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

[Bailando]

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.

[Bailando]

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.

Do you really have to remember everything you learned in nursing school for your job? Do you think now that you an RN that you have to be super smart to become one? I struggle in school having to work a lot harder than the average person. I hear horrible things about the program which is a another thing that scares me. How do I know If I am smart enough? I love that with nursing there are a lot of opportunities to work in, but being thrown alone on the job and having all these people rely on you is really frightening. Do you remember all the dosages and have to figure out all that on your own or is it in the computer already? Do you feel stressed all the time? Sorry for the questions, but these are things I cant seem to get a straight answer on. Thanks for your reply and your time.

[Bailando]

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.

I have never heard of that I will look into that thanks!

[Bailando]

Well I have yet to hear about enjoying their job so thanks for telling me. Yeah I don't want to be at this LTC forever just need experience. Thanks for your reply

[Bailando]

Yeah I def. noticed people hated their jobs on day one. I don't want to stay at this place too long as I already feel sick of it. That sounds nice that it's less stressful thanks!!

[Bailando]

I get paid so crappy and I have 20 or so patients. I just constantly hear negative things about nursing the more I work in the setting and it scares me. I am not great at school and I work harder than the average and nursing has always been my dream. Working and being around RN's that hate their job and saying you have to remember everything from school for your job sounds insane to me! Glad to hear you love your job. Thanks for the reply.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

Physics like chemistry involves math so due your math first. Buy a solutions manual off the internet for whatever math book you need. It goes thru the process step by step so you know how to arrive at the right answer instead of wasting lots of time not figuring out the correct answer. Take advantage of books like math made easy or online math tutorials to overcome this weakness. Even some math is involved in becoming an RN. The most important thing is knowing how to arrive at the answer and then doing all the homework so you have it memorized. You can't skip the homework and do well in math or science.

I would advise ultrasound tech, you can specialize, and I believe many community colleges offer the program. Check there first, avoid for profit colleges due to high price and shady tactics. Another problem with for profits is not all of them are regionally accredited so if you get your LPN or RN thru them and want a BSN the classes you did may not be transferable to other reputable colleges. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of the for profits that advertise in the newspaper and on TV. Community college is the cheapest, best value for technical education.

I think ultrasound tech would be better, pay is as good, even better by us than RN's make! Also you only work with one patient at a time so you aren't juggling multiple patients as you would as an RN. Also your job is very specialized and defined so you won't be expected to do everyone else's job where as an RN you are expected to be a CNA, HUC, janitor, etc on top of RN. Also I believe you will have less lifting than as a nurse so overall less strain on your back and body. More chance of regular hours having weekends and holidays off. So I think ultrasound tech is the hidden gem in healthcare jobs.

[Candogal]

My first job was working overnight at a sub-acute/LTC facility. No, you don't remember everything from nursing school, you will need to look things up and ask for help. Nursing school is hard- you have to remember a gazillions things in a short amount of time and you have to find out how to memorize and understand the material. Half of your class will not make it, you will be sleep deprived and resent that your life revolves around school 24/7, no matter how much you try to avoid it, you will find yourself cramming for exams because there are just not enough hours in the day especially when you have kids, a job etc. You say that you have to work harder than other students- that's ok, I was like that too. I could literally spend one hour on a math, physics or a chemistry problem (and sadly to say, sometimes longer than an hour- just on 1 problem- I was stubborn) It was time consuming and frustrating but I never gave up, that's what you need to have- the drive to succeed and not give up!!! I used to be jealous of the people who claimed to have "photographic memories" in my classes but you know what, I ended up getting better grades than them because I found many of them cocky and lazy. It seriously comes down to determination and attitude. Do not be negative, nobody like to be around negative people unless they are negative themselves. I'm leaving you with a story told by Earl Nightingale, it is a little long but it has made an impact on me:

It's a story about a farmer who spots a traveler coming down his gravel road. As the traveler approaches, the traveler inquires, What type of people are in the town up ahead?” Well,” ponders the farmer, What type of people did you used to live around?” The traveler says, They were lying, cheating, good-for-nothings.” The farmer looks at the traveler and says, Well, you'll find the people up ahead are a bunch of lying, cheating, good-for-nothings.”

Days later, another stranger come up his lane. The farmer goes out to meet him where his lane meets the road. The stranger asks, Hello sir. Might fine farm you have here. What kind of people live in the town up ahead?” Well,” ponders the farmer, What type of people did you used to live around?” The stranger says, Well, they are the kindest, most generous and welcoming people I ever did see.” The farmer looks at the kind stranger and says, Well, I reckon you'll find the people up ahead are the kindest, most generous and welcoming people you ever did see.”

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

Ok. First, unless anyone here has also worked as an X-Ray tech or Sonographer, we can't tell you if those jobs are more or less stressful than nursing.

Anyone who tells you that they get thrown to the wolves and "have to remember everything from school" when they start a new RN job is either A) lying, B) exaggerating or C) working for a horrible employer. I had 20 weeks of orientation when I started my first job out of nursing school. I started my career at a large academic hospital, which is preferable for a new nurse. My training was considerably less for my other jobs but that's because I had 5 years of experience when I started them. Nursing school does not teach you to hit the floor running. You need to find an employer who's willing to nurture and support a new grad.

If you can't deal with high stress situations, that's something you MUST learn to do before you become a nurse.

I have never hated my job. I have always enjoyed being a pediatric nurse. I HAVE become disillusioned with employers and when that's happened, I've moved on.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Do you think now that you an RN that you have to be super smart to become one?

No, a person does not need to be extremely smart to become an RN. Many persons with very average intellect are working as RNs. You need to be hard-working and analytical, but not necessarily a genius, to make it through nursing school.

There are harder college majors than nursing. It irritates me when people claim that nursing school is the hardest feat in existence when it really isn't.

[Jules A, MSN]

There are harder college majors than nursing. It irritates me when people claim that nursing school is the hardest feat in existence when it really isn't.

I agree. The work load required I stay on top of things but it wasn't difficult. In fact the politics of nursing school was far more challenging for me to initially manage than any of the material. Graduate school other than advanced patho was stupid easy and I went to a well respected state university.

[windsurfer8, BSN, RN]

Define "rude" comments. You just want comments that are sugar and spice and everything nice? You for SURE should not go to nursing school. Good luck.

[Candogal]

Wow, that's kind of harsh to say he/she should not go to nursing school because he/she does not want "rude comments". Being rude and talking about the realities of nursing are two different things. The fact that the OP works as a CNA at an LTC seeing first hand how tough it can be for nurses and has come on a nursing forum to get other nurses' opinions shows that she is wise enough to do her research before spending any $ or time on an RN education. I wish more people were like OP. I did not get the impression that he/she wanted to hear stories of sunshine and unicorns but rather just honest opinions.