What is the draw to nursing these days

Nurses General Nursing

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I've been isolated in an apparently small corner of the nursing world and it wasn't until I started hanging out here that I've caught up on the current state of nursing*. I've read that it's usually the discontented and disgruntled that post or comment on venting threads but I think there is still a unanimous acknowledgement that nurses are understaffed, overworked, and often under paid. As well as the near universal glutted job market.

Which is then countered by pre nursing students clamoring for acceptance into a program.

It's puzzling to me. Is it denial on the part of those wanting to enter nursing? Or exaggeration on the part of working nurses? The middle is usually where the reality falls but it's hard to ignore that people are intentionally trying jump into what is often described as a pit.

*This actually concerns me as to what I will find when I relocate and try to secure a new position.

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Or it could be the misinformation machine at work- even recently, articles about the "nursing shortage" continue to be posted. Just last month: Armstrong launches new nursing programs in response to Ga. shortage

And from the organization that has no respect for the bedside nurse at all: Funding for Nursing Workforce Development

Students are being sold a product (school), not all of who are being truthful or some may be using outdated information. They emphasize the ability to waltz into the job of their choice right after graduation, benefits that in reality have since disappeared, etc. Nursing is still being sold as a well-paying recession proof job.

Specializes in PACU.

I really think the outrage at the new grad job market is by people who really did not do their research before they entered their program. I see a lot lately mentioning the "nursing shortage" which is usually an indication that they didn't do their due diligence when it came to deciding to go to nursing school in the first place. The writing was one the wall even 4 years ago when these new grads first started school (for BSN). It also does not help that many nursing schools are spoon feeding students this "nursing shortage" that doesn't exist, and that students aren't verifying this information.

As Reagan said... "Trust, but verify."

I am entering nursing knowing what I am getting myself into. I am not doing it for the money and job security because those two things are NEVER guaranteed, even in nursing. Or especially in nursing. I am doing it because it interests me, and aligns most with what I like to study and possibly spend my life working in.

I work in HR, specifically with hiring nurses. I know very well what I am getting in to, and I am prepared for it.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

The draw is clear: nursing is a respectable career that has an image of "helping people" that many either look at with rose-colored glasses, or both practicality and objectivity; it allows one to have the flexibility of working off hours, less days, or more, incentives to work on less desired shifts, as well as combine science, education and soft social skills; these factors alone can attract outliers of personalities and everyone in between-these factors have help with the cyclic demands of nursing, which have gone through surpluses and shortages; and although wages have been stagnant for about 20 years, you still can make a respectable amount of money in people's eyes.

To be clear, there is a shortage-a shortage of highly skilled specialty nurses to be able to step up and hit the ground running; unfortunately there are too many new nurses that don't meet those demands; along with reduction of hospital beds and changes in Medicare and Medicaid which drive the trend of reimbursement, making those who only see nursing from strictly a hospital point of view-which can be very tunnel visioned, but some programs don't provide the opportunity to expose their students to the other areas that nurses work in-and it becomes a disservice or even though there's enough research and shadowing that one should do before deciding to be a part of this business, but there are jobs, just not always in the hospital setting, and those are specialties in their right.

I think there will always be a draw to nursing; what we do with the knowledge we must know to make nursing judgements is a very empowering position to have (even with the corporate-driven theme that has tainted healthcare, I have found a way to still be very empowered in my practice and enjoy this business) and when done right, it can be an enjoyable career; however, one must think outside of the box and remove the image of "what" a nurse is supposed to be and grasp and shape their nursing practice and nursing judgement theoretically; and that is sometimes where the disconnect lies, leading to burnout, and disillusionment; but then again, there will be someone to take their place...it remains to be seen who will go on to thrive, and be game changers for the better of our business, that's what matters for the strength of our profession, to help at the bedside and beyond is the key to success in this business.

I'm wondering how the pre nursing students that visit and post on this board can keep those rose colored glasses.

Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I'm wondering how the pre nursing students that visit and post on this board can keep those rose colored glasses.

I can answer that....especially if they are young. We are nothing but a bunch of nasty burned out old bats eating our young.

That is an excellent question! From a hundred different angles . . .

I wonder if the folks that go into nursing have a more than average 'idealism', about making a difference. That's some powerful motivation to get hooked by. We all want to see ourselves as good persons, maybe even important persons. There's not much to compare to nursing, except becoming a doctor, to cast yourself in such an idealistic role.

The money nurse's make is good but I doubt it is enough of a motivation. Some of what we do there is NO amount of money on Planet Earth worthy of, and other things are priceless and precious, you'd do it for free if given half the chance. Reimbursement for nursing is weird like that.

