No need to be upset at the truth! Change careers - Page 3

I suspect the op is just stirring the pot, maybe trying to get people all riled up.

To OP,

I know I have read many a post where the terms "passion" or nursing as a "calling" are frowned upon. Is it wrong to say I am passionate about nursing, or medicine as a science, and truly feel that this is a profession I will excel at and enjoy? *shrug* maybe, since I am not an RN *yet heh* but I can say That I love medicine, always have. Since they age of 16, it is all I have done!
I work at one of the best veterinary teaching hospitals in the country, in the intensive care unit. I LOVE critical care. Obviously, people are not animals, BUT I use the nursing process every night. I rely heavily on my critical thinking skills, and above all, I advocate for my patients (yes if that means calling the resident at three in the morning so be it, or going above them to faculty if warranted)
So to an extent, I think people who are passionate about their profession make better nurses. It takes a certain personality type to "make it" in advanced practice/critical care. I have see quite a few in my unit who just were not cut out for it. The key for me, is complacency. I am am never happy to just "do the job". If I encounter a new med, I am immediately researching, I read about our espirit ventilators and mechanical ventilation in my free time because I love my vent cases. When I am running a pressor drip, I am comparing it to what i will see in the "human world" I read the critical care nursing journals regularly. I lecture my peers for continuing education purposes. I have reached IMHO, a state of plateau in my career, and I am excited to apply to the nursing program in the fall, because for me, it is a natural progression of learning. It is the next step in *hopefully* a long career in medicine.

Having said that.....It is discouraging as a hard working mother in my 30's, pulling 4.0, to be surrounded by people who IMHO, have no business entering nursing, or healthcare in general. (yes I am being an elitist). I do not know it all, and in nursing school, my plan is to keep my mouth shut! Haha. My friend who is now an RN had the best advice: if asked by the professor if I have any experience placing an arterial or central (or even ucath!) my reply will always be "only in a dog or cat" But I watch prospective nursing students around me, and many of them barely pull minimum a passing grade in prerequisites, complain that professor is "too hard" if he tests them on concepts vs memorizing terms, and no joke, some of them cannot even focus a microscope. If you have to retake AP, micro or chem, maybe a science major ISN'T FOR YOU! I can only pray, they do not make it through nursing school, and it would suck to be competing with them for valued RN positions.

I can only hope, that sometime down the road, there will be room for me in the nursing profession. I know there are no jobs. I am going to rely my drive to get me there, eventually. IN the meantime, I am lucky to have a job I love! I have many coworkers who have become nurses (fantastic nurses at that!) Some tell me they hate it (so much charting and no time to do it!), a few tell me they love it. I hope to someday be with the latter!

If anybody knows PASSION doesn't pay the bills its me...but what I'm saying is do what you don't want to do to get the bills paid and when you CAN find something you LOVE to do...spare the world of the nurses who don't like what they do...what's the point ...Whatever you're doing right now is not something you have to do forever and like I said before everything is not all butterflies and cupcakes and of course your gonna have bad times but calm down...and WORK what you came to do...why complain all the time...

To sydzmommy

PREACH! lol You expressed how I feel to a "T" lol

I hope to be a great Nurse one day as well..I have it in me..drive ...But I am a MA and my teacher who taught me was a RN,and NP. She also has cancer and still works..teaches classes....and doesn't complain nearly as much as I have heard of some people on here and she's on Double Chemo...she also was a Flight Nurse...this woman is my idol and a perfect example of a nurse who loved what she does...for 40 years..


Nobody is saying HEY quit your nursing job because you dont love it! lol just saying give something else a try when you can so you won't be so unhappy...because it's not good for the patients...

Sometimes people have life experience that redirects their passion. You never know what people have going on at home nless you walk a mile in their shoe. I am wondering why you need people to leave so you can enjoy your job? Anywhere you are going to encounter miserable people, all YOU can change is how you react to them. I would suggest working on that. Rather than wanting people to leave so you can enjoy your job, why don't you work on enjoying your job regardless.

Regardless of what someone has going on when you get to that door that should be gone...Like I said I know a nurse Double Chemo and all and she's still working without complaining...the patients don't ask for you to bring your personal problems into their situations they are there for care not to care about you!

oh and beeker i love my job and will always regardless of people....it's just patients they don't deserve that...

I see the ones who see nursing as a passion (thru rose-colored glasses) aren't even nurses in the real world yet.

I am passionate and always will be...period..regardless of the situation..so speak for yourself when you say you don't have passion for nursing. No one can tell me what I am passionate about and the level of passion I will have once I get where I am going. Only I would know that...and I am definitely not one of those people that think everything is glitter and gold..You can ask me years from now and I'll say the same thing...Some people find out later on it's not what they wanted...I've wanted this since I was little..not just because I gotta pay bills big difference