Does nursing really suck that badly?

[Irish_Mist]

I know this discussion has likely been hashed and re-hashed several times. However, I wanted to discuss not only my concerns but my specific situation.

Here is some background information on me:

I recently graduated with a non-nursing bachelors degree. For the past two years, I have had my heart set on entering an ABSN program. But, I wanted to finish my bachelors first as I felt since I was almost done, I could apply for a one year accelerated program and essentially not "waste" my almost completed degree. I am taking A&P2 and Nutrition this semester and Chemistry and Microbiology in the fall with hopes of applying for two ABSN programs in my area.

Here are my concerns:

I read so many negative things on here about nursing. Whether it is someone complaining about their boss, a high patient to nurse ratio, backstabbing co-workers, patients who treat you like a slave, managment that doesn't get it, concerns about losing nursing license, etc etc. I understand that NO job will ever be perfect. I understand that people come here to vent. I am not judging the nurses who complain on here because everyone needs an outlet to release stress.

My fear is that I will get into a career that I hate. My fear is that I will be chewed up and spit out. I am already at a cynical point in life where I see employers in general as crapping all over good employees and rewarding the bad ones. I am at a point where I am so tired of my government internship that I will do ANYTHING to get away from it. I love the idea of helping people. I love science. I've thus far enjoyed the academic pursuit of nursing. Additionally, I consider myself to be a compassionate, loving person. I can take a lot of things in stride but I have my limits. Is entering the nursing field really that scary? Are hospitals really that toxic? Are co-workers really a reincarnation of that evil witch and her possee from junior high?

I could really use some advice from some of you RNs who are already "there" and have been in the trenches.

-Signed-

Someone who wants to help others and wants to be a nurse but is terrified of the future

[AgathaKitty]

As a pre-nursing student just starting to apply to nursing school, I would like to say thanks to all those who have given their thoughts and opinions about the realities of nursing. All of the posts have been enlightening and worthwhile. It may sound weird, but I am very thankful for the messages about the negative aspects of nursing, because to me it's better to know how bad it can get. I need to go into this with my eyes fully open. It scares me that some nurses find themselves stuck in office politics or toxic environments, or have to deal with abusive patients and disrespectful employers. But it's better to know instead of being all roses and sunshine about it.

I also appreciate the positive aspects that posters wrote about this career. But the truth is that I don't think I will know if I'm made to be a great nurse who can deal with the terrible things that may come my way until I actually I'm in that job. I'm trying to prepare myself by reading nursing school survival guides, talking to nurses and reading lots in this forum, but there is so much learning you can do about a career, you know?

I'm in my thirties and have considered nursing for a long while. It's been thrilling and scary to decide to go back to school for nursing, after many years of office work. Of course I want to go into nursing for all the cliche reasons - wanting to make a difference, wanting to help people. But I like the practical aspects of the career - shift work, the job prospects (which I've gathered from this forum are imaginary - sigh), the good salary (in Canada it's still good, I think). But I also really want to be able to learn a profession, and extremely useful skills (as opposed to learning an excel spreadsheet!).

So, thanks.

[BlueLightRN]

The pay is not worth it for the work you do and the stress you have, just saying. I love my job but if it's about the pay, I still struggle to make ends meet and I believe I deserve about 3x what I make. Pay is going down, not up.

Yes, some patients (and some surgeons) will treat you like crap. If you work as an accountant, some clients will treat you like crap.

Many of which clients will be those same surgeons who treat the nurses like crap :-)

[mindlor]

I was once very active here at all nurses and now I am not. I do check in from time to time and I think I will chime in here. There is no substitute for wisdom and among the most wise is Ruby Vee. I love when she said that if you seek negative you shall find it and if you seek positive you shall find it.

I have now been a floor nurse for two years. Here is how I survive:

I focus on my patients. I straight up have told management that I am going to do things my way and that that will sometimes coincide with their expectations and sometimes it will not. They have been told by me that when they get tired of the way I do things then they can fire me.

Nursing is about prioritizing. If my boss wants 100 things done in a shift I told her that I may get 70 done and that I will use my judgment to pick the 70 things. She knows that at any time she can ask and I will give my rationales.

My patients love me. Most of my coworkers hate me because I set the bar very high. My director calls me in the office a lot and it is always for a tongue lashing and to tell me all the negative reports she gets about me from my coworkers.

