Do you like being a nurse?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am just wondering if i should be a nurse. Im about to be a senior in high school and I think I want to be a nurse but I have a LOT of questions I need to ask someone who is a nurse.

On this site people say its a crappy job, you get burnt out easily, and you get 'abused' and mistreated by doctors and other people. Is this true? Do the pros out weigh the cons?

Also, how fast paced is it? Do you have to make a lot of life or death decisions on your own?

Thanks!

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Yes, it's true.

Yes, the pros outweigh the cons, at least it does to me.

Yes, it can be VERY fast paced.

Yes, life or death decisions are made by nurses, more so in critical care but in all other units too when someone crashes.

Yes, I love being a nurse!

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Specializes in Cath lab, EP lab, CTICU.

I love, LOVE being a nurse. Every job has its drawbacks, but how in many jobs can can you make a real tangible difference in another person's life? What other jobs can you really witness the human drama of life and death?

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I love to be a nurse.I love making a difference in someone's life.Nursing is a very nice and lucrative profession and to me,nursing is about doing something cos you like to do it.its good being a nurse.You'll like it as long as you like making a difference in one's life each day you set out to work.Goodluck in your decision.

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Specializes in Telemetry, CCU.

First of all, I love being a nurse! I think going to school to be a nurse was one of the best decisions of my life!! Yes it is a hard profession, but you have so many options that other professions don't. If you don't like one aspect of nursing, most likely you can find another job that suits your particular needs. Unless you absolutely don't like working with people, nursing might just be the career for you.

If you are interested in science courses, you will find that many of the classes you take to get into nursing school will be exciting for you, at least I know that many people enjoyed learning about anatomy, physiology, chemistry and many other courses.

And feel free to ask as many questions as you like here, that's what Allnurses is for! I've seen a few threads where people give a list of 5 or so questions and quite a few people respond. Or feel free to send me a pm if you wish :)

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Specializes in ICU.

Love it. Love it. And it's so flexible. You can work in so many settings in any location with any population you choose. You can work any time of day for as many or as few days per week as you choose. You can virtually name your schedule. And you're in-demand. If you get restless in one aspect, (ex. circulating in the OR) you can do something completely different (ex. camp nursing). There's pleanty of room for advancement, be it additional schooling, administration, teaching, policy-making, research. The sky's the limit. It's a great career. :twocents:

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.
I am just wondering if i should be a nurse. Im about to be a senior in high school and I think I want to be a nurse but I have a LOT of questions I need to ask someone who is a nurse.

On this site people say its a crappy job, you get burnt out easily, and you get 'abused' and mistreated by doctors and other people. Is this true? Do the pros out weigh the cons?

Also, how fast paced is it? Do you have to make a lot of life or death decisions on your own?

Thanks!

Hi

All that you said is true to some extent. 44 yrs ago, I was faced with the decision of what to do with my life. There were limited opportunities for women at the time. I had never even been in a hospital at that time--not even as a visiter; however, I decided to try nursing.

I can truly say that in all these years, I have NEVER regretted my decision.

I love Nursing; I love everything about it except the politics & the paperwork.

I love the people I meet every day. The good experiences far out-weigh the negative.

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I love being a nurse...it has its good and bad and VERY BAD DAYS... I guess just like anywhere else.

It is not nearly as glamarous as TV makes it.. :) Yes, doctors, patients, and families yell at you...I don't let it bother me. I have yet to be truly 'yelled at' by a doc..most of ours are very respectful.

There are life and death decisions nearly everyday. The first time you realize, hey I just saved someone's LIFE....I recognized the signs of impending doom...and stopped them...it's a wonderful feeling. On the flip side when you cant save them....it really sucks :(

It is a hard and rewarding career. You really gotta know your stuff!! Good luck with whatever career path you choosE!!

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Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.

I do not love medsurg. I thought progressive care was a bit more interesting, but even with only four patients, I was overwhelmed frequently, as patients frequently went bad at the drop of a dime. I am going to try ICU when I move most likely. That will be my final foray into nursing. If that isn't a good fit, I will probably just find a job that earns the best wage with the least amount of stress and stick with it until I no longer have to work.

I think especially with this job market, that being a nurse is a smart thing to do. But if you do not have a desire to care for people, you will burnout in a short time. My desire to care for people is strong, and I am having a hard time being happy doing what I am doing. The only joy is thinking critically when someone is crumping and comforting patients and family. Everything else is uninspiring and uninteresting to me.

Be practical about your choice of career, and part of being practical is figuring out what you love and working that into a career. Anything less will never work.

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Specializes in Med/Surg; Psych; Tele.

I LOVE being a nurse - it really is who I am. But, I HATE nursing, speaking from a bedside/floor point of view. If the workload were less, where one was not *constantly* running around, getting behind, and wishing they had more time to provide quality, holistic nursing care to patients, then I would never leave bedside nursing. Unfortunately, bedside nurses are extremely overworked and after a while, you can only stand so much of being taxed to the max every time you work.

For example, I just awoke after sleeping, yes, 24 hours straight. This after working 2 night in a row. I have been that mentally and physically stressed.

Again, I LOVE caring for patients, but I don't think at the expense of my own health. You shouldn't have to be some kind of martyr to be a great nurse, but that my friend, is the way it is in today's hospital environment.

But, earning a BSN is not necessarily the same thing as being a bedside nurse. The degree itsself opens so many doors. So please weigh that in with your decision on pursuing this career.

Good luck!

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Specializes in LTC, Subacute Rehab.

I graduate from LVN school in May, and so far I honestly love it. It's not easy, it's not always fun, but I feel challenged every day in class or clinical, and I love solving problems.

I suggest that you read all the books by real-life nurses that you can - just have some idea of what you're getting into! It's not being the angel at the bedside who can soothe an agitated elder with a touch. You have to think on your feet and be ready for what was going so well to go so very badly so suddenly - but not lose your head; you have to be ready to change tacks faster than you'd think possible.

Having a slightly sick sense of humor seems to help.

Good luck! :)

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so very very true. Couldn't have said it better.

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