Attempting to become an RN

I want to first say congratulations on wanting to enter into a profession where its not about you. Becoming a nurse is all about other people. And once you understand that, you will do fine.

None of us can tell you if the ER would suit you. Only you would know know that. As you go through the program and start clinicals that may change.

Unless people in Sarasota, FL don't ever get sick and the doctors and hospitals are closing then the outlook for nurses is pretty darned good. For someone to say RNs are ass-wipers clearly doesn't understand what it is RNs REALLY do. It is so much more than that.

I am not a nurse but my BFF is and everyday is a new adventure. No 2 days are the same and the days are very unpredictable (especially in the ER). Maybe some of the other students and nurses can shed more light. Best of luck to you!

Hi, I'm not a RN yet either. However, my wife has been a RN for about 28 years. I can ensure you that there is much more to nursing than just tending to someones personal hygiene. She works on a Neo Natal floor, splitting time between the nursery and with the mothers on the floor. Her job is not nearly as fast paced as the ER, but it's not without it's own adventures. Over the years I've heard about women who crash on the floors and the RNs are the first on scene providing life saving support (CPR) until the Doctor arrives. Even then they are fully involved with pushing meds, pumping the chest, providing O2, blood, or whatever is required. Additionally, they are carefully monitoring vitals throughout the shift on mommas and babies. Blood Sugars, signs of internal bleeding, O2 Stats, BP, pulses, are just some of what they carefully monitor. In addition they are looking for symptoms like confusion, skin tone, pupil dilation, blueness around the babies mouths, dizziness, nassau, abnormal pain, etc. If the RN misses anything, it could mean death in a worse case scenario. I just described the role my wife plays on a non emergency care floor; her shift is tame compared to what you will see in the ER.

Good Luck with your career choice, don't let anyone talk you out of your goal. Oh, by the way, the pay is pretty good. Most years she makes mid-70,s. This past year, because she worked part time to finish her BSN, she made mid 60s. You can make six figures if your willing to put in the time or travel.

I'd love to know where these better paid jobs are. You might luck into a better paid job somewhere or have an extraordinary skill set that allows you to be promoted in a different industry.

But show me another career where the average income is as high for people, especially for women, with an Associates or Bachelors degree. Healthcare is unique in that women have more job opportunities. In an office environment there are women who are promoted, but very few. Most admin assistants and other low paying jobs in my office are held by women. My admin assistant job requires me to have a Bachelor's degree and I've topped out in the salary I can earn at $38,000 a year. To be promoted I'm told I'll need a Masters. That salary is close to starting pay in my part of the country for RNs.

Thank you all for your responses. Despite what impressions some friends of mine might have about RNs I am still going to follow through and become an RN. I am doing this purely out of wanting to help people not for a financial reason (I would hope I'd be able to make at least as much as I'm making right now 40k/year).

Any actual ER RNs want to answer this poster?

You might consider shadowing an ER nurse to see what it's really like. It's not all CPR and gunshot wounds and broken legs. It's a lot of kids throwing up, drunk people proposing to you while in and out of consciousness (and drinking up the place), kids with bumped heads, shortness of breath, and that sort of thing. I spent my peds rotation in a "trauma" ER, and we saw one stabbing victim, and a few MVAs (car accidents). Otherwise, the above made up the majority of what we saw. A lot of people go to the ER instead of the doctor for stuff, even for a pregnancy test. Some days the pace is crazy, some days not, and the variety is nice.

Regardless of what kind of nurse you are, you'll be helping people. And almost regardless of what kind of nurse you are, including ER, you'll do your share of "wiping asses."

Also, post in the ER forum (under specialties). You might some good responses there.

I've been reading the forums a bit and I've noticed quite a few people saying that having a BSN rather than an associates in RN is more likely to land you a job in a hospital. And I don't really understand why that is... As far as I understand it, a BSN is needed if you are trying to advance your career. Those who completed BSN programs have additional preparation and training for clinical jobs that could include management, fiscal duties, medical personnel scheduling, administration, leadership and research roles. But if you only want to be a nurse why should your type of degree (ASN in my case) prevent you from getting a job? Any thoughts anyone or am I off my rocker?

If you want to work in a US hospital, you will need a BSN. This is already the case in larger cities, and rapidly taking place across the country as everyone is scrambling to meet the IOM staffing recommendations. It's not about the ability to perform clinical tasks - which is pretty much the same for any pre-licensure program. This change is being driven by tons of evidence on improved patient outcomes with better educated staff, so there is no going back. ADN nurses will still have opportunities in non-acute settings.

Some of my friends also have questioned my decision to leave my current "fancy" job to "wipe asses" as an RN - and I tell them I'd rather WIPE them than KISS them. :)

I am still a few years away from becoming a nurse, but I have been volunteering in the ED of my local hospital. It's awesome. I'm able to talk to nurses and patients and techs and doctors and cleaning people and family members....the list goes on. I get to observe how the unit works together as a team with moving parts - including myself, the volunteer!

See if you can find time to volunteer in an emergency department, if you're interested in working there. You will learn a lot, meet a lot of people, and see a lot of different patients come in and out.

It's not that ADNs CANT find jobs in hospitals because that is just not true. It's easier to find a job and there are more job options for BSNs.

My opinion is that the grass is never greener and the higher your pay, the more stressful your job is likely to be.

Do what you want.

When I worked med-surg, I was one of those "privileged few" (lol at the idea of it being a privilege!!) who could float to ICU and ED.

Ass-wiping? Every unit of every hospital, everywhere. Even ambulatory requires cleanups. ED? I once got the "privilege" of cleaning up an APS patient who was quite literally caked in feces: old, new, you name it.

But anyone who focuses on the "wiping butt" part of the job instead of the "I was a nurse" part of the job is missing the point, I believe.

I found the ED fast paced, manic. And I also found it slow as molasses....Same unit, different day. Never can tell. I've had ICU shifts where I just about ran from patient to patient, standing for hours at a time at the bedside doing various cares, meds, etc. I've also had those shifts where I got enough downtime to check out what was going on on AllNurses

Whether you would like the ER is so SO soSOOOO far out of the real question, it isn't funny: you have to decide if you'd like NURSING, period, as we oftentimes start out or end up nowhere NEAR where we thought we'd be. Some areas in some hospitals require specified lengths of experience before you'd even be considered for the area you'd want. I've seen new grads enter ED and ICU and I've seen it where they were told "come back in a couple of years and we'll see".

You will probably change your mind more than once over the course of your nursing schooling, as you move through the different areas of the hospital, experience/witness different environments.

If you want to be a NURSE, then go for it. If you only want to do one kind of nursing....you might want to reconsider.