The CEO, The CNO, the VP of HR, all of the doctors, case managers, ancillary staff and family of the patients love me.

I am a licensed professional and this is MY practice. I alone am responsible for my license.

Just the other day my director sat me down to criticize me. I stopped her short and told her straight up that in my evaluation of my self that I am a great nurse and that after every shift I am proud of my performance. She was a bit stunned. I do not mean to sound egotistical but it is what it is.

I have the cards and letters and survey scores to back it up.

I had a previous manager once tell me that if the patients love you it will be very hard for me to fire you.....

I guess my point is this, we do not have to be robots. We can define our personal practice.

The funny thing is that the nurses that my direct boss thinks are great nurses are in fact horrible nurses. They tow the company line. Do exactly as they are told and the patients hate them with a passion.

Those who know me know I have a long previous back ground in management. Maybe someday there will be a hospital that will see my vision of how things can be and will give me the chance to manage.

The way that most modern hospitals see and do things is 180 degrees out of phase with what the patients expect.

The good news.....it is easily fixable.

Nursing stinks only if you let it stink

Is there much about nursing the sucks? Yes. Does it suck all the time? Nope.

Is the suckage density (that is, the degree of suckiness per unit time) higher than in a lot of other jobs? In my experience, yes.

However...

The job *can* offer a lot - depending on the organization and unit for which you work.

• Exercise... I spent many years as a desk jockey and I appreciate that I do my job primarily on my feet and moving around. According to my new FitBit, I hit about 7,000 steps on a given shift. That's a good thing, IMO.
  

• Money... here in Northern California, we get paid a solid wage by comparison to many people. My hourly rate dwarfs that of my spouse, a public school teacher. With OT, I made much more last year as a nurse than I ever did as an engineer (in which job I often worked a ton of OT but never got paid a dime for it).
  

• Pension... Nursing is one of the areas in which a significant number of positions still offer solid defined-benefit pension plans.
  

• Opportunity... there is NO nursing shortage... very true... but... there are nursing jobs to be found... in the last 4 years I've found 4 of them (and taken 3). My department has been hiring *continually* for at least 2 years (I've only been in-house for 1.5 years).
  

Is that reflective of how stressful and difficult the job can be? Sure. Still, there are plenty of people who *choose* to work in our department because it offers some things that we find rewarding... or, at least because it is a secure and stable job working as part of an excellent team.

For me, my job is primarily source of income. I don't need to like it, I just don't want to hate it... and I don't... and at the age of 49, I've been around the track enough times to be able to say that... I won't come to hate it... at least in part because I've got coping skills.

It's also worth pointing out that there are hospitals everywhere and that, while the number of candidates far exceeds the number of positions, there are nursing jobs everywhere.

• Intangible rewards... The truth is, even for someone like me who came to the career primarily for bland, pragmatic reasons of economics and location, there are times when this job ministers to one's soul (or however you want to think about it). There are times when I identify with a patient/family, click with them, and am able to feel like I really made a difference for them - and they knew it and they expressed their gratitude.
  

There is also a sense of teamwork and camaraderie that exists in my ED - a large, urban department - that I can liken only to when I was in the military. Sometimes, the intangible reward comes from teammates... either them picking me up or the obvious gratitude in their eyes when I pick them up.

That said...

• while some new grads get jobs... and some even their dreeeeaaaam (nod to GrnTea) job... many do not... or they find a job which does not pay well or is in a sucky location or in a facility that they really don't care for.
  

I myself spent 3 years driving >200 miles each way to get to a job that offered no security, little experience d/t limited facility scope, and lousy pay (

• We put with so much that nobody else does... and that nobody should have to... cursed at, threatened, written up for things beyond our control, physical violence, sexual harassment on a pretty regular basis... in some ways, it's like being a cop without the badge and the baton.
  

• Many nurses are not paid well, particularly for what they do, but even just on a cost-of-living scale.
  

• Your ability to earn a living depends, every two years (at least in CA), on renewing your nursing license. While I've never been of the "protect your license" crowd, I know someone, a coworker, who is presently having to defend their license because their prior employer wasn't content to simply boot them off of probation, but seems to have such a vendetta against this person that they're seeking to destroy their ability to earn a living... in what seems to me to be an improportional response.
  

