Does nursing satisfy your needs?

Published

Some of them are satisfied:

- Acceptable salary

- Fairly stable employment

- Doing good stuff (not useless, pointless work)

However the rest off me is not satisfied. I'm bored (over-worked at the same time), under-utilised and stuck. Have not felt like a professional for a long time.

Anyone else feel like this?

Not to hijack this thread, but I'll tell you how little nursing school prepared me: during med/surg clinicals, I administered meds ONCE.

We did ONE care plan. Only ONE. The ENTIRE four month clinical period!!!

What we did in those clinicals I am not sure. Mostly just observing and philosophical exercises. And they seemed to give us the most simple patients, because they didn't seem to want us to see the "difficult" (i.e. detoxers, codes, etc) patients. They protected us way too much.

Nursing needs to get with it and reform the educational process. We need ON THE JOB training, from the bottom up, looking at REAL patients and real cases. We need MORE time on the floors, getting our questions answered. We need more time to learn the hospital system, equipment, learn about various departments, tests, labs, etc.

How about a week on just learning how to do various wound care and dressing changes. The next week could be on managing vitals. Next TEN weeks could be on assessment skills -- and what changes could possibly MEAN. Next week could be spent doing baths and ADL care. WE need to get better mastery of basic skills, THEN learn how to tie that all together.

It's like we never get time to learn our basic "math facts," but then are sent on expected to do calculus!

This breaks my heart.

BIG :hug: to all of you who feel like this :o

Up Vote Up Vote ×
One of the reasons I'm no longer in nursing education (and will probably never teach nurisng again) is because, when you say this to the administration of nursing programs, we get told that we're out of date and missing the point, which is that the point of nursing school is not to teach nursing skills but to teach "critical thinking." Ironically, I attended a hospital-based diploma school in the early '80s, before the term "critical thinking" had even been invented, but, somehow, while acutally getting a solid foundation in the actual "nuts and bolts" of day-to-day nursing practice, and excellent clinical skills, we all also came out well-prepared to think critically in practice. Now, everyone in nursing education talks all day and night about "critical thinking," but what I have seen in recent years is students and new grads who know very little about basic nursing practice or clinical skills, and also have a very hard time thinking in any sort of organized, productive way about the nursing situations in which they are placed.

This is a big part of why hospitals have become increasingly reluctant to hire new grads over the last several years (and that was starting even before the economy tanked). But I won't belabor the point further -- I've made this same rant many times here over the years. :)

To get back on topic, I've found nursing a very satisfying choice for myself over the years, in terms of producing income, career flexibility and opportunities, and in personal satisfaction.

Yeah...they have trouble with critical thinking because they don't know what skills to apply- imo.

I sounds like SO much has gone wrong (I was also an 80s grad- 1985, ADN....and we busted our butts during clinicals...started giving meds the 2nd WEEK).

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OMG-you read my mind. I was going to post the SAME thing. Yesterday I was anything but a nurse. Here is what I was:

1. Secretary-one admission, one discharge, new orders, d/c orders, diet changes, med changes, etc.

2. Housekeeper-empty trash, empty linens, etc.

3. CNA-had to take my own vitals, empty foleys, etc. I had to do my bath because the lazy CNA with ONE patient was "too busy."

4. Transporter

5. Food services-we now have to take trays out of rooms

6. Lastly: a nurse and person. I got chewed out by lactation for telling a mom she had to check with the MD for breastfeeding because she was taking every med under the sun. Lactation told me it was out of the scope of my practice. Ummm, hello....what happened to being an advocate for my patient the baby)??? I did not eat lunch, use the restroom or even sit down for 2 minutes to check blood types on the mother/babies of my admission who came at shift change.

I work at one of the largest hospitals in the country where almost everyone is a VIP. So basically, I am a nurse/human last because we have to have "patient sanctification" scores.

I left a great career to enter nursing. My previous job did not pay well but I had great hours.....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I graduated dec 2010. They definatelyplaced an emphasis on critical thinking but also a good knowledge base. We passed meds from the beginning and basics lyric anything our preceptor would let us do, no blood or chemo though, obviously.

My biggest obstacle is /was lack of confidence. When I get a chance iwill pick other nurses brains... Why did you do this, how did you know to do that... That sort of thing... Im doing LTC now, but do want to eventually move to a hospital.

I think that the more we are allowed to do and think through things in clinicals the more prepared we will be... Much of the problem i saw with my classmates was that they just wanted to be lectured and inclinicals they wanted to watch.... Basically some were just lazy. Nursing is not a lazy persons job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.

