Becoming an RN just for the paycheck

[Nellie Nurse]

Is it just my idealistic view of what a nurse should be or does this bother other nurses? I have heard several times lately and have read articles of people who are going to nursing school, not because they want to be a nurse but because they want the paycheck and a stable job. My sister in law is one of these people. She said to me, " I really don't want to be a nurse but I figure that I can work as a nurse while I go back to school." I find that mentality very frustrating. I worked very hard to become a nurse. I worked as a nursing assistant before I became a nurse so I could make sure that I knew what I was getting myself into, I shadowed nurses when I was in high school. I really feel that this is what I was put on this earth to do and to hear people talk like this who have absolutely no concept of what they are getting themselves into and who have no respect for the profession just boils my blood. I feel like these people, who have no intention of staying in nursing for an extended period of time just make it harder for the nursing student who actually wants to make a career of nursing because they take up spaces on the wait list for getting into nursing school.

Maybe some of these people will be excellent nurses and will contribute well to the profession but I personally would not want a nurse to take care of me who only got into the field because they wanted a stable paycheck.

Don't you agree that to do well in nursing you have to have some desire to be here in the first place? These are people's health and lives that we are dealing with. This field isn't just about a paycheck!!!

I know I'm probably being naieve and idealistic when I say this but I really feel that nursing is a calling, not a JOB!!! I've been doing this type of work for going on 10 years now and I have felt that way about it from day 1.

What do you think? Does it bother you that people are getting into nursing who have no desire to actually be a nurse? Just wanting to hear other people's perspectives on the issue.

[C. Thinking]

I am looking forward to the decent money that I will be making as a RN and hope to use it to further my education...but I do agree with the poster on most points. I can personally say, that if I didn't want to be a nurse with all of my heart...you couldn't pay me enough to do it. I mean, it's among the most time-consuming, emotionally and physically draining jobs in the world. The pay definitely does not match the effort put forth by good nurses. I guess what I am saying is that if you nurse for the paycheck...there are more fulfilling professions out there for you or some good psychiatric care...because nobody in their right mind would nurse JUST for the paycheck!

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

This topic has come up several times in the past, and we've had some long threads about it.

There are usually a few camps. Those whom nursing is something they would do regardless of the pay. Those whom do nursing ONLY and ONLY for the money.

Then there's the 98% of the rest of us whom are in nursing for a variety of reasons, one of which it is a pretty decent income with good prospects for steady employment in most areas of the country. Other reasons include we like people, we like science, etc.

It's a nice middle income for me. I have a home, a car, and food on the table, and am able to save 10% for retirement. This is important to me. Nurses shouldn't feel bad that we like to pay the bills and aren't "angels of mercy".

On the other hand, I've found those who only show up for a paycheck to be less than desireable nurses and I don't like being around them. Fortunately there aren't too many of them around me.

[deleern]

I kinda fell into nursing, I was bored after I sold my bussiness. my friend was an administrator for a NH, we were having lunch i was telling her i just don't sleep the way I used to at NOC, she wondered if I would like working at night. I thought why not. I did it for a couple of weeks loved it, (this was as a CNA) its a tough job I was 46 so I enrolled into the LPN program. when I finished that I decided that i better have a plan becuse that is a physically demanding job as well. so i continued on and today i am an RN

It is splendid to be able to support my house hold by doing a job that fufills me in so many ways. yes the money is great!!! the oppertunities are even better.

I have been interviewed and offered jobs every time i have applied. I am 50 years old (or will be in a blink of an eye)

[AntonellaB]

I believe that going into nursing shouldn't be just for the paycheck. I see quite a few nurses sitting behind the desk and just going to work to get paid. That's not right. As said in the other comments a nurse should be a caring, compassionate, knowledgable person.

:)

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

I'm not really sure at this point where I stand in my opinion on people who just go into nursing for the pay. At times it bugs me, other times, I think "hey, if they want to invest the time and energy into school etc and work at a job they really don't like..have at it"

However what I do know my opinion on is people who know nursing probably isn't their "thing" who just decide "hey nursing has pretty decent pay and jobs are plenty, I'll give it a shot", proceed to apply to nursing school, get in and then decide a few semesters later that they don't like it, don't want to bother etc. That person who knew they really didn't want to be a nurse just took away a seat in school, possibly from a student who was just as worthy of getting in who KNOWS that they want to be a nurse.

Something else I do know my opinion about on this topic is: If you really don't want to be a nurse, but apply to school, get in and graduate...would you PLEASE be sure to WORK as a nurse and not keep that license "just in case" things don't go well for you and you need a paycheck. It really bothers me with that too, that someone who really knew nursing wasn't for them, went to school, graduates, passes NCLEX and never works as a nurse, because there is some pooor student who really wants to be one, who can't get into school for whatever reason.

[patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP]

I'm not really sure at this point where I stand in my opinion on people who just go into nursing for the pay. At times it bugs me, other times, I think "hey, if they want to invest the time and energy into school etc and work at a job they really don't like..have at it"

However what I do know my opinion on is people who know nursing probably isn't their "thing" who just decide "hey nursing has pretty decent pay and jobs are plenty, I'll give it a shot", proceed to apply to nursing school, get in and then decide a few semesters later that they don't like it, don't want to bother etc. That person who knew they really didn't want to be a nurse just took away a seat in school, possibly from a student who was just as worthy of getting in who KNOWS that they want to be a nurse.

Something else I do know my opinion about on this topic is: If you really don't want to be a nurse, but apply to school, get in and graduate...would you PLEASE be sure to WORK as a nurse and not keep that license "just in case" things don't go well for you and you need a paycheck. It really bothers me with that too, that someone who really knew nursing wasn't for them, went to school, graduates, passes NCLEX and never works as a nurse, because there is some pooor student who really wants to be one, who can't get into school for whatever reason.

I believe that if they want to work as a RN, keep the RN license active just in case, well then that is their right to do so. Getting into nursing school is competitive and it should remain that way, if a RN decides that dont want to work as a RN after school and boards, so be it. Nothing wrong with having an educated member of society who just so does not happen to work in the profession that he or she went to school for. Unless we socialize everything and force people to work in professions that have no interests in working in.

I say, Tough luck to the student with the lower GPA that could not get in the first place, standards are in place for a reason

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I don't think wanting a job that pays adequately and offers stability means a person doesn't care about the work or won't do a good job at it. One doesn't exclude the other. I also think many nurses who don't seem caring are burnt out due to the extreme stress of the job, not because they aren't caring people under the surface.

[imenid37]

People rarely do something for just one reason. I think nursing's altruistic aspects were once overemphasized to keep pay low. How can you want to pay someone who is answering this selfless, almost religious calling? It is a huge responsibility to take on. It requires a professional with a committment to excellence who is willling to update education and skills on a continuing basis. An individual like this deserves to be paid for their efforts. This is not to mention that nursing is a physically and mentally grueling job. There is a fairly high rate of on the job injuries and even assaults. We are long past the days when nurses answered a calling. We are professionals in a very complex profession. I do think, however, if you hate it and you hate it globally you should not be in it. Fortunately for someone like me, who doesn't like for example, med-surg, their are dozens of other options. I love ob and have been quite happy and doing my best for many years. There are many niches to be found in nursing. It can be a great career if you find what is right for you. Thankfully you can now also be decently compensated for being in the right place.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I became a programmer after my job was computerized. I became a nurse after my job was out-sourced. I figured they can't out-source old, sick people.

[imenid37]

I became a porgrammer after my job was computerized. I became a nurse after my job was out-sourced. I figured they can't out-source old, sick people.

When they begin to run out of sick old people, they just add some worn out old nurses to the mix!

[sunray12]

There's not a thing wrong with making a practical decision to get into a field based on pay, benefits (hospitals tend to have better tuition reimbursement than other corp jobs and I can speak from experience on this one). Studies might indicate that people who came in for practical reasons are a lot more pragmatic about what it is they do for a living and are a lot more stable as professionals. To be honest the burn out factor seems to be a bit high among people who come in based on callings because bottom line - most people would not volunteer to take care of people they don't know 40+ hours/week if they weren't getting paid for it (unless they were independently wealthy and were at the level where they felt compelled to give back to humanity).

BTW - question for the posters who keep saying that nursing pay is not great. What you consider great pay? Do you have better income sources outside nursing and work as nurses just to get out of the house? Just some comparative data: Many of us coming in from other professions new grad nurses (any state - not just the high wage states) make just as much or more than many professionals in other fields with 10-20 years on the job. Additional comparative data: Most new grad nurses would be at the high end of wage earners in my county - and I don't live in an impoverished county or state.

Granted how much money a new nurse feels that s/he has depends on additional factors such as whether you borrowed money to go to school and how much. But bottom line - in terms of return on an investment in education - nursing is a very good deal. Most people are happy when they get a good return on an investment and happy workers always do a good job. So bottom line - it does not have to be about the calling.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

BTW - question for the posters who keep saying that nursing pay is not great. What you consider great pay? Do you have better income sources outside nursing and work as nurses just to get out of the house? Just some comparative data:

I started as an LPN in a rural area at less than I made as a secretary in a big city.

I now have a desk job in nursing (same rural area, same facility) at more than RN's with years of experience make.

Location, location, location.