• I work with some really outstanding peeps... we've got a great team. That said, there are some people who seem to be looking for any opportunity to write somebody up (read posts on this forum and you'll see the attitude manifest... lots of calls to "report them" from nursing students and nurses). Its amazing how even the slightest transgression gets noticed and mentioned at just the *right* time.
  

There is an element of "keep your head down and just keep pedaling..."

In my opinion, there are solid reasons to pursue nursing, but it's a pretty high-risk endeavor and one can easily end up with serious regrets (I was starting to have quite a few of my own).

There are also lousy reasons to pursue nursing. These include any notion of "nursing shortage" but also "I want to help people" and the fulfillment of a dreeeeaaaam.

BTW, if you want some sunshine blown up your butt, have a read at my (totally sincere) Polly Positive post... https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-discussion/just-has-said-891220.html?highlight=it+just+has+to+be+said

If you're going to go in to nursing, do it with your eyes WIDE open... and keep reading...

[Irish_Mist, BSN, RN]

I was once very active here at all nurses and now I am not. I do check in from time to time and I think I will chime in here. There is no substitute for wisdom and among the most wise is Ruby Vee. I love when she said that if you seek negative you shall find it and if you seek positive you shall find it.

I have now been a floor nurse for two years. Here is how I survive:

I focus on my patients. I straight up have told management that I am going to do things my way and that that will sometimes coincide with their expectations and sometimes it will not. They have been told by me that when they get tired of the way I do things then they can fire me.

Nursing is about prioritizing. If my boss wants 100 things done in a shift I told her that I may get 70 done and that I will use my judgment to pick the 70 things. She knows that at any time she can ask and I will give my rationales.

My patients love me. Most of my coworkers hate me because I set the bar very high. My director calls me in the office a lot and it is always for a tongue lashing and to tell me all the negative reports she gets about me from my coworkers.

The CEO, The CNO, the VP of HR, all of the doctors, case managers, ancillary staff and family of the patients love me.

I am a licensed professional and this is MY practice. I alone am responsible for my license.

Just the other day my director sat me down to criticize me. I stopped her short and told her straight up that in my evaluation of my self that I am a great nurse and that after every shift I am proud of my performance. She was a bit stunned. I do not mean to sound egotistical but it is what it is.

I have the cards and letters and survey scores to back it up.

I had a previous manager once tell me that if the patients love you it will be very hard for me to fire you.....

I guess my point is this, we do not have to be robots. We can define our personal practice.

The funny thing is that the nurses that my direct boss thinks are great nurses are in fact horrible nurses. They tow the company line. Do exactly as they are told and the patients hate them with a passion.

Those who know me know I have a long previous back ground in management. Maybe someday there will be a hospital that will see my vision of how things can be and will give me the chance to manage.

The way that most modern hospitals see and do things is 180 degrees out of phase with what the patients expect.

The good news.....it is easily fixable.

Nursing stinks only if you let it stink

I loved Ruby Vee's words too about seeking positive and finding it. I think she's absolutely right. You too, are right. Nursing stinks only if I let it stink. That can be said about every job, really. Thank you for your wise words.

Side Note: Thanks to all who posted. It has gotten to the point where it would take me too long to respond to each individual person. Either way, thank you.

[HikingEDRN, BSN, RN]

I don't know who originally wrote this but it is one of my favorite stories/parables (and has varying settings):

A traveler came upon an old farmer hoeing in his field beside the road. Eager to rest his feet, the wanderer hailed the countryman, who seemed happy enough to straighten his back and talk for a moment.

"What sort of people live in the next town?" asked the stranger.

"What were the people like where you've come from?" replied the farmer, answering the question with another question.

"They were a bad lot. Troublemakers all, and lazy too. The most selfish people in the world, and not a one of them to be trusted. I'm happy to be leaving the scoundrels."

"Is that so?" replied the old farmer. "Well, I'm afraid that you'll find the same sort in the next town.

Disappointed, the traveler trudged on his way, and the farmer returned to his work.

Some time later another stranger, coming from the same direction, hailed the farmer, and they stopped to talk. "What sort of people live in the next town?" he asked.

"What were the people like where you've come from?" replied the farmer once again.

"They were the best people in the world. Hard working, honest, and friendly. I'm sorry to be leaving them."

"Fear not," said the farmer. "You'll find the same sort in the next town."

