Im a student... I need advice!

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello everyone!

My name is David and Im in school for the RN program. I was wondering if you "pros" could help me out and tell me if the pay and the benefits are really as good as everyone is telling me.

Specializes in midwifery, ophthalmics, general practice.

trust you Mario!! glad to see you back!!

ok money is important......helps you live! but its not just about money- with my qualifications I could earn a great deal more doing something else!! having people die on you is hard- I really dont think it ever gets easy, especially when its a child. even after 24yrs I have been know to stand and cry!! But there is much joy in this job too!

Karen

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Specializes in Everything but psych!.

Mario...I was wondering where you went too. You used to be on the board frequently. Regarding pay for nursing. Any job that a person has must in some respect fulfill and satisfy a need they have. One should enjoy their job, or they should be looking for something else. That's why people were wondering when the issue came to all money. I lived in CA for a year. I lived in S. CA for 6 months. I understand where you're coming from. Everything in CA is money money money.

In CA you should be able to start in the low 20/hr as a new nurse. As mentioned before, you will need 1-2 years of full time nursing before a travel agency will pick you up. So, find something you like. I did travel/agency nursing for awhile. It was fun. And you always know that the job will be ending. Never had a job that I wasn't looking forward to leaving, though. There's a reason those facilities are looking for travelers. It's difficult to work there on a regular basis! Good luck!

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Thank you all for the encouragement!

I knew i wanted to be in the medical field because I like helping people out, but now that I see nursing has alot of great people always here to help one another out, IM SOLD!

Well, I have about 1.5-2 years left of school and then Im done. Ill keep posting here because you guys RULE! WooT!

Wish me luck!

-DAvid

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

I agree with enerybody.

Nursing does have fairly good pay and benefits. But for the number of breaks you miss, the days you stay late or go home crying, is the money worth it?

Last night I was at work. The only reason I dragged myself into work for a 12 hour night shift was the money. But while I was there a sweet little old lady went into flash pulmonary edema. I sat there with her for over an hour holding her hand when she was scared she would die. When it was over she told me she was glad I was there. I didn't do that for the money!

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:nurse: :nurse: :clown: :clown: :)
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Specializes in Med-Surg, Tele, ER, Psych.

I think nursing is a calling, myself. I cannot imagine being anything else and cannot believe how happy I am in the ER. I would suggest strongly that you work in a hospital or nursing home doing patient care because the BASIC foundation of nursing is patient care, and if you hate that, you will find that no amount of money will make your time in hell worthwhile.

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Originally posted by TheSquid

Thank you all for the encouragement!

I knew i wanted to be in the medical field because I like helping people out, but now that I see nursing has alot of great people always here to help one another out, IM SOLD!

Well, I have about 1.5-2 years left of school and then Im done. Ill keep posting here because you guys RULE! WooT!

Wish me luck!

-DAvid

I think you're going to be a fabulous nurse!!

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Originally posted by TheSquid

well, I mean, isnt that the bottom line of it. The money? Thats the ONLY reason people work is for the money. So, yeah, thats why im doing it. I was just wondering if it is a good career choice becuase I am also an actor. That means I have to have flexible hours.

How many days a week do you guys normally work?

HOOO boy----- if the ONLY reason you getting into nursing is for the money you are gonna be disappointed. Why? Not cause RN's are necessarily paid poorly, but with the LIABILITY and RISKS we take in our daily work, there is NO way anyone is paid enough to do this. You have to have the heart to do it, to me. NOT be Florence Nightingale or Mother Theresa, but you need to WANT to DO this. If money is all you are after, you will likely burn out or become a cynical nurse whom NO ONE wants at the bedside.

Money is VERY important; don't get me wrong, I an not naive and won't lie to you. But I feel like we don't make NEARLY enough for what we risk doing what we do each day. I think you ought to shadow some nurses for a while---really WATCH what it is we do and put up with each day----- to see if it's really FOR YOU or NOT. You have NO idea what you are getting into (good or bad), from what I can see in your posts. I wish you the best.

Oh and before I forget, nursing IS flexible. You can work as much or little as you want to; that is the truth. It's up to you. Good luck in your decision. It will be life-altering if you do indeed elect to become a nurse. Believe that.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Welcome back, Mario, my friend!

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Deb,

The quote you refer to is pretty shallow (as was noted earlier), but he clarified his motivation for entering nursing in other posts on this thread. I just think he didn't choose his words carefully.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Maybe so angelica. but NO ONE should ever enter nursing lightly. THAT is my opinion, chosen carefully.

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Fair enough.

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