Does anyone enjoy nursing?

BunnyRN · Feb 27, 2011

I think nursing gets harder as you get older, so if you are still young, do it then. I myself would not encourage a young person in the main to get nursing as a first degree, I would say get experience in other things first - or get a first degree in something else - then try nursing. Always have something to fall back on, I reckon. Because if you end up hating nursing, then you are stuck.

When I started working on my nursing unit, I was the youngest nurse RN, and many young nurses came and went. I believe that it is easier to train younger new nurses then the older new nurses, from what I've seen on the unit. I believe that new nurses whether younger or older should stick it through if possible, unless they feel that their licenses and patients' lives are at risk, d/t poor staffing, disorganized unit, etc...

Nursing is not easy stuff, but its challenges it what keeps many nurses in this profession. But I would never discourage anyone young or old to seek nursing after a second career, d/t time wasting, and money , especially in this tough economy. If you love nursing go for it, research the many possibilities available, and know that nursing has its ups and its downs, just like any other profession.

I actually worked with this new nurse, who previously worked in the marketing business for a big fashion retailer, and this new learned that nursing is not as glamourous as she thought when first started. Some people said that she would not last long on the floor, I did not agree with their mentality. But I hated that they ended up being right, she left within 6 mths.

solneeshka, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2011

Whether or not you will enjoy it depends in large part on how well suited you are for whatever area of nursing you end up in. I am always amazed at people who go to nursing school, start a job that they end up hating, and then quit nursing. There are probably *hundreds* of different specialties in the nursing field, including a good number that don't even involve direct patient contact. If you don't like the med-surg or nursing home position that you are likely to start out with first thing after graduation, then just figure out which specialty areas you *are* likely to like. I spent my whole first year of nursing investigating every nursing specialty I could find out about, all while mostly hating my job on a medicine floor. But that year taught me tons about the basics of nursing in every body system, and I'm now in an OR position that I'm crazy about. If you feel like you want to be a nurse, you are probably making the right decision to go into nursing. Just remember that if you don't love your first job, you can change specialties and it can be a whole new career!

starzrn · Feb 27, 2011

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum but I have been reading posts on this website for over a year now.
My question is does anyone enjoy nursing anymore? Some post are pretty negative about the career. I am 25 year old mother of two very young kids, 2 and 3 years old. I am going to school and recently decided to sign up to start LPN training in the summer. I wish to go all the way to get my ADN pretty much without a break inbetween. Somedays I am very hopeful that this will be a great career for me to get into but then I read a bunch of post about nursing and I start to question my career choice. I'm just wondering if its worth putting my family through the rigorious routine that I will have to follow once I start the LPN training. Any feedback, good or bad would be greatly apprectiated. Thank you.

i have been a nurse since 95. I can tell you that the worst job for me was the hospital and the least stressful was allergy. I am now a nurse for a dme company and it's by far the best. I make home visits minus the home health mountains of paperwork, and still get to touch lives. Although I don't perform a lot of nursing skills anymore...this is the best fit for me. :yeah:

Debbie Anne · Feb 27, 2011

The thing I love most about nursing is helping others. It gives me meaning and satisfaction. Whether that is being empathetic with a dying patient and their family members, providing pain relief or prioritizing and trying to get everything done as needed. The bottom line is I leave work at the end of my shift feeling that I am truly making a difference. I love nursing. If this sounds like something you would like then chances are you will be happy with your choice. Best of luck!

AusRN · Feb 27, 2011

I love my job. About to start high dependancy training, but I love wherever they put me- paeds, medical, surgical, a&e....

agldragonRN · Feb 27, 2011

some days yes. some days no.

Weebee, LVN · Feb 27, 2011

No! Nursing Sucks. Which is why Im getting out of it. We Eat Our Young. We are over worked, we have a real ****** job (wiping orifice for a living), Were always expected to be the nice guy even when some drunk is trying to pee on you as you help him stand to use the urinal. We get hit because some drugged up idiot almost O.D. and you went to draw blood. We get cussed at because 60 people came to the E.R. for a cold and caused 6 hour waits. The E.R. is used as a free doctors office. People want you to be Burger King and have it their way (Example: A guy comes in and says he has a headache, then states "I don't need any tests, I dont need any X-rays or CT (even thought he has an Injury), All I need is something for pain... and dont try to give me anything but Dilaudid cause nothing else works on me... I wont even take it".

People (Paitents) in the USA think they can walk into your hospital and tell you how your going to take care of them... even though they never graduated high school. Then when you dont do exactly what they say.. they sue you thinking it will buy them a new house.

Should I go on... I got lots of reasons to hate nursing.

Actually ... I lied... I love it.... in fact my shift starts in 18 hours... cant wait. I also like whips and chains and hot wax on my.......... :)

mama_d, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2011

Some people love it, some people hate it.

I love being a nurse. No reservations whatsoever. That said, I do wish that I could handpick who I work with and who I follow. Cuz we've got some doozies right now.

And God bless all those who enjoy LTC and psych, because I surely couldn't stand doing that day in and day out!

That's one of the things that's great about bursing though; there's so many roles that need to be filled! Dr's office, clinics, hospitals, psych, home health, management, education, advanced practice, legal consultant, drug rep, etc etc ad infinitum.

I'm working acute care right now and love it, but my dream is to open a holistic centered rurally located complex once I get my NP...educators, case management, dietician, PT/OT/ST, etc all within one place, where pts can make appts to see people from all disciplines needed in the same day and there is an ongoing communication between all disciplines so that the pt's needs are addressed better and chronic conditions can be managed in the most effective manner. Only nursing offers that kind of opportunity for transition.

tablefor9, RN · Feb 27, 2011

I love L&D nursing, loved ICU nursing, loved doing camps, loved home health for the couple years I played with that.

What I've never loved is the Jerry Springer that goes with it. Charge Nurse with a Diety Complex & lotsa personal angst, Surgeon (of any flavor) with Diety Complex and a mean pitching arm and chart in hand, "labor" patients who come in via EMS because their "baby daddy in the club w/ some ho" instead of at home with her...wait, you didn't want the vent, did you?

Making it shorter...yeah, we love nursing. By & large, the ones that don't go do something else. But that doesn't mean all of it is a cake walk and you've got to have someplace safe to put that at the end of the day. For me, my husband gets to hear the crapola, because he's amazing & he understands. For some, this board is their safe place.

Find out as much as you can about the real world of nursing, get a tech job if you can, or do some volunteer work, but don't dismiss it based on what you see here.

-RN- · Feb 28, 2011

Unfortunately it's modern day slavery.Google "No nursing jobs" before you go for it!

AusRN · Feb 28, 2011

I love nursing. I love being able to help people, to watch them get better even if they are seriously ill, watching them rehab.

I hate that we are understaffed and don't have the time to spend with our patients.

I hate the way I'm always tired and miss out on so much of my social life.

But would I change my job? No. I'm happy even when I'm tired at work and if I put a smile on my patients faces I feel as though I've done a good job. I'm beginning HDU, which even though it scares the life out of me I'm excited.

-RN- · Feb 28, 2011

I can't relate. I'm not happy being slaved around. Nursing school is hard and nurses are treated like dirt more times than not.