[NRSKarenRN]

In poor job market, a rush to nursing

Nursing schools in Massachusetts and around the country are flooded with applicants, many of them refugees from other fields. In a weak job market, nursing has come to be seen as a stable, reasonably well-paying profession with a bright future.

Boston Globe, Aug. 11, 2004
http://www.boston.com/business/artic...sh_to_nursing/

[oramar]

As I approach my 56 Bday it makes me happy to know there will be someone to care for me in my old age. Seems lately I have been more of a health care consumer than a healthcare provider. Let us just hope they treat these new nurses well, it will be very tempting for managment to fall into their "nurses are a dime a dozen" mentality and drive people out the back door as they are coming in the front.

[caroladybelle]

And how many of these applicants have what it takes to become a nurse and excell at it?

There are many that will excell...and there are those that don't.

We have seen them on the BB. They have Master's degrees in other fields. They see high payrates (without knowing the conditions behind that pay), and the job openings (without knowing the conditions of the jobs), and figure, how hard can passing pills be? They talk about the most elite programs, and how to finish quicker.

A few weeks later, it is "Nursing school/instructors/tests are so unfair", and the unrealistic expectations of the program. How they got A's in another field and are getting C's in Nursing School..and how wrong that is. Then they have difficulty with clinical practical exams.

And then, we do not hear from them at all.

Then how many will stay in Nursing for more than a few years dealing with the unrealistic expectations of the public/MDs/Facilities/Cost cutting management.

[Havin' A Party!]

Originally Posted by caroladybelle

And how many of these applicants have what it takes to become a nurse and excell at it?... They see high payrates...

Seems like a pretty negative post to me.

Attraction / attrition occur in every field.

Don't think starting pay is high compared to others where master's degrees are required or advantageous.

[HeadStrong]

If anything, the people that bomb out of nursing school will have a greater appreciation for us "pill jockeys".

Experience, that most brutal of teachers, but you learn, my God do you learn. C.S. Lewis

[germain]

I'm in nursing school because the economy gave me a reality check. I've been a nurses aide for years and put myself through art school that way, and I loved art school but I'm making more with benifits as an aide in a hospital than I realistically would as an illustrator. A lot of folks in school I think will burn out, or don't really know what they are in for, but a lot do. For all the griping about salaries its not that much better elsewhere even for comparable stress. I think there are a lot of good potential nurses out there too, and here at least they have to be motivated because if you don't have work experience and a 3.9 on your pre reqs youre not competive, and i"m going to a community college.

[RN4NICU]

Originally Posted by LarryG

Seems like a pretty negative post to me.

Attraction / attrition occur in every field.

Don't think starting pay is high compared to others where master's degrees are required or advantageous.

You're obviously not a social worker

I did not think her post was negative at all - Rather, I think it was a realistic observation from someone who has been in the field for a while. Just because it's not what people want to hear doesn't make it negative or untrue.

[caroladybelle]

There are plenty of Teachers, English lit Professor, PR people that have Master's degrees thataren't making half of what I do.

But of course that don't deal with what I do either.

Some can handle it, some would be outta here in a second

[Gompers]

Originally Posted by caroladybelle

We have seen them on the BB. They have Master's degrees in other fields. They see high payrates (without knowing the conditions behind that pay), and the job openings (without knowing the conditions of the jobs), and figure, how hard can passing pills be? They talk about the most elite programs, and how to finish quicker.

I know exactly what you're saying!!! And, is it just me, or do many of these people seem to be charging directly towards CRNA or NP roles without ever having worked in a hospital and seeing what these professionals actually do???

There is one friend of mine that has a Master's in physical therapy who is starting an accelerated BSN program in the fall - but she's doing it for the RIGHT reasons. She found that she had to focus way too much on time and money - basically making it a BUSINESS - when working as a physical therapist. She's attracted to the role of nurse because she wants to be the one physically caring for people at the bedside, eductating them, and actually making a difference in their lives. That I totally support.

The people I personally know who think that nursing is a great quick-fix for their financial problems, who either have no interest in medicine or NO people skills...those are the ones I worry about!!!

In my own experiene, many of the people who are rushing to become nurses just for job security don't actually know any nurses personally. Those that DO know nurses seem to understand that it's not the kind of thing to take lightly! You REALLY have to want to do it if you're going to succeed in nursing.

JMHO, of course.

[angel337]

Originally Posted by caroladybelle

There are plenty of Teachers, English lit Professor, PR people that have Master's degrees thataren't making half of what I do.

But of course that don't deal with what I do either.

Some can handle it, some would be outta here in a second

i agree with you wholeheartedly carolady because unlike alot of other professions nursing is truly not a job anyone can do and do well. i'm not minimizing other professions but nothing compares to the stress of having a life in your hands daily. you have to have a certain kind of mindset to be a nurse and you have to be patient and willing to take alot of stress. i have 6 close friends that are nurses and only 2 of us are in traditional (bedside) nursing jobs. the rest are drug reps, work in insurance or offices. but of course in order to get those nontraditional nursing jobs you must have at least one year of clinical experience and unfortunately alot of nurses say the "h*!#!!! with this" and move on after less than 2 years. some jobs are better than others and yes there are alot of different nursing opportunities out there but i believe bedside nursing...which is needed the most will always suffer. i can honestly say i love what i do (er nursing) but then again i knew exactly what i was getting into and i promised myself that if it ever got to the point where i am miserable, i would get out. i think the public has a idealistic view of what nurses do, and from a patients point of view, nurses just walk around all day looking cute in scrubs and passing meds (i had a patient tell me that once). the message needs to get out what nurses "really" do and how much it affects the outcome of a patients health and well being. i try to educate people all the time about my responsibilties and i am always shocked at what people think nursing entails. by the way i don't think your other post was negative at all, it was very honest and to the point.