[Sheri257]

Originally Posted by Hellllllo Nurse

In the opinion of many thousands of nurses, myself included, the hardest aspects of being a nurse are the working conditions, lack of respect, patient/work loads, and pay that is not commesurate with the level of responsibility of being a nurse, with pts lives in your hands.

Actually, I do take this seriously. But I am cautiously optimistic, probably because I feel lucky to be in California. I don't know if you've seen this article, but it claims that Kaiser has reduced ratios down to four patients per nurse, and overall working conditions have improved at other hospitals.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...5-nurses_x.htm

Maybe there's some hope. Or, maybe not ... but the courts did uphold the ratio law, at least.

[lisamc1]

Originally Posted by Hellllllo Nurse

My student web site still exists, but it is no longer interactive. I closed the message forums. It is now an informational site.

I have addressed the issue experienced nurses giving a realistic view of nursing vs. the idealistic student filled with excitment about their future as a nurse.

Here is a copy and paste from my student site:

Dear Nurses and potential Nurses ,



If you are a CNA going on to become a Nurse, or an LPN/LVN going to to become an RN, you may have some knowledge of the realities of nursing, and the many issues facing nurses today.



If you have never worked in nursing or nursing related field, the realities of nursing are something you must be fully aware of before you make a huge investment of your time, money, and efforts to become a Nurse.

Many people with no experience in nursing or a medical field view it as an exciting rewarding career. They visualize themselves in scrubs, with a stethoscope around their neck, walking hospital corridors. They see themselves doing important and respected work, helping others...and making a good living at it.



From what the media has shown us of nursing, it looks like the possibilities are wide open- want ads full of high-paying nursing jobs, nursing agencies on the internet aggressively recruiting Nurses, job security seems to be ensured, due to the "Nursing Shortage."

Even The Johnson & Johnson comapny is currently running a television campaign, encouraging viewers to "Dare to care...Be a Nurse."



In 1980, I became a hospital volunteer. I became a CNA in 1990, an LPN in 1992, and have been an RN since May of 2000..

Many CNAs and other para-professionals are disatisfied and unhappy with their working conditions, work-loads, and pay. They long for the "greener grass" of being a Nurse, not having to work as hard as they do now, and are looking forward to being IN CHARGE.



Often, CNAs do not believe me when I tell them that being a Nurse IS MORE DIFFICULT than being a CNA. But, it is.



Many people who have never worked in nursing feel that the hardest things about being a nurse are probably the blood, vomit, feces, urine, infected wounds, etc. that nurses come into contact with, or that it must be the suffering and sad situations that nurses see and are involved in. In my opinion and the opinions of many other nurses, those are the easy parts of nursing. Other non-nurses feel that it must be all the clinical, technical, pathophysiological, pharmacological and legal knowledge that nurses must obtain, and the continuous learning process of being a nurse.

Those things are difficult, but are obtainable for an intelligent, motivated individual.



In the opinion of many thousands of nurses, myself included, the hardest aspects of being a nurse are the working conditions, lack of respect, patient/work loads, and pay that is not commesurate with the level of responsibility of being a nurse, with pts lives in your hands.



I do not wish to discourage anyone from becoming a nurse or advancing their career in nursing. On the contrary, I want you to go into nursing fully aware of what it is all about, with your eyes wide open.

In order to avoid disappointment and disillusionment in your chosen career, you must have a good knowledge of the issues facing Nurses and nursing today.

The "Nursing Shortage" is not about supply and demand.

The shortage and the factors that created it go much deeper than that.



In having been a nurse for twelve years, and CNA for almost 3 years prior to that, and having worked in many clinical settings and positions, I have first-hand knowledge of nursing and the State of the Profession. In addition, I have been the web-master of two nursing web sites, and have been actively involved in many nursing web-forums, and have done extensive research into the current state of nursing.



Therefore, I am going to post on this page articles and documents which I SERIOUSLY URGE YOU TO READ before you make your life and career plans in nursing.



It is my sincere hope that this page is helpful to you.

With love and respect to my fellow nursing colleages, and future nursing colleages,



XXXXXXXX, RN



http://www.nysna.org/news/press/pr2002/pr031102.htm



http://allnurses.com/forums/showthre...=&pagenumber=2



http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...g-shortage.htm



http://www.nursingworld.org/pressrel/2001/pr0206.htm



http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl.../ownwords.html

This is an excellent case in point. This is well worded, well presented, and much appreciated.

[studentnurse74]

WOW - SOMEONE has a chip on their shoulder. It's a good thing she got out of nursing with that attitude, and like someone else said, that's probably why she's not getting any raises. Nursing is not about the money, we should all know that. When she goes into accounting, she's going to hate that, too. She'll get carpal tunnel, and she'll need a NURSE to take care of her. You don't have to work odd hours, either. There are doctors' offices, schools, home health, etc. And I don't blame doctors for getting stressed out about things- they are ultimately responsible for people's lives every day. That girl needs to GET A GRIP. She'll never be happy.

[studentnurse74]

The grass might be greener on the other side, but you still have to mow it!

[Hellllllo Nurse]

Originally Posted by studentnurse74

WOW - SOMEONE has a chip on their shoulder. It's a good thing she got out of nursing with that attitude, and like someone else said, that's probably why she's not getting any raises. Nursing is not about the money, we should all know that. When she goes into accounting, she's going to hate that, too. She'll get carpal tunnel, and she'll need a NURSE to take care of her. You don't have to work odd hours, either. There are doctors' offices, schools, home health, etc. And I don't blame doctors for getting stressed out about things- they are ultimately responsible for people's lives every day. That girl needs to GET A GRIP. She'll never be happy.

Have you read any of the posts by experienced nurses in this thread?
It doesn't seem like you have.

(sigh)

[CCU NRS]

Let me start by saying I did not read all posts.

To all nursing students let me say, God Bless you and keep the faith.

It is time that we as nurses begin to welcome those with the courage, compassion, determination and strength to enter our field. I assure you all of these will be needed but I also assure you the rewards will be immense. If you have a kind nature and an open mind and open heart nursing is for you! I feel that it is time to rejoice in any and all who would come to nursing. We are facing hard times in the very near and real future regarding numbers. The number of nurses related to the number of vacancies and the growing number of ill and infirm. I will never tell anyone that nursing is easy or boring. You will have days when you want to run screaming away from the situation and you will have days when you will feel that nothing else will ever come close to what you have accomplished. I understand that through time and poor use some nurses become bitter or angry or just exhausted and yet these same nurses find the inner strength to return everyday and usually find something to take away that gets them through another day.

I guess I have rambled on maybe too much, what I am trying to say is this, Life is always what you make of it, some of it is good some of it is bad and once in a while some of it is GRAND! Nursing is like this as well, to all who enter my chosen field I welcome and commend you. I hope your good days out number the bad and remember it is usually your own attitude, fortitiude and perception that makes all the difference.

[studentnurse74]

Originally Posted by Hellllllo Nurse

Have you read any of the posts by experienced nurses in this thread?
It doesn't seem like you have.

(sigh)

Yes, I have read the other posts. My post was in response to the op's link. If someone wants to inform us students of the negatives in nursing, I have no problem with that. It is the girl's attitude that bothers me. I'm still a student, but I've worked around a lot of nurses, and there are a few with attitudes like that, and there are many more that love what they do after years of nursing. I've had jobs in the past that I absolutely hate, but I'm not going after people studying for that job to tell them how much I hated it. Maybe they'll love it. If they wanted my opinion, I would tell them the ups and downs, not get my panties in a wad about how awful it was.

[Jen2]

Yes, I have read the other posts. My post was in response to the op's link. If someone wants to inform us students of the negatives in nursing, I have no problem with that. It is the girl's attitude that bothers me. I'm still a student, but I've worked around a lot of nurses, and there are a few with attitudes like that, and there are many more that love what they do after years of nursing. I've had jobs in the past that I absolutely hate, but I'm not going after people studying for that job to tell them how much I hated it. Maybe they'll love it. If they wanted my opinion, I would tell them the ups and downs, not get my panties in a wad about how awful it was.

__________________

I agree. Just because a person is "only" or "justa" student I guess that must mean their opinion does not matter or has nothing behind it. Everyone has a right to their opinion, and I'm sticking by mine. I agreed with what the person posted, but I don't care about her/his opinion, because I have already developed my own from working in healthcare for 8 years and having many friends and family members who are nurses. I know that theses issues exist and I am wlling to deal with them as they come. I'm not going around bashing the profession because of them. My aunt who has been a nurse for 30 years once told me that you can either deal with the issues and stay true to yourself in nursing, you can get out if you don't like it, or you can try and change it. If people hate their jobs that much either quit or do something about it.

[HyperRNRachel]

Originally Posted by studentnurse74

WOW - SOMEONE has a chip on their shoulder. It's a good thing she got out of nursing with that attitude, and like someone else said, that's probably why she's not getting any raises. Nursing is not about the money, we should all know that. When she goes into accounting, she's going to hate that, too. She'll get carpal tunnel, and she'll need a NURSE to take care of her. You don't have to work odd hours, either. There are doctors' offices, schools, home health, etc. And I don't blame doctors for getting stressed out about things- they are ultimately responsible for people's lives every day. That girl needs to GET A GRIP. She'll never be happy.

I agree with studentnurse.
As a student I knew all the pros and cons before signing up, I signed up anyway!

[mattsmom81]

I guess someone has to walk the walk awhile to recognize the emotions of the nurse in the OP's story. I agree that presenting her raw emotions to students may not have been the kindest thing for her to do, but perhaps her heart was in the right place.

To be told you are so intelligent, to go through such difficult course of study and be engrained with high ideals of the profession of nursing, only to be treated so badly by so many...is a reaction shared by many many nurses I know. There is no disputing this truth. And yes, it is sad...and it is why there is a 'shortage'.

Blaming the individual nurse for their honest expressions of their experiences....this has been the basis of much of the dysfunction in my profession. I hope this changes in my lifetime; and am certain that honest discussion and unified action will be how we change things. Not by putting on the rose colored glasses.

Hellllo nurse...I really liked your letter to students.