking on a second part-time job. Then a third part-time job. 18 to 20 hour days 5 days a week (it's easy when you're 18-21 years), and then I worked my weekends as a 3rd shift direct care worker at a group home. I saw what the nurse there did. Honestly, that wasn't even the point where I was like, "Hey I want to be a nurse!" This went on for years. Occasionally my after work job switched, but I worked at places like Mcdonald's, Fazoli's, Spencer's gift shop after putting in 8 hours swinging a hammer...just to make ends meet. I credit my mom + dad with instilling a strong work ethic in me, and not handing me things on a silver spoon. I grew up in a working class household, and that's just the way things were. Everyone worked. Hell, my grandma is 78 years old and she still has a job to this day (and likes it!). I got my first job at 15 busing tables at a restaurant because I wanted a Nintendo 64 at the time. My mom said, "Well go get a job then."

Of course, then 9/11 hit, the construction market got hit, and I kept getting laid off from my union construction job (2002). I ended up working as a cook at a pizza parlor. I was running out of options. I hated sitting around collecting a meager unemployment check. Bills were piling up. I didn't really see any way to break the repetitive cycle. Work work work, bills bills bills.

One day I got a brochure from the local community college. I was looking at the starting wages for all the different fields. My eyes settled on "Registered Nurse" $56,000 a year? Wow. Seeing the nurses at my mental health job had planted the seed I guess. I started taking prerequisites (heck I was out of work anyways in carpentry, why not).

Now it is 2008, I've been a nurse for a year. Life is good. I work 3 days and get 4 off. People complain about the "harsh reality" of nursing, but to me it is easy street. FOUR DAY WEEKENDS!! Enough money to pay my bills and not work 3 jobs! Yes I'm on my feet for 12 hours at a time, but at least I'm not bone tired all the time even when I'm not at work. More stressful? Yes, but there are some trade-offs.

Did I go into nursing for the money? Yes. Does that make me a bad nurse? No. You give me enough money per hour, and I'll do anything with a smile on my face (that includes dealing with body fluids/getting beat up by a 90 year old/dealing with a code/ and anything else that comes my way). I try to enjoy myself no matter what I do, it shows (I have the patient satisfaction surveys and callbacks where people remembered me and mentioned me by name to prove it). As far as professional skill? Well, I haven't killed/harmed anyone yet, and they started utilizing me as a charge nurse about 2 months ago, so I suppose I'm doing my job.

Break rooms for professionals? Ha. The master carpenter with a bachelor's degree that I used to work for was out there sitting in the mud eating lunch with us plebes at the construction site. I'm sure if anyone had the same breakroom complaints as nurses do, it would elicit a hearty laugh from most professionals that work outside an office environment.

Nursing is a trade just like any other field. When things get stressful and bad, I just tell myself, "At least I get to work inside in the wintertime!" That's subzero temperatures in these parts. Spend an entire season working in those conditions, rain or shine, and you will be thankful you have chairs in a warm room to sit in period.

People at work are like, "How can you work 4 or 5 shifts in a row!?!?!?" I just smile. The joke's on them. I might be working 5 days in a row but after that I get 9 days off straight!!!

ps if you think nursing management is bad, go work for a small company where your foreman is the owner's son, the other foreman is the owner's brother, your coworker is the owner's nephew, and the CEO is the owner's wife. At least in nursing they sometimes offer open forums to find ways to run things better!! And if there are lay-offs, guess who gets axed first?

[HYPEractiveTTU]

Originally Posted by november551

Break rooms for professionals? Ha. The master carpenter with a bachelor's degree that I used to work for was out there sitting in the mud eating lunch with us plebes at the construction site. I'm sure if anyone had the same breakroom complaints as nurses do, it would elicit a hearty laugh from most professionals that work outside an office environment.

But is it right? I know there are a million people out there who have it worse... but is that a reason to accept the sub-par working conditions that many hospitals give their nurses? The break room comment was just the tip of the iceberg. Why is it acceptable?

