Are there any GOOD nursing jobs out there?

newgrad2005 · Dec 12, 2004

Personally I love my job in L&D. I left a "good" career in business to pursue my passion in nursing, and I am so glad I did. Some people think I am crazy, and I have to admit not everything we do is "fun", but at least I am helping people who are in need, caring for the most precious little babies and happy moms and dads, and not staring at a computer screen all day!!! I would encourange anyone with an interest in nursing to go for it. I knew I would regret it if I didn't. Good luck.

angel337, MSN, RN · Dec 12, 2004

I have been hearing alot (and reading on this board) how unhappy nurses are due to short staffing, low pay, lack of support from management, and I thought "gee, sounds a lot like teaching!"
If the nursing profession is as bad as teaching, (the average new school teacher quits after 3 years) then I don't want to pursue it.
So can anyone tell me where the good and happy nursing jobs are, or don't they exist?

teaching and nursing are very similar because they are both caregiver type roles. teachers don't have the body fluid contact (well, sometimes) that most nurses deal with, but their is a high expectation for them to "take care" of children. if something goes wrong in the class room----it's the teachers fault. if a kid fails a class----it's the teachers fault. if a kid falls and develops a nose bleed in the classroom---it's the teacher's fault. nursing is similar because even if you have 40 patients to take care of, you have to be accountable for every single one. this is not to try to scare you, but i do think people need to realize the extent of responsibilty and accountablity when you are managing lives day in and day out. think about your own expectations when you send your children (if you have any) to school or to the hospital for care. you want the absolute best. but unfortunately due to budgets and crazy management styles, care is limited because nurses have to do so much with so little. i also love my job. taking care of the patients has never been the problem for me. you just have to take your time when looking for a nursing job in order to find a good fit for you. why don't you shadow a nurse for a few days in different specialties to get an idea what it is like or volunteer, it will be a great experience and then you will see if you may want to pursue it. good luck.

Jo Dirt · Dec 12, 2004

I have a job right now in private duty nursing (7pm-7am) where I literally sit on the couch most of the time with my shoes off watching tv, cross stitching, studying for my classes...it's a very low stress job and pays over $200/shift. Some nurses have to leave for a lower paying job because they complain it is so unchallenging and boring. After having my nose to the grindstone in a nursing home for four years I welcome a little boredom.

I hear a lot of good things about nurse consulting. If you get tired of patient care and you are an RN maybe that is something you could look into.

mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP · Dec 12, 2004

Happiness is wherever you find it, whether that be in teaching, nursing or any other profession.

No one likes their job 100% of the time, they just don't. It doesn't matter if you have the best hours, the best pay and the best management there is, more than likely, one will find fault with something. I look at all the jobs I've had and I've found fault in all of them at some point and time and some of the jobs I've had - I should've been the happiest person on the face of this earth.

When I first started coming to this board, I read this thread and it's one I try and read often. I hope it works when I try and paste it into this message.

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83645

And yes, there are places where nurses (and staff) are happy most of the time. But when dealing with people 100% of the time and being a person yourself, you always just don't "love" your job and there are days you are only going to tolerate your job. I also agree with the above poster, nursing and teaching are very similar in that you are caring for someone's loved one, child, father, mother, etc...And it's your job, either way, to make sure you do everything right. It isn't fun when you don't, but it's rewarding when you do.

Good luck to you!!!!

Mystery5 · Dec 12, 2004

I have a very good job for which I'm extremely thankful. Yes, there are fulfilling jobs in nursing. It depends on the culture of your workplace.

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 13, 2004

I think mine is pretty darn good. But please dont' confuse "good" with "easy" as there are NO easy nursing jobs in the hospital or nursing homes. And private duty nursing can be VERY taxing, too. It just depends on your situation. I happened to have a good job---treated fairly well. But it is far from 'easy"!

Mystery5 · Dec 13, 2004

I did private duty once. I found that the family dynamics on both cases unhealthy and impossible to not get sucked into. I would never do it again; even though the work is easier, I felt a lot of stress with that factor, plus I can't stand watching TV and not doing anything. It was extemely boring.

AllenJ · Dec 13, 2004

I have been hearing alot (and reading on this board) how unhappy nurses are due to short staffing, low pay, lack of support from management, and I thought "gee, sounds a lot like teaching!"
If the nursing profession is as bad as teaching, (the average new school teacher quits after 3 years) then I don't want to pursue it.
So can anyone tell me where the good and happy nursing jobs are, or don't they exist?

From my little experience, i find nursing as a profession very rewarding, maybe not financially, but in other ways. I have the opportunity to do something else and i can assure you that the grass is not greener on the other side.

The good nursing job exists when you have a good team and you can work together without the bickering and chit-chat. If you are really interested in nursing go for it. I'm sure alot of people here will be able to reflect on the good side of nursing.

Just like everything else, you have the good days and the bad days.