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

Nursing Students ADN/BSN

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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!

Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Jenni - that last line - LOL!

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Specializes in Intermediate care.

we would all love to say it,..

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

This thread is disheartening, but not surprising.

I'm a nursing student who works in the float pool as a sitter and a PCA in another hospital. Just today, I was watching a patient in a rehab center. The PTs and OTs did nothing impressive. In fact, some were goofing off among themselves, dribbling basketballs and having extended lunch periods. It was sickening, knowing that they were probably being paid more than a nurse who does quadruple the work they did. Not trying to be disparaging, but nurses are severely underpaid for what they do.

That said, nursing is still a very broad field full of opportunities. One doesn't have to stay on bed side, and I'm wondering how many of the nurses in this thread are working bed side. I'd suggest exploring your options and expanding your horizons.

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Specializes in Oncology.
Just curious for all those who answered "no"...What would you rather be doing for work? I ask this in all sincerity, because I'm on the fence, myself, and trying to get an idea of all the options out there.

I would work in something where I worked independently and not caring for or being responsible for others.

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Absolutely! The only change I would have made is doing it sooner rather than later...took me a few years to figure out what I really wanted to do, spent a lot of years and money on education I didn't utilize. Then I got my nursing degree and wondered why I didn't do this to start with! I love my job, love my co-workers and love the many opportunities that are available. I truly enjoy and respect the patients I have helped and value the relationships we have formed. If you no longer like what you do, it is time to move on, maybe just to a different area of nursing or take a break for a while. It is extremely hard, demanding, and frustrating work most days, but also so rewarding!

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I would do it again, but if I knew then what I know now, I would have done things somewhat differently.

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I just would have done it sooner ( got my RN) and remained in the hospital. I'm a LPN, licensed for the past 30 years, stopped working over the years off an on to have my children (5), was out of active nursing for almost 10 years. Working in long term care for the past 12 years, love it but tiring most days. Now in school for my RN only 1 more semester left, will graduate 2013 when I'm nearly 57 years old. Yes some nurses are mean but those are the ones that are mean whether they were nurses or not. Nursing is a wonderful profession filled with caring, knowledgeable, hardworking, gracious folks. Nursing brings out the best in humanity.

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Specializes in ED staff.

There are a whole lot of jobs that pay a whole lot less than a 2 yr RN degree. The education to $$ comparison wins but happiness outweighs the $$ I think. Would I be a nurse again? Probably not. Whole lot of stress just to be unappreciated. Right now I don't have a nursing job and would kill to get one but only because I need cash to pay my bills. (including the 100,00 buck student loan for my daughter's degree). If I had to do it allover again I would not be an ER nurse but would do surgery or perhaps just go straight on into CRNA school. You do have to watch where you end up. A lot of folks love the ER, figure its the place where they can do the most good. However, it makes you cynical, you think everyone is lying even outside of work. It's really amazing to me how many nurses come here and think that they are the problem in a situation. They feel stupid etc. There really are some people who should never be a nurse ans makes me wonder how they passed boards. However, most nurses are safe, smart, caring, wonderful people, don't second guess yourself.

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probably not
Caught me on a bad day! Today I would say absolutely.
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A lot of these comments kind of scare me as I am just starting schooling for nursing. If if isnt good what other things should I look for, maybe radiology?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Transplant.

I think I would do it again-but then again I know I haven't been a nurse for nearly as long as some on here. I think the key to success and at least some level of contentment (hopefully a good amount-LOL) is to do the best you can in nursing school and be proactive about getting externships/tech jobs in places with the best nursing environments possible so that you are positioned to start in a place where you are not destined to fail. I know this is so much easier said than done, but I believe that part of the reason why I'm not running for the hills is because I work in an environment with decent staffing, supportive management, and generally good-to-excellent coworkers. I'm not going to lie-some changes have happened recently and others are on the horizon that have been difficult and there are some nurses/techs I work with that really need to go-but overall it has been a good career choice.

I think the other thing that has kept from from getting burnt out (that I think was mentioned in one of the first posts) is having some sort of "ultimate" plan. For me, I've always known I wanted to be an NP-from the time I was in high school. I really wanted some solid med-surg experience first, but had decided that after a couple of years I was going to apply for a masters program, and if I didn't get in, consider MICU or even wound care (something I've been interested in since nursing school). I'm in NO WAY saying that you *have* to plan on getting a masters at any point during your nursing career-I just believe that if you plan on branching out and growing in your nursing practice I think it helps keeps you from getting stale and too burnt out.

Just my .02!

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Specializes in Obstetrics.

Yes 1000 times. I LOVE my job.

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