Why do accountants, programmers, engineers, researchers, librarians, sales people, and other degreed professionals get better working conditions than nursing? Is their job deemed more important? Are they a more valued member of society? Why do the employers of these industries seem to invest more into these employees?

Acceptance of mediocre conditions doesn't lead to change.

[nyforlove]

great post!! You sound like a great guy! (assuming you're a guy 'cuz you were a carpenter, but I guess that's a stereotype....)

Originally Posted by november551

I used to be a construction worker (carpentry). Then I ended up taking on a second part-time job. Then a third part-time job. 18 to 20 hour days 5 days a week (it's easy when you're 18-21 years), and then I worked my weekends as a 3rd shift direct care worker at a group home. I saw what the nurse there did. Honestly, that wasn't even the point where I was like, "Hey I want to be a nurse!" This went on for years. Occasionally my after work job switched, but I worked at places like Mcdonald's, Fazoli's, Spencer's gift shop after putting in 8 hours swinging a hammer...just to make ends meet. I credit my mom + dad with instilling a strong work ethic in me, and not handing me things on a silver spoon. I grew up in a working class household, and that's just the way things were. Everyone worked. Hell, my grandma is 78 years old and she still has a job to this day (and likes it!). I got my first job at 15 busing tables at a restaurant because I wanted a Nintendo 64 at the time. My mom said, "Well go get a job then."

Of course, then 9/11 hit, the construction market got hit, and I kept getting laid off from my union construction job (2002). I ended up working as a cook at a pizza parlor. I was running out of options. I hated sitting around collecting a meager unemployment check. Bills were piling up. I didn't really see any way to break the repetitive cycle. Work work work, bills bills bills.

One day I got a brochure from the local community college. I was looking at the starting wages for all the different fields. My eyes settled on "Registered Nurse" $56,000 a year? Wow. Seeing the nurses at my mental health job had planted the seed I guess. I started taking prerequisites (heck I was out of work anyways in carpentry, why not).

Now it is 2008, I've been a nurse for a year. Life is good. I work 3 days and get 4 off. People complain about the "harsh reality" of nursing, but to me it is easy street. FOUR DAY WEEKENDS!! Enough money to pay my bills and not work 3 jobs! Yes I'm on my feet for 12 hours at a time, but at least I'm not bone tired all the time even when I'm not at work. More stressful? Yes, but there are some trade-offs.

Did I go into nursing for the money? Yes. Does that make me a bad nurse? No. You give me enough money per hour, and I'll do anything with a smile on my face (that includes dealing with body fluids/getting beat up by a 90 year old/dealing with a code/ and anything else that comes my way). I try to enjoy myself no matter what I do, it shows (I have the patient satisfaction surveys and callbacks where people remembered me and mentioned me by name to prove it). As far as professional skill? Well, I haven't killed/harmed anyone yet, and they started utilizing me as a charge nurse about 2 months ago, so I suppose I'm doing my job.

Break rooms for professionals? Ha. The master carpenter with a bachelor's degree that I used to work for was out there sitting in the mud eating lunch with us plebes at the construction site. I'm sure if anyone had the same breakroom complaints as nurses do, it would elicit a hearty laugh from most professionals that work outside an office environment.

Nursing is a trade just like any other field. When things get stressful and bad, I just tell myself, "At least I get to work inside in the wintertime!" That's subzero temperatures in these parts. Spend an entire season working in those conditions, rain or shine, and you will be thankful you have chairs in a warm room to sit in period.

People at work are like, "How can you work 4 or 5 shifts in a row!?!?!?" I just smile. The joke's on them. I might be working 5 days in a row but after that I get 9 days off straight!!!

ps if you think nursing management is bad, go work for a small company where your foreman is the owner's son, the other foreman is the owner's brother, your coworker is the owner's nephew, and the CEO is the owner's wife. At least in nursing they sometimes offer open forums to find ways to run things better!! And if there are lay-offs, guess who gets axed first?