Are you happy being a Nurse

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Hello everyone;

I am new to this board and I am happy to be here. I am having a big problem and I would like some advice from someone who is in the career that i have always admired. I am currently doing pre-reqs for radiology program at my local college, but lately i have been really killing my brain with the idea of attending the nursing program at my school. I have always thought about nursing school but i haven't met one nurse in a very long time who actually likes what she does. It really makes me sad. I hear all of reasons why not to do nursing but do not hear any reasons why I should get in to it. Can someone please tell me are there any nurses that like their job? Yes, I am very, very scared about starting nursing school and hearing all of the negatives about it is making think twice about it. I have my own reasons why I want to do it, but I am rethink this whole thing. Recently I asked a nursing student who was complaining how much she hated nursing school so I asked her "if you hate it that much why are you going", she replied, "I want to be a nurse". To me if you don't like the school part of it, what makes her think she will like nursing after she graduates; is it that different? Sorry for the long message, but I need some advice here. I want someone to say, yes, I love being a nurse and this is why you should do it. Thank you so very much. I wish everyone the best of luck with your careers.

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Specializes in ER.

For the most part, I am happy being a nurse. I can't tell you that I love nursing, but I have been doing it so long, I can't think of anything else I could do that would pay as much as nursing does. It has very rewarding moments. It can also be a source of frustration, anger and fatigue.

I did not encourage my children to persue nursing, or anything medical for that matter, even though the job prospects are always good in medicine.

I am not an adventurous type. I was a single mother and needed a steady paycheck. Nursing provided that and a pretty good living for us. The hours can be grueling, you will get use to having Thanksgiving dinners in the hospital cafeteria (if you are lucky enough to get dinner).

You will work nights and week ends for a few dollars more, you will sacrifice your free time and make endless swaps with co-workers to get to your childrens plays, recitals and ball games. You will learn you have to request time off months to a year in advance if you have something special coming up.

You will soon learn to screen your phone calls or you will be working 24/7. You will learn that some see you as not a real person, but simply an FTE on the schedule. You will learn that the hospital existed before you were a nurse and will continue long after you are dead. Actually, the sooner you learn that gem, the better off you will be.

You will learn you cannot change the world, but you can change your little piece of it and in turn, it will change you.

You will learn that many people are selfish, arrogant, drunk and obnoxious.

But, there will be moments that change and enrich your life. Those are the moments you embrace.

You are not there for management. You mean nothing to them, but you may mean the world to that special person who you are able to comfort, assure and support through the worst time in their lives.

You may be the one to offer the hug to the grieving young widow. You may be the one to love the unlovable. You may be the one who helps a scared 5 year old who needs stitches. You may be one to save a life. YOU may be the one who really makes a difference in one life.

You will have opportunities to view the world in a way most people never will. You will see the very worst and the very best mankind has to offer. You will have a window into someone's very soul.

Most shifts, you will go home dead tired and wondering why you do it. But there are those special moments, that are so very special, they are undescribable. Your banker friends, your real estate friends, your teacher friends and your insurance agent will NEVER see people in the way we do.

You will learn that you can't save them all, but like the story of the girl on the beach who was throwing beached starfish back into the sea. The man came along and asked her why she even tried because she couldn't save them all, and she said, "but I can save this one, and this one, and this one"....you too, will have the opportunity to save that one, and that one, and that one.........

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.

I do love being a nurse. There are plenty of times when I feel overworked, underpaid, underappreciated, etc. But I love what I do, I love the patients, and I love feeling like what I do actually means something in this world. But its not glamorous, its not always fun ... its alot of hard work and sacrafice, but I am proud of myself and glad I'm a nurse.

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Specializes in NICU.

Hi there Phillies. I am a nursing student and will be graduation in December. I have to say that I don't particularly care for nursing school. I however, enjoy the nursing part. In school most all of our clinicals are w/ adults....I just don't care for the adult environment. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the patients, but I just don't like working w/ adults as much as children.

