Nurses...Miserable?

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I am finishing up my first undergraduate degree and starting immediately into an accelerated BSN. Most people don't understand why I have decided to make this switch. Until recently, I didn't let it bother me.. because I had done some soul-searching and I have a plan - one that I am quite happy with. Today, however, my friend made a stupid generalization that really angered me. I was talking about the nursing program I'll be starting and she said, "That's so funny, I really can't see you being a nurse. Every nurse I know is miserable." Now I know I will get some fired-up responses because of that line...and that's what I want to hear!! I want to know that my friend was wrong, that she made an uneducated, sweeping generalization. I know a lot of venting goes on in this forum, and after being on here a few months I've read both stress-ed out threads as well as ones describing greatly fulfilling experiences. I just want to be reassured that there are many nurses out there that love their jobs! I also really want to have a good attitude going into this program... any tips on how to approach my first clinicals? Should I be prepared to become thick-skinned? I know I'm going to experience some stressful situations as a student and I don't want to be scared away!

Specializes in Med-Surg, ED.

I am one of those 'happy camper' people who loves her job. I love beinga nurse and I enjoy what I do at work (ED).

I had a patient last night ask me "Are you always this perky?" and I had to answer well....yes.

I laugh with my patients and try to lighten a scary experience for them.

This is my personality though. If something makes me miserable or makes me think I am becoming miserable...I don't do it. Simple. I became a nurse later in life after doing my own bit of soul searching, so I find a lot of satisfaction knowing that I went and did something and really did it because I wanted to.

I have seen some miserable nurses but I have also seen some miserable lawyers, secretaries, receptionists, asembly workers, teachers, etc etc....

Your dey to day experiences are largely based on how you choose to look at it. Its easier to hang onto negative feelings than positive feelings because the negative ones 'stick' better. If you choose to be positive, upbeat etc, you will be. I am a firm believer that the glass is half full.

And yes, there are things I don't like and there have been issues with management at times and issues with co-workers....again, like in any profession. But am I miserable? Nope.

i don't agree. i worked my way through school. i borrowed no money, and have no debt. the only debt i have in the whole world is my mortgage, and i've paid extra on it to get my house paid off early.

i have saved a large nest egg, and have some investments. i drive a ten year old car with 100,000 miles on it and only shop bargains. i'm an excellent money manager!

i work only 30-36 hours a week.

i'm burned out by working conditions, pt loads, and the way nurses are treated.

money issues and hours have nothing to do with it.

i think many others would like to do what they imagine we are doing in our careers, but not what we actually are doing.

actually, you might be one of the few that doesn't go overboard with overspending. when people over spend they tend to get in the rat race. i'm not saying that all nurses have an issue with budgeting but the ones i know personally do. anyway, you are right about this statement: "i think many others would like to do what they imagine we are doing in our careers, but not what we actualy are doing."

you are exactly right. i think people have a false expectation of what nurses actually do. with any job that you are a service to others there is a lot of pouring out of yourself. i think people get caught up into what nurses make. with any service job, they can't pay you enough for what you actually do. even with teachers, it is a service job. you are in service to the students, parents, and administrators and they can't pay teachers enough for what they do. so with any job there will be issues, and you wish you were in another career. just hang in there until you find your niche. anyway, i flipped to this scripture last night and i don't know if people are christian's on this forum or not but i thought this was interesting. i wrote that stuff about nurses not budgeting last night and it is interesting that i flipped to this scripture in proverbs last night. proverbs 23:4 says "do not wear yourself out to get rich; have wisdom to show restraint." anyway, i know that this might not apply to you valerie salva but this might help others that are in a rat race trying to pay off debts from a lack of self-discipline. :nuke:

....just keep in mind that there are many who would like to be doing what you are doing in your career. :flwrhrts:

i wonder if the bus boy at bob evans restraunt realizes that there are many of us, degreed, college educated health care professionals who, given the chance, would trade jobs in a minute.- providing of course i would keep my current pay. i was happier as a dish washer at the local country club than i have been for much of my nursing career. when things are running as they are supposed to nursing has a lot of job satisfaction.

when management makes foolish decisions that obstruct my ability to provide the best care, when families are unreasonalbe, when the docs are rabid, when i can't get out of my car when i get home in the morning because my knees and back feel like they are broken- scraping garbage into a bus pan and calling off when it's a sunny day just for a day off sounds so much better.

i honestly thing the "many people" who would like to be doing what i am doing in my career would only feel that way because they haven't done it!

that is why you have to choose a career that you are passionate about. nursing is a calling. if you aren't called to do it, you will run at the drop of a dime. i don't know if you are a christian or not, but there is an anointing to do certain professions. people have to be anointed to be a nurse, and if you are anointed to do the profession there will be a gentle ease. i suggest people to do what they are naturally passionate about. when you are passionate about something, it isn't work for you. you will love it so much that you could do it for free! i think that many people get caught up into what nurses make and not actually sit back an evaluate the profession.

nursing isn't for everyone. people need to get before god, and ask what he would have them to do. he will lead and guide you in the path you should take. i actually feel that i'm supposed to do nursing. it has to be a desire from god because my whole family can't see why i would want to be a nurse. lol i am very creative and have a strong sense for fashion, and my family feels that nursing is totally opposite from my personality. they feel that i need to direct my career towards fashion and move to new york, atlanta, or some major city. yet, there is a desire for me to be a nurse, and i know that god has a purpose for me to become one. anyway, if you feel the need to switch careers, do so! it is never too late to go back to school and try something else.

