Another "Is it still worth it" question from a freshman at a school with a nursing program

[KitKat416]

Hello!

First off, I'd like to say I'm sorry for posting another question like this- I know this question has been tossed around the forums many times. But I'm asking it again because the LAST thing I want to do is become a nurse and realize it's nothing like I thought or wanted it to be...

I am a freshman at a university with a really good nursing school. I've wanted to be a nurse for a while, because I want to help and care for people. I want to have a job where I can make a difference. Blood and guts, bodily fluids, etc. don't scare me off. I am fascinated by the human body, and how it recovers from illness and disease. And, I like to use my brain.

But here's the thing- I've been doing research, and talking to the nurses I know, and pretty much everyone is trying to talk me out of it, the biggest argument being that it's not what it used to be. Basically, that the technology and the demand for productivity are the focus now, and there's almost no time to genuinely care for the patients. On top of that, it's so demanding physically, mentally and emotionally that most nurses have health problems, are depressed, etc. and don't really feel fulfilled by their jobs/are totally burnt out. And the new grads can't even find jobs a lot of times..

Is this the true nature of it now? Is it that bad? Does the good outweigh the bad?

I want to know the cold, hard truth before I dedicate myself to this. (If I don't do nursing, I'll probably get my undergrad in something else with the intent of going to occupational therapy school).

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!!!!!!

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

I have a very particular and pedantic personality. I feel stressed when things aren't organized in my house and room. For instance, I save Altoids tins to store various small things in (ie paper clips, tacks, batteries, pins, change). My closet is organized in order of casual-to-formal and by color. My personal budget spreadsheet might make your eyes cross. Nonetheless there are always things that just don't quite have a place; they go into one of two "junk drawers." Hospitals, in all their professional corporate and bureaucratic stratifications, are similar. There are so many departments and specialties that try to organize the complicated business of healthcare -- nursing is the "junk drawer."

Good for you for at least bothering to ask a nurse what his/her job is like before deciding to complete the degree and blindly commit your life to a trade. I believe it was TheCommuter (could be misquoting) who once said on this forum something to the effect of: "10% of all people truly love their jobs, 10% really hate them, and the other 80% exist neutrally in between getting by day to day."

You've listed the desire to help and care for others, fascination with the human body and disease pathologies, and interest in using your brain as some potential attractions to nursing. Let me just go ahead and add some that you didn't feel safe mentioning on here: decent pay, job growth, and security. There are plenty of interesting and rewarding paths out there that satisfy every one of those conditions with such a lesser headache than nursing it's laughable. Go be a lab scientist, radiology/MRI/CT/NM tech, diagnostic sonographer, or echocardiographer. Don't be a nurse.

I am going to disagree on one of your points. Lab scientists do no get paid well (at all) have terrible job security, extremely limited job growth and limited job choices. It's what I've been doing for 10 years and is why I am moving into nursing. I don't expect to not face any struggles in nursing but from my research and analysis of the market nursing is a wise move for me.

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

Matter of fact I would discourage most people from pursuing a career in basic research. Of course there are exceptions but as a general statement I would discourage it in favor of a more in demand, skilled profession with better outlook.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I believe it was TheCommuter (could be misquoting) who once said on this forum something to the effect of: "10% of all people truly love their jobs, 10% really hate them, and the other 80% exist neutrally in between getting by day to day."

You're incredibly close! I mentioned that loving one's job appears to follow a normal distribution similar to a bell curve. About 20 percent of people truly love their jobs and wouldn't dream of doing anything else, while another 20 percent hate their jobs with a passion. Meanwhile, the 60 percent in the middle of the curve don't necessarily love or hate their jobs, but would do something else if a great opportunity came along.

[Dranger]

My dream job is to lift weights, play video games/board games, watch sports, travel and play a part-time doctor. Reality is I need a job that makes money. In comes nursing.......

The absolutes best thing about nursing is the flexibility. If one day I say I want to move to Michigan I can guarantee there will be a job there for me. Same with Florida, New York, Oklahoma, Texas etc. Working 3 days a week is nice and the pay isn't bad. Depending on the specialty, your brain will be challenged.

So that's the good.....

The bad list is pretty long too.....I won't even touch them here

As TU said above, there are many healthcare jobs that make more or just as much as RNs without the poop, headache and BS. I am jealous of the CT/MRI techs, ultrasound/ECHO techs and RTs who make just as much or more than me. They do their thing and the nurse handles the rest. We are there 12 hour making sure tests get done, specialists have been contacted, plans of care have been implemented, psych breakdowns are controlled, family held in check, poop is cleaned up...the list goes on. We are a jack of all trades but masters of none...the headache really isn't worth it but I need to make money.

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

Just remember........not all nurses are at the bedside...or even in a hospital. And believe it or not......nurses that don't work in a hospital are still real nurses. That is one of the beauties of nursing. There are so many possibilities. Yes....you will probably benefit greatly by starting at the bedside, but you don't have to stay there. Take a look at the Specialties forum to see some of the possibilities out there once you get your degree and license.