I was beginning to think that maybe nursing wasn't for me because I just wasn't enjoying school much. And then I got a job in the NICU. I absolutely LOVE it. I love having the babies for patients and getting to be with the parents. I love the critical environment where I can focus my care on only 2 patients. I love basically every aspect of the NICU so far. Not to say that NICU is for you, because I have no idea, but just wanted to say that if you find the area you like, then you'll love it (although there will always be some negatives, like with any job) but until you find that area you may think you don't.....does that even make sense? I have met many nurses who started off in one area, hated it and moved on and then loved their new area.....you just have to find your niche. That's what's so awesome about nursing....there's a million and one areas to go into.

Ok, sorry for rambling but best of luck in whatever you do....and yes, I love what I'm doing and can't imagine a better career for myself. Great patients, good flexibility, good money, & lots of areas t o choose from.

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Wow!!! Thank you so much for the quick responses. Dixielee, your post gave me goose bumps and brought a tear to my eye, thank you.

1NAmyllion; you are right. Finding my own niche will be the key I'm sure. I would love maternity or a unit that is child related as I am a mother of 3.

Thanks again to all of the posts. I look forward to reading more and hopefully I will not regret getting into the field that I so admire. Best wishes.

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Hello, I am not yet a nurse, but I will be graduating in December from an ADN (RN) program so I will answer the nursing school side of your question. I'm one of those who always says that I hate nursing school, but I guess what I should say instead is: I hate the demands and the challenge of it. I LOVE what I'm learning, it's just that it's so much, so fast and let's face it...it's so tiring, but it's also so worth it because you learn A LOT! I think why people continue, as I myself am, is because you can't go this far only to turn back. Every test, every week, every semester is one more hill you climbed and one more thing to be proud of...one more step toward your goal. It is difficult because for two years you are "all about school" and nothing else, but it's also rewarding, fun (at times) and even though the challenge can be a killer, it's a good challenge.

So I guess when people say this, I think most of them are referring to the work load and the constant demand of their time, not necessarily the career choice and the content. I hope this helped some. Good luck in your decision.

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.

Hi

I have been a Nurse since starting School back in 1963.

I have worked steadily since then; I have been with one company for 37 years--a hospital; during that time I had a second job at Home Health for 10 yrs;

I have to say I LOVE BEING A NURSE; Mind you, I don't always like things here and we are often overworked & underpaid, but basicly, I love the job.

Please know, that back in 1963 this is not the career I wanted for myself; back then I wanted a profession that EVERYONE--from Councilors to my Mom & Dad said was not something women did. We had fewer options then. However, once I started this, there was nothing else I wanted.

I would hesitate to recommend this job to anyone, only because it is so much work. It really is.

But, I feel like I get so much back from it.

Anyway, that's how I feel about nursing

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Specializes in Med-Surg, ED.

Yes I love being a nurse and this is why you should do it:

If it is your dream, then do it because you will regret not trying it later on.

If you love helping people and you like the medical stuff, you should do it.

If you have always thought about being a nurse, then you should do it.

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I love being a nurse. It is fulfilling to help the patients and it is incredibly rewarding.

Every job you have, nursing or not, you will at some point feel overworked and underpaid. Every job, nursing or not, you will sometimes feel that management doesn't understand, that coworkers aren't always angels, that the workload is too high.

So don't use those reasons only to decide whether you will or won't be a nurse. You will find that stuff everywhere, to some degree or another.

Be a nurse if its your dream or passion. You don't want to regret not doing it later. People complain about their jobs everywhere, whether nurse, accountant, lawyer, or whatever else. People vent about their jobs here because this board is a support system. So don't look at it as everyone hates their job, or that there are tons of nurses who don't like being nurses. Sure there are some, but this question is about you and your future.

You ask "Should I be a nurse?"

And I ask "Why shouldn't you?"

Go for it if its your dream. Regret nothing.

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