Do any of you feel that you will not like a career in nursing?

86toronado, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2009

I have to disagree with the needing passion to be an RN. It is a job, just like any other. It takes brains, a strong back, and a thick skin, but I don't think you need to be passionate about it to be a good nurse.

JanisM · Feb 23, 2009

I agree to some extent, but having plenty of experience as a patient, I think it is easy to pick the nurses who consider it 'just a job'. Don't get me wrong - I think ALL nurses deserve the highest praise because it is hard, often thankless work, but there is one thing that some nurses don't have, and that is the ability to empathise and truly care about the person they are looking after. I have come across some like this, but thankfully not very often. As I said, I think all nurses are wonderful and I can't wait to be able to call myself one :yeah:

NoviceRN10 · Feb 23, 2009

I have to disagree with the needing passion to be an RN. It is a job, just like any other. It takes brains, a strong back, and a thick skin, but I don't think you need to be passionate about it to be a good nurse.

I agree. I have seen enough nurses during my own hospital stays and during clinicals to know that most of them do not have a passion for their job. They are there for the paycheck.

lainith · Feb 23, 2009

I think it depends on WHY you aren't liking classes or clinicals. Some people are just not cut out for the hospital setting and it shows.

And to answer your question, no. If I thought I would not like it, I would have quit a long time ago and saved myself time, money, stress, heartache, etc. I am doing this because I enjoy caring for people. Would I do it for free? I'm not stupid. I gotta make a living! But the money is a nice reward for doing a good job - a job I feel I will enjoy and be good at.

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Feb 24, 2009

I LOVE clinicals and hate lecture. Im just itching to get away from one of our teachers that takes pride in making everything our fault in lecture.

gibson0726 · Feb 24, 2009

I have feeling of dread sometimes while sitting in the hospital parking lot before clinicals. Will I hate being a nurse? Absolutely not. But I can honestly say that there are certain areas of nursing that I wouldn't work in if my life depended on it. For instance, I absolutely could not be a L&D nurse. It's just not my thing. I found my calling in the NICU, while my best friend could never work there. That is what makes us all unique. You just have to find whatever works for you.

TCM1 · Feb 24, 2009

Mmmmm, I just posted a question along the same lines. I know that I dislike blood and gore and death/dying, but I also know that I love helping and healing people and am looking for other avenues in nursing as a career--but what are they? can yoiu get them without going back to school to do your masters etc.? I already have 9 yrs of educ. and 4 of them are medical related (chinese medicine/wester and eastern medicine combined--we worked on cadavers, in the lab the whole bit and I volunteered in hospitals...).

Ashley195 · Feb 25, 2009

I didnt read the other replies to this because I didn't want to affect what I wanted to say and thats this:

I've come to find that the whole notion of nobility in only doing what you love to do is overrated. I think you have to find whats important in life and find the job that permits you to put those things first. For some people, thats family. For others, money. And there are plenty of other reasons. You can be happy or miserable in almost anything. You just have to be flexible. Its not like anyone who becomes a nurse is signing their life away. Its ok to try things even if you're not 100% positive this is where you want to be. You can always work towards something else, but as long as I pass nursing school, I'll always have something secure to fall back on. Financial security isnt masochistic. Its smart. And despite what you may think, theres nothing wrong with doing something that will permit you to enjoy other things in life.