After reading negative thread, want to give up nursing dream!

Nurses General Nursing

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After reading post after post after POST about how so many of you would not recommend nursing to your kids, I'm about to give up. I decided to go back to nursing school after having my two kids, because nursing is something I feel that I was made to do. I have experienced a MAJOR reality check from reading so many threads about nursing being so horrible. I have tried very hard to stay positive and keep moving forward in school to reach my goal. I don't know what to do now. SO much wasted time and money to find out that, chances are, I will end up hating whatever nursing job I get. I never in my life thought that an occupation could bring this much unhappiness for so many people. I am so VERY upset about this. I had thought about going the RT route and then sonography, but chose nursing because I felt that it was in my blood to become a nurse. Maybe sonographers are a little happier-but I'll never get my hopes up again about anything.

:madface:

Specializes in Medical Telemetry, LTC,AlF, Skilled care.

I don't know about you, but everyone could say whatever they wanted to say about nursing and I'd still be working my butt off to get to graduation. If it's your dream you can achieve it.

Nursing isn't all negative. Is it a tough job? Yes. Are there some problems? Yes.

But here you're more likely to see people vent rather than discuss the joys of nurse. And honestly most days are neither great or horrible, just average.

Also, there are facilities that are difficult to work in. When you find one, leave.

Keep in mind too, there are many avenues of nursing other than hospital work. You aren't likely to be stuck in one job or with one facility. Nursing has many, many fields in which to dabble.

The nurses who say they hate nursing often just haven't found the right niche for them, or are unaware of the many opportunites nursing offers.

Specializes in ICU, ER.

I've been an RN for 14 years-med/surg, tele, home health, ICU and now 3 years of ER. There are good and bad hospitals. There are good and bad areas within the same hospital. There are good and bad ways to look at your job. I have what most people feel is a very stressful and demanding job (I agree!) and I love what I do. Part of it is your attitude. I look at what I do as a challenge to do it well and maintain a positive outlook.

If every profession had a place such as this to come to, you would find just as much negativity there. This is a place to share and vent, so that we can go back to work the next day and smile. Yes, there are some here who hate what they do, but that's not the majority. The majority of us don't have anyone to talk to because our families would not understand.

Nursing is what you make of it. If this is truly where your heart lies, go for it.

Specializes in MS, Hospice, LTC.
I don't know about you, but everyone could say whatever they wanted to say about nursing and I'd still be working my butt off to get to graduation. If it's your dream you can achieve it.

That's the right attitude to have. I'm a recent grad and I remember going to clinicals and being discouraged by some of the floor nurses! Countless times my classmates and I were told how awful, thankless, difficult etc. that nursing is. Thank goodness I was part of a great class. We kept each other encouraged and motivated. Keep working hard and keep a positive attitude. When you're in school especially, you have to ignore all that negative stuff other people say. You're already stressed enough.:trout:

Specializes in MS, Hospice, LTC.
I don't know about you, but everyone could say whatever they wanted to say about nursing and I'd still be working my butt off to get to graduation. If it's your dream you can achieve it.

That's the right attitude to have. I'm a recent grad and I remember going to clinicals and being discouraged by some of the floor nurses! Countless times my classmates and I were told how awful, thankless, difficult etc. that nursing is. Thank goodness I was part of a great class. We kept each other encouraged and motivated. Keep working hard and keep a positive attitude. When you're in school especially, you have to ignore all that negative stuff other people say. You're already stressed enough.:trout:

It's not about the venting, trust me. I understand people come to allnurses.com to vent about all of the negative aspects of their jobs. BUT-the thread titled, "Would you recommend nursing to your daughter?," is the one that scared me because it was NOT about venting, but simply about all of the people who hate their jobs enough to not recommend that their loved ones enter the field. 95% of all the posters responded in this manner. Too many people hate it. I've also read posts about how nursing school doesn't prepare you for the real world of nursing, and seasoned nurses telling newbies that the only reason they like their job so far is because they're new. Also, it makes me angry and nervous to know that just because people have been nurses for a long time gives them an excuse to "eat their young." Why do people like this enter the nursing field??? People with bitter attitudes should not be nurses!!! What is wrong with people? Sorry, but I'm very irritated. Oh, and I have shadowed 2 nurses and have already gotten a glimpse of what goes on, and this was at 2 different hospitals. One of the nurses is a friend of mine, and just like so many posters on this website, she loved her job at first and now regrets becoming a nurse. It's too bad, because she's a wonderful, caring, compassionate person who genuinely wants to help people. She's looking into something else now. When people say they think about leaving nursing to go work at Starbuck's or Wal-Mart, there's something very wrong.

Okay, there are a LOT of negative threads on this site, but I bet if you were to go on a site dedicated to plumbers, or auto mechanics, or whatever you'd find the same amount of negativity (as a percentage) posted. I'm not a new nurse, as a matter of fact I'm retiring in August, so I know what I'm talking about. Maybe some of the negativity is because the majority of nurses are female and females tend to talk about their feelings more than us lowly males. Are there problems in nursing? You can bet your bottom dollar on that. But there are problems in any career field especially if you look for them. I've seen most of the problems and I can say that slowly but surely they are being addressed. Wages? Adjusted for inflation they are higher now than when I started as a RN in 1975. Working conditions are also better, but they are not perfect. (Nor will they ever be!) What we need to do is just make sure to take care of ourselves as well as we take care of our patients.

