freaking out! now what???

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I've just made the huge mistake of reading some of the posts from the first-year nurses...and i'm feeling so discouraged!! no-one seems to like their job or would reccommend it as a career...i'm supposed to take a&p in the fall and am starting to have doubts. my husband thinks i should study business b/c it would be so versitile. any advise???? help!!!!:uhoh21:

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Don't worry too much about what you read here, especially the venting. People, not just nurses, tend to vent away about the bad stuff, and forget to talk much about the good stuff. There are ups and downs, like any profession, but if you really want to be a nurse, stick with it. Good luck to you. :)

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

Keep in mind that people are much more likely to post their horror stories and problems than things going well or ok. Also, it doesn't matter what your husband wishes for you to study - what matters is what you wish to do. Many careers are versatile, and many are what you make of it, including nursing. Nursing is entirely different than business. I worked in business management and sales for 10 years. It's all about money, challenge, and the bottom line. Anyone can gussy it up all they want - but it's about money, challenge and sales. Nursing is about biological science and helping others. Both are respectible careers.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

You're getting a one sided view. Nursing is a job that we love to hate.

But we still love it. One thing you get shining through here: it's a job that always engenders passion.

So, what do you want out of life? A boring job in an office? Then nursing isn't for you.

You want a job that always challenges and changes you? Then hang in a little longer.

I hate my job. But dang it if I don't just love that. (And actually, I won't even be able to say that I 'hate' my job for awhile. I love this phrase: "Market based salary adjustment." )

~faith,

Timothy.

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Specializes in LTC, med-surg, peds.

You have to understand that there is a lot to nursing and nursing is a serious job. Nurses have to do a job that they have to perform to optimal levels everyday. Not just when they feel like it. People's lives are in the hands of these professionals. With all that said, I could understand why you would feel so overwhelmed. Honestly I think it has to be in your heart to be able to take the challenge. Nurses perform a job that many people can't do. I have been a CNA for 6 years and I know in my heart that nursing is for me which is why I am continuing on to become an RN. Forget what other people say because when it comes down to it, you can't MAKE yourself be a nurse. It has to be in your heart and if it's not there then you will definitely hate your job.

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Specializes in Oncology, OR.
I worked in business management and sales for 10 years. It's all about money, challenge, and the bottom line. Anyone can gussy it up all they want - but it's about money, challenge and sales.

:yeahthat:

I totally agree...I worked first in HR, then in Marketing and Sales for 15 years and I could tell you some horror stories alright. The bottom line is what many people have said here in various posts:

1. Most people post to forums to vent to other people who will understand.

2. ALL fields have their ups and downs, politics, and nasty people to contend with.

If nursing is where your heart is, then don't be discouraged! And if nursing isn't a versatile field, I don't know what is!

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
You're getting a one sided view. Nursing is a job that we love to hate.

But we still love it. One thing you get shining through here: it's a job that always engenders passion.

So, what do you want out of life? A boring job in an office? Then nursing isn't for you.

You want a job that always challenges and changes you? Then hang in a little longer.

I hate my job. But dang it if I don't just love that. (And actually, I won't even be able to say that I 'hate' my job for awhile. I love this phrase: "Market based salary adjustment." )

~faith,

Timothy.

:yeahthat:

There will be many times throughout school and that first year or so that you will be doubtful you made the right decision.

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The horror stories I can tell about my marketing career would make your hair stand on end! I saw people fired because someone did not like them. Saw incompetent people promoted because of the perception they provided. Had a coworker run out of a meeting crying because I got a better assignment than her. Just unbelievable, really. The benefits and $$ kept me there. Also I had alot of good friends at that company. I am sorry that I did not end it sooner, though.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

Oh indeed, the horror stories of business people. I know people with MBAs who have ulcers from stress, chronic headaches, etc. One friend has to take sleeping pills in order to sleep every night due to the stress. At least nurses know they are fundamentally helping patients when they themselves feel sick from stress.:rotfl: People working in business have no such consolation, they just feel sick.

Thing is, working in business is an honorable career. It's just entirely different than nursing.

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

Wonderful replies....I agree....I have a BS in Management Information Systems....after 3 years of sitting in a cube with my PC for company, endless stupid meetings -- some where we actually needed to accomplish something, and some that were perfunctory and all about the redtape -- I knew I needed something WAY different....and never mind the other stuff you've read here...layoffs, subjective treatment (do you know how people contacted me after my stupid boss got promoted to an officer of the co to ask me WHY?!?!), minimal to no raises even though we had one of our best years ever, sitting ina row of people who are allowed to flex and take extra sick time, while my boss doesn't like flexing and sticks rigidly to company policy so we don't get that perk, etc., etc., etc.....plus I hate working M - F, 8 -5 with the rest of the world....and I don't feel like there are many options with my experience to date or any that I interested in that won't invovle the same types of politics....

And at the end of each of these types of days....I wonder -- and to whom did I make a difference today? Yeah, there are business people I work with who enjoy working with me and with whom I get along with extremely well...but I don't feel the same kind of difference I look forward to in health care....

Also, your RN can be translated in to many areas of health care in the future....hospital administration, sales, etc.....I think it'll end up having much more diversified options...

Good luck in whatever decision you make.....

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I've just made the huge mistake of reading some of the posts from the first-year nurses...and i'm feeling so discouraged!! no-one seems to like their job or would reccommend it as a career...i'm supposed to take a&p in the fall and am starting to have doubts. my husband thinks i should study business b/c it would be so versitile. any advise???? help!!!!:uhoh21:

Just about everyone will tell you that the first two years of nursing are the hardest. But, I also think a lot of it depends on where you work. There are employers who will cut short orientation and throw a lot of patients at new grads and ... you just have to avoid those.

The good news is you can pretty much work anywhere you want to. So ... if a job really sucks ... you have other options.

:typing

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

i've been a nurse for 30 years. let me reassure you that if i were constantly treated as badly as some of the things i've seen posted i'd have left nursing long ago. the fact is that i did have a couple of bad experiences, but i dealt with them and most of my career has been absolutely terrific.

keep in mind that people here are anonymous. my many years in the working world has taught me that no matter how positive i am many workers are not. many people see the negative side of things first and i think that is reflected in the forums. you don't see as many positive, happy threads compared to ones where people are offering up complaints. one of the things that knocked my socks off when i got my first supervision job was the negative attitudes of the people i was supervising. that was a pretty constant thing in all the supervision and management jobs i've held as well. don't let all the nay saying get you down. a lot of it is just frustration because people don't have enough knowledge to know how to deal with the situations they find themselves in, are stalled as to what and how to get it, or they are just negative people who are actually happy wallowing in their misery. negativity holds people back from learning and advancing. when someone becomes stalled in one place, their world becomes very bleak.

if you haven't checked these sites out yet, have fun reading the information about nursing on them. there is a tremendous nursing shortage that is expected to continue, particularly as my baby boomer generation starts retiring.

http://www.discovernursing.com/

http://www.nursingsociety.org/career/cmap.html

http://www.lopez1.com/lopez/nurses.views.of.the.nursing.profession/oliver.vicky.alabama.nurses.htm - nurses writing about their views of the nursing profession

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