Published Nov 27, 2005
Lisa CCU RN, RN
1,531 Posts
I have heard so many stories about how hard nursing is and all there is to complain about, but does anyone enjoy their work? Please let's hear from someone who is glad they got into nursing and wouldn't change their choice for anything.
fergus51
6,620 Posts
I love nursing. Doesn't mean I don't complain sometimes, but I would choose it again in a heartbeat.
VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN
22 Articles; 9,996 Posts
It's easy to confuse loving your work with loving your job........but they aren't the same thing.
Me, I've never regretted going into nursing, and if I had it to do over again, I don't think I'd do anything different. I love my work........it's the JOB that sucks sometimes. (Well, mine sucks a good portion of the time, but that's Med/Surg---too many patients, too many managers breathing down your neck, too many families to deal with, too many non-nursing tasks, and too little time to spend with each patient.) There are always other jobs and other avenues to explore, and that's one of the things that make this such a good career---if you don't like one kind of nursing, something else is bound to fit your tastes, abilities, and lifestyle.
PatrickJ
37 Posts
cop 20 years, loved it
nurse 10 years and love it too, :)
skipaway
502 Posts
I was a floor nurse for 2.5 yrs, loved it.
I was an ICU nurse for 3 yrs, loved it.
Now I'm a CRNA, been that for 13 yrs. Love it, love it, love it...:kiss
Simba&NalasMom, LPN
633 Posts
Like MJ said, I love being a nurse but don't always enjoy what goes along with the job; politics, staffing, co-workers, etc. Ask me again when I have more than a few months' experience.
You asked for examples: When I first moved to Portland, I took a job on a skilled unit but then had to leave because they shorted my hours. Took another job for a month and the position was eliminated. Realized how I missed the first job, so went back to work for them part-time. One of my regular patients remembered me when I went in to my room and gave me a big hug and told me how much she had missed me and how glad she was that I was back. All the CNA's told me they were happy I was back as well.
I think venting is human nature; that's what a lot of people tend to do. Sad but true.
Euskadi1946
401 Posts
I love my job and loved working in Med/Surg and Post Partum when I did floor nursing. Because of the staffing situations I would never return to floor nursing. When I can't give my patients 200% of decent nursing care then it's time to go into another field of nursing. I do case management now and I love it.
What is case management?
memesuzRNC
6 Posts
Hi! I love nursing or at least I would if we were allowed to have a managable load of patients along with enough CNA's to where we would be able to do nursing like it should be done. At least like most nurses see that it should be done. This would be as follows....Get to work in the morning, get report, go around and check on all the patients (all 5 or 6 of them) and greet them warmly, assess them and like you really want to be there....hahaha:chuckle! Go back to the med room (which by the way was plenty large enough for everyone to fit in comfortably...) After you pull all of your meds you would take them to each patient in a calm and relaxed manner, then sit down and get charts open and up to date. In the meantime you would have enough time and staff to handle all the little problems that come up in the morning including sending pts for testing etc. This would be the pattern for the whole day. This includes having the time to make sure charts are up to date and closed when the next shift comes in for report. This of course would only work for Med/Surg floors and not the ICU's etc but I think there would be a level that would match the critical care floors as well. Mainly I guess I am getting at adequate staffing, safe patient/nurse ratios, management that supported nursing, adequate pay and days off and more flexible scheduling. Did I cover it all????? :roll I know this isn't possible but it sure would be nice to at least get closer to this "ideal" of nursing. I know there is a happy medium somewhere. If all the hospitals were non-profit and weren't interested in constantly competing with all the other facilities in the area it would be better. I say all of this to say this: I love being a nurse but know that because of my age and physical condition I won't be able to retire because of all these things I have mentioned in reverse...eg; high nurse patient ratio, not enough support staff (CNA's, etc.) and all the other things that go along with that. I hope this doesn't sound like I am being too unrealistic. I really think there is a way to do it the right way but I know that it will never happen! Have a great Thanksgiving!
Tweety, BSN, RN
35,402 Posts
Yeah that.
Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN
12,126 Posts
I love what i do, wouldn't want to do anything else.
mmdu2005
2 Posts
Only been a nurse for 5 month, but I love the work I do. Wouldn't change careers at all. There are days that I don't like the area I have to go to. (Postpartum nurse and have to float to Peds/Gyn/whatever gets "dump" to floor area) But the days that I stay on my floor and do the job that I was hired to do, I love it.