[NurseMatt]

Originally Posted by nursemike

I've been a nurse for about six months, and it just totally sucks. I work three 12-hour shifts, and while I do usually spend a good part of my first day off sleeping, I find that I have a lot of free time for hobbies, playing on the internet, and just hanging out with my cats. My floor has a disproportionate number of males, but most of my co-workers are still women, and a lot of them are quite good-looking. The work itself is often hard, and it seems like I have to learn something new every freakin' day. I hardly ever get a chance to just sit around and complain about how bored I am. Bummer.
As for the money, what can I say? I worked eight hours of overtime in the previous pay period, and my combined tax withholding were as much as my entire paycheck used to be. This pay period, I had to call off sick one day, and still my take-home for two weeks will be over a thousand dollars. A couple of months ago, my 92 Subaru was just about shot, so I went out shopping for a good used car and wound up buying a 2006.
It's true you can get into nursing with a 2 year degree. I did. But it was two years of a lot of studying and stuff. It went by pretty quickly, but a lot of my classmates were women, and, again, a lot of them were really pretty, which can get distracting, at times. Also, some of my instructors were very attractive.
And then there are the patients, with all their annoying gratitude and crap when you waste your time listening to them, or help them into a more comfortable position in bed, or call the doctor to adjust their pain meds. And the doctors! Need a mention that an increasing number of physicians are female and--you guessed it--some of them are very cute. I tell ya--it's hell.

But, seriously, while there have been moments when I've thought that the next time I feel a need for a challenge in my life, I'm going to pick an easy one, on the whole this has been one of the best things I've ever done. It's a lot of work. It can be frustrating, overwhelming, and downright scary, but it can be profoundly rewarding, the pay is decent, it's air conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter, and if I someday get a notion to live in New Mexico, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to find a job there. (I suppose there are hospitals in the Virgin Islands, too...)

This post is awesome. I really liked the part about learning something new everyday. I recently quit my job and am really excited to go back to school(WHAT???). I think this is what my life was meant to be like and I look forward the challenging and rewarding lifestyle.

[nursemike]

Originally Posted by NurseMatt

This post is awesome. I really liked the part about learning something new everyday. I recently quit my job and am really excited to go back to school(WHAT???). I think this is what my life was meant to be like and I look forward the challenging and rewarding lifestyle.

You're obviously not at all well, mentally. You'll probably love it. You'll probably kick yourself and feel like giving up at some point, but hang in there. Once you slide into full-blown dementia, it really is an exciting career, and often downright fun. School is tough, and it turns out that's the easy part, but suddenly you find yourself juggling 5-6 patients, getting pretty much everything done more or less on time, and actually doing stuff you learned about in school, and that's great. Ideally, you won't be saving lives on a regular basis--it's best if you can start out on patients who aren't all that sick--but you do begin to notice yourself making a difference--helping someone feel more comfortable, or holding a med that might not be appropriate, just now, or catching something that could turn serious if it wasn't caught, and all the times you've felt hopeless, inept, and stupid just don't seem to matter.
Plus, the decent pay and flexible hours could come in handy, if you decided to go to truck-driving school,

[papawjohn]

Hey Guys!!!

I thought NurseMike's post was terrific. I've been doing this crazy s##t for 25yrs and never have gotten over the thrill of doing a job that actually, literally means the difference between pain & comfort, illness & health, life & death for some poor soul. The 'meaning' of doing the highest quality work in nursing--so much better than high quality roofing.

And all the benefits and freedoms he mentioned--it's true. I'm a sailor. Had a little boat on a lake in Tennessee. Was able to pack up and move to Maryland for a bigger boat on the ChesapeakeBay. Had friends with much more money--lawyers, real estate cats. They were envious of my 'richness' in having the ability to pack up and follow a dream which they could only pursue on vacations because they were rooted in that location professionally.

And even at this point in my career there's new horizons--moving to Open Heart specialties, Emergency Room, Cath Labs. Kinda reminds me of what Jesus said about Heaven: In my Father's house there are many mansions.

What you'll be doing as a nurse is IMPORTANT and frequently INTERESTING and most of the people you'll be working around are smart and decent people.

Papaw John

[Painslayer505]

I was looking for another subject posting when I came across this subject. I had to stop and take a look.
I have been a nurse for twenty years. I'm starting a new career path soon, so I find myself thinking about why I quit nursing.
The pay's not bad, but when compared to workers with much less responsibilty...the pay sucks.
I'm tired of hearing people complain about twelve hour shifts. When I started eight hours shifts were the norm. I and many fellow nurses never left on time. Eight hour night shifts created many thoughts of suicide. The creator of twelve hour shifts, three days should be immoralized!
When I work at least 40% of the patients do not speak English. I find it very frustrating trying to inform a patient about their care when they don't speak English. It really ticks me off to know that my inflated taxes and insurance rates are paying for their medical bill.
As for working with women...can you say CASTRATION!!!
Like I said above I'm leaving nursing for a better life. To all the self congratulating enablers...have fun.
P.S.
New Mexico....like Mexico only cleaner

[nursemike]

Originally Posted by papawjohn

Hey Guys!!!

I thought NurseMike's post was terrific. I've been doing this crazy s##t for 25yrs and never have gotten over the thrill of doing a job that actually, literally means the difference between pain & comfort, illness & health, life & death for some poor soul. The 'meaning' of doing the highest quality work in nursing--so much better than high quality roofing.

And all the benefits and freedoms he mentioned--it's true. I'm a sailor. Had a little boat on a lake in Tennessee. Was able to pack up and move to Maryland for a bigger boat on the ChesapeakeBay. Had friends with much more money--lawyers, real estate cats. They were envious of my 'richness' in having the ability to pack up and follow a dream which they could only pursue on vacations because they were rooted in that location professionally.

And even at this point in my career there's new horizons--moving to Open Heart specialties, Emergency Room, Cath Labs. Kinda reminds me of what Jesus said about Heaven: In my Father's house there are many mansions.

What you'll be doing as a nurse is IMPORTANT and frequently INTERESTING and most of the people you'll be working around are smart and decent people.

Papaw John

Plus, my knees don't swell up after a day of nursing. I do, occassionally, miss the blue skies, that little breeze that comes at just the right moment, and the college girls sunbathing on the roof next door...

I'm noticing a disturbing trend in my thought processes. Is it spring already?

[Roy Fokker]

But Mike,

Why would college girls sunbathing be a 'disturbing thought' ?

[teeituptom]

Leaves me out Im an old male