Are you in Nursing for the Caring or the Cash?? Be Honest

Nurses General Nursing

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hello i am currently in nursing school and the weirdest thing is how future nurses talk about how they are going to be getting paid!! it's as if caring is not involved in their frame of mind, this type of mentality is not going to help the nursing shortage it's only going to aide it because as we know we do not get paid for our actual services, but this younger generation feel since it is a shortage this is the field to go and make some quick money, so i'm curious and please be honest what are you in it for, caring or cash?

Lisa, are you in a LPN-RN bridge program? Maybe that's why your fellow students are talking about the money. Let's face it- a $10/hr pay increase is reason enough to go from LPN to RN.

I don't understand why people knock the young ones who are actually in school, and making very wise career choices. At least they're not hanging around their parents' basements doing nothing, or out committing crimes, etc. How many of us have had other degrees, other careers, and later chose to go to nursing school? At least they're getting it right the first time. I say more power to them, no matter their reason for choosing nursing.

I am 21 years old and I have been an LPN for 2 years. I graduate with my RN in December and plan to go on into another bridge program in January. Yes, I am in nursing for money because I am a single mom but obviously I am in it for caring. I have wanted to be a nurse ever since I was a little kid. I love learning new things (which in nursing is all of the time) and I genuinely love taking care of people. THANK YOU lgflamini!!! I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU backing "younger nurses" like me up. There are not many nurses like you in places I have worked at. ALMOST ALL OF MY FRIENDS are still in college and partying or chillin' at home doing nothing but maybe flippin' burgers. I find it hard to get respect from some nurses because they think I am stupid and incompetent. (Is it maybe because they have a kid my age that is??? hmmm....) I get tired of being called "little girl" and "kiddo" or being asked my age or told "I didn't know they let young people like you be nurses". Yes, someone actually said that! Why do people complain about the nursing shortage and then act harshly to new young nurses? Instead of being judgemental how about respecting us as peers and professionals? You know the average age of a nurse is like 40-something and only like 10% of nurses are under 30! I am one of the few!! Times have changed and everything costs! Yeah we are going to compare how much the pay is- I am not busting my bootie somewhere making a few bucks less than somewhere else where I can make more and bust my bootie just the same! We want money- yeah, but if we didn't care about taking care of people we would go into school for something that really pays like law or business!!

Specializes in Emergency Room.
I am 21 years old and I have been an LPN for 2 years. I graduate with my RN in December and plan to go on into another bridge program in January. Yes, I am in nursing for money because I am a single mom but obviously I am in it for caring. I have wanted to be a nurse ever since I was a little kid. I love learning new things (which in nursing is all of the time) and I genuinely love taking care of people. THANK YOU lgflamini!!! I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU backing "younger nurses" like me up. There are not many nurses like you in places I have worked at. ALMOST ALL OF MY FRIENDS are still in college and partying or chillin' at home doing nothing but maybe flippin' burgers. I find it hard to get respect from some nurses because they think I am stupid and incompetent. (Is it maybe because they have a kid my age that is??? hmmm....) I get tired of being called "little girl" and "kiddo" or being asked my age or told "I didn't know they let young people like you be nurses". Yes, someone actually said that! Why do people complain about the nursing shortage and then act harshly to new young nurses? Instead of being judgemental how about respecting us as peers and professionals? You know the average age of a nurse is like 40-something and only like 10% of nurses are under 30! I am one of the few!! Times have changed and everything costs! Yeah we are going to compare how much the pay is- I am not busting my bootie somewhere making a few bucks less than somewhere else where I can make more and bust my bootie just the same! We want money- yeah, but if we didn't care about taking care of people we would go into school for something that really pays like law or business!!

nurse1982, you should be extremely proud of yourself. it is very rare that people go to nursing school now days straight out of high school. most of the older nurses i work with were young nurses in the 70's at 19 and 20 so i don't understand why they pick on the younger nurses now. don't take it personal. they probably are just not used to seeing someone as young as you AND a single mom so ambitious. you are doing the right thing. i see, nothing but success in your future. and btw, business and law degrees are very competitive and you will be surprised at the salaries people make with these degrees out of college. sometime they have no choice but to live with their parents until a break comes through. considered yourself very blessed to have chosen a profession that you like and one that works for you. :)

Honestly, both. I chose nursing for several reasons, including the $. Personally, I believe that nurses need to be well-compensated for all that they do, for we are valuable. Practically, I could not do this if I had problems paying rent, auto insurance, medical bills, etc...

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

The caring.

And the opportunity to use my brain in a more meaningful way than budgets and spreadsheets, which is what I did before.

Honestly, I'm really working to earn money for my family. It's just so happened that I'm a nurse by profession. Regardless of my job or 'function' in this human world, it is also one of my responsibilities to 'feed' my family. But doing 'nursing' itself is as well a fulfillment task of taking care to people who are in need....

Good day!!! :)

hello i am currently in nursing school and the weirdest thing is how future nurses talk about how they are going to be getting paid!! it's as if caring is not involved in their frame of mind, this type of mentality is not going to help the nursing shortage it's only going to aide it because as we know we do not get paid for our actual services, but this younger generation feel since it is a shortage this is the field to go and make some quick money, so i'm curious and please be honest what are you in it for, caring or cash?

yes, they should be concerned about how much they will paid--and so should you. why should caring and being paid well be contradictory terms? why shouldn't people who work in a profession like nursing, where the work can be hard and dirty, and you are entrusted with the lives of so many, be paid poorly? why should nurses say, "oh, i'm in it for the caring and therefore it doesn't matter what they pay me. caring professions don't have to come with good pay."

why should a baseball player make millions and a nurse make the same as a supermarket checker (yes, very true in some regions). if nursing was extremely well paid, and working conditions tolerable, then there wouldn't be these chronic shortages. there are many "caring" professions, and the people make a lot more money than nurses.

sorry, but i just cannot stand the martyrish attitude about how "we're in it for the caring and not the money." hospitals encourage that attitude, it serves them well. but it surely doesn't help patients or nurses as a profession.

