Scared Pre-Nursing Student: Is Nursing as Bad as I Hear? - Page 5

First off, for all of you jumping down the OP's throat, she was in no way intending to censor the people that come on here and use this site as a vehicle to vent their frustrations. If anything, the OP is trying to gain information as to why the number of negative posts seem to overwhelmingly exceed the positive. All of the snide, rude and contemptuous comments can be put on hold. There is no wonder why nurses get stigmatized as b****es.

OP, I truly honor you enthusiasm. It is refreshing to hear someone that has such a passion for nursing and possess a great amount of goals. I hope you can hold tight to the vigor that you are in possession of, it will take you a long way. I will say that there will be discouraging moments as this field is far less than always pretty.

No, I am absolutely sure no one is intentionally discouraging anyone. What I am saying however, is that the collective image of many of these post is "discouraging". I had a friend come on this site and leave horrified. In fact, she is the one who told me about this site. She actually dropped out of her program behind the "cold feet" she got after reading some of this stuff (though I still feel that my friend was being extreme to say the least). Of course to you, a professional, it's just " nurses venting" but to us students it sounds like a "red flag". I must say, I was very "concerned" after reading many of these posts. I have taken out loans and expended much energy in my classes. I have absolutely no job security now. I have not had a "good position" since 2008. And, in that corporate office position I experienced extreme racism, bullying, back biting, name calling, racial slurs, mental abuse; it was unreal. It was hell actually. Pure hell. I am looking to nursing to get me out of the not-so-great position I am already in. The last thing I want to hear is that all these classes I'm getting A's in and all these loans I have taken out are just so I can feel like killing myself every day after my RN shift (should I choose to bedside nurse). Clearly, I went through that in my previous corporate office experience (stress related pneumonia, skin infections, hair loss, constant cold, insomnia, crying --- you name it.) I am putting alot of me into this and I am working very hard. This is very serious to me and it is quite alarming to hear so much "I wish I wasn't doing this". It makes you asks a lot of questions of yourself, God and everyone else. Sometimes when nurses "vent", they don't consider what this may sound like to students.

Also, I didn't judge anyone in my initial post.

Ivy Bee :heartbeat

Ouch...I just read the rest of the thread...

Honey, this is a site for nurses and students to come to for all things nursing related. I rarely post about the awfulness that occurs at my job, but offending someone's sensibilities is the least of my concerms when I do. I'm searching for empathy, constructive criticism, and advice from others who have been through the same.

And if you're seeing "red flags" here, well, yep...you can't miss them. Better to go into it with you eyes open while you still have a chance to change your mind. Not everyone has that option, which is why so many people who have come to hate bedside nursing, legitimally IMO, are stuck. When you have a family to provide for, personal satisfaction in career choice often takes the back burner.

It would be awesome if nursing was all sunshine and roses, but it's not. At all. It sucks hard core on a regular basis....and this is from someone who can honestly say that I love my job and career and would never consider doing anything else. It's not "whining" to come here and vent and look for support...it's the only safe place that many have where there are oodles of people who know exactly what they're talking about. Just like you can choose to change the channel on the TV, you can choose which threads to focus on here...but don't expect those of us who have been there, done that, to moderate our "behavior" b/c being honest about our experiences might frighten people out of pursuing nursing as a career. No offense intended towards your friend or others who might have changed their mind after coming here, but if they can't even handle READING about what we go through, it's probably better that they got out before investing their blood sweat and tears in a nursing degree.

One thing I have seen a lot of on these boards is discouragement directed to the students and/or new nurses who are "niave" enough to have some enthusiasm towards the profession. That's pretty eff'ed up. If you have been doing it for years and have become jaded, (and I don't know if you have or not) that's fine. It is hard not to be "somewhat judgemental" when most of the post you read on these boards sound bitter, cynical and angry. It makes you ask yourself if nursing is this bad, why are these people still doing it? The craziest part is, most of these "I hate my job" nurses say that they have been nursing 5 years or better. I don't think it is "naive or judgemental" to begin to question what must be (forgive me) wrong with people who would go on 5-35 years doing something they claim to despise enough to "warn" anyone even remotely interested in it, not to do it. I don't know about you, but if I hate even as much as a 30 minute TV program, I change the channel. With that being said, I really have to wonder if nursing is really that bad or if some of the nurses here are just without goals that would take them beyond the apparently "hellish awfulness" of bedside nursing. I think after reading approx. 300 "I hate this. I hate this. I hate this" posts over the past 3 hours, me asking if these people are crazy, unmotivated or correct in what they say is an honest and fair question.

I think some of the nurses here, instead of telling us pre-nursing and nursing students and new grads to "just wait until our lives too have been effed up, broke down, frazzled, ruined or destroyed by the dark, filthy, demon filled dungeon that is the inner stinch of this our great nursing profession", should place themselves in our shoes and consider how either terrifying or completely insane all of this "I hate this job that I have been doing for the last 15 years by my own choice" must sound. All I want is a sound answer that does not attack my passion, my goals or my "niave; judgemental" views and there seems to be a lot of that going around on this site. As a newbie, I must say, this site seems terribly negative and non-inspiring. I came here thinking I could learn and read some insightful and encouraging posts from seasoned field professionals. Honestly, there just seems to be a lot of whining. I am just trying to make some sense of all this. Considering the posts that are frequently posted here, again, I think my views are very fair. There are pros and cons to every job.

Ivy Bee :heartbeat