Life in the Nursing Profession

After graduating high school, we come to face the world of college life. Choosing you career of choice isn't just choosing what to wear for a party or when you go to the mall to hang out with friends. It's choosing your future. Choosing what the outcome of your life would be. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

Life in the Nursing Profession

You have a wide variety of degrees/professions to choose from. Choose wherever you are good at. Choose whatever makes you happy.

For most students, they don't really have a choice because their careers are predetermined by their parents ever since they started high school (mine was). I dreamt of becoming a veterinarian, considering my love or animals. I even considered taking up Archaeology because I loved history (Asian history more likely). But alas! My fate wasn't in my hands. My mom wanted me to take Nursing.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing...

It is the most common degree that graduates would consider to take or rather; their parents want them to take. Every year many students are enrolled in the Nursing career. Most know what they would expect in the Nursing profession, but do they really?

Some of you may think it would only be about memorizing drugs, medical terms, diseases, etc. But joining in the Nursing profession would also mean, taking the lives of other people into your own hands; it also means that one simple mistake can cause you your license and cause other people their loved ones.

I didn't expect anything or rather didn't know anything much about Nursing. I didn't even know that I have to take a license exam after I finished. I didn't even know that I have to complete a number of scrub requirements in order to graduate. I didn't even know about the hardships that I had to take when I enrolled in Nursing.

It is also not an easy journey.

You have to endure sleepless nights, tireless days, stocks of requirements and research works, scrubs to complete ( sometimes enduring long and boring classes in your minor subjects when you'd rather study or do you homework in your major subject), ear-splitting lectures from your clinical instructors about what you did wrong or what you missed out to do and not to mention the financial expenses that most often empties your parents bank accounts (okay, I'm exaggerating but you'll get the point).

Unfortunately, the journey doesn't end on your graduation ceremony. You still have to study for your board exam. Otherwise, you cannot put your acquired skills and knowledge to use. And if you pass your board exam (Yes, IF. Sad truth in Nursing life, despite your hard work, if you cannot pass the NLE, you cannot work in the hospital as a staff nurse), you have to take trainings and seminars to start you volunteer/ hospital training (no, not as a regular paid staff nurse yet).

So when you encounter one of the nurses when visiting a love one in the hospital, do greet them with respect (unless they're not treating you right. There are some who do not attain their knowledge in their Ethics class and the patient's bill of rights). Also, please do support any family member of yours that takes up nursing because they need it. We endure too much pressure already. Lastly, do some research about the professions that you want to take? It'll help you a lot.

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Meg0601

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From reading your post you're not in North America. Our student nurses tend to be more mature and have less parental pressure on them to take nursing up. If anything the nurses that are parents try and talk their children out of it!

Their is no status to be obtained by becoming a nurse. Just hardwork and the feeling of there is something out there better to do with our lives.

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TO: Meg

Here's something to show to your mom or print it out:

This is a recent article from the ABS-CBS about the no more demand for PH nurses, so even if you get your degree from the Phils and get a US license, there will still remain a preference for the US educated nurses.

Here's that link:

But I think in your case, if you're not planning to come to the States, so the article below will be better to show mom.

Here's a BBC link to nursing sour dreams:

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Never wanting to be a nurse in the first place is quite evident at times when they come to find work to support the family back home with some nurses that come to Australia.I asked my son to do nursing and he laughed at me!!!Said if he wants to work anywhere in the world, have respect and make enough to support me,he is taking up engineering. Got brains that I give him credit :))

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

moved to Nursing in the Philippines for best response.

Beautifully written. There are parents that over push their children in the US as well......it is hard for a parent when you try to walk that balance of letting your children "go" and being sure that when you are gone they can care for themselves. Plus as Parents we want our children to have a better life than the one we had.

Thank you for sharing!

changed to article status.

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I'm not trying to be negative, but I did do my research. I interviewed real nurses before and after nursing school. I read blogs and visited websites with nurses talking about their experience, but it was not enough. I've had a lot of great and wonderful experiences, but so far let's just say that if I knew what I know now back then, I'm not sure I would have chosen this profession. Don't tear me apart for telling me truth please.

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Not sure what you mean?Telling people lies to keep people happy is not my style.Nursing as a portable profession has gone. Each country is closing doors.Australia seems to have some work for those with experience.Why is it that Filipinos have not ,taken up engineering as there is a world shortage of all types of engineers.

I am sorry for the lack of empathy, it is difficult for westerners to understand how anybody is told what to become or what to study by their parents, it's just not the thing to do, especially when it's our children's life and they must be the ones that will have to live that life not the parents, some do follow parents into law or medicine- why not? They actually have lived the life as children the rewards those occupations bring in by the way of monetary value, respect and community standing.

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Life is difficult, it is unfair, the world is not here to make you happy and it will not stop for your tears. For those pinoys still taking up nursing, it is time to throw in the towel and move on, while for those about to get in the door, take up another course. Nursing is now a dead-end profession with no long term prospects for employment in the PH, with the US option practically out of reach for a very long time. Maybe even permanently.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I think you are missing the meaning of the post.....the OP is sharing her personal journey about her life and parents. She is also sharing that the nursing journey is also a difficult one....in her culture.

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You got that right nice post by the way, I too was forced by my parents to take up nursing even though I told them I'd like to take computer related course.. So without any freewill because they were the one's paying for my college I took up nursing ang boy there were so many hardships.. Sleepless nights.. Toxic duties.. Mean clinical instructors who would throw pencils at you if you make a mistake and would embarass you in the nurse's station it was hell.. But i never gave up because i wanted my parents to be proud.. After grad Was the board exam and I passed the exam with a good percentage.. Took some training afte i got my license and then reality bites tha profession wasnt easy.. You'll encounter senior staff that would bully you around directors that will always put you down.. And iI tell you this I was miserable and fact that here in the philippines jobs for nurses are almost to none was more frustrating and with low compensation that's not equal to your labor.. One thing i realized is that if you want nursing you must be passionate about it.. And i wasnt because i was passionate about IT and thats just it.. I hope and pray that my parents would allow me to study again because im really lost with how our profession is down now a days..

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