Everyone wants to be a nurse...

libran1984, ASN, RN · Aug 18, 2012

I think most people are just wanting the paycheck. It is, perhaps, one of the highest paying entry level associate degrees available. However, many of those people will never become a nurse. Nursing schools know how to weed out the wannabes versus the truly dedicated.

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Aug 18, 2012

Funny but so true....Aloha~

aachavez · Aug 19, 2012

I've been in nursing school since January and I've seen a wide variety. Yes, some that need a job that has some demand, and others that truely care and want to make a difference for people, others that just want the prestige that comes with the title RN, and everything in between. We're getting into the heavy duty learnin' stuff, and its going to get real tough. Those who aren't cut out for it will hopefully be shown the door soon.

iLOVEbees · Aug 19, 2012

I think people are just flocking to a career they've heard is in demand, is stable, and pays well. I don't genuinely believe there's a sudden uptick in people who really want to be a nurse.

Honestly, I don't see this as a problem. Not everyone lives and breathes their job. I don't.

SlaveHeart · Aug 19, 2012

Wait, I thought the nursing shortage was a myth. Is the myth over and the shortage here?

kabooski · Aug 19, 2012

One, the focus is on STEM. The government is pushing people to choose degrees where there is a perceived demand and it is because the stats of students who have defaulted on the student loans are from those that pursued Art, Music, Dance, Psych, Business, History, Humanities etc etc etc ...

Second there continues to be this notion of a massive "Nursing Shortage" almost as if it is becoming an emergency!

The president of the United States addressed this and called on Americans to address this emergency, and Americans are responding to this call in droves.... "We are short 500,000 Nurses" was told Obama.

btw I reject that "caring" is only something that Nurses do. Doctors care, Respiratory therapist care, Physical therapists care, X-ray techs care, Nuclear Medicine Techs care, Cath techs care. We are a team working for the benefit of "our" patients..

kcmylorn · Aug 19, 2012

My understanding of this short piece is that Obama was told by a "Nurse" congrsswoman that there was a nusing shortage "500,000 nurses will be needed in 7 years" The date that was cited was a 2010 budget reference for nursing education. Now if the Nursing community leaders/aka The powers That Be"which i would consider this nurse congress woman in the blue suit, are going to toot this

" Nursing Shortage" myth what chance do we have for the big guns- Pres Obama- to listen to us"in the trenches" being heard when we speak out and state"there is no nursing shortage- we have new grads and older nurses who are unemployed, can't access nursing positions for nursing employement" so where is this big nursing shortage, Madam Congress woman. We are not short nurses- graduated, licensed and ready to work nurses madam congresswoman- we are short nursing jobs . Another big lie. There are nursing jobs out there but we who need these advertized postions can't access them because the healthcare system- the greedy money morons, purse strings, the bean counters, the CEO''s- have no intention of filling them. Why- because it cuts in on their mega million paydays!!! There is no solution to the staffing issues and competent patient care- there is no intention on fixing those issues and there is no intention from the CEO's on fixing the rising cost of health care- the CEO's are the cause of the continued rise in healthcare costs.

Obama only address the immigration of foreign nurses to the US when we have students in this country wanting to get into nursing schools and can't. he labeled the immigration of foriegn nurses to the US as "a bipartisian no brainer"

He also put out there the poor nursing wage situation- stating why would a nurse practioner want to leave a NP position to teach because nursing faculty wages are so bad.

I think that nurse congress woman needs a few letters on the unemployment rate of the members of her so called profession. I'd be happy to show her my unemployment stubs and the copies of all the job aplications I have sent out and the wage offerings for these positions. She needs to receive letters from new grads who have spent thousands in student loans for a "useless" nursing degree/education. That lady needs to do her homework before she stands up and represents "the NURSING community" when she addresses the President. Seems to me all she wanted to do was stand up and let the room fullof people know"I am a nurse" big deal lady- you have a nice cushy job- no poop on your shoes!!!

PennyWise · Aug 19, 2012

At my former position, this came up a lot. It was actually management that prompted the discussion though. The recession was in full swing and rumors of layoffs were on everyones mind. Management kept insisting there would be no lay offs to some people, then would tell others they were inevitable and "We will go by performance when deciding who comes and goes."