Some of us are 'born' with an idealistic need to make a difference, be saintly, be the rescuer, caretaker. Nursing is a great way to flesh out that kind of impulse.

There was no public internet when I became a nurse. I had a few books I'd read about nurses, but that was it. No forums or even newspaper articles (available or known to me), it was all in my head, fleshed out by nurses writing a book about their experiences. I went into nursing without the foggiest idea of what a PIT it could be, the infighting or dynamics between healthcare personell. It was an ongoing experience of new things, unfolding quite without me already knowing what MIGHT happen because I read about it on a forum. I didn't know ANY nurses, personally, I was the first in my family to go to college, I was plowing a virgin field.

It's different nowadays, and makes this question very relevant. My younger sister decided to go into nursing a year or so ago. She is two years younger than me, and I'm almost 50. She asked me my opinion of her going into nursing. I was honest and did not encourage her. She's been accepted at my alma mater, and will start in the spring. She has NO excuses LOL! I warned her.

People always think that THEIR experience will magically be different than what they read happening to others. People see themselves as a bit on the 'special' side, perhaps as unique enough that what happens to everyone else WON'T happen to them. They find out soon enough how UNunique they are are :D

Still, that deep need to be of service, to make a difference . . . seems it is powerful enough to make all our warnings and complaints pale in comparison to that driving ideal :) Thank goodness, really.

I really think the outrage at the new grad job market is by people who really did not do their research before they entered their program. I see a lot lately mentioning the "nursing shortage" which is usually an indication that they didn't do their due diligence when it came to deciding to go to nursing school in the first place. The writing was one the wall even 4 years ago when these new grads first started school (for BSN). It also does not help that many nursing schools are spoon feeding students this "nursing shortage" that doesn't exist, and that students aren't verifying this information.

As Reagan said... "Trust, but verify."

I am entering nursing knowing what I am getting myself into. I am not doing it for the money and job security because those two things are NEVER guaranteed, even in nursing. Or especially in nursing. I am doing it because it interests me, and aligns most with what I like to study and possibly spend my life working in.

I work in HR, specifically with hiring nurses. I know very well what I am getting in to, and I am prepared for it.

Bravo!:up:

Not all of us going into nursing are naive and clueless. There are some of us that know exactly what we are getting into, and because it is something we are passionate about, it is also something we will make the best of...through all the stress, understaffing, fighting for the same positions, and occasional bad days.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
I can answer that....especially if they are young. We are nothing but a bunch of nasty burned out old bats eating our young.

Esme is dead-on. The pre-nursing/early nursing school students hear what they want to hear and discard the rest as coming from clueless, disgruntled, baby-eating nurses who can't function in the "real" world of nursing (as defined by the student nurses who are out to save the world).

It took me 3 years to finally get around to applying to nursing school. When I was first considering it, I lived in NYC and was blissfully unaware of the glut that exists there. However I think that once I spent more time in all nurses I would've soon realized this and if I still lived in NY I might have reconsidered, especially because I was going the ADN route. However I have since moved to North East Pennsylvania where there seems to be an actual shortage, at least it seems that way from the plethora of nursing positions available in the hospital systems within an hour of where I live, and at least a quarter to a third of those openly say new grads accepted. Very few specify BSN. So I am confident in my choice as I await my acceptance /denial letter.

That being said, as this is my second career, I don't have rose colored glasses on, and in actually I'm becoming a nurse solely because I want to be a Midwife, and for my family, finances, and circumstances, being a CNM has more benefits than a CPM. I'm going in eyes wide open to the environment that I will face if/when I get employed. I don't have dreams of one to one thorough patient care (at least not until I actually become a midwife)

But I can also see why so many people are drawn. I'm always hearing commercials from private schools talking about how healthcare and nursing are ever growing fields. I've never heard of school counselors accurately describing the truth in regards to nursing school and career, as most are probably as clueless as the students. As for those who follow on AN knowing full well what they face and then want to act surprised /shocked when they get a dose of reality, idk what to say.

I am a new nurse. But not young. I am a second career nurse who left an office job because I was constantly laid off after projects were delivered instead of being transition to other projects. Even though one of the companies core 'values' was standing up for their employee or some bs like that. I would play some type of horrible musical chair game and get hired back because I could deliver projects under budget and quickly. All this to say.

Most people are working understaffed and under appreciated theses days. It's not unique to nursing.

I don't know what my co workers expect from our bosses? Hugs and kