Do You Regret Becoming A Nurse?

[ladylou88]

Hi everyone

After earning a BS in another field, I decided to give nursing a try and went back for my BSN. After one year, I dropped out due to burnout working as a CNA and hearing negative comments about nursing. All I ever wanted to do in nursing was become a NICU nurse. Now I wonder if I made a mistake. I don't want to go back to nursing school only to decide it is not for me...again, seeing as I would be losing a lot of money.

So, my question is, does anyone regret becoming a nurse? Looking back on their schooling choices, do you wish you pursued something else?

Comments from NICU nurses would be a bonus, but all are welcomed and appreciated! Thank you!!

[annaRNC]

PIN,

Love your posting and agree 100%. Thanks for saying it better than I did.

[ok2bme]

Yes, I do. I take responsibility for it though..I did not have the wisest intentions pursuing nursing. I was 22 with a bachelor's degree and an obsession with nyc. I heard the hyped "nursing shortage" bs and thought, "hey, I'll just apply to accelerated BSN programs..in one year I will have the job security and income necessary to move to nyc" Well shortly after I started my accelerated program 2 big hospitals closed in nyc..saturating the city with experienced nurses, I could not find a job. So here I am living in Texas staying in nyc hostels a few times a year...

[caffeineRx]

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[Imafloat, BSN, RN]

I think it depends on the day, or week, or where I am in the burnout cycle.

I think that no matter what profession we all would have chosen, we would still be ourselves, and we would still feel burnout and frustration no matter what job we were doing.

I'm 42 years old and I've only been a nurse 4 years and I'm amazed at how much I've grown up in these 4 years. I didn't become a nurse for myself, but somewhere along the way something happened. Sitting here typing this, I look back at myself when I was a new grad, with all the thoughts I had and what I thought about my new job and how I felt about it and the things I saw and I am a totally different person. I feel that is the gift that nursing has given me. I wasn't a bad person before, it's hard to explain, because it's so subtle.

There are days I hate my job. I wish I could call off, because I don't want to go in and deal with the princess clique, I know I am going to have the hardest team, and the precious princesses will be able to once again have a nice day of idle gossip. There are days I know that the charge nurse from Hades is on, the one who stresses out if a patient breathes wrong. There are lots of days full of irritating crap, and I'm like dang, do I have to do this... what the heck was I thinking, 12 hours...shoot me now. Then I think, you know all this crap is external crap, it's people crap, it's the same crap I would be dealing with if I was a teacher, working at a restaurant, working in an office. If I was a teacher, I would be thinking, OMG....I should have gone to nursing school, at least I would only have to deal with these people for 3 days a week.

Sometimes I think I made a mistake by going back to school at all. I had it pretty good, I was a stay at home mom, doing just fine. What was I thinking?

[efda3]

Yes, sometimes I am pretty sure that I do. I am trying to give myself the chance though, but the nursing field is looking dimmer every single day.

[Nomadnurse, L.P.N.]

Love being a nurse, wish I had gone to RN.........I am an LPN w/30 years exp........should have gone higher.......

[efda3]

Yes, sometimes I am pretty sure that I do. I am trying to give myself the chance though, but the nursing field is looking dimmer every single day.

I mean to say "Yes, I am pretty sure that I regret going into Nursing". Nursing doesn't seem like what it's supposed to be. I'm ok with the dirty work and responsibility. I am not OK with the abuse, harassment, and high rate of lateral workplace violent. I have been the victim of it a few times, but mostly witnessed other nurses being the victim of it..not to mention they are pretty much bullied into taking on way too much work.

I feel that if I stay in the field, I will need to finish a CRNA program. I have a pretty decent overall GPA...about a 3.6, so I just pray that I am accepted into a CRNA program in the future. THey are extraordinarily competitive.