Discouraged by Nurses who hate their job

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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So I am VERY excited about nursing, I will find out in two weeks if I am accepted into the RN Program. It really interests me and seems like something I will enjoy. The only thing that bothers me is EVERY nurse I have spoken to tells me they hate their job and if they could take it back they would have went into a different profession. They tell me not to do it. Has anyone else come across this also? It really does bother me, it's discouraging to hear people who have the job I am so anxious to have speak so negatively about it. :confused: I want to become and RN and eventually go back to school for my Bachelors or Masters, possibly become a Nurse Practitioner. Do any RN's here have any input on why you like or dislike your job? Thanks for any info!

I have been in the nursing field for nearly 20 years. I remember when my mom suggested I become a nurse and I told her I was "way too dumb to be a nurse". I had barely made it to high school graduation. But the seed was planted. It took me six years to clean up my GPA, get my pre-reqs and gather my courage to try. Somehow I took to nursing like a duck takes to water (something I've heard from many nurses). Now I am preparing to go for my masters. I adore nursing. Yes, there have been times I was so fed up with all the different things that have already been said that I "tried" to quit. I just couldn't stay away. To me, being paid to be a nurse is a "perk" (one that is quite neccessary, sadly). My true "payment" is knowing I was needed and that I made a difference. To my patients, to my co-workers, to the families. They all have needs (small and large) and if I tell myself that their day (night) was "better" because I was there (even if it was just that I got them well positioned in bed and comfortable!) then I made a difference. I love seeing the light of understanding come across the face of a patient when I explain why they need to check their blood sugar or why the PT/INR is neccessary for Coumadin and Heparin protocols.

Nurses are really just professional mothers; what other job requires you to worry about if someone pooped, how much, what consistancy and what color? Did your patient listen to the doctor and can they repeat it back? Don't you "protect" your patients like they were your children?

If you do this job for a paycheck, you'll NEVER make it. I don't think this nursing shortage will be over anytime soon because too many people go into nursing for a good paycheck. Let's face it; no one could EVER pay a nurse what they are worth; not with money alone.

Saying nursing is a "calling" is still the best way to put it. You can't define why you love it or why you put up with all the SH#T (both literal and figurative), but that's why it's a calling.

Some people dream all their life of being parents. Others have it happen by accident and discover it's the manna of their existance.

And some who become parents never should have been and are miserable and raise their children in misery.

Nursing and nurses aren't any different.

To all you students; keep your chin up and don't let anyone tell you not to be a nurse anymore than you'd let someone tell you not to be a mother.

"He who loves what he does will never 'work' a day in his life"--Confuscious

You are AWESOME! And SO encouraging! :yeah:

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Update: I got accepted today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats!!!!!!!! You'll soon get to find out for yourself what nursing is like:)

Not sure if this is exactly the right thread, but it's certainly related. I'm graduating college in May 2011 and as you can see in my other posts I'm less than enthused with my major and am starting to feel pretty serious about nursing. I keep reading threads and articles about nurses who love/hate their jobs and try to remind myself that its something I have to try and decide for myself.

But I also keep coming across new grads who can't seem to find jobs, and I find that really discouraging. While the number factor to me is job satisfaction and passion, I also feel pretty strongly about choosing a field where i can actually get a decent job. So woes about the struggles and poor outlook for new grads is discouraging to me.

Does any one have any insight about job prospect in the next ~2 years? Words of encouragement to keep this from holding me back?

I currently have no hospital experience (got turned down by 3 already full volunteering opportunties... seriously who doesn't want free help...) and want to do an ABSN, so that doesn't exactly leave much time for work during the program. Again, thoughts or words of encouragement?? Ah!

THanks!

I only know nurses who dislike their job, and tell me "Don't do it!"

That's why it has taken me so long to commit, but I am...so I must still want to do it despite their feelings.