I guess this just demonstrates the point others have made is that nursing is what you make of it. I love my job even though there are things I don't like about it. I try not to take things personally and let things roll off. I try to be "assertive with a smile" to colleagues who are less than helpful and that can be quite effective. I know I have found a good place to be - I have good management, great teamwork/co-workers, and for the most part, a 4:1 ratio in the ED. I agree with the several posters who said it might take a few years to find a good fit.

I don't know that I've really added to the discussion but I wish you well and at the end of the day, I really think that only you can answer your questions.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

I'm not a nurse yet but I would like to offer this opinion. I have worn many different hats in my life so far. From retail management, to pharmacy tech, to an insurance agent. Every single job has people complaining. They all complain that noone understands how hard they work, management sucks, people suck, and your underappreciated. Every single job. I've worked tons of hours before, worked holidays, and had people be horrible to me. In retail I've cleaned up poop, yes, because some people are thoroughly disgusting, I've had guns pointed at me, and had people try to attack me over something as stupid as a pair of shoes.

You have to take a step back and look at the profession for what it is and decide what you want. You can't let other people influence your opinion. I know for me working the late night shift will be great and it's what I want. I'm an insomniac and I sleep much better during the day. Working holidays? Been there, done that. People? Have you ever really worked with people before? If not, you are in for a huge suprise, people are insane. It's true. You will have to be able to let their comments roll off your back. If you take stuff too personally, you will have to grow thicker skin. Management? Well according to every employee in the world, they make bad decisions. I was in retail management for 10 years. I don't know if I ever made a decision that pleased everyone. Someone complained no matter what I did.

I agree with the people that said you can't go in thinking I want to do this just to help people. There's a lot more to it than that. It's a job. Some people will love their job, and some people will hate it. I disagree with the part that there is no science in the job. It's an essential part of nursing.

I get that some nurses just feel like they are there to pass meds and that they lost the rose-colored glasses that they came into the profession with, but there is so much more to it than that. A nurse is the primary caregiver to the patient. They interact with you, not the doctor so much. Most of the time they are coming in because they have to, and they are scared about what is going on. With cancer in the news everyday, and seeing stories of how people just a headache and now it's an inoperable brain tumor, I really think that is what is in the back of the patient's mind when they come in. They need the nurses reassurances and kindness. They do need the compassion. When people come to the hospital they are facing their mortality in some way. All people react to that differently. And I think the way the nurse handles it, handles the patient, is the difference.

[Irish_Mist, BSN, RN]

I don't know who originally wrote this but it is one of my favorite stories/parables (and has varying settings):

A traveler came upon an old farmer hoeing in his field beside the road. Eager to rest his feet, the wanderer hailed the countryman, who seemed happy enough to straighten his back and talk for a moment.

"What sort of people live in the next town?" asked the stranger.

"What were the people like where you've come from?" replied the farmer, answering the question with another question.

"They were a bad lot. Troublemakers all, and lazy too. The most selfish people in the world, and not a one of them to be trusted. I'm happy to be leaving the scoundrels."

"Is that so?" replied the old farmer. "Well, I'm afraid that you'll find the same sort in the next town.

Disappointed, the traveler trudged on his way, and the farmer returned to his work.

Some time later another stranger, coming from the same direction, hailed the farmer, and they stopped to talk. "What sort of people live in the next town?" he asked.

"What were the people like where you've come from?" replied the farmer once again.

"They were the best people in the world. Hard working, honest, and friendly. I'm sorry to be leaving them."

"Fear not," said the farmer. "You'll find the same sort in the next town."

I guess this just demonstrates the point others have made is that nursing is what you make of it. I love my job even though there are things I don't like about it. I try not to take things personally and let things roll off. I try to be "assertive with a smile" to colleagues who are less than helpful and that can be quite effective. I know I have found a good place to be - I have good management, great teamwork/co-workers, and for the most part, a 4:1 ratio in the ED. I agree with the several posters who said it might take a few years to find a good fit.

I don't know that I've really added to the discussion but I wish you well and at the end of the day, I really think that only you can answer your questions.

Love it!

