Attention All Nurses....

TeeM79 · Feb 19, 2013

I would like to think that I contribute in the way o making someone's stay in a place a way from home, is that much easier. And the little things like taking my time to just listen, do something, get something, say something to or for someone to help them through a difficult time. Somedays are really hard and not so fulfilling an other days are better than any words can express.

trueblue2000 · Feb 19, 2013

combsj25, look for meaning in religion or philosophy for you will not find it in any profession, especially nursing. Once you hit a hospital floor, you will find that you are just another piece, another bolt, in the big money machine that is health care in this country. You will be prepping patients for unnecessary, harmful and expensive medical procedures, you will be pushing pricey and noneffective drugs to patients like a pawn for the pharmaceutical industry and thus be making your contribution to the hospital's bottom line. Look at all the health care companies listed in the NYSE; this industry is not about meaning or helping people, it is about making money to shareholders and that will be your job when you become an RN. As far as ethics, conscience and meaning goes, I feel worst about my job as an RN than I did about my work as an attorney, and that is a pretty shameless profession.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2013

What do you, personally, contribute to nursing?!!
I am contemplating a career change from corporate America to nursing and one of the main reasons is, I feel this need and desire to make a difference even if in the life of just one person. I feel my current career is all about simply helping the corner office executives make a buck, and that my career - and thus a large part of my life has no meaning. So I am asking you help me by answering - what is it as a nurse, that you contribute?!
Thanks in advance

This almost sounds like an essay question for an application to nursing school or an assignment. We are happy to help with assignments....but in order to have a discussion I need your thoughts first. When do you start your nursing? You have had a couple of offers? Have you decided which school offer that you will accept?

I have been a nurse for 34 years and I LOVE being a nurse......but it is a hard job. There are moments of greatness is awe.....but human beings are messy life is messy. My favorite poem says it best.....

Being A Nurse
by Melodie Chenevert
Being a nurse means. . .
You will never be bored.
You will always be frustrated.
You will be surrounded by challenges.
So much to do and so little time.
You will carry immense responsibility
and very little authority.
You will step into people's lives
and you will make a difference.
Some will bless you.
Some will curse you.
You will see people at their worst--
and at their best.
You will never cease to be amazed at people's capacity
for love, courage, and endurance.
You will experience resounding triumphs
and devastating failures.
You will cry a lot.
You will laugh a lot.
You will know what it is to be human
and to be humane.

A cautionary tale....nursing isn't any different than corporate America. Being a nurse means ALOT of hard work, long hours, with little to NO thanks (from patients), and NO recognition of your hard work........for the sole purpose to make money for the corporate head who is only out to make a buck.

gcmrn · Feb 19, 2013

As a new nurse (2.5years) I am disturbed and saddened by what I am reading. I find my job on a rehab unit of a nursing home very fullfilling and rewarding. Pt's come to us after knee/hip replacement surgery, we get cardiac pts, pt's with PICC's and the like. It is a very rewarding position, and as a new nurse a great place to start. I am 51 years young, I have been in the corporate world Underwriting mortgage loans for 15 years. I have also worked as a CNA (in homecare) for several years. It may be that I am a new nurse that I feel this way, although I do work with nurses who have been in the field for 15-20 years who still LOVE their jobs as nurses. My advise to the writer, consider obtaining your CNA license, work weekends to get "a feel" of what nurses do on a daily basis. Keep your day job, just in case. Good luck to you.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2013

I do a lot of things to help a lot of people in work and in volunteer settings, but sometimes I think that one of the most important is the hours I spend here trying to help the newer nurses who are coming along behind me. Hard to beat that for dropping the pebble into the water to watch the ripples spread. You just never know ... but you do it anyway.

Susie2310 · Feb 19, 2013

In spite of the health care industry, it's profit motives and dubious practices, nurses provide a vital service taking care of patients. If you are idealistic and need a nice ethical system in which to provide care, the system we have falls short by a long way. Nurses save people's lives and help them to recover or cope with serious illnesses. These are not small things. They do it within a flawed system. Advocating for your patient and their family, taking care of your patient to the best of your ability and providing good care; these are very important things. While some patients and family may not be appreciative or show their appreciation, many will, and at the least, whether you receive appreciation or not you know that as a nurse you did your best to give good care. There is a lot of personal satisfaction in that. When my family members have been hospitalized with serious medical problems, we (patient and family) greatly appreciated the nurses who did their best to give good care when my family member's lives were literally in their hands.

As far as contributing as a nurse; one contributes one's best effort to advocate for and support patients and their family, and to provide good quality patient care.