Every time I go to clinical I have at least one nurse tell me to "Get out while you can! Drop out! This job sucks and it's horrible!" Makes it very hard if not impossible to keep a healthy outlook and keep on keepiin on

I have been getting discouraged too. I have wanted to be a nurse since I was 5 years old and it has taken me 30 years to finally pursue my dream. I think I need to stop reading the posts where people are complaining. Everyone is different and just because they hate the profession of nursing, it doesn't mean that I will. Maybe a lot of these nurses went into nursing for the wrong reasons or had unrealistic expectations. We will bring a fresh wave of enthusiasm when we become nurses, and our patients will benefit.

I fell this same way. I read too many post where nurses are not liking the decision they have made to become a nurse or in contrast are having problems within the nursing field. I too am a mother of 3, wife, and came from a business corporate background. At 26 decided to go back to school for what I have always wanted to do and that is nursing (I got into business to please my family). I am now attending RIC and cant wait to be a nurse and I have to say I am glad I found this forum to give me strength and courage sometime to continue by reading these stories.

Hi there,

I am a student nurse, and it always strikes me as strange, that amount of nurses I meet who are cranky and crabby on the job. I also have two friends who are nurses and who complain that they don't have a life, and advise me to choose another career. But I love nursing. It fills me up like nothing else I've tried, and I've worked in many other sectors, including teaching, nannying and working in a bookshop. I think that it's all up to you to not depend on other people's attitudes or experiences, because there will always be people who are negative by nature and who enjoy complaining. When I have a tough day, I make myself remember what I love about what I do, and I make it my "go to" thought, and that gets me through.

Keep going! We'll make it there!

PS* the hours are long, though, but hey - that's life! And I think that many jobs nowadays have long hours where you have to do lots of work at home as well as in the work place. I'm glad I'm going to be a nurse! And there are never shortages of nursing jobs, too, I believe.

Specializes in SICU, TICU, CVICU.

I recently volunteered in a large orthopedic hospital and shadowed OR nurses and a CRNA. Thats when I knew I could do this. Their stress level is relatively low, and most of them said they really like their jobs, the doctors were great and everyone had a good attitude, even in the OR the staff would make jokes or talk about what they were going to do for the weekend.. This must be a rarity because after looking at this forum everyone hates the staff and docs.. I did ask the CRNA if he were to do it again would he? and he said if he had to go back to floor nursing he would choose a different profession.. he said the best thing he did was work nights on ICU long enough to get accepted to CRNA school, he now loves his profession and it made me want to become a CRNA. I certainly hope to get a job working for this hospital when I'm done with NS!

Awesome thanks for the encouragement!

"I HATE being told how, when, where, and with what tools or devices to do it with"

This is the part of Nursing that I don't think I will like as well. That is part of the reason that I want to eventually be a Nurse Practitioner. I want to have more control over care and not be TOLD how to do everything.

Does this aspect of nursing bother anyone else? It would be nice to not feel like I'm the only one......

I did not read much of this forum, but i am very glad I found it. This has been on my mind for soooo long. I think it depends on what kind of nurse you are. I wonder which are the "happy" nurses.

We have one life to live. One precious life. I always wonder when I turn 50 or 60 how I would feel about my accomplishments. Would I feel happy that I pursued nursing. Did I make a difference in the world? Not only on the patients that I would help but also on my family.

I am having a hard time figuring out if nursing is for me. The negative comments that i read, see and hear about nursing is not helping. Just recently I spoke with a girl in my physiology class and I asked her why she chose nursing. She looked at me waved her head and said she will NEVER do nursing. She said she is taking her pre reqs to become a physician assistant. I asked her why not nursing , and she said that she has seen first hand how nurses get treated. She said she does not want to put up with the way they are treated by doctors and patients. Plus they get paid less and they do all the "dirty" work. She also said that through being a PA she can go to medical school much easier than a nurse. I simply looked at her and said that it is great she is doing what is best for her.

Hopefully my mind and my heart makes a choice soon. I don't want to make any more mistakes.

Thanks for reading ladies.

Thnaks...

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