Specializes in LTC and MED-SURG.
Weird how the younger (I call them the me generation) think, isn't it. I am a 47 year old male GPN (graduate practical nurse) waiting to take my NCLEX and I am totally in to the people I am caring for at this time. My residents keep asking me if I am going to leave them when I pass my boards and I keep telling them that I will leave when everyone who is living there that likes me is gone. That makes them all smile. I love taking care of my residents and am frequently getting into trouble with the facility administrater because I tell her when I think something needs to be done to make the residents home better for

them.

So you are working for free or donating your entire salary?

I love people and want to help them and I also want to make enough (or as much money as I can) to help my family and myself. As a aspiring nurse of the "older" generation, I also desire to be a productive citizen by contributing my time, expertise and money to various charitable causes and organizations. It is very hard to accomplish anything in this society without money. Yours or somebody else's.

Anyone working exclusively for money will be unhappy and a failure at anything they do.

Specializes in Psych, Informatics, Biostatistics.

Sorry, I went into nursing because the province offered me a package I couldn't believe. The union had gotten a big bad increase the year before my signing. I am now back in the computer field which I love. I use my nursing skills every minute of the day. The combination is wonderful.

I know nursing made me a better person. More patient, empathetic and humble with more nursing/medical knowledge. Its been good to me( 20 years ).

Hi All

I went into nursing because I liked biology, technology and learning new things.

I found it to be a growing profession with lots of opportunity and flexibility.

I liked the whole 'Nursing is an Art and a Science' thing appealing.

To be honest, I was happiest when my patients were sleeping or in comas :zzzzz and I could check, adjust and calibrate their monitors! Luckily, I worked nights (and I transitioned away from the bedside to more of a technical position!)

We all want to feel that our time is valuable and we all want to be fairly compensated for our work. It's just hard to put a price tag on it...

hello i am currently in nursing school and the weirdest thing is how future nurses talk about how they are going to be getting paid!! it's as if caring is not involved in their frame of mind, this type of mentality is not going to help the nursing shortage it's only going to aide it because as we know we do not get paid for our actual services, but this younger generation feel since it is a shortage this is the field to go and make some quick money, so i'm curious and please be honest what are you in it for, caring or cash?

a full time paycheck after being without for a good while is exciting to anybody. and, there are those who go into nursing for the pay and/or to find a "rich" doctor to marry. they never stick arond long and most of us, though we do appreciate a paycheck are here because we love what we do.

personallyl, i love what i do, but i sure wouldn't do it for free!

Yes, they should be concerned about how much they will paid--and so should you. Why should caring and being paid well be contradictory terms? Why shouldn't people who work in a profession like nursing, where the work can be hard and dirty, and you are entrusted with the lives of so many, be paid poorly? Why should nurses say, "Oh, I'm in it for the caring and therefore it doesn't matter what they pay me. Caring professions don't have to come with good pay."

Why should a baseball player make millions and a nurse make the same as a supermarket checker (yes, very true in some regions). If nursing was extremely well paid, and working conditions tolerable, then there wouldn't be these chronic shortages. There are many "caring" professions, and the people make a lot more money than nurses.

Sorry, but I just cannot stand the martyrish attitude about how "we're in it for the caring and not the money." Hospitals encourage that attitude, it serves them well. But it surely doesn't help patients or nurses as a profession.

AMEN!!

I do think I understand both sides of the argument. I am from NYC and from this board I realize that nurses do get paid well in this area. However, I have seen nurses work 10 million shifts for the money and end up just being miserable to their PATIENTS, coworkers and families. I know how doing a job that you hate can make you a bitter person. I've been there. :stone I think some nurses that warn people to not do the job for the money know the realities of the job and what if can do to a person emotionally and physically in the long run. It does take a good measure of compassion, patience, and integrity to do the job well; especially hospital floor nursing. I don't think if you have some amount of those three things, your PATIENTS will suffer.

On the side of the argument, if I wanted to do something for free, I would be a volunteer (which I have been in a hospital :) ). No, nurses shouldn't just do it for the money; however, they should expect and demand to be compensated well for the level of skill and responsibility they have . No one complains when doctors expect to be compensated well and aren't they supposed to be in their chosen profession because they CARE about people???

I have worked in just about every area of nursing including ICU,CCU,SICU,ER NICU TELE, PICU, home health and finally hospice. I've done lots of agency and had experience with traveling as well. IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY!!! If nurses actually got paid for what we do and not for what we are supposed to do for the goodness of other people the healthcare industry would not be able to afford us. Think about what you do in every day at your job and compare that to a regular 8-5, M-F job. Most people in other fields do much less for the same if not much more than nurses.

Now that isn't to say that nursing isn't flexible and you can go do agency and make fast cash when you are in a bind. But, when you get a little older, those long, hard agency shifts get more difficult. So, you end up finding a place where you can be of service, be fulfilled in your career and get paid for it. I make a living but there is nothing left over and no savings to be had. As for benefits, most of the places I've worked in nursing, the healthcare field in general has sucky benefits. Oh, i've got insurance ok, but the copays are ridiculous, especially when I'm caring for people who get everything for free or that have wonderful benefits from their employer etc.

Generally, I'm happy with what I do and probably wouldn't do anything else but I do get on my soapbox about the disrespect that we are shown and the lack of adequate compensation. Do it for the love of it, not for the cash, you will burn out quickly if you do.

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