No need to be upset at the truth! Change careers

[RNGriffin]

One thing that has baffled me on this website is individuals always are up in arms when the truth is, if you have no passion for the profession you need to make life decisions for yourself. Most individuals come on allnurses.com to complain about the nursing profession, long hours, nursing staff, arrogant doctors. The truth is, this is not Mcdonalds where you work the job because it's a requirement for survival. You entered into college and chose a profession that makes you miserable, spent countless hours studying a subject that you have no interest in, and entered the work field to make others who are passionate about their careers miserable. Yet, many complain that the healthcare field has taken a turn for the worse. Has it ever occurred to those same individuals, if there was no passion for the career to begin with there would be none after starting your first, second, third, or even tenth position?

Maybe it's my family values that taught me, if I don't love what I do there is no way I will ever be successful in life. Success is not defined by the basic salary, but level of contentment with my life all together.

So I say, if you hate nursing make life decisions so the rest of us can enjoy our jobs.

[JZ_RN]

Even when I am short staffed and working in the shift from H**L I still give good patient care. I don't take shortcuts that can harm people. I do give a crap, which is why I am a good nurse. I am not a bad nurse because I hate the way I have to work like a dog with no help and management is always yelling for no reason. Just cause you complain abut your job and hate it doesn't mean you hate being a nurse. If everyone who complained about nursing really hated being a nurse we'd have a lot of patients being harmed cause you don't have anyone who cares about their job, even if they're hating being where they're at. No one sane goes into nursing for the money and then actually stays, 'cause the money isn't worth the hassle of most workplaces, even the better ones. I may hate where I'm working (to be changing very soon I hope) but I love being a nurse and I do a good job. Am I perfect? Not a chance. Could I be better if I had more time/less patients, better and more supplies, more help? Yep, and that is what frustrates me. And the people who say you should be happy you have a job, don't complain... Seriously? Should we tell abused kids, hey, be happy you're not an orphan? It could be worse? We as nurses need to get up and start saying to these companies that NO we won't take these crappy assignments with not enough staff anymore. Not just for ourselves but for our patients!

[RNGriffin]

The content of my OP has struck a cord with some individuals which it wasn't even directed towards. If you hate your place of employment and working conditions, that's not speaking to the reasons why you became a nurse. I was speaking to those who joined this "dog eat dog" world for the sake of a paycheck. Lets be honest, nursing isn't the best paying job in the world or even close. So, if you are chasing the almighty dollar...Wrong profession!

Lets leave it at this....

We will agree to disagree.

After all, there will always be room for worker bees.

[Hygiene Queen]

I don't see how this conversation or topic can garner any negative response. The individuals who feel attacked are exactly who I was discussing my OP. Your truth is your truth, so state your piece/peace.

I don't feel attacked.

As far as I'm concerned, you are not talking about me.

My comment about back-patting was not specific to your post.

[Stephalump]

I would like to place this thought into prospective, as this conversation is interestingly diverse.

Would you rather be served by an individual who loved what he/she was doing or by an individual who simply was working to make a paycheck?

It's not an opinion but rather fact, when a person is passionate about his/her job he/she is far more successful. For me, it wasn't about working until retiring age, but working until I felt like retiring. I am not interested in making a quick dollar, because money wasn't the issue.

My passion is clear in the quality of my work( don't take offense unless it applies to you). Passionate nurses are innovative in the level of care and contribute to the team beyond text book knowledge.

THIS IS MY OPINION!

I can honestly say, in all the times I or my loved ones have been hospitalized, whether or not the nurses love or hate their job has never been a consideration or a concern. When you're child is in the ICU, you want people who are GOOD at their job doing everything they can. I would gladly fire a passionate, unskilled nurse and replace her/him with a miserable, yet phenomenal nurse if it came down to it.

[JZ_RN]

My point is that the people who complain about nursing don't usually complain cause they actually hate nursing. I don't know any nurse who actually hates the tasks of nursing, it's almost always the work environment.

[Hygiene Queen]

I flat out do not care about someone's motivation as long as the work is good. None of my business what their motivation is.

Nor do I care about my coworkers' motivation.

Just as long as we can work together and get things done.

[RNGriffin]

My point is that the people who complain about nursing don't usually complain cause they actually hate nursing. I don't know any nurse who actually hates the tasks of nursing, it's almost always the work environment.

Understood!

[Stephalump]

My point is that the people who complain about nursing don't usually complain cause they actually hate nursing. I don't know any nurse who actually hates the tasks of nursing, it's almost always the work environment.

When my mother left nursing a few years ago, it wasn't because she hated nursing. It was because she hated the long hours, office politics, ridiculous patient ratios, and the dissolution of her job into being a "glorified waitress.". She enjoyed caring for her patients, but she felt like the system got in the way of it.

She'll probably never set foot in another hospital as a nurse, but not because she hated nursing.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Wow, I've read through the comments and they are as predictable as I expected. I see 95% of the responses are so delusional in their purpose within nursing, it's ridiculous.

So I take it you are not a psych nurse.....people are being honest, not delusional.

Not sure who peed in your cheerios, but I like what I do. Doesn't matter for whom or where one works, it is not all rainbows and unicorns. The best thing you could do for yourself, regardless of profession, is to develop a good character. THAT is what people are remembered for--

[Hygiene Queen]

I think the problem is that when folks come on here to vent about lazy nurses or uncaring nurses is the fact that those nurses aren't here!!

So obviously nurses here are thinking, "what?! I care!"

I truly believe that those who really care enough to find a place to vent, learn and contribute experiences and advice to others are not the ones that don't care!

We are here because we care!

And we all can vent and we all don't have to agree.

What blew my mind was reading MA's trying to convince us they practice medicine and students or pre-students trying to tell nurses how to feel.

And then, here we are, talking about "the right reasons" and here blows in someone bragging about their 4.0 and how ignorant she thinks everyone else is.

Okay, I guess I tried to keep my composure for too long and blew it!

[sydzmommy]

Wow...ok. sorry if I feel frustration. I earn my grades, while working night shift full time, and raising three kids....i absolutely feel frustration, hearing people whine about how they could barely pull a C, or that a class is too hard. I think there must be many here who feel my frustration, or even agree with it.

I am sorry you are not one of them...not everyone has to agree with me. It seems like it has long time since you have been in school, surrounded by teenagers, older adults, yes idiots and geniuses alike. My point, not every nurse or new nurse is like the snarky cna you mentioned in your previous post.

I am humble, i have a drive to learn and succeed, and it sucks to have "real" nurses put me down

[nursel56]

I would like to place this thought into prospective, as this conversation is interestingly diverse.

Would you rather be served by an individual who loved what he/she was doing or by an individual who simply was working to make a paycheck?

The actual time spent with any nurse is so minimal for most hospitalizations knowing who was who is impossible, especially when you're trying to decipher non-verbal communication. Most of our staff nurses don't pull up a chair and begin to pour their heart out to the patient who is admitted for 2 or 3 days. I'd be happy with anyone who brought me my pain pill or a fresh glass of juice within a 15 minute time frame.

Wow, I've read through the comments and they are as predictable as I expected. I see 95% of the responses are so delusional in their purpose within nursing, it's ridiculous.

This is a good example of why it can take more than a couple of minutes of interaction with someone to find out what really makes them tick.