Does nursing meet my needs? Short answer---no. However, I do find pleasure in helping, it's nice to get a paycheck now & then that will meet some of my financial needs, and I look Elsewhere to have my needs met. Just my 2 cents worth....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
One of the reasons I'm no longer in nursing education (and will probably never teach nurisng again) is because, when you say this to the administration of nursing programs, we get told that we're out of date and missing the point, which is that the point of nursing school is not to teach nursing skills but to teach "critical thinking." Ironically, I attended a hospital-based diploma school in the early '80s, before the term "critical thinking" had even been invented, but, somehow, while acutally getting a solid foundation in the actual "nuts and bolts" of day-to-day nursing practice, and excellent clinical skills, we all also came out well-prepared to think critically in practice. Now, everyone in nursing education talks all day and night about "critical thinking," but what I have seen in recent years is students and new grads who know very little about basic nursing practice or clinical skills, and also have a very hard time thinking in any sort of organized, productive way about the nursing situations in which they are placed.

This is a big part of why hospitals have become increasingly reluctant to hire new grads over the last several years (and that was starting even before the economy tanked). But I won't belabor the point further -- I've made this same rant many times here over the years. :)

To get back on topic, I've found nursing a very satisfying choice for myself over the years, in terms of producing income, career flexibility and opportunities, and in personal satisfaction.

What you said pretty much sums it up.

I am approaching the end of my first year in nursing and it is beyond scary how little I was prepared to do this job. Neither good for one's license nor patient safety. Critically thinking doesn't help if you don't have a solid foundation to perform basic skills. One of the reasons why I decided to exit after the first year of school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It meets some of them. Way more than my previous job as an administrative assistant. I feel like in general I'm doing important work. I like my coworkers a lot so it meets some of my social interaction needs. I'm way better paid than I was as an administrative assistant or would be in another helping people profession. I am constantly stimulated with changing priorities in the ED so it meets my "keep the ADD happy" needs. I know that if I get bored where I am, I can try a different field of nursing, so I don't feel like I'm trapped forever in the same routine. I feel mentally and physically challenged.

I'm also still pretty new though, so.....lol.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
One of the reasons I'm no longer in nursing education (and will probably never teach nursing again) is because, when you say this to the administration of nursing programs, we get told that we're out of date and missing the point, which is that the point of nursing school is not to teach nursing skills but to teach "critical thinking." Ironically, I attended a hospital-based diploma school in the early '80s, before the term "critical thinking" had even been invented, but, somehow, while actually getting a solid foundation in the actual "nuts and bolts" of day-to-day nursing practice, and excellent clinical skills, we all also came out well-prepared to think critically in practice. Now, everyone in nursing education talks all day and night about "critical thinking," but what I have seen in recent years is students and new grads who know very little about basic nursing practice or clinical skills, and also have a very hard time thinking in any sort of organized, productive way about the nursing situations in which they are placed.

This is a big part of why hospitals have become increasingly reluctant to hire new grads over the last several years (and that was starting even before the economy tanked). But I won't belabor the point further -- I've made this same rant many times here over the years. :)

To get back on topic, I've found nursing a very satisfying choice for myself over the years, in terms of producing income, career flexibility and opportunities, and in personal satisfaction.

I agree 150%!!:yeah: Very well said!!

It sometimes seems that if there isn't an app for it :rolleyes: there is no critical thinking being accomplished. I have a friend and colleague that is doing her PhD focus about the loss of critical thinking skills in the presence of modern technology and how to bring it back to the curriculums and bedside nursing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Its hard and I get frustrated but my school prepred me. By our 3rd semester we were taking 4 pts on our own and during our practicum I worked 13-14hr days and nights non stop 5min break and 5 pts, all this while I was a student. I was blessed with a school and professors that didnt take the easy way out and tell us everything was going to be OK. Its hard but its everything I expected.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.
It also does not meet my need to be creative. I definitely need creative outlets on the outside.

.

I forgot about that one !!! That's something missing for me as well

Creative thinking is a professional skill and doesn't seem to be required at all in nursing - which is unfortunate as we certainly need more of it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.

That probably doesn't sound like much of an endorsement for a nursing career but I'm just happy I have a job I can do and good benefits. I think we are in the age of "lowered expectations".

'Lowered expectations' is right on :lol2:

Though recession aside - some of that relates to deskilling over the last decade. I should have gone into a real profession - now I feel I've left it too late.

Am really tired of seeing allied health workers overtake us - Pharmacy / OT / PT / SLT now more 'professional' than us.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.
I got chewed out by lactation for telling a mom she had to check with the MD for breastfeeding because she was taking every med under the sun. Lactation told me it was out of the scope of my practice. Ummm, hello....what happened to being an advocate for my patient the baby)??? .

Oh that's awful.

Who do some of these these people think they are?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion