Does it bother you when someone wants to be a nurse just for the money?

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I have an acquaintance that wants to be a CRNA. No mention of being an RN first or how long it would take her to do it, just wants to be a CRNA. She's mentioned not wanting to work as an RN in the middle to avoid bedside nursing and "butt wiping" and just wants to go and get her Master's. She thinks being a CRNA is easy.

As a nursing student in an ADN program, I value bedside nursing and no matter what my wage may be in the future, I would like to stay at bedside. I don't think this person really knows what nursing is and I think she just wants to be a CRNA because of the money. She never seemed like a caring person, is quick to throw tantrums and has no patience at home. I do wish her the best with whatever career she likes, but it feels like she is turning up her nose at the line of work that I want to do. Does it bother you when you meet people like this?

No, this doesn't bother me because I know these people will not make it through nursing school at that level if they cannot perform safely. What bothers me more is the situation with doctors...once they are accepted to medical school there are no checks and balances...they just go all the way.

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Specializes in critical care and LTC.

It really bothers me when people want to be a nurse just for the money! For one 1/2 of them will make it through nursing school and the ones that do will not make it the field long at all, or they will try to get mangement jobs and just be nasty to work for. I have a sister in law who wants to be a NP, I was like yeah thats a really good job which it is but for to actually get there is slim to none. Some people are all talk about what they do and until you but your self through nursings school you do not know what it is like. I am a nurse and LOVE the pt interaction that I am making a difference in not just one life but there is always a child wife husband mother father that is appriciative of what I do. I get compensated for my work but I love what I do and wouldnt switch to a different job because of wage compensation.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

It is irrelevant why someone chooses the profession they do. Nobody is complaining about the person who went into demolitions because they thought blowing stuff up was ******* awesome, or the person who joined the Army because they think driving tanks and firing huge guns is awesome. What matters is that these people are able to practice their professions safely, successfully, and within the established parameters of the profession.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

I went into nursing instead of becoming a graphic artist or a set designer or a geneticist or -- a whole bunch of things I thought I might enjoy more because the money is pretty good yes --- but my personality isn't really type A, (think first person fired on The Apprentice), The demand for nurses back then meant I never had to wait to find a job if I needed one right away (schlepping a portfolio around for months=nightmare), schedule flexibility and specialty flexibility were big plusses, too. In fact, those things were so important to me that were I choosing careers today, I'm not at all 100% sure I would have made the same choice. Do I have empathy and do I "care about helping people"? Yes! Had I chosen another path I probably would've brought those particular qualities into that job, too.

In retrospect, nursing turned out to be a good fit for all my personality traits - it's science and it'sart. I love both. It allowed me work at the hospital that saved my little brother's life, to go work in outpatient when the stress got too crazy, and to re-enter the workforce as a suddenly single mother by taking 30CEUs and paying a fee. I really feel like saying as Garrett Morris did about baseball in an old SNL skit "nursing been berry berry good to me". :)

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Specializes in Psych, EMS.

No. I went to an Accelerated BSN program. Most of my peers openly admitted that they want to be CRNAs and spend a year as an ICU RN as an unfortunate yet necessary means to the end. It's been 1.5 yrs since graduation, and a few of them are SRNAs. I know this from facebook. I know their intentions may rub many people the wrong way, but I think it's fine..they're smart, competent, and motivated.

I have no interest in CRNA, but I did choose a specialty where I don't wipe butts. It was not the only reason I chose sub-acute psych, but it was a factor. I'm happy and unapologetic. If anyone has a problem with it, well..that's their problem, not mine! *wine

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Specializes in FNP.

No, I just laugh. AS IF you can make a lot of money in nursing!

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Not really but I feel sorta sorry for those people.First off the paycheck is not all that,second off all they wont enjoy their job.

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

No..it doesn't affect me at all!

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Specializes in FNP.

By what stretch of the imagination is $30/hour a lot of money anyway?

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Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.
By what stretch of the imagination is $30/hour a lot of money anyway?

Is that the going rate for RNs in the States?

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Specializes in FNP.
Is that the going rate for RNs in the States?

No, but it's the most I'd ever expect to earn in this area. I earn $23.45 with 20 years exp, BSN and CCRN, lol. It's very regional though. New grads in my area make about $17.50/h. For gods sake, it isn't a money making career. I don't know how anyone could support a family as a nurse.

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Specializes in acute care med/surg, LTC, orthopedics.
No, but it's the most I'd ever expect to earn in this area. I earn $23.45 with 20 years exp, BSN and CCRN, lol. It's very regional though. New grads in my area make about $17.50/h. For gods sake, it isn't a money making career. I don't know how anyone could support a family as a nurse.

Yikes, that seems ridiculously low! At $17.50 you can be an unregulated care provider here with barely any education and you don't even have to speak English well or be that good of a worker... Ooops, how off topic of me.

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