08RNGrad · Feb 20, 2013

I did what you are talking about doing. went to school, obtained 4 yr degree, but always had that itch to be a nurse. Went and got my adn degree and a lot of debt, worked for 1 1/2 years in ER and then went the clinical research route (higher paying and less stress). While working in the corporate world is not at all rewarding as direct patient care, it also is not life and death. There is a lot to be said for less stress in a workplace. That being said, nursing has so many options. If you like your job, I wouldn't suggest leaving. Nursing school is competive, expensive, and jobs are not easy to come by these days. Best of luck and keep us posted :)

Nascar nurse, ASN, RN · Feb 20, 2013

As a new nurse (2.5years) I am disturbed and saddened by what I am reading. I find my job on a rehab unit of a nursing home very fullfilling and rewarding. Pt's come to us after knee/hip replacement surgery, we get cardiac pts, pt's with PICC's and the like. It is a very rewarding position, and as a new nurse a great place to start. I am 51 years young, I have been in the corporate world Underwriting mortgage loans for 15 years. I have also worked as a CNA (in homecare) for several years. It may be that I am a new nurse that I feel this way, although I do work with nurses who have been in the field for 15-20 years who still LOVE their jobs as nurses. My advise to the writer, consider obtaining your CNA license, work weekends to get "a feel" of what nurses do on a daily basis. Keep your day job, just in case. Good luck to you.

I have been a nurse since 1986 - also in LTC. I've worked in every LTC nursing role, starting with nurses aide in 1985 to current DON position. I agree with you, the post makes me sad. Corporate America sucks and healthcare has become corporate America, I get that. The family members are ruthless in their demands and most days it's never good enough, I get that too. There is absolutely no way to remain in compliance with every one of those millions of regulations on a day to day basis no matter how hard we try - I get it, I really do.

But, BUT, BUT...after almost 30 years, and too many "bad days" to count, I still love being a nurse. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I make a difference. I know people (residents & staff) appreciate the efforts I have made. If I could go back and do it all over again, there is no doubt I'd find myself right where I am today.

WhereIsMyCallBell · Feb 20, 2013

Uh.. after 7 years as an RN. Most days I wonder what the heck I got myself into?! BAH!! :scrying: However every now and then I have a "feel good" day where I felt as if I made a difference in someone's day, life, week (take your pick). Unfortunately MOST days I am still just wondering... Seriously, between some of the the petty, hateful fellow nurses I have had the displeasure of working with. The LONG HOURS without even so much as a thank you for staying over your third day in a row to cover for the slacker who has a "pattern of calling off".Then being made to feel like I am breaking some sort of law if I so much as call off one time in a year. Ha!! Bitter .. oh just a weeee bit. Seriously though, research, do your homework and talk to real nurses in your area before you devote yourself to this profession. By nature I am an upbeat, positive "your day is what you make of it" kind of person. Because I am feeling the way I do after 7 years. I am thinking of taking another kind of job for a while just to get a break from the nursing profession which I am very disallusioned with. Sorry folks just being honest here.

WhereIsMyCallBell · Feb 20, 2013

One other thing I would like to add is the almighty $$$ is preventing good nurses from doing a good job. You're expected to cut corners and do 1.5 to 2 nurses jobs. Quantity is over-shadowing quality and it makes this nurse very sad. = (

anotherone, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2013

sometimes i have contributed by noticing something major is not right. subtle signs of a gi bleed, sepsis, labs way off that were missed all day by multiple nurses and drs... . i tell the dr and hope s/he agrees with me. have had a couple where had i not alerted the dr to how serious i thought this was pt would be dead or very critcally ill by morning. it is not always that obvious .... then the pt gets transfered to icu anyway ..... rarely will you get thanked or noticed for that. that is your job. you know you contributed but dont excpect praises for that. sometimes the drs notice it and remeber you for it. or your coworkers ,if you brag about it. you are more likely to get a card sent from a pt saying how great a nurse you were for getting them sodas and graham crackers though........then noticing they were septic, possible gi bleed or PE, potassium of 2.5 never addressed. you do get to make people better sometimes.

MedChica · Feb 21, 2013

I feel like I contribute on a daily basis. We, at my facility, are taking care of our nation's elders and mentally ill.

Nursing is hard but there's honor in our work.

We care for them. We care about them. We provide a home for them. We support them. We are, in a sense, a family to them. We're with them when they die.

That's why I can do this job. That's why I love my job.

Sometimes, I'm happy to just have a job. 'Specially after a long, hard day where I'm glad to be away from 'that place'. It's not the residents/pts. It's 'everything else'.

I do get something out of my job. I feel like I contribute to something worthwhile and greater than me. This is my life's work: Healthcare. I'm proud of that.

Some nurses on the board are jaded. It is, what it is. It's like that with all professions. I'm too 'new' to be jaded. However, I will say that the system can and does impede nurses from being all that they could be. At least that's how it's shaping up to be at my workplace.

I'd work in a 'family-owned' establishment in a heartbeat.

Our facility went 'corporate' in 2012 and now? Money is all they (and management) can think about. Money, money, money.

A few of the senior nurses took issues to the ADON (about the latest management-related decisions that are burning our nurses and good nurse aides out) and were politely blown off.

It is, what it is. I guess.

I never realized, until I had a friend working in that environment, how truly 'Big Business' the health insurance industry was.

I'm having the same revelation about nursing.

I was operating under the delusion that nursing would somehow provide a safe haven from it all...because it's nursing.

From the outside looking in, nurses look united and very much like a strong entity. Every time you turn around, they're demonstrating and striking for good causes. When I researched about the battle in Ca over pt ratios as a student? I felt a little proud to be in the midst of such fighters. "They influencing things."

I still feel like that.

It's just that -- when you're finally looking at the situation from the 'inside' -- you tend to see just how much you've got to dig your heels in and how 'hard-won' many of these successes really were/are.