Specializes in Critical Care.
It's not about the venting, trust me. I understand people come to allnurses.com to vent about all of the negative aspects of their jobs. BUT-the thread titled, "Would you recommend nursing to your daughter?," is the one that scared me because it was NOT about venting, but simply about all of the people who hate their jobs enough to not recommend that their loved ones enter the field. 95% of all the posters responded in this manner. Too many people hate it. I've also read posts about how nursing school doesn't prepare you for the real world of nursing, and seasoned nurses telling newbies that the only reason they like their job so far is because they're new. Also, it makes me angry and nervous to know that just because people have been nurses for a long time gives them an excuse to "eat their young." Why do people like this enter the nursing field??? People with bitter attitudes should not be nurses!!! What is wrong with people? Sorry, but I'm very irritated. Oh, and I have shadowed 2 nurses and have already gotten a glimpse of what goes on, and this was at 2 different hospitals. One of the nurses is a friend of mine, and just like so many posters on this website, she loved her job at first and now regrets becoming a nurse. It's too bad, because she's a wonderful, caring, compassionate person who genuinely wants to help people. She's looking into something else now. When people say they think about leaving nursing to go work at Starbuck's or Wal-Mart, there's something very wrong.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I think you SHOULD consider another profession. Nursing is a great job, and I love what I do. However, I'm not 'called' to be here; I'm here because I want to be. I'm here because, at the end of the day, I like my job, warts and all.

If a little venting discourages you, then nursing itself probably WOULD be too much for you. You're right about one thing: if you want a Pollyanna dream of a job, then nursing isn't it.

It's just nearly too cute by far to want nursing to be some 'angel', self-reflective, good deed, never mess up my white pressed uniform sort of job. In reality, the things that are really worth it; the things that really challenges the soul: those things cost the time and effort of your labor. They aren't handed to you. If you want a job where such things are handed to you, then you are correct: nursing is not that job.

Let's be honest, you want a job with a 'caring' image of selfless nursing duty that creates wonderful touchy feely emotions devoid of the warts that make it a profession. That job doesn't exist.

I don't feel like I should have to apologize for that.

~faith,

Timothy.

Specializes in MS, Hospice, LTC.

I'm so proud to be a nurse. No, not everyday is pleasant, but I feel I'm part of something wonderful and exceptional; so much so that not everyone can do it, or even comprehend why someone else would. I know I lack experience that most of the nurses here have, but I'm sure any one them will tell you there's so much you can do in the nursing field. It's just a matter of finding the right niche for yourself.

Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.

think the reason why there are so many negative threads is because this site is one of the few places where people can talk about things that really bother them and vent :yeahthat:

I have been a nurse for 25 years. It is not only what I do it is who I am. Have i had jobs from :devil: that made me crazy and want to quit nursing forever? sure, but then i look around and see that no matter what job you have there are good things and bad and how many people at the end of the day can say they make a positive impact on someones life at least once a day??? I am so blessed to have such a career. Yes, i do get upset and vent . Yes i do work harder than many other professions. This is not a profession for weaklings. But I would not trade it for anything else. Even walmart greeters have bad days. :lol2:

Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.
It's not about the venting, trust me. I understand people come to allnurses.com to vent about all of the negative aspects of their jobs. BUT-the thread titled, "Would you recommend nursing to your daughter?," is the one that scared me because it was NOT about venting, but simply about all of the people who hate their jobs enough to not recommend that their loved ones enter the field. 95% of all the posters responded in this manner. Too many people hate it. I've also read posts about how nursing school doesn't prepare you for the real world of nursing, and seasoned nurses telling newbies that the only reason they like their job so far is because they're new. Also, it makes me angry and nervous to know that just because people have been nurses for a long time gives them an excuse to "eat their young." Why do people like this enter the nursing field??? People with bitter attitudes should not be nurses!!! What is wrong with people? Sorry, but I'm very irritated. Oh, and I have shadowed 2 nurses and have already gotten a glimpse of what goes on, and this was at 2 different hospitals. One of the nurses is a friend of mine, and just like so many posters on this website, she loved her job at first and now regrets becoming a nurse. It's too bad, because she's a wonderful, caring, compassionate person who genuinely wants to help people. She's looking into something else now. When people say they think about leaving nursing to go work at Starbuck's or Wal-Mart, there's something very wrong.

Well, there are 200,000 members on this site. Did 95% of 200,000 people say that they hated nursing?

I have worked in a LOT of hospitals and nursing homes and the thing I noticed is that there are good and bad floors. Just look at how many specialities there are on this board. Pulmonary, pediatrics, geriatrics, neuro, ICU, PICU, cardiac, renal, home health, ob,well baby, NICU, and the list goes on and on. You can work in a doctor's office, a nursing home, hospital, clinic, dialysis, even telephone triage.

If you are unhappy in one area, go to another. If you hate the hospital, go to another. If you hate the floor, find another floor. Happiness couls be as close as changing from the 4th to the 5th floor.

You will find disgruntled people at the post office, Wal-Mart, The Gap, in federal government positions(have you ever been to get your license?)

People like to grumble it seems. I don't for the most part. I'll give you this much advice, I have found the attitudes of PEDS nurses to be a lot sweeter than some other nurses ( no offense to anyone, just my experience).

Don't let a few people drive you out of nursing, do what you want to do.

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