Is it wrong...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

I hear alot of people wanting to get into Nursing not because they want to "help" people, but because they want a decent salary, job flexibility and opportunities for advancement, most wanting to become Nurses because they want to continue onto grad school to become CRNAs.

I admit. I am somewhat of guilty of this. One thing that did attract me to Nursing IS that it isn't a typical 9-5 job desk job with only 2 week vacations and that there are many fields of Nursing to get into. And I did look into CRNA, but decided that knocking people out isn't that fun or exciting.

So, nurses: do you think it is wrong to get into Nursing for the reasons discussed above? And if not, are you guilty of this as well?

Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

IMO, there is nothing wrong with wanting to go into nursing for job stability and/or financial reasons. The bills need to get paid, after all. However, someone going into it should be aware that nursing is no longer the secure cash cow it was a few years ago. Nursing jobs and good salaries can be tough to come by.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

There's not a thing wrong with choosing a career because of its perceived stability, flexibility and suitability for your lifestyle. There's also nothing wrong with (gasp!) appreciating the nursing salary.

There will always be those who try to convince you that they're only in it to help their fellow man, but I have little patience with those assertions. In my humble opinion, all those who claim a higher motivation than us poor slobs who work for the paycheck should chuck their paying positions and join The Little Sisters Of The Poor. Mother Theresa would approve.

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
There's not a thing wrong with choosing a career because of its perceived stability, flexibility and suitability for your lifestyle. There's also nothing wrong with (gasp!) appreciating the nursing salary.

There will always be those who try to convince you that they're only in it to help their fellow man, but I have little patience with those assertions. In my humble opinion, all those who claim a higher motivation than us poor slobs who work for the paycheck should chuck their paying positions and join The Little Sisters Of The Poor. Mother Theresa would approve.

Yeah. I can't stand the Florence Nightengale mentality some Nurses and Nursing students have. Yeah, it is nice that you want to help out others, but I don't understand what is so wrong about looking at the Nursing field for its monetary gains...especially in this economy.

Yeah. I can't stand the Florence Nightengale mentality some Nurses and Nursing students have. Yeah, it is nice that you want to help out others, but I don't understand what is so wrong about looking at the Nursing field for its monetary gains...especially in this economy.

Nothing wrong with looking at monetary gains however it shouldn't be your soul motivation or you'll be leaving as fast as you came in:)

Good luck with everything!!!

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Nursing is an honest way to make a living. Likewise, nurses are not martyrs. If I am giving up my hard labor, someone had better show me the money because I do not bust my butt at work for free.

In my humble opinion, there's nothing wrong with doing this job for its monetary returns. I also believe that we should stop shaming the people who do admit to being nurses for the money. Nothing is wrong or inherently evil with seeking stability and security through a job in the nursing field. Virtually nobody in America shows up to the workplace for free.

Nursing is probably one of the only professions that pays excessive attention to the motivations of its members. Are you doing this for the money? Are you a nurse because you love fellow humans? Are you a nurse because you're caring?

Let's look at other educated professions in society. No one is examining the ulterior motives of the physician, lawyer, stock broker, professor, engineer, computer scientist, historian, consultant, physical therapist, banker, urban planner, businessman, accountant, or pharmacist. Other members of their professions aren't hassling them about having selected their respective career fields for the love of the job or other altruistic reasons. Their colleagues are not interfering and asking, "Is this a higher calling from God?"

Another nurse's personal reasons for entering this profession are absolutely none of my business. We, as nurses and student nurses, should take a lesson from other professions and stop belittling each other over wanting the most competitive pay for this job. I do not work for free, and I want to be paid competitively for the services that I render.

...Another nurse's personal reasons for entering this profession are absolutely none of my business. We, as nurses and student nurses, should take a lesson from other professions and stop belittling each other over wanting the most competitive pay for this job. I do not work for free, and I want to be paid competitively for the services that I render.

Me too. I work to make money, first and foremost. Hopefully I can find something that I enjoy doing. :up:

Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

I am spit at, hit at, degraded by family to the point that it is beyond verbally abusive, sometimes we call security.

I risk my license many night, short, having to mentor a staff complement of new nurses, asking me thousands of questions while I have both the sickest patients, no secretary, the phone ringing off the hook and no one answering it but me, along with all the questions.

I am told allow family to camp out in an ICU and give them recliners and serve them beverages, while my meds are well over an hour late,,,,, and my critical drips are beeping dry while a family demands I reposition their "loved one" for the hundreth time... and I have patient satisfaction scores to balance with my patient that will die that has no family to complain about them....

I've had crap slung at me, patients face painting in their own crap... usually the same ones as I'm given 30 minutes to move someone out to get a crashing one in, and have to leave the crap slinger/painter "as is" to admit a 100 yr old DNR placed on vasopressors with a living will that specifically states not to do this... ALL because the patient can no longer speak for themselves and a weak spinned doc allows it.

Now, put that all in, triple that assignment put me in charge with two new nurses who I'm trying to save from killing thier patients.....

ANYONE, anyone.... think that is worth the $$$$$$$... have my job and bring it on!!!!!!!!

I work this hell because I am an expert at what I do and I love it... because I won't leave... I will either loose my sanity or my nursing license... I'm a betting woman and the sanity is going. So any noobs out there out for the $$$... I say bring them on.... they don't last 6 months in my world and they leave.

This is critical care today... it's not about skill or knowledge, give drinks, smile... put your tray in the up right position before we land... we're high in the sky.

Management is nuts, these scores WILL kill people as the need to please will come before critical thinking... and I promise this... we are going to turn into a third world country with statistics of people dying as we are trying to get NUMBERS up... as this is what the government will reimburse!!!!!!!

Years from now, you'll all believe me, and it will be too late. These last medicaid/medicare changes will lead to patient demise. for now, everyone will just think I'm nuts.

So newbies want to enter this profession for the $$$... LMAO... bring them on in droves... I'll just smile and wave... it's not what they think it is.... and I'm OK with that... 16 years in, been there done that ... burned the T-shirt anyone in for the $$ will be out.

Just don't worry about them, those people, they will all be gone. No amount of money keeps people like me here. No hospital can pay that amount I'm owed for what I do. The money grabbers always leave... trust me:rolleyes:

Specializes in LTC.

Everyone works for a paycheck.

Everyone.

Some of us consider what job is right for us in order to obtain that paycheck.

Most nurses I know who are pulling hours of overtime don't say they do it because they love to be at work, but for the money.

Yeah. I can't stand the Florence Nightengale mentality some Nurses and Nursing students have. Yeah, it is nice that you want to help out others, but I don't understand what is so wrong about looking at the Nursing field for its monetary gains...especially in this economy.

If you only look at the money, you may be disappointed. Nursing is hard work, various shift demands,and dealing with an array of personalities.

One option is:

You find a specialty or area that you love and

put your heart, and energy into, the job positions will hopefully reward you for your education

and expertise. Do what you love and the money will follow.

Another option is:

Or you can look at the financial side first

This means that in this economy, you look at the salary of a position you are interested in first.

You get the skills /education to attain it, that is what most career planning involves.

That said, going into any career is about supporting yourself. Nursing has had the advantage in the past to be well paid and steady work.

Each individual decides for themselves why they choose

nursing and no explanation or apology is need whether the reason is for financial or personal growth,or both.

I know I'm guilty. I bet there's not one nurse out there that will work for free.

Specializes in LTC.

Its not wrong, but after a year on the job I can say they will be running for the door if they are in it just for the money.

+ Add a Comment