also, i would like to add this. i suggest for people to get a bachelor's degree. having a bachelor's degree leaves more options open for career changes. i have a bachelor's degree, and i will always have a back up plan in case i don't like the nursing field. many people get stuck in nursing because they only have an associates degree. even if you have a bs in nursing, that still leaves more options open to change careers. you could go back and get a master's in something else or just work somewhere else. most jobs just require you to have a bachelor's, and it doesn't matter what the degree is in! anyway, just a thought for those who are miserable as a nurse and want a career change.

i wondered about that also. do you have to be overly friendly to do your job as a nurse. i know my personality, and i feel that i will just be courteous and professional. i don't see myself getting wrapped up into the patients personal lives. i will just do my job and get out of the room! i'll just do what's expected of me, which is providing a service, and leave work at work and not bring it home. that is what keeps people from being burned out in any profession. you can't take work home with you. you have to have a life outside of the workplace. if you have trouble balancing a personal life with working, you might be working too many hours.

i find that many nurses aren't good money managers. they tend to overspend more than they actually make, and then they work all of those hours to pay for all the debt they have accrued through over spending. i know that this is off the topic, but that is how nurses get burned out because of overspending and trying to work long hours to pay for it. i know many nurses that are like that. they spend, spend, and spend and try to work long hours to make up. nurses need to realize that they are only bringing in a certain amount of money and need to budget properly so that don't have to work like a fool! oh well, that is just my theory. :idea:

to answer your question, it's not that you have to be overly friendly, but you do have to be a little friendly. i walked into one patient's room to hear him say, "oh great, it's the blunt one." :rolleyes: i know i am a little blunt, so it does not bother me. but yes, it helps to be friendly, to ask patients about their lives and relationships. it just involves being nice to them.......sometime though, you do run across people that are not really nice and you still have to be polite to them. it can be a challenge.

as to the second statement that nurse's aren't good money managers, i am comfortable on my living. when i was not comfortable on my living and had to work 4 days a week was when i was yoked to a spend-thrift husband who did not help out financially. i have met nurses who were helping support their husbands through school, putting kids through college, had debts, supported spouses, and many more situations. i don't really think that it's fair to say that about nurses and money management. there are a lot of people out there who have no desire or interest in managing their money well. it's not limited to nurses.

proverbs 23:4 says "do not wear yourself out to get rich; have wisdom to show restraint." :nuke:

excellent advice for anyone and everyone.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Psych.

I suggest the OP does research on the job satisfaction levels of different careers, and on how long people tend to stay in the same career. I remember hearing a few years ago that approx. 50% of nurses under the age of 30 planned to leave nursing within 3 years. I think so many nurses planning to leave a career so soon after finishing schooling speaks volumes.

I just wanted to thank everyone for your wonderful, objective, and honest responses to my question/concerns. What ever stage of your career you are in - good luck to you!

wow, ya'll are making me think twice about going into nursing. is it that bad? i hear people complain about their careers, but it isn't at this level of discontentment. i know for people to go through stress in nursing school and then come out working with a bunch of stress, is a lot. i don't think most professions have that big of a turn over rate as someone described earlier on this thread. it must be really bad for people to go through all that hard work, in nursing school, and then turn around and want to get out of the profession. i guess i might just consider getting my mba instead of going to nursing school. that was my second option anyway. maybe that was my desire to be a nurse instead of what god wants me to do. lol (i need to do more praying about this! lol) ya'll sound like how my family describes nursing. they literally begged me not to go into nursing. i want to be happy in my career choice, and i can't go into a career for the wrong reasons. so i'm going to follow my heart's desire and do what i'm good at doing naturally. in a sense, you all have given me the answers i needed. i was at first kind of concerned if nursing was the right choice, and you have given me insight to what the actual career is like. i would like to say thank you! :heartbeat

i feel that many people need to read these message boards to actually find out what the career is like before rushing in to make a decision. many go into nursing for the money but that is definitely the wrong reason for choosing a career. like i said before, they can't pay people enough for a service type of job.

Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.
nursing is a calling. if you aren't called to do it, you will run at the drop of a dime. i don't know if you are a christian or not, but there is an anointing to do certain professions. people have to be anointed to be a nurse, and if you are anointed to do the profession there will be a gentle ease.

i don't see nursing as a calling. nursing is about relationships, communication, as well as the physical side of the job. it is about reality. you have to work to become a skilled nurse. it doesn't just come to you. i think i have developed my love of the job as time goes on.

god has given all ppl different skills, and each person is as important as the next. all ppl contribute to society, equally. i couldn't be a secretary for example. a secretary has to be efficient, organised, with good people skills, including resolving conflict. now it is easy to see here that if a secretary was 'miserable' then it would easily carry on into his/her work.

Boy vanillavirture... you seem to have all the answers. :uhoh3:

Specializes in PCU/CICU.

Hmmm....after reading a lot of these posts, it makes me wonder why I went into nursing. lol..not really. I have worked several types of jobs. Retail....Factory...I was even a stay at home mom for 7 years. I can say I like my job. A LOT. I think I am lucky in the fact that I really like my place of employment. I have bad days...difficult co-workers...annoying patients. But, when it's all said and done, at the end of the day I really like being a nurse. I'm proud to tell people that's what I do. I enjoy helping people.

To the orginal poster...you have to decide on your own. If you went to a forum for Dr.'s or Realtors and asked the same question, you would probably get the same types of responses. Nursing is such a versatile career, not just bedside nursing. Good Luck with whatever decision you make. (just remember...it has to be YOUR decision)

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