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| No. 200 | 
May 09, 2007, 11:29 PM
 Re: No I wouldn't recommend nursing
I would also like to add that once you're in nursing it's damn hard to get out of. I was a nurse (BSN) for less than a year, I have a B.A. in another field as well. Now that I'm trying to get OUT of nursing, it's like trying to get a needle in a football field size mound of hay! You apply, apply, apply, maybe getting a few interviews and then POOF... nothing. Hiring managers feel since you have "all that education" you will jump ship for more money after a few months, or since you have less than 1 year of work experience you're "questionable," and will not even give you the time of day. I've known police officers to change careers to engineering, teachers who have gotten into television broadcasting.... but, dang it, a nurse trying to LEAVE the field? and boy you're in for an uphill battle.
IF YOU'RE UNSURE DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 | | No. 201 |
May 10, 2007, 01:32 AM
Re: No I wouldn't recommend nursing
Most people ask me why I am giving up my nice "cushy" job sitting at a desk and starring mindlessly at a computer all day to clean up body fluids. I have my answers. First, my job is not that cushy. I don't think nursing jobs will ever be outsourced to India or any other "low cost location." Second, I love to help people. Yes, there are times when I wish I didn't have to be near the patient for various reasons, but mostly they are great. I know it is not rainbows and butterflys, but I don't think any job is. Most people at my current job went to school for 4 years and are starting out at 16.50/hour. Like someone said, not to many professions offer 23.50/hr to start with an associates degree. I jokingly say to my coworkers that I would rather clean up poop than mindlessly type numbers into a computer for 8 hours. I hope I do not become negative about my new future as a nurse. If I do, I hope I am in a position to try something different in the field or make a change. Good luck to all my fellow May graduates! Congrats!
| | No. 202 |
May 10, 2007, 12:54 PM
Re: No I wouldn't recommend nursing Originally Posted by pnurseuwm  I would also like to add that once you're in nursing it's damn hard to get out of. I was a nurse (BSN) for less than a year, I have a B.A. in another field as well. Now that I'm trying to get OUT of nursing, it's like trying to get a needle in a football field size mound of hay! You apply, apply, apply, maybe getting a few interviews and then POOF... nothing. Hiring managers feel since you have "all that education" you will jump ship for more money after a few months, or since you have less than 1 year of work experience you're "questionable," and will not even give you the time of day. I've known police officers to change careers to engineering, teachers who have gotten into television broadcasting.... but, dang it, a nurse trying to LEAVE the field? and boy you're in for an uphill battle.
IF YOU'RE UNSURE DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SO true!! It really is hard to get out...and a lot of other nurses are trying to do something "better" so that is why there are so many people competing for master's level programs in nursing, and there SO many nurse practitioners. My mother-in-law is an NP and she said that she has precepted students who were told by their NP program to expect that it might take up to a year to find a job as an NP after they graduate. That's scary - but that just goes to show you all the unhappy nurses are trying to move up and get advanced degrees!
| | No. 203 |
May 10, 2007, 01:14 PM
Re: No I wouldn't recommend nursing
Hope I don't get chewed out for this but...
It really surprises me how many nurses adivise others NOT to go into nursing and really dislike their current positions.
I understand nursing has plenty of negative aspects but it has one giant positive aspect and that is the high DEMAND for nurses. We are in demand and there are is a huge variety of settings in which a nurse can work.
I feel like the majority of nurses who "hate" their nursing jobs probably are too unimaginative/lazy to find ones that suit them better. Disliking your job is one thing...but not doing anything about it is terrible for you, and probably your coworkers, patients and facility!
If you don't like bedside nursing, move somewhere else...it isn't rocket science. I really doubt you would hate ALL of the many wonderful careers nurses have available to them, especially when you factor in the current job market.
| | No. 204 |
May 10, 2007, 01:56 PM
 Re: No I wouldn't recommend nursing
I live in South Carolina and I'm going back to school for nursing, an accelerated BSN/MSN program at MUSC. I have a master's degree in clinical counseling and after working in various settings such as group homes and mental health clinics, I had to leave because on top of the stress of combative adolescents and dual diagnosis patients with schizophrenia, I wasn't making enough money to support myself ($29,000) and had to work part time jobs in addition. = no free time to manage stress because I was too busy trying to pay bills!
I'm attracted to nursing because the salary for an NP is about double for working with similar populations, which I do enjoy and I feel that I work well with these folks. Also, I know I have the self awareness to recognize when my health is suffering and to explore other settings. Nurses are EVERYWHERE- it's fantastic. My OB-GYN nurse is the happiest, sassiest person I know. My friend (BSN) has been on an adult ICU unit for about 2 years and loves it. A nurse at the group home where I worked cared so much for those kids and was respected like a grandmother-came to work every day with a smile on her face.
Based on my personal experiences, I am confident that I can find a place in nursing where pay is satisfying to me and I'll love my work, despite it's ups and downs. Tip: I've been shadowing nurses all over the place down here for the last few weeks just to make sure. I recommend this to anyone who's thinking about nursing. Good luck to everyone!
| | No. 205 |
May 10, 2007, 02:10 PM
Re: No I wouldn't recommend nursing
Hi. I did not read through all 21 pages of posts, but did read quite a few. I wanted to add my thoughts.
