Would you become an RN again if you had the choice?

[eminthesr]

I'll be applying to ABSN (or ELMSN) programs this upcoming year.

I have been getting increasingly frustrated over becoming a nurse which is starting to worry me. The main thing I keep hearing is that nurses are mean and not nice to each other. I've heard this from many different people and I'm getting worried. I don't want to either 1. become one of those people or 2. be treated poorly by my co-workers

My question is, would you still become an RN if you had the choice to do it again? Why or why not?

Would you recommend getting your MSN and NP license? Why or why not?

Thank you! I really hope that the people I am hearing these things from are wrong!

[Caffeine_IV]

Nope. I would do some other healthcare thing...occupational therapy, PT or something else.

I'm not even motivated to get my BSN anymore. I've only been a nurse for 4.5 years and the changes within that time have not been for the better with the exception of one thing.

Nurses catch the blame for it all...linens not changed, doctor rounded "late", doctor left off medicine, dinner gross, floor not mopped. My coworkers are the least problem at this point.

Patient satisfaction rules everything. It is almost to the point that they will be handing off rate your nurse cards after each shift.

The nurses (on my floor) that want to save the world, make a difference have the most struggle. Those of us that just provide polite care, keep them alive and medicated for pain don't burnout so quickly.

[oldeddieboy]

Threads like this make one question if its worth it to work hard for 2.5 yrs and spend $20k+ on school. Judging from my other thread, I would probably make $10-15k/yr more nursing than many other jobs, but is it worth it? Sure, I really want to help people, but I'm sure everyone in this thread went in with that attitude.

[cantdoit]

not in a million years.

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

No...a lawyer

[noahsmama]

Absolutely yes! Second best decision I ever made in my life! (first best was becoming a mom!)

[PMFB-RN, RN]

No...a lawyer

*** I suggest spending a little time reading here:

But I Did Everything Right!

It's a blog by people who spent large amounts of time and money to enter an already oversaturated field and their bitterness about not finding a job.

[LPNnowRNhopefull]

@ oldeddieboy - When an individual first enters the nursing field, you work very hard to prove yourself capable and do whatever it takes to get into the type of nursing you prefer. But as people age, they sort of get dependent on the higher wages that generally come with staying in the same job for along time. Also, alot of people simply do not like changing jobs. However, making a decision to remain in a position because of either of these reasons can - doesn't always, but can result in decreased moral.

The individuals who have reflected that they maybe would not pursue nursing again if given the chance, are probably the same people who find themselves at a crossroads in the profession.

Truth is, these nurses are probably the best skilled individuals that are available for their areas of choice. But they must allow themselves the opportunity to experience somthing new, simply by taking a chance and trying a new area.

Yes - we all know that the medical field has changed through the years. But guess what, so has everything else. We have to take charge of our own happiness and not allow it to be undermined by our own insecurities and inabilities to make a change.

[PacoUSA, BSN, RN]

No...a lawyer

Been there, done that. I switched to nursing, 1000% happier

[DoeRN]

The individuals who have reflected that they maybe would not pursue nursing again if given the chance, are probably the same people who find themselves at a crossroads in the profession.

Truth is, these nurses are probably the best skilled individuals that are available for their areas of choice. But they must allow themselves the opportunity to experience somthing new, simply by taking a chance and trying a new area.

.

This may not apply to some people. Myself included. I am a float/travel nurse for one company and I work everywhere from clinics to case management to the floors and out in the community. I work for a large health organization at the area hospitals and other facilities they own. So it isn't that I am not allowing myself to experience something new. I experience something new every single time I work.

For me I should have never gone to nursing school. I quickly learned after graduating what it really was about. I was a nurse tech but still didn't really know what the nurses went through to an extent. I was busy doing my own tasks. I'm sure this question could be asked to other professions and we would have similar answers. Not everyone enjoys being a nurse and some regret going into nursing. It doesn't matter what area they go into they still won't like it. I'm sure there are teachers who regret being a teacher, police officers, etc.

I enjoy taking care of people but I would enjoy it better from a different angle.

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

Been there, done that. I switched to nursing, 1000% happier

Maybe so but at least I would have expected dirty underhanded tactics as a lawyer. The disgusting ways I've seen nurses, doctors and management try to cover their mistakes which always ended up with someone being hurt makes me vomit...at least as a lawyer I would have expected it! I'm sure there are many nurses who found employment at places where everyone sings Kumbaya and eats s'mores in the break room. I'm sure that some of you have never seen such circumstances as I have. In the real world there are some nasty situations and there are many places out there that are scum that appear absolutely angel.

I believe I was employed at this last place for a reason...to shed light on them...and that I have done. I am currently at home cooling my heels and waiting...

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Threads like this make one question if its worth it to work hard for 2.5 yrs and spend $20k+ on school. Judging from my other thread, I would probably make $10-15k/yr more nursing than many other jobs, but is it worth it? Sure, I really want to help people, but I'm sure everyone in this thread went in with that attitude.

We all want to help others, or we wouldn't have chosen nursing. There are many positive aspects to nursing that we could all probably agree on. However, issues such as chronic understaffing, mandatory overtime, the never ending useless documentation, and work place politics which exist in 90 percent of current health care facilities make nurses question their decisions. I don't regret nursing, but I despise the system, which is what drives nurses away. There are much healthier work environments in other professions. I think the key to contentment as a nurse is to decide what environment suits you best, including the number of hours you choose to work. Nursing needs to work with my life, not the other way around.

[Jenni811, RN]

No. If i made my choice now i would not pick to be an RN. Unfortuantly, now is not the time i want to go back to school. I just got done, im 24 years old and im just not up for it again. I feel like i am stuck in this career. Maybe one ady my fiance will make enough money where i don't need to work and can go back to school for something i enjoy :)...HA! (one can only dream...).

No, as anurse we are SO under appreciated and treated like slaves that have to meaning in life. My job could care less about me, all they are about is money. Example: I need to have an upcoming surgery where i need 5-7 days off work (per doctors orders) and he said it NEEDS to be done before January. So, i talked to my manager to give her a heads up MONTHS in advance, and worked out a date where i wouldn't need to take that much time off. I thought i was being pretty resonable. Schedule comes out...and im scheduled for the day she said i could have off!!!!! the same day i am scheduled for surgery. Um....??? When i asked her about it, she told me she was unable to give me that time off because we are already short staffed for 4 people on maternity leave.

What do you mean you cant give me off on a date i NEED to have surgery?? Like you are F****** KIDDIN ME?? So i immediatly contacted the surgeon, who i know well because i work with him, and told him about it. He wrote a letter and signed a medical leave form. My manager is PI$$ED at me right now, and i am pretty much on her sh!t list. Crap like this happens all the time though. They could care less about you, your health, your family or anything else. They see you as a servant, a slave basically non-human life form that doesn't havea life outside of work.

Patients and family see you as the nurse, the doctor, a servant, a slave, a mechanic, a plumber. Basically they expect nurses to know how to do EVERYTHING. Once a patient's TV wasn't working...i don't know how to fix it. I was going ot have to call maintenence. he literally yelled at me because i didn't know how to fix the TV and demanded a different nurse "who knew what they were doing." If i woudn't loose my job over it, i would tell 90% of my patients and their familes to ki$$ my a$$..

END of my rant :)