Do you regret being a nurse

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Do you regret becoming a nurse?

No not for one minute, EVEN with all that has happened to me personally and professionally.Its been a wild ride. After 27 years out there in the trenches, I never thought I would feel this way. I am proud to say that despite the corruption and greed in corporate healthcare, I held on to my dignity and principles, but not unscathed.I am glad that even though I lost my job , I did the right thing in reporting illegal/unethical/unsafe practices by my former employer( my case is in appeal, will go all the way to the Supreme Court if need be).I have learned SO much and am willing to share this with any of you who have or are going through the same thing. I dont know how we are going to change the healthcare system here in the US,maybe the answer is unionization, maybe its stronger laws to protect nurses, Im not sure, but one thing I do know is that if we nurses continue to fight amongst ourselves, backbite, etc, etc we have just played into the hands of the real enemy-CORPORATE GREED.This is what is causing nurses to leave the field in droves, causing poor patient care, causing understaffing to the point of being a national crisis.I know how hard it is to see the forest for the trees when you are actually out there working, the job is so overwhelming sometimes I think we nurses have been so drained emotionally and physically that we have no energy left over to help enact change. For all you brave nurses still out there, I salute you.

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Specializes in He who hesitates is probably right....

Yes, I regret it...wouldn't do it again.

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Specializes in LTC.
Do you regret becoming a nurse?

No way do I regret becoming a nurse... If I had to do it over agian I would. The most fullfilling thing for me is when one of my patients smile to let me know that they are thankful. There is no better reward. I know this sounds kinda stupid but it is really great and always makes a lump rise in my throat.

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I love what I do and I do what I love.

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Not a regret but wish I would have made better decisions earlier in life and taken different roads of interest. Would not do it again if I could go back.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Cardiothoracics, VADs.

No regrets here - never wanted to be a nurse, in fact actively DIDN'T want to be a nurse (my mum is one) - but now I'm in a position where I earn six figures, am well-respected in my job, travel overseas about 6-8 times per year, get to see the best of the best hospitals I'd read about in journals, and count some of the key opinion leaders as friends. All because of my nursing background and skills!

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Specializes in ICU, ER, Surgery, Med-Surg, Pediatrics.

No, I do not regret being a nurse. I regret how nurses are treated as expendable in many hospital setting. I cannot lift a 250 lb patient so don't expect me to get them in a bedside chair bid. Whenever there has been discontent I just change my area. I am in office nursing now and love it.

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Specializes in ER/ ICU.

Not at all. I thank my mother for making me go to school everyday to make a good life for myself.

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Specializes in midwifery, NICU.
:o sad that some people regret being a nurse! If you are unhappy, get out of the job and find something to enhance your life! You only have one, so don't waste it , even a minute of it , doing something which makes you unhappy! Such a shame that people are struggling on when they are unhappy day to day with their work, it's such a big part of life!Hope anyone who feels discontent will find a path that fulfills them and brings hapiness to their lives!!!
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Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.
:o sad that some people regret being a nurse! If you are unhappy, get out of the job and find something to enhance your life! You only have one, so don't waste it , even a minute of it , doing something which makes you unhappy! Such a shame that people are struggling on when they are unhappy day to day with their work, it's such a big part of life!Hope anyone who feels discontent will find a path that fulfills them and brings hapiness to their lives!!!

:yeahthat: I love being a nurse. I love bedside nursing and can't imagine doing anything else with my life. I have worked with nurses who hate what they do and pray every day that they get out of the profession, because even if they think it doesn't show, it does.

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Specializes in DD, Geriatrics, Neuro.

Nope.

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yes and no. OR nursing has been incredibly hard on me physically-OR nurses are often treated badly by surgeons, the money conscious world of medicine these days seems to leave a lot to be desired, hours suck, nights weekends, call- once went 4 days without seeing my kids. They rode out a hurricaine on an island by themselves because I couldn't get releived to go get them until after the island was flooded , lots of horror stories. But the ability to ease someones pain, to give them a hand to hold when they are scared, to be part of repairing a broken body. Can't be beaten.. Job security, personal satisfaction, feeling of providing a valuable service to my fellow man. I would do it again (I think )

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