I am a middle-aged professional considering a career change. I have been thinking about nursing, but many of the things I have read about on this forum are beginning to give me doubts.
The whole 'boot-camp' atmosphere, where asking seemingly innocent questions can get you fired, where rudeness is considered a privilege... the 'when they say Jump only ask How High'... I was never good at putting up with this sort pf BS, but especially not at this stage in my life.
There has been much made about the shortgae of nurses, and how to attract people to the field, but the current environment is hardly inviting.
Fear is NOT conducive to learning. Back-stabbing and one-ups-manship are counter productive... but this seems to be the norm in medical settings.
I had a DON to turn against several of the nurses at the Nursing Home that I worked and began to look for things we may do wrong. It's impossible to be perfect. I was 2nd shift supervisor and this night she also placed me on a medicine cart which I had not done in awhile...well, one of my resident's had to have a nitro patch removed at h.s I could not find the patch...daughter visited nightly and sometimes she would remove it. Anyway I passed this in report to the third shift nurse. The next day I came to work as usual and was called to the office to be fired. Never have I been fired, she said I checked the story with the third shift nurse and you did report it, but you signed that you removed it so we have to let you go. I do not remember signing it at all although I know it should have been circled and the reason for the circle on the back of the MAR. I did not do this (OMG) I filed for unemployment and thought I would win, I didn't but in the hearing the worst thing that could have happened did. I heard that she had also reported me to the Board of Nursing:madface: I am sick to death over this started to call the Board to see what their take was on this but I am gun shy. Some people say just wait to see if they contact me. By the time of this hearing I had been reported 3 month ago. Still not breathing well! What to do! I must say this though, that DON was reported by another nurse because she gave her a vial of insulin for personal use. Not being a physician or a pharmacist, only the God she thought she was this did not set well and she lost her job. She is now setting before the Board on her license. I can not even feel this is justice at this time because I am so scared. This profession can be wonderful and fulfilling. I stand in the pits of Hell right though and can not be a good one to help you make a decision about nursing:uhoh3: :chair:
This is where we come B!&@H and commiserate. It's not all bad. Nursing shortages, short staffing, and the constant knowledge that a mistake on your part can lead to a serious consequences or death in a pt.does make things stressful at times. But it is a good, rewarding job. But do understand that it is a job; some days are great (you save a life), sometimes your'e so burned out you don't know if you can stand another day. Admin. doesn't back you up when they should, and you deal with people dying. But you learn to cope. It's a job, and it has frustrations and rewards just like any other. Good luck, I love being a nurse, but not every minute of every day, pretty much like the rest of the planet.
Middle aged professional considering a career change- I would seriously rethink nursing espicially if you are looking for a job you are capable of performing at 70 years old. Nursing is a very stressfull and physically challenging job on the worst of days-is this what you think you will be up for? If I were lookING FOR A JOB to retire from I would look for a desk job .
Why would you say this? Nursing isn't all acute-care-running-up-and-down-halls-hefting-300-pound-patients-all-day-long. There are so many areas of nursing! I know a 80 year old RN who could never dream of doing these kinds of things but she's still contributing to her profession!
The OP is what, 47 years old? Why would she be looking for a job to retire from? She's barely started the rest of her life!
When age finally starts catching up to you, remember that there are so many options for you in this field. There's office nursing, telephone triage, community nursing, public health, pediatric in home care, management, teaching, chemical dependency, etc etc etc....
I Fear It Appears No Matter Where You Are In The World The Same Problems Keep Rearing There Ugly Head In The Nursing Profession!!!!
Nurses In General R Very Hard On Other Nurses And Certainly Over In Ireland Where I Am They Do Not Back Eact Other And Are There Own Worst Enemias Playing The Old Florence Nightingale Card No Wonder We Havnt Got Very Far!!
Irls In General As In Sure You Are Aware By Nature Bitchy Can You Imagine Having All Tose Girls Together On A Daily Basis. Back Stabbing Abd Effectively Bullying Is A Major Problem Everywhere In The World Among Nurses I Carried Out My Disoritation For My Degree On This So I Have Researched This Vigorously!!!
Despite All That Goes On It Depends Whatkind Of Person You Are And Can You Cope With All That Plus The Stressful Job You Are Carrying To Carry Out. Lets Face It Works Hard Enough Without All That Added Crap!!
You have to remember that there are more than 135,000 people on this site! Not all will get along all of the time (or share the same views)- it is the size of a big city, but with lots less problems!
Why would you say this? Nursing isn't all acute-care-running-up-and-down-halls-hefting-300-pound-patients-all-day-long. There are so many areas of nursing! I know a 80 year old RN who could never dream of doing these kinds of things but she's still contributing to her profession!
The OP is what, 47 years old? Why would she be looking for a job to retire from? She's barely started the rest of her life!
When age finally starts catching up to you, remember that there are so many options for you in this field. There's office nursing, telephone triage, community nursing, public health, pediatric in home care, management, teaching, chemical dependency, etc etc etc....
I don't know how many times the op plans on changing careers in their life time I am just saying that being a staff nurse is not going to be an easy thing and that is where most of us do start out. Yes there are some desk jobs that nurses can perform and I hope by the time the op is 80 there is one open to them because they will not be able to do staff nursing. And by the way where I work in an acute care setting it is running up and down the halls all day long lifting 300 lb patients ( sometimes we acutally calculate the tonage we lift each day.) What kind of world do you live in?
And by the way where I work in an acute care setting it is running up and down the halls all day long lifting 300 lb patients ( sometimes we acutally calculate the tonage we lift each day.) What kind of world do you live in?
Apparently the same one you do. You're describing my job. My point is that is not all there is to nursing, and there's nothing to say that a nurse can't have a successful career without ever doing that kind of work.
judilpn
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