Then, as staffing kept getting cut and raises were held, the PG and HCAPS scores came out. They were AWFUL. Then the real threats started: "You people don't understand, there is a line at the door filled with people who want your job. Make this work with the staffing you have or we'll find someone else who can."

Some people actually were let go, but everyone I knew of that was.......deserved it. They did bring in people too. Problem was, very few of them worked out for the long term. Most found out what the conditions were like and quit before orientation was even done. Some stuck around for a month or two, but they eventually moved on also. So, it turned out, while it may have been true that there was a line at the door, that lined turned out to be filled with people who only thought they wanted the job.

I think this is the perfect example of what it is like everywhere. There are many many people out there who think they want to be nurses. Very few still do after being in the field for a few months though.

In the long run, this could end up being a good thing for those of us who stick around. Healthcare facilities/admin. will get tired of paying the high training costs and revert to more of an "employee retention" approach. I already see evidence of this at my facility. Even the job I left about a year ago is different that when I left (for the better), and I thought they were hopeless.

MrsCuoco · Aug 19, 2012

I will never try to hide the fact that one of the main reasons I chose nursing because of its high earning potential, nor aplogize for it. That doesn't mean it's my only reason. I just think people who claim to be in for 100% altruisitic reasons are a little full of it. Like, really? If nursing only paid minimum wage, would you REALLY be doing it? Yeah, NO.

I was 36, suddenly divorced, and having been a stay at home mom for 10 years, was faced with needing a career. I took a CNA course because it was either that or truck driving that my local workforce center would give me grant money for. I realized that being a CNA long term wasn't going to cut it and decided to take it all the way and go to nursing school. It seemed like a career with good growth potential, fairly recession proof, and I liked the idea of doing something with a high level of social responsibility. I didn't wanna be stuck in an office sharpening pencils all day. I feel I am compassionate and caring, patient, thick skinned, and tenacious. I don't feel like I had to have a "calling" to choose nursing. To me it was one made with more practical things in mind, and I don't think that's going to hurt me one bit.

I start classes Monday and am very excited.

Cali_Nurse_209 · Aug 19, 2012

Of course there's people out there who genuinely want to become a nurse to care for others, there are those who are in it for a paycheck, and people who have been laid off and were told to go into nursing because of it being ”recession proof” and a ”shortage.” At my nursing school orientation an instructor asked if every job paid $5.00 an hour and we could pick any job would it be nursing? I thought it was a valid question and it made people think. Pay is a factor but it shouldn't be the SOLE reason for a person to just jump up and say hey I want to be a nurse. If you're just in it for the money and have no desire whatsoever to care for a human being then you're going to become bitter and do a disservice not only to yourself but to your patients. A person doesn't have to have a calling or sleep, eat, and breathe nursing but at least have the desire to want to care for and help people. Everyone has their own reasons for pursuing nursing but I feel that it should be for the right reasons. I became a CNA in 2008 so that I could really see if I wanted to do nursing and it affirmed it for me. I wanted to do more to advance and now I'll be starting the BSN program next week. In my opinion if a person is thinking about becoming a nurse they should at least become a CNA or do something similar so they can see if it's something they want. There's so many people out there just wanting that paycheck and I feel that those ones will not last in the nursing profession that long and that's good thing. I look forward to starting the BSN program and would hope that people who aren't in it for the right reasons are weeded out.

time2go, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 19, 2012

Thank you Nurse2b209 I so agree with you on the CNA thing. I also got my CNA in 08 to "test the waters". I'm getting ready to start my 3d semester of a BSN program and the people in class who have never been CNAs or PCTs are pretty clueless. Some think there are things only the PCTs should do because nurses don't do that. They seem to think having a BSN will protect them from wiping butts or dealing with suction containers. I wouldn't let some of them even come through my door if I were a patient. In short, the thought behind my rant is that some type of "in the trenches" patient care should be a requirement for all nursing programs. Hopefully something will happen to make these folks change their course.