confused about nursing...

[heaverboo]

I've been a nurse for a little over 2 years now (LPN for 1.5 year, RN will be a year in june) Been in orthopedics since being a nurse, ready for a change to tele/icu I think. But It's hard to believe how much work we do and the amount we get paid. I'm making a little less than 22/hr and work my butt off at work. You go to school and stress so much and thinking your going to get paid well like everyone says you are, yes 22/hr is a good amount but seems like it takes forever to move up in the pay scale.

What other things are out there in the healthcare field? I'd love to know what Pharmacist, NP's and PA's know but unsure if i'd want to practice as one. I'd like to know more of why things happen and treatment aspects and so forth and how to tie it all together. I'm sure the school is WAY more intense than nursing. I'm about to turn 22 and just wondering my options in the healthcare field. I plan on going to talk to someone soon about starting prereqs for my BSN or possibly masters in something in the fall.

I like the bedside nursing and enjoy the patient interaction but then some patients you give your all too and you get no respect or even thank you. I like my job just would like to know other options or courses out there. Please give your opinions/comments. And as nurses we are getting more responsibility from day to day and if the doctors would do their job like their suppose to it'd make our job easier as well.

[oramar]

My guess is administration has heard the news about the tight nursing job market. They have decided to take advantage, figuring that if people don't like it they can just leave and be replaced by someone who won't know any better. The truth is(most newer nurses come to this realization about the place in their career you are) is that most bedside nurses are very badly treated by management. Underpaid, overworked, oppressed and under appreciated is the normal state of things. There are better situations out there but you really have to hunt hard to find them. I would start my hunt right now if I were you.

[JaneyW]

Go back to school and at least get your BSN. This will help satisfy your want to know more. You may also want to look into joining your specialty association (ortho nurses, med/surg nurses, etc). I have learned so much from going to meetings and conventions. I am finishing my MSN right now and don't regret any of my education--including my ADN which started me on my path. I have been exposed to so much of nursing I would never have seen if I hadn't kept going to school.

[David13, MSN, RN]

Given what you have told us in your post, my instinctive response to you would be to continue with education. Particularly because you are interested in "how to tie it all together", school would definitely be a logical next step in my opinion. Education will also most likely assist you in your endeavor to "move up on the pay scale".

In regard to what type of advanced education to pursue, I would take a guess and say that if you do find bedside nursing to be satisfying, an advance practice type of degree would be the direction to take. If you find think you could make more of an impact and find more satisfaction from a position that does not involve direct care, there are plenty of options such as management, administration, and education.

That is the beauty of nursing! There are so many options. It is just a matter of finding the one that fits you and your goals best.

[Cobweb]

You might like to page through the Occupational Outlook Handbook http://www.bls.gov/OCO/

My son and I were researching careers a few years ago, and we were very surprised to find that nurses are one of the most flat-line professions--that is, what you make at the end of your career is very nearly what you make at the beginning. Take a look at something like a chemist and see the difference.