[Irish_Mist, BSN, RN]

I'm not a nurse yet but I would like to offer this opinion. I have worn many different hats in my life so far. From retail management, to pharmacy tech, to an insurance agent. Every single job has people complaining. They all complain that noone understands how hard they work, management sucks, people suck, and your underappreciated. Every single job. I've worked tons of hours before, worked holidays, and had people be horrible to me. In retail I've cleaned up poop, yes, because some people are thoroughly disgusting, I've had guns pointed at me, and had people try to attack me over something as stupid as a pair of shoes.

You have to take a step back and look at the profession for what it is and decide what you want. You can't let other people influence your opinion. I know for me working the late night shift will be great and it's what I want. I'm an insomniac and I sleep much better during the day. Working holidays? Been there, done that. People? Have you ever really worked with people before? If not, you are in for a huge suprise, people are insane. It's true. You will have to be able to let their comments roll off your back. If you take stuff too personally, you will have to grow thicker skin. Management? Well according to every employee in the world, they make bad decisions. I was in retail management for 10 years. I don't know if I ever made a decision that pleased everyone. Someone complained no matter what I did.

I agree with the people that said you can't go in thinking I want to do this just to help people. There's a lot more to it than that. It's a job. Some people will love their job, and some people will hate it. I disagree with the part that there is no science in the job. It's an essential part of nursing.

I get that some nurses just feel like they are there to pass meds and that they lost the rose-colored glasses that they came into the profession with, but there is so much more to it than that. A nurse is the primary caregiver to the patient. They interact with you, not the doctor so much. Most of the time they are coming in because they have to, and they are scared about what is going on. With cancer in the news everyday, and seeing stories of how people just a headache and now it's an inoperable brain tumor, I really think that is what is in the back of the patient's mind when they come in. They need the nurses reassurances and kindness. They do need the compassion. When people come to the hospital they are facing their mortality in some way. All people react to that differently. And I think the way the nurse handles it, handles the patient, is the difference.

I almost regret saying that I want to help people. Yes, of course, I know there is more to it. I didn't want to turn my post into a novel explaining all the reasons why I wanted to be a nurse. I had felt my post was already long winded enough as it is and edited it for length. I figured people didn't want to read a novel. Sorry if I seem defensive. I just wanted to clarify. I think it almost strikes a nerve with nurses when they feel that someone is wanting to enter the profession for the wrong reason. Or, maybe they entered the profession with the sole desire of helping people and it exploded in their face. I've seen a lot of this topic debated in various threads on All Nurses. One source of conflict is the subject of nursing being a calling versus people who entered the profession for money. Point being, I like many people, have varied reasons why the field of nursing has interested me.

I have never worked retail but I did wait tables once upon a time so I can relate in a way. People can be downright mean. Sure, you take it in stride but it can't help but grate you at times. Your first paragraph really hit home. I think most of us know that no matter where you go, you will face challenges at your job especially when dealing with people and the public in general. This thread has served as a reminder to me.

Great post and thanks for your insight!

[llg, PhD, RN]

I almost regret saying that I want to help people. Yes, of course, I know there is more to it. I didn't want to turn my post into a novel explaining all the reasons why I wanted to be a nurse. I had felt my post was already long winded enough as it is and edited it for length.

I understand. But the point that those of us with experience want you to understand is that your reasons for wanting to be a nurse will determine whether or not you will be happy and successful in a nursing career. Your motivations and expectations are super important -- and in order for us/you to address your original question, your motivation/expectations have to be "front and center." That's why you see them discussed so often on allnurses: it's because they determine the outcome.

[Irish_Mist, BSN, RN]

I understand. But the point that those of us with experience want you to understand is that your reasons for wanting to be a nurse will determine whether or not you will be happy and successful in a nursing career. Your motivations and expectations are super important -- and in order for us/you to address your original question, your motivation/expectations have to be "front and center." That's why you see them discussed so often on allnurses: it's because they determine the outcome.

You are absolutely right, llg. I think for the most part, posters on here were sort of along the lines of caveat emptor. But, it almost seems to be an issue of contempt on this board. I've seen various posts where someone feels they have a "calling" or "desire to help people" and have basically had their butts handed to them. My point is, is that really such a bad thing? People will enter a profession for various reasons. While I personally don't feel a "calling" is necessary, someone else who thinks so isn't necessarily wrong or bad for that. It is just a difference in opinion.

Since you are an experienced nurse, can you outline some reasons or motivations for becoming a nurse that you've seen people fall flat on their face as a result?