As good as, Better or Worse than you thought it would be...

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Pediatric ICU.

Hello,

I'm a pre-nursing student due to start my prereqs in August. Before I do, I wanted to make sure that being a nurse is something that I really can handle...if my dreams of being a nurse is realistic.

For those who have graduated and now working as nurses--is being a nurse as good, better or worse than you thought it would be and why?

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Specializes in Developmental Disabilites,.

worse. much, much, much worse. I had no idea going in just how much was involved with nursing. In school they spread thier ivory tower views of nursing and then when you hit the real world with the short staffing and everyone and thier mother pulling you in a thousand different directions it is the worst reality shock. I would not have gone into nursing if I had know this is what it is like. Doing CNA work will help you decide if you can handle some of the physical tasks but it will not help to prepare you for the charting, phone calls, physcians, therapist, aides, other staff memembers and families. All I heard was positives when I was going to school, I wish someone told me some of the negatives.

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery, MS.

You have to remember that all jobs have positives and negatives. It is never like it is in school. See if you can shadow a nurse for a day. What better way to find out if it is really for you then to observe a nurse in action.

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Working in a hospital was worse than I thought it would be. I came from another career (information systems) and was used to professionalism and corporate culture. I think the conditions in many hospitals are miserable, and nurses are seen as disposable. I did not enjoy 12 hour shifts that often turned into 14 hour shifts with very rare opportunity to eat or even pee in those 14 hours -- VERY unhealthy lifestyle.

HOWEVER, there are lots of options in nursing (well, this economy has limited that, but that is true in every career right now). I now work in a clinic and LOVE it -- 8 hour shifts, a whole hour off for lunch, nice people, and work that is busy but I am not juggling multiple critical patients and thinking my license is at risk every day like I did when I was in the hospital.

Nursing is great because there are lots of places to land eventually. AND, you may end up liking working in a hospital....I am not an adrenaline rush person, and I never really dreamed of working in a hospital in the first place. You might be wired completely differently than I am. If you really want to be a nurse, you will find your niche. I am very happy now in my current position, but I did question my decision to become a nurse when I was in the hospital. Read the "first year in nursing" threads for more feedback, but also go with who you are and what your desires are.

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I work in peds psych. And it is CLOSE to what I imagined. Granted I feel like I spend way too much time doing paperwork instead of interacting with the kids, I still know I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.

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Specializes in NICU Level III.

Better. From what I experienced in nursing school's clinicals, I would have hated nursing.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I just started as an ESN (employed student nurse) last week on my local med-surg unit. So far, i have done 3 shifts.. all supposed to only be 10 hours turning into 14 hours. I got called in at 4am in the morning. I do not really know what I was expecting. But it is sure a shocker to not have teachers and other classmates there with you during work... nobody to hold your hand, nobody to help you understand things that people say "you should know this".

I am excited for my public health rotation.. to see what it would be like to work in a clinic. I always pictured myself in the hospital... but there is a TON of learning that is taking place. I have learned more in my week of work than that in my 2 years of nursing school labs and clinicals.

Only thing that makes my job way harder is nurses not charting. I come on shift at 0700 and NOTHING has been charted since 2100 the night before.. now you try figuring out what the heck is going on with this patient :) Its not a perfect world like it was in nursing school :)

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It's worse.

I've done hospital, clinic, outpatient. The public thinks we have to do what they want us to. People take no responsibility for their health or their needs.

Finding the proper fit for you may take years. After a decade of looking I've found somewhere that I think I will work out my last few years to retirement.

Would I do it again? They say hindsight is 20/20 but now I know what jobs are in healthcare and what they do, the answer is no.

I've missed too many evenings with my family. My back and knees hurt. I've been hit, kicked, spat upon, and verbally abused. Life is too short and you never get back those missed hours and occaisions.

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Specializes in Mother/Baby, Pediatrics, or Oncology.

I have found it very challenging. I graduated nursing school in May and have just found a job. It is not like nursing school at all. Sometimes you find yourself thinking, why did I want to do this?? But you have to remember why you want to be a nurse. Even when I have a horrible day at work, I just remember about how much I love helping people and then I seems worthwhile.:D

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I love taking care of my patients...I hate that I am being taken advantage of by companies. Luckily with nursing you have many options. So I'm learning that field work is not for me, especially being a new grad. I need a more structured environment for learning. Plus I think I will greatly appreciate going into a hospital setting now. Im currently working 60 hrs/ 5 days a week and getting paid for 40 hours. I'll take 14 hours/3 days a week anytime!

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).

smyle2die4:

GOOD question. REALISTIC responses.

The answer that I am going to give you is based on the fact that I've worked in the field for over 30 years, and in Nursing for over 25 of those years:

It's much, much much much better than I thought it would be. And, it's much much much much worse. It's everything. I have done things that I never would have dreamed of. And, I've witnessed things that I never thought I'd see.

Now, if you would have asked me if I would have done things differently, chosen a different field, I'd have to say, "No way!"

I have done things like clamp the cords of newborn baby twins to holding the hand of a lady as she passed from this world to the next. And A LOT of things in between. I have had two Administrative positions. I am now still doing "grunt" work. And still love my profession.

The choice is yours, of course. You're in the process of getting the "whole picture". May you live to be comfortable with your decision.

Good luck to you, smyle2die4.

Dave

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

Hard question. I didn't have glowing expectations of nursing like some of my classmates and new grads I've encountered but that's probably because of my naturally pessimistic attitude. Sometimes it's much worse than I could even imagine and sometimes it's just wonderful.

I work on a general medical unit and as much as I hate to say it (I was all I'm gonna do this for a year and I'm out)..it's kinda my niche.

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