does every rn out there hate their job? sonography/x-ray tech instead?

Nurses General Nursing

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I don't ask for help, but I need some feedback badly from people. I have always wanted to be an RN my ENTIRE life. I am a newer cna at a LTC facility. I HATE it! I love working with the patients for the most part, but everything else is sooo tiring and frustrating. It is the same thing other people complain about wayyyy understaffed and crappy crappy pay for the work.No one is ever happy and families become too much when they chew my butt for something that is not in my control, like the food. I am always super nice, patient and kind to everyone regardless of how I am treated. I have met many, many RN's and they all say they HATE HATE their job. I haven't found one nurse yet who says they love their job. They also say that nursing school doesn't teach you what is needed in the real world and they forgot basically everything they learned. Do places train you once you're an RN or are you supposed to remember everything from nursing school? I have been so confused and stressed to the max because I am on a waitlist for the RN program and now I am regretting and questioning my path. I want to stay in the medical field for sure. I don't handle stress well and I have anxiety all the time. Yes, I have tried meds and all nothing works. I was looking in to medical diagnostic sonography or x-ray tech. I worry though because with the sonography I read physics is involved and math already isn't my best subject. I FEEL a sonographer would be a great job or x-ray tech, but I need feedback. Are they as stressful and hard as being an RN would be?? I AM SOOOOOOOOO LOST. I have been so upset, crying and stressed because I feel so lost. I don't know who to talk to. I just need feedback from people who know what this is like or anyone who knows or is an rn, sonographer or x-ray tech. PLEASE PLEASE someone help!!!! Please keep rude comments to yourself I already have enough to deal with.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

X-ray technicians (a.k.a. radiographers) earn an average wage of $18.45 per hour per Payscale.com, which is not a great deal of money if the financial aspect of your future career is of any importance to you. In addition, the work is gruelingly physical. You will reposition heavy, dead-weight patients to get them in the correct position for their portable x-rays. You will also need to work around uncooperative patients, drive to and from facilities, and so forth.

Sonography/ultrasound jobs are not very abundant, and yes, you will need to do well in physics. Stay away from the investor-owned schools such as Sanford Brown. While they offer training programs in sonography and ultrasound technician, most employers shy away from hiring these graduates because the training does not qualify them for certification.

Attitude plays a huge role in whether people hate their jobs. In reality, few people love their jobs so much that they wouldn't consider anything else. Anecdotally, I'd say that about 20 percent of people thoroughly love their jobs, another 20 percent hate their jobs, and the remaining 60 percent majority simply tolerate their jobs in perpetual neutrality.

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I am only a graduate and haven't yet started my first job, but I have met plenty of RNs who enjoy their jobs (for ex, my mother, who played a big part in convincing me to go back to school. Seriously, I have never spoken to anyone who loves their job as much as she does). Maybe your workplace just has low morale?

Many of the jobs I have applied for offer a year-long training period, so yes I think you have should have a lot of support when you begin your first job. I have heard people say you learn more in your first month on the job than in all of nursing school, and I believe it. Not that I didn't learn a lot in school, but I think you truly learn when you are thrown in and have to begin to figure things out on your own (not that you shouldn't have lots of support).

I don't know much about being an x-ray tech or sonographer, but I have heard they are less stressful, but I believe they also come with less options, less variety and fewer opportunities for career advancement.

Good luck!

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Honestly the only place I ever hear an RN say they hated their job was on here. Maybe you just work at an awful facility.

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I love my job and I am glad that I chose nursing-so many different opportunities! I think it boils down to teamwork and the attitude of the group as a whole. I used to work with one nurse who always had a bad attitude and complained about the patients and other staff. There will always be people like that, you just have to keep your distance from them. Luckily the place I work at right now has a great staff and we all work as a team. As far as job opportunities, just look at how many sonographers are in a hospital compared to nurses. There are a lot more opportunities for nurses, but even in this economy it's hard to get a nursing job so I can't image how difficult it must be for other staff.

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Specializes in CVICU.

Become an Echo tech…they start out making more than a nurse.

I like my job, and would find another career if I had to work in LTC.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

I agree with PP thinking you may work at a bad facility and many wind up in LTC because they were the only places hiring unfortunately. Every RN has bad days and bad jobs for sure but there are plenty of nurses around who enjoy their jobs (overall).

I enjoyed my hospital RN job until they change a lot, increased our ratios, etc. so I moved to home health. It had it's times when I didn't enjoy it but overall I loved my RN work. My bet is if you got a job at another facility you'd see a different side of things.

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X-ray technicians (a.k.a. radiographers) earn an average wage of $18.45 per hour per Payscale.com, which is not a great deal of money if the financial aspect of your future career is of any importance to you. In addition, the work is gruelingly physical. You will reposition heavy, dead-weight patients to get them in the correct position for their portable x-rays. You will also need to work around uncooperative patients, drive to and from facilities, and so forth.

Sonography/ultrasound jobs are not very abundant, and yes, you will need to do well in physics. Stay away from the investor-owned schools such as Sanford Brown. While they offer training programs in sonography and ultrasound technician, most employers shy away from hiring these graduates because the training does not qualify them for certification.

Attitude plays a huge role in whether people hate their jobs. In reality, few people love their jobs so much that they wouldn't consider anything else. Anecdotally, I'd say that about 20 percent of people thoroughly love their jobs, another 20 percent hate their jobs, and the remaining 60 percent majority simply tolerate their jobs in perpetual neutrality.

Yeah I do want a career that pays well. I am already tired of the dead weight and repositioning as a cna so maybe x-ray isn't something I would want. I never really knew that I have looked up stuff about it. I guess that isn't something that is worth mentioning? I would attend a community college for sonography if I chose that route. I am just about the physics part. Thanks for your reply very much appreciated!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

If might be the setting. Lots of LTC employees hate their jobs. Working in LTC made me want to burn my nursing license. I work Private Duty now. It pays less, and can be very dull, but it's much less stressful.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I can't imagine working as a CNA in a nursing home even for my wages. Perhaps try a different location, maybe a hospital before you make your final decision? Overall I have loved nursing and it has been an excellent career for me.

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I am only a graduate and haven't yet started my first job, but I have met plenty of RNs who enjoy their jobs (for ex, my mother, who played a big part in convincing me to go back to school. Seriously, I have never spoken to anyone who loves their job as much as she does). Maybe your workplace just has low morale?

Many of the jobs I have applied for offer a year-long training period, so yes I think you have should have a lot of support when you begin your first job. I have heard people say you learn more in your first month on the job than in all of nursing school, and I believe it. Not that I didn't learn a lot in school, but I think you truly learn when you are thrown in and have to begin to figure things out on your own (not that you shouldn't have lots of support).

I don't know much about being an x-ray tech or sonographer, but I have heard they are less stressful, but I believe they also come with less options, less variety and fewer opportunities for career advancement.

Good luck!

Idk what it is I just wish people I worked with weren't telling me how much they hate it and to stay away from this career. Wow, that is a good amount of training. The RN I spoke with made it sound like she was thrown in the job and had to remember everything from school. That is what is scaring me because how am I to remember every little thing we went over in school? Do you have to be extremely smart to be a nurse? I am not the best when it comes to school. I have to worked three times harder than an average person. Does that mean I shouldn't try? These are all things Idk about. Did you struggle In nursing school? Is it as bad as people say? Thanks a lot for your reply

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Yeah I read tons of post on this site about people who hate their job which is what scares me and makes me think twice. I do work at a crappy place and every single worker is unhappy including myself. They are wayyy under staffed and it just sucks. Thanks for your reply.

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