Am I right about nursing?

rearviewmirror, BSN, RN · Jul 22, 2016

It really depends on the person how he/she perceives it, but the description of work you described is pretty correct in my opinion. When I was in ED, unfortunately I saw "patients" as room numbers and tasks, they just did not seem like human beings anymore, but when I am in public off from work, I associate beings as humans, so really depends on the person.

The nature of work and stress from it is not as important compared to how you perceive it. If you gain some kind of fulfillment or joy from nursing amid of all that stress from bedisde nursing, then it's your win. Personally I hated all aspects of bedside nursing and got out, and I am better fit wrestling with keyboard and mouse. Best luck to you on finding your niche, it's hard for some of us.

Monsoon8181 · Jul 22, 2016

Thank you so much for your reply! I agree that it is about perception and the individual. Some people seem to do ok with the stress. I just don't see that and the feeling of being constantly rushed being worth it when the part I love-spending time getting to know and understand patients-seems like a small part of the job. Like the things that are stressful outweigh the part that is rewarding to me personally. It sounds like you are doing something different now, are you still in the medical field?

adpiRN · Jul 22, 2016

That sounds accurate for a med-surg nurse.

I did L&D where you get 1 or 2 patients. It can be frantic in its own way though.

I work in the NICU now and it's so nice to have 1-3 patients and spend time talking to the families.

In the OR you only get one patient at a time. Of course you can't really talk to them much..

AutumnApple · Jul 22, 2016

M/s units can get that way. Not all are necessarily "out of control" but, most are busy. Some people thrive on that though. I did. I'm past that age now lol.

Just want to throw this out there though: When friends ask me about going to nursing school, almost all of them say they want to do what you are doing. They want to work as a CNA during school for the "experience" and to get closer to nursing. I find that approach has as many drawbacks as advantages. For one, select people on your unit will have trouble seeing you as an RN when you become one. You'll get an earful from your fellow CNA's for sure about "Don't turn into one of them" and things like that. Also, if you decide not to stay on the unit after you graduate...........hmph, some DONs take it very personally. And finally, I think it's just too much "nursing" for one person. You are in school for it, your job puts you near it.............you'll be burned out of nursing before you're even a nurse.

It seems to me that the best job while in school is something repetitive and not too stimulating. Let yourself cool down during your hours away from school.

Kitiger, RN · Jul 23, 2016

Those things that you love about being a CNA are the things that I love about my job.

:yes: Private Duty Home Nursing. :singing:

BonnieSc · Jul 23, 2016

I'm always surprised when I hear the occasional CNA say they wouldn't want my job because it's so stressful. I wouldn't want THEIR jobs because they seem so stressful. And I get paid a lot more.

Overall, I love my career. Sure, there are aspects of it most days that are frustrating. But I like being busy. I like juggling patients, doctors, families; there's always something happening in my job. Last night I think I had to make five different calls/pages just to get my patient on the right dose of a medication he takes at home. Yes, it was bureaucratic and it took a lot of time I could have used in other things, but when I finally delivered the medication to my patient, I felt satisfied that I had been able to help someone.

I don't go around saying that I love being a nurse or that I feel fulfilled unless someone asks me a direct question. And I'm not necessarily in it to feel appreciated, though it's nice when we get gestures of appreciation... nice but not expected. (And I get uncomfortable when I/we get TOO MUCH appreciation. I mean, I'm doing my job, for which I get paid. I'm not a martyr or an angel.)

There are people on here who are disappointed with their career choice or the way things have played out in their jobs, and it's important to listen to them. You might hear things that resonate with you and bring you to a better understanding of whether or not this is the career for you. But people who are happier working as nurses are less likely to be talking about it. I actually don't have any idea if the people I work with on a daily basis think I'm happy being a nurse or not; it's a big picture question, not something that can be gleaned from scattered incidents or comments.

I'm basically a med/surg nurse, by the way. Wouldn't be caught dead in an office or clinic or school or administration. I like the busy fast pace and the life-or-death situations. And at my current hospital, where the max ratio is 1:5, I feel like I get plenty of time to spend with the patients most shifts.