Is nursing a good career?how do i know if i will like it

Nurses Career Support

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I am an undecided college student, wondering if i should go into the field of nursing. To be honest, i have heard nurses are typically stressed out and most times depressed my teacher even said they have one of the highest suicide rates, but im not sure about all that.I mean i would love to have a self-fullfilling job but im just not sure how to know if nursing is for me! help any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for your input!!! Geesh I am having one of those times..questioning my career choice and if I made the right decision or not...all because of a bad turn out with my first nursing job...It was in a LTC facility...they gave me a 4 day orientation...2 halls 40 residents...and because I wasn't up to speed with everything as they expected..they let me go..I thought I was doing fairly well being a new nurse. But I think it had to do with more than that though...But the thing was..everyone (other nurses) was going behind my back talking about me to the managers about all this stuff I was supposedly doing wrong and to my face these nurses didn't have anything bad to say or any type of feedback...I just didn't get it...anyhow this relates to your statement about "throwing you under a bus" That's how I really felt they did me here..I'm just hoping I can find some place where people actually do work together and are not always out to get someone.

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Bethaj17...if you are still looking for a job, go to work in a major hospital in a big city. If you live in a small town, now is a perfect time to move closer to the big city close by! Think of it as continued schooling...because a big hospital will give new nurses the kind of orienting you need before they throw you out to the wolves. Start out on a basic med/surg floor...days is better (crazier and busier, but more staff to help you)...but if you have to start out on nights, do it. I did. It won't last forever, you put your time in and then you can move up to day shift. You'll learn on that floor and have nurses to mentor you (yes, you will also have some that will throw you under the bus) but you'll also make a friend or two for life. Nursing homes are HORRIBLE examples of nursing. I tried one once...actually just a couple of years ago...and only stayed one day! And I was a seasoned, experienced nurse. Don't give up. I'm here anytime you need advice or just want to vent. I now work whatever days I want...no weekends or holidays...and make well over $40 an hour. If I chose to work 5 days a week, I would make over $100,000 a year. PLUS...I love it!

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Thx soooo much Mitzio!!!! :yeah:I would love to stay in touch..you sound like you have experienced alot and know exactly where I'm coming from..

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And I want to add that the work load the LTC was expecting you to do was ridiculus. That's why I won't work for one of those (not to offend anyone, I know there are those that love it), but I don't want to work for a company that doesn't have enough funds to pay to keep the place staffed according to the need. Now a private pay LTC is another story!

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Agree with Mitzo's excellent advice above-work for a big city hospital.

And look for one that is a teaching hospital. If Med Surg is not available,

try Surgical floor or what is available to get yourself in the door.

You will work hard, but the learning opportunities will spark your

interest. The money is often good and the opportunity for staff

development will be available too.

Good luck and keep us posted!

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"if you really think you're interested, perhaps you could volunteer at a hospital,"

yes volunteer! i volunteered and if i had not would be going to school for medical radiography. i think that shadowing is the smartest thing any pre-nursing student could do!

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Just want to share... :D

Why did I took up Nursing? Because I hate Math. I really wanted to have a degree in Social Science Major in Japan Studies but I ended up being a Registered Nurse. Maybe, I'm just a realistic and practical person and because Nursing doesn't have complicated Math formulas.

It's been 2 yrs. now since I obtained my license and I only have 11mos of post registration experience. 3 mos. paid and 8 mos. unpaid. Funny thing is, I started working as a casual RN then volunteered for 8 mos. (I was hoping that I will be absorbed by the hospital but I don't have a backer so I wasn't hired and now I am still unemployed).

To tell you the truth, I 've been in 4 hospitals already. I just resigned from my last hospital and I only stayed there for 2 days! Why? Because I can't stand the fact that I am volunteering again (yep, its a volunteer position again) and trying to kiss everyone's ass just to be hired. Here in the Philippines, you need to have a backer for you to be hired. Preferrably a Medical Director, Chief Nurse and in some cases, senators, governors and politicians. They don't care even if you topped the Nursing Licensure Exam or a Magna Cum Laude graduate. If you don't know anyone within the hospital, you will not get hired. They will just open a volunteer/training position.

Believe me, I had a co-trainee with no experience. I was her senior trainee and I even trained her how to admit, discharge and transfer patients. Insert catheter, NGT, IV, and even mix chemotherapy drugs and in the end---- SHE WAS HIRED just because the CHIEF NURSE is her godmother!

Well I can divide the stressors in my nursing world in three. FIRST- CO-WORKERS. Yup. Crab mentality exists in the world of nursing. SECOND- DOCTORS. I don't just get them. They treat nurses as if we are their slaves and not as co-members of the healthcare team. THIRD- PATIENT and their RELATIVES- We are PROFESSIONAL NURSES. Not a nanny!

Now, I am contemplating what I will do with my life. But I still want to pursue this career. I will try to work abroad- maybe a grace period of two years. If I still hear an inner voice telling me to quit, then, I WILL.

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I have been an R.N. for 23+ years. Prior to becoming an R.N. I worked in the buisiness field for 13 years.

I can honestly tell you that when I worked in the business field I was respected as a human being, as an R.N. all I have encountered is disrespect. If you can handle the stress of working when "they" want you to work, not eating, not being able to go to the bathroom, not being able to get anything to drink during your shift and always being talked down to, then nursing is for you. If you have no respect for yourself as a human being, then nursing is the best field you could go into.

I do regret the last 23 years of my life.

Isabelle

What are you guys talking about? This is scary. I am in nursing school and so far i have heard good stuff about being a nurse. Can somebody with good experience give us some info.

Thanks

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Thank you, We need nurses like you!!

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"If you have no respect for yourself as a human being, then nursing is the best field you could go into. "

Isabelle

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Isabelle, sorry that you have not been pleased with nursing. I refuse to

believe that your patients did not appreciate your care.

Nursing is a field where nurses are so busy, often they can forget

about their own needs. I know I have worked in many different nursing

environments and in the places I had a closed (union) shop were the

best. The union took care of the business end and we could enjoy practicing.

I am only speaking for my experience with a certain union,not advocating

that everyone needs one.

To the students on the thread, there are still many good places to work

and interesting specialties to practice. My advice is to examine

the working environment before you accept the position. Look at the acuity

and staff ratios, and if the staff functions as a team.

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