If You Had It To Do Over Again?

Nurses General Nursing

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If you had it to do over again, would you be a nurse?

If not, what would you be?

I'm starting nursing school in a few days, and while I know that I want to be in the medical field, I find myself wondering if I will be a burnt out, stressed out wreck, after a few years. I work in Respiratory Therapy (Secretary) and I see those guys and gals always joking and laughing and very seldom really stressed out. Everyone in my department for the most part, is great to be around and work with. They never seem so overworked that they cannot function, and although sometimes there are more treatments than time to do them in, there is always someone elsewhere that can generally run down and pitch in at the other unit in order to take the strain off, if needed.

I've wanted to be a nurse for awhile now, and the thought of helping others and taking care of people really appeals to me, but I can't help but wonder if I'm going to be back at this board in half a dozen years posting in a thread about nurses leaving the profession...I should probably end with the disclaimer that I am NOT in this for the money at all, so money will never be the reason that I stick around. I'm here to help people, and to make a difference. I want to be able to be "that nurse" that was understanding when someone was sick, and who made being in the hospital/doctor's/surgery/whatever just that much less traumatic/painful.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Nursing is my second career so yes I would definitely do it again. Even in hindsight it would NOT have been a good match for me right out of high school so I am happy with how things worked out.

As for my first career just because I was ready to try something new doesn't mean that it wasn't a great position for me for many years. Some times it becomes time to move on and spread your wings. Sadly people seem to become trapped in financial obligations, sometimes fear and don't make changes when one is so obviously needed. To me these are the bitter burnt out employees bringing everyone around them down that sadly are in every profession not just nursing.

I guess my advice would be definitely do this but it doesn't mean it has to be a rest of your entire life kind of thing. Do it for as long as it is rewarding and you enjoy going to work. Thats my plan anyway. Best wishes.

:)

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I guess my advice would be definitely do this but it doesn't mean it has to be a rest of your entire life kind of thing. Do it for as long as it is rewarding and you enjoy going to work. Thats my plan anyway. Best wishes.

:)

Thats a fantastic philosophy Jules :)

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Always remember: Nursing offers you an infinite number of choices for your career path. The ones you see who are burned out and stressed out are the ones who have chosen to stay in the same career path. No other career will offer you the choices and the flexibility that nursing will offer. If, at any point, you find that you have become one of those nurses who is burned out, mean, hostile and not caring........then simply leave and open a new nursing door. Nursing is what YOU make out of it.

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Specializes in ICU.

I am not a nurse yet, but I think there is some degree of burnout in any job you choose. Of course, this all depends on the person and the situation, but no job is perfect.

Nursing will be a second career for me, and as another poster pointed out, nursing also would not have been suitable for me right out of the gate. But now, I have been a hygienist for a while, and I think now I can handle being a nurse. I've grown a lot, not only as a hygienist and health professional, but as a person.

Nursing just offers so many options, and believe me, you want that!!!! As someone else said: if you feel like you're getting burnout, you can switch areas/floors/specialties, etc. In many other careers, you can't do that.

Good luck!

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I guess I would. I'm not really good at anything else.

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Specializes in LTC/SNF, Psychiatric, Pharmaceutical.
If you had it to do over again, would you be a nurse?

If not, what would you be?

No. No. A thousand times, no.

Given everything to do over again, I would have gone to law school instead.

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Specializes in psych, pediatrics, maternity.
If you had it to do over again, would you be a nurse?

If not, what would you be?

I'm starting nursing school in a few days, and while I know that I want to be in the medical field, I find myself wondering if I will be a burnt out, stressed out wreck, after a few years. I work in Respiratory Therapy (Secretary) and I see those guys and gals always joking and laughing and very seldom really stressed out. Everyone in my department for the most part, is great to be around and work with. They never seem so overworked that they cannot function, and although sometimes there are more treatments than time to do them in, there is always someone elsewhere that can generally run down and pitch in at the other unit in order to take the strain off, if needed.

Just out of curiosity, if the people in RT are always joking and seldom really stressed out, why are you becoming an RN instead of an RT? Don't you know we're a stressed out bunch? :wink2:

For me, my personality just isn't suited for nursing as it currently stands. I'm too outspoken as far as nurses' rights. I stand up for what I believe in, and believe that nothing will ever change if everyone just ignores the problem. I just can't stay in a career where I'm expected to put up, shut up, and not use my brain.

Andreas, I feel the same way! Except that I'm actually going into my second year in law school. Funny thing... whenever I tell lawyers that I'm currently a nurse, I swear I can suddenly see dollar signs pop up in their eyes. Apparently nurses who become lawyers are a very hot commodity! If I had to do it all over again... I might, with the knowledge that I'd end up in law school in the end. Or I might choose to major in English, Art, or Journalism. I'm still interested in the health and medical field, but just not as a nurse. I need to be able to fight for causes and things I believe in. Idealistic, yes, but after 10 years of being an RN I'm still idealistic about the profession. It's just that I feel most everyone else has already given up. :(

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I would do it again. I have been an ER nurse in a busy Level I Trauma Center for 20 years. Are we understaffed? You bet. Is the turnover of nurses high? Yup. Is the census high? Once again, yep. Do the powers that be ram JCAHO and other regulatory agency requirements down our throats? Uh-huh. Do the drug seekers and other annoying patients get on our nerves? Oh, yeah. So....why do I stay and why would I do it again? I really love what I do. This is my passion. The chaotic and rapid paced environment keeps my juices flowing and when I help to "snatch someone from the jaws of death"....wow! What a rush to make a difference in a person's life.

So.......hang in there if nursing is really your passion.

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Specializes in Pediatric Psychiatry, Home Health VNA.

No. I would have gone straight to med school.

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Specializes in Medical Surgical.

n o n o n o n o n o

I would have been a clinical pharmacologist, an architect or a geologist. Could have helped more people that way and enjoyed it more.

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Specializes in Ortho/Uro/Peds/Research/PH/Insur/Travel.

First off, my theory as to why respiratory therapists are happier is because they don't have to spend eight or twelve hours with the same patients (AND their families). Quick in, quick out!

As someone else stated, you do NOT have to stay in bedside nursing. There are a lot of different things you can do with it as your foundation.

The one thing I would strongly advise is to consider (and reconsider) signing ANY contracts. I owe my employer two years as a bedside nurse (tomorrow is my one-year anniversary!) and I would NEVER do that again. NEVER! It's nice to be able to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way whenever YOU'D like.

GOOD LUCK! :)

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