Pros and Cons of nursing

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm trying to decide between nursing and another career. Nursing was a recent decision of mine (I'm about a quarter-way through my pre-reqs; was supposed to start A&P next quarter but have all the gen-eds done) - I gave it far less thought then I should have and stuck with it for about five months now. However...a bunch of insecurities I have had about this career surfaced a few days ago and I'm giving it serious thought to switching back to something else. I'm kind of making a list of "pros" and "cons" about the CAREER - not the education, not how tough it will be - the end result. I've never shadowed a nurse (had a few experiences with them in the hospital), and hope to see if I can sometime in the next two weeks.

I've came up with some pros and cons of my own - feel free to correct me about them, or whatever. :heartbeat:

Pros - you get to help people, you do lots of science, you make a difference.

Cons - bad staffing, bad management, arrogant doctors, "nurses eat their own" attitude.

I don't have much beyond that. Can anyone help, or give helpful links? :heartbeat: I have to decide by November 24th.

Specializes in Psychiatry.

Pros: working 3 days a week (I LOVE my 12-hour shifts), making new friends, meeting new people, seeing people at their best, helping them when they are at their worst, hearing "thank you" (but it doesn't happen very often), stimulating environment, change- medicine is always evolving, making a decent (not rich) living, going home and knowing you made a difference with that "one special patient" :redbeathe

Cons: High nurse-patient ratios, high acuity levels, poor economy (hospitals cutting corners in staffing, etc), working 12 hours without a break and having to stay past your scheduled time to chart, abusive patients AND family members, administrative/management nonsense, and working nights, holidays, and weekends. :crying2:

I

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Know this: most nursing students hate nursing school. It's a whole different story come graduation day. I am SO glad that I didn't let this nursing board stop me from going to nursing school! :wink2: I only say this, because I SEARCHED out the bad stuff. I WANTED to find a reason to quit and find something else. But I was missing all the wonderful and even heartbreaking stories of why everyone became nurses. I haven't met one person after a lifetime of nursing who regrets going into the profession. Always keep your patients in mind.....screw those who make work difficult. They are not the reason you'll become a nurse. The good days will outnumber the bad!

Register for A&P! We're all here to help you out. One day at a time! :)

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Specializes in LTC.
PLEASE!!!!!!!!! IGNORE THIS ABOVE COMMENT.

McKnis, the is a nursing forum. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, even though it may not reflect yours. Telling someone (and everyone) to ignore another member's post (however you may disagree), goes against the spirit of this forum.

:twocents:

Regards,

Michael

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Specializes in Solid organ transplant, medsurge, tele.

Have you worked as a tech? I too had second thoughts as I was finishing my pre-reqs. So I worked as a care tech while completing them. I got a grasp of what the profession is like and it helped me decide, yes, I want to be a nurse. At graduation an instructor told the class that, "nursing is not a job, it is a ministry." I believe that to be true, and love my profession. It is not one for everyone, but anyone interested can certainly find their place. There are multiple areas of practice. I work med/surge, on a very fast paced and high acuity floor. You are constantly moving and have to use critical thinking a lot. I'm new, and learning everyday, and love it. Your possibilities are wide, bedside nursing, OR, emergency, clinic, too many to name, you can even work behind a desk. You have to think about the type of person you are. If it is what you want to do, that decision is only the beginning of a long journey. I never wanted to work in med surge, but ended up precepting on a med surge floor because I had been told, I would learn a lot in preparation for boards (I did, and surprisingly I really liked med surge). Anyway, do not rush yourself, and best of luck.

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Have you worked as a tech? I too had second thoughts as I was finishing my pre-reqs. So I worked as a care tech while completing them. I got a grasp of what the profession is like and it helped me decide, yes, I want to be a nurse. At graduation an instructor told the class that, "nursing is not a job, it is a ministry." I believe that to be true, and love my profession. It is not one for everyone, but anyone interested can certainly find their place. There are multiple areas of practice. I work med/surge, on a very fast paced and high acuity floor. You are constantly moving and have to use critical thinking a lot. I'm new, and learning everyday, and love it. Your possibilities are wide, bedside nursing, OR, emergency, clinic, too many to name, you can even work behind a desk. You have to think about the type of person you are. If it is what you want to do, that decision is only the beginning of a long journey. I never wanted to work in med surge, but ended up precepting on a med surge floor because I had been told, I would learn a lot in preparation for boards (I did, and surprisingly I really liked med surge). Anyway, do not rush yourself, and best of luck.

I'm on Financial aid, so if I work as a tech, there's a chance I'll lose it. I'm hoping to shadow a few nurses in the coming weeks...haven't heard back from the hospital, so we'll see if that comes through.

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
I'm on Financial aid, so if I work as a tech, there's a chance I'll lose it..

What is wrong with working your way through nursing school?????

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...it's easier to go to school free and not have to work, I guess?

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Specializes in Psychiatry.
...it's easier to go to school free and not have to work, I guess?

Free?? Who do you think pays for it?

Sorry... just my :twocents:

best to you,

Diane

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First off I am not a nurse YET either. I am still finishing my prereqs and hope to start the nursing program in the Fall of 2010. I have no experience as an RN but have worked in the business world for almost 20 years (nursing will be a second career for me) and there are just as many cons in any working environment.

I read post on here all of the time and I get scared to death sometimes - but never because I am afraid of being a nurse and the hard work that it takes. I am scared because I don't know what else I would do if I didn't make it through nursing school. There is NOTHING I mean absolutely nothing else I could see myself doing. I dream for the day that I am in the hospital doing what I know I was put here to do.

I have thought about being a nurse my entire life. When I was 19 or 20 I worked as a nurse assistant in the hospital mostly in the recovery room and I absolutely loved it. At that time I thought about going to nursing school but had been told by some senior nurses that they wouldn't go into nursing with the way things are, this was in 1989 or 1990. I took their advice and went to a technical school and received a secretarial certificate. I was lucky to land a job in a good field and worked my way up and still continue to work in the field today.

Several years ago my boyfriend was severly burned and as a result of that was in the Burn Unit for 10 weeks eventually passing away. I was at the hospital every day and I will never forget the nurses that took care of him and I knew then that is what "I" wanted to do. I have always looked up and had so much respect for nurses I cannot really express it.

I worked briely as PCA recently and I LOVED it but I just couldn't make it financially so had to return to my previous field of work but I will NOT give up. I am a 39 year old divorced mother of 2 and I work full time so it was hard to take that first step in returning to school but I did. I started college with 3 transfer credits in May 2008 and at the end of this semester I will have 50.

I am sorry for my soap box, and this probably doesn't make sense but I just want the nurses out there to know how very special you are, I envy you and I want to be just like you. I don't think nursing is for everyone, but is IS for me!!!!!!

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First off I am not a nurse YET either. I am still finishing my prereqs and hope to start the nursing program in the Fall of 2010. I have no experience as an RN but have worked in the business world for almost 20 years (nursing will be a second career for me) and there are just as many cons in any working environment.

I read post on here all of the time and I get scared to death sometimes - but never because I am afraid of being a nurse and the hard work that it takes. I am scared because I don't know what else I would do if I didn't make it through nursing school. There is NOTHING I mean absolutely nothing else I could see myself doing. I dream for the day that I am in the hospital doing what I know I was put here to do.

I have thought about being a nurse my entire life. When I was 19 or 20 I worked as a nurse assistant in the hospital mostly in the recovery room and I absolutely loved it. At that time I thought about going to nursing school but had been told by some senior nurses that they wouldn't go into nursing with the way things are, this was in 1989 or 1990. I took their advice and went to a technical school and received a secretarial certificate. I was lucky to land a job in a good field and worked my way up and still continue to work in the field today.

Several years ago my boyfriend was severly burned and as a result of that was in the Burn Unit for 10 weeks eventually passing away. I was at the hospital every day and I will never forget the nurses that took care of him and I knew then that is what "I" wanted to do. I have always looked up and had so much respect for nurses I cannot really express it.

I worked briely as PCA recently and I LOVED it but I just couldn't make it financially so had to return to my previous field of work but I will NOT give up. I am a 39 year old divorced mother of 2 and I work full time so it was hard to take that first step in returning to school but I did. I started college with 3 transfer credits in May 2008 and at the end of this semester I will have 50.

I am sorry for my soap box, and this probably doesn't make sense but I just want the nurses out there to know how very special you are, I envy you and I want to be just like you. I don't think nursing is for everyone, but is IS for me!!!!!!

Good for you!! I'm a mommy too (9 mo. old) and nursing will also be my 2nd career. I have 3 more semesters of pre-reqs (part-time each), then I am hoping to start the summer of 2011 and graduate 2012. I'm even excited to be doing my pre-reqs, I am a total nerd!! :-) But I just LOVE science/Biology/body/ medicine, etc... I find it so interesting. Also, in previous jobs i've had, with my current field of work, I have learned that a "desk job" is not for me. I just can't do it. I am at my best when I am on my feet, using my brain. Throw a little urgency in the mix and I am really on top of it. I can't wait to be a nurse! :-) :D

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Free?? Who do you think pays for it?

Sorry... just my :twocents:

best to you,

Diane

Government does. :heartbeat I go to school solely on financial aid.

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Must be nice!

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