Does anyone here actually like nursing?

Nurses General Nursing

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I feel like most of what I read about nursing and peoples opinions or experiences with the profession are more often than not on the negative side. Based on what I have read, I cant say I blame anyone. Short staffing, Violent patients, mean doctors, bullying coworkers and everything else that seems to drive nurses from the bedside or from nursing entirely within a year being licensed. I just wondered if their were still nurses out there who actually liked being one, and why?

On 4/28/2019 at 2:54 PM, Workitinurfava said:

I have to be real. I don't feel like what I am doing today is real nursing but I am willing to try and make it better. I loved nursing but it didn't love me back and that is ok.

I wish I could do nursing like it used to be, when I actually got the work done and the patients taken care of. I don't have any satisfaction in my work anymore. At least I had that before and now I don't. I am not sure why someone would want to be a nurse today when there are other professions that have good pay and don't require the sacrifice of mind, body and soul. I had a near relative that wanted to be a nurse, I said don't do it, and gave the reasons, they did it and got out as soon as they could. I wanted to say, "told you so".

2 Votes
Specializes in Community health.

I had a conversation with my husband the other day. Some of the students I graduated with (last year) are having a hard time in their new-grad programs, and we’ve been texting about it. There are a lot of comments like “I thought I would love it, but I’m not so sure” and “I hope once I get used to it, I find my stride.” My husband was sort of baffled. He is a lawyer and he said, “I mean, I don’t sit around wondering whether I truly love the law or not. I just want to do a good job and get paid and not get fired!” Which I think is a helpful perspective too. As has often been discussed on AN— your job doesn’t have to be a calling. A job is a job, really. It’s a bonus if you love it, but it’s fine if you just find it tolerable.

3 Votes
5 minutes ago, CommunityRNBSN said:

I had a conversation with my husband the other day. Some of the students I graduated with (last year) are having a hard time in their new-grad programs, and we’ve been texting about it. There are a lot of comments like “I thought I would love it, but I’m not so sure” and “I hope once I get used to it, I find my stride.” My husband was sort of baffled. He is a lawyer and he said, “I mean, I don’t sit around wondering whether I truly love the law or not. I just want to do a good job and get paid and not get fired!” Which I think is a helpful perspective too. As has often been discussed on AN— your job doesn’t have to be a calling. A job is a job, really. It’s a bonus if you love it, but it’s fine if you just find it tolerable.

I would assume your lawyer-husband also gets paid adequately to make his job ennui worth his while. Nurses are paid little, compared to other professions, and the myth is that we should be happy to accept this because it's our "calling."

4 Votes

Love this thread. Davey Do for Prez, 2020!

1 Votes
Specializes in ARNP.
40 minutes ago, np830 said:

I would assume your lawyer-husband also gets paid adequately to make his job ennui worth his while. Nurses are paid little, compared to other professions, and the myth is that we should be happy to accept this because it's our "calling."

I agree, there are a ton of little things I didn’t foresee, that I could easily leave behind. The fact they set up schedules for 32 or 36 hours generally, to avoid paying overtime, knowing how frequently nurses need to chart later or run over; the “race” to get things done but expectation of perfection; the time-clock...and no more than a minute or two early or late then rush to the floor “ready”....few jobs requiring a bachelors degree even force use of a timeclock... rarely see a manager and constantly changing charge with constantly changing “rules”... the support staff who insist on acting like they have an RN license... some really great people but some of the worst on the planet...but hey, free coffee! haha

4 Votes
Specializes in Cardiology.
1 hour ago, Forest2 said:

I wish I could do nursing like it used to be, when I actually got the work done and the patients taken care of. I don't have any satisfaction in my work anymore. At least I had that before and now I don't. I am not sure why someone would want to be a nurse today when there are other professions that have good pay and don't require the sacrifice of mind, body and soul. I had a near relative that wanted to be a nurse, I said don't do it, and gave the reasons, they did it and got out as soon as they could. I wanted to say, "told you so".

I had this same conversation a few weeks ago. Had I known about the other medical careers with less stress and schooling that paid pretty well I would have done that. I hate school. I have my BSN but I am never going back for my masters. I wish my high school would have provided us with other career choices instead of ramming college down our throats.

1 Votes
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
On 4/28/2019 at 2:45 PM, KonichiwaRN said:

Believe it or not, I got bullied by a CNA once. Never takes vitals, never does anything..on the cell phone all the time.

And this CNA was basically the jester for the director of that unit.

Needless to say, I had to change units.

I don't understand how a CNA's failure to do the job is bullying you. It just sounds like a CNA didn't do their job.

On 4/27/2019 at 1:40 PM, vintagemother said:

I like being a nurse. However, there are aspects that I don’t like.

I enjoy caring for pts. I like it when I have the time to talk with them, listen to them tell me about their lives, educate them on the plan of care, self care, their disease process.

I like being a critical thinker / detective regarding how to best help them.

I like being a pt advocate.

I earn a decent living, have good benefits, etc.

i like many of my coworkers, some of them are my best friends.

Would you say there is a specialty in nursing where you can be just an educator? I've seen many situations when the patient doesn't know what's going on at all because the nurse is busy. In moments like these is there someone else to turn too? I think that would be a great job!

1 Votes
Specializes in Cardiology.
10 minutes ago, thatfuturenurse said:

Would you say there is a specialty in nursing where you can be just an educator? I've seen many situations when the patient doesn't know what's going on at all because the nurse is busy. In moments like these is there someone else to turn too? I think that would be a great job!

When I was a nurse aid there was sometimes a nurse on the floor and all they did was discharge stuff (very similar to a case manager but they werent a case manager they were a floor nurse but out of numbers).

1 hour ago, Ruby Vee said:

I don't understand how a CNA's failure to do the job is bullying you. It just sounds like a CNA didn't do their job.

Oh. The "cna" did the vitals for other nurses. Just not for me. ?

3 hours ago, CommunityRNBSN said:

As has often been discussed on AN— your job doesn’t have to be a calling. A job is a job, really. It’s a bonus if you love it, but it’s fine if you just find it tolerable.

This is a great perspective. Thanks!

Specializes in ARNP.
28 minutes ago, thatfuturenurse said:

Would you say there is a specialty in nursing where you can be just an educator? I've seen many situations when the patient doesn't know what's going on at all because the nurse is busy. In moments like these is there someone else to turn too? I think that would be a great job!

usually a job like that requires 2-5 years experience but I have seen listings like that...can also teach at community college level with a few years experience and “working” on a masters.

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