It appears that folks who are in nursing and dislike it are stuck in jobs they do not like. Try applying for another nursing job. There are many out there. If you don't like hospital floor nursing, for example, or the ER, try another avenue. No job is perfect, but nursing does afford us the luxury of moving around and there will always be a need for nurses.
I am planning on going into public health or cardiac were I have a vested interest. Nurses love their craft WHEN THEY FIND A NICHE THAT FITS THEM. That I believe is the key!
Good luck!
| | No. 206 |
May 10, 2007, 02:13 PM
Re: No I wouldn't recommend nursing Originally Posted by pengoo2008 Hope I don't get chewed out for this but...
It really surprises me how many nurses adivise others NOT to go into nursing and really dislike their current positions.
I understand nursing has plenty of negative aspects but it has one giant positive aspect and that is the high DEMAND for nurses. We are in demand and there are is a huge variety of settings in which a nurse can work.
I feel like the majority of nurses who "hate" their nursing jobs probably are too unimaginative/lazy to find ones that suit them better. Disliking your job is one thing...but not doing anything about it is terrible for you, and probably your coworkers, patients and facility!
If you don't like bedside nursing, move somewhere else...it isn't rocket science. I really doubt you would hate ALL of the many wonderful careers nurses have available to them, especially when you factor in the current job market.
First off, I no longer work as a bedside nurse because I was "imaginative" enough to find a completely different field that suits me. However, I can still state my opinion about nursing as a career, because I have first-hand experience with it. Have you worked as a nurse? If you have and you like it, great - then share your opinion and don't call others names like "lazy" and "unimaginative" because their opinion differs from yours. If you haven't worked as a nurse, then you really shouldn't judge others who actually have first hand knowledge of the field, because you simply don't know where we're coming from.
Also, have you considered WHY there is a huge demand of nurses? Do you think a job that is truly wonderful really would have such a large number of qualified people who could work in it, but choose not to? Why do you think there is a "shortage?" And yes, there are many varieties of jobs within nursing, but there are many unhappy nurses competing for those jobs (see my previous post about new grad NPs taking up to a year to find a job).
| | No. 207 |
May 10, 2007, 02:34 PM
Re: No I wouldn't recommend nursing If you haven't worked as a nurse, then you really shouldn't judge others who actually have first hand knowledge of the field, because you simply don't know where we're coming from.
I am a student and no I have not worked as a nurse. But that doesn't mean I'm completely in the dark.
Since you have worked as a nurse, I agree that you have an excellent perspective on the type of nursing you have done. However, there are many facets of nursing and unless you have worked or thoroughly explored each of them, your perspective also has its limitations. Also, have you considered WHY there is a huge demand of nurses? Do you think a job that is truly wonderful really would have such a large number of qualified people who could work in it, but choose not to? Why do you think there is a "shortage?" And yes, there are many varieties of jobs within nursing, but there are many unhappy nurses competing for those jobs (see my previous post about new grad NPs taking up to a year to find a job).
In my humble opinion, the shortage is mainly caused by a lack of educators and the sheer number of nurses NEEDED by the healthcare system. I THINK (although I'm not positive) that nurses makeup the majority of employees at hospitals, this obviously leads to the higher demand as well.
I think overall, nurses lack the support they need in the workplace which is contributing to turnover.
and sorry for using the words lazy and unimaginative of me. Honestly, I could have phrased it in a more appropriate way but I suppose I was being lazy and unimaginative.
| | No. 208 |
May 10, 2007, 02:50 PM
Re: No I wouldn't recommend nursing
there is no nursing shortage, only a shortage of nurses willing to work under the current conditions
| | No. 209 |
May 11, 2007, 03:47 PM
Re: No I wouldn't recommend nursing Originally Posted by pengoo2008 Hope I don't get chewed out for this but...
It really surprises me how many nurses adivise others NOT to go into nursing and really dislike their current positions.
I understand nursing has plenty of negative aspects but it has one giant positive aspect and that is the high DEMAND for nurses. We are in demand and there are is a huge variety of settings in which a nurse can work.
I feel like the majority of nurses who "hate" their nursing jobs probably are too unimaginative/lazy to find ones that suit them better. Disliking your job is one thing...but not doing anything about it is terrible for you, and probably your coworkers, patients and facility!
If you don't like bedside nursing, move somewhere else...it isn't rocket science. I really doubt you would hate ALL of the many wonderful careers nurses have available to them, especially when you factor in the current job market.
Kristie beat me to it and said pretty much everything that I was thinking when I read this post. I was also imaginative enough to leave the bedside and I did it after less than a year in acute care. I do enjoy working in public health now, but if I had to do it all over again, I still would not choose nursing as a profession. The negative aspects far outweigh any positive rewards of being a nurse, in my opinion.
The nursing "shortage" is very complex and I don't believe that there is just one reason for it. However, I wish that I would have done more research before going to nursing school and discovered that there are over 500,000 RNs in the US that are not in the nursing workforce. That is more than enough nurses to cover the nursing "shortage". After working at the bedside, I now know why so many nurses have left the profession.
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