Good luck!

[TU RN, DNP, CRNA]

To clarify when I say lab scientist I mean the folks who work in the hospital basement running PCRs, BMPs, CBCs, blood bank, micro, et cetera. I don't mean researchers, whose employment is often contingent on semi-annual or annual grants.

The BLS reckons lab scientists/technologists make on average $47,820 with an expected job growth of 22% which they seem to believe is faster than average. If that statistic (overabundance of potential candidates to fill growing career positions) is what makes the market unstable for that line of work, then the same logic could be extended to nursing with its 19% expected job growth. For fun, the median American household (not individual) income as of June 2014 was $53,891.

But let's just say, for the sake of discussion, there are other factors at play there and lab scientist is a bad example as an alternative to nursing. In its place I put forth respiratory therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. The point I'm trying to make is your responsibility and focus is moreso directed to a singular task or area, where nursing is the "junk drawer" job in the hospital where you are so often working at so many different things that it might appear you've done net nothing for a patient by day's end.

To bring a little humor from Office Space, we nurses do often have "eight different bosses telling us about it" when we mess up. To name a few in my own microcosm, I am scrutinized by my nurse manager, my clinical director, various physicians, patients themselves, families, and even other light duty nurses doing chart checks. These aren't just "TPS reports" we're messing up either. These are real people with sensitive health conditions, souls, and feelings. To not be able to take my time when bathing a patient because I know I have to draw blood and give meds to three others before 'T' time is a most dissatisfying feeling when you put into the perspective that.. the person in that bed may very well some day be you or someone you hold so dear to you. I digress.

Not to detract from the OP's discussion too much, but it appears that you (keylimesqueez) are making a classic error in your own research and analysis of nursing by focusing on the market and outlook more than the role itself. Granted you haven't shared much of the information you gathered and this isn't your thread. There are other well-paid healthcare positions with favorable markets and outlooks (with security) that might not necessarily be such a huge change as, say, lab scientist to RN. You might have guessed by my responses that I'm not exactly enamored with nursing. What you might not have guessed is that I focused heavily on the market, outlook, and security of a nursing career when deciding to pursue it.

[ceccia]

if you're trying to decide between nursing and OT, go for OT. It's 6 -6.5 years of school as opposed to 4 for nursing (unless you go to a school that has a combined BS/MS OT program, in which case you'd graduate in 5 years total), and you'll get more money and have an easier time finding jobs.

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

To clarify when I say lab scientist I mean the folks who work in the hospital basement running PCRs, BMPs, CBCs, blood bank, micro, et cetera. I don't mean researchers, whose employment is often contingent on semi-annual or annual grants.

The BLS reckons lab scientists/technologists make on average $47,820 with an expected job growth of 22% which they seem to believe is faster than average. If that statistic (overabundance of potential candidates to fill growing career positions) is what makes the market unstable for that line of work, then the same logic could be extended to nursing with its 19% expected job growth. For fun, the median American household (not individual) income as of June 2014 was $53,891.

But let's just say, for the sake of discussion, there are other factors at play there and lab scientist is a bad example as an alternative to nursing. In its place I put forth respiratory therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. The point I'm trying to make is your responsibility and focus is moreso directed to a singular task or area, where nursing is the "junk drawer" job in the hospital where you are so often working at so many different things that it might appear you've done net nothing for a patient by day's end.

To bring a little humor from Office Space, we nurses do often have "eight different bosses telling us about it" when we mess up. To name a few in my own microcosm, I am scrutinized by my nurse manager, my clinical director, various physicians, patients themselves, families, and even other light duty nurses doing chart checks. These aren't just "TPS reports" we're messing up either. These are real people with sensitive health conditions, souls, and feelings. To not be able to take my time when bathing a patient because I know I have to draw blood and give meds to three others before 'T' time is a most dissatisfying feeling when you put into the perspective that.. the person in that bed may very well some day be you or someone you hold so dear to you. I digress.

Not to detract from the OP's discussion too much, but it appears that you (keylimesqueez) are making a classic error in your own research and analysis of nursing by focusing on the market and outlook more than the role itself. Granted you haven't shared much of the information you gathered and this isn't your thread. There are other well-paid healthcare positions with favorable markets and outlooks (with security) that might not necessarily be such a huge change as, say, lab scientist to RN. You might have guessed by my responses that I'm not exactly enamored with nursing. What you might not have guessed is that I focused heavily on the market, outlook, and security of a nursing career when deciding to pursue it.

Ah med techs - that's a whole different game.

I left the bench in 2012 and I've been working specifically with clinical trials the past year and a half and that is the niche market I wish to enter as far as nursing goes. I have my reasons. I explored other options as well. This path is the right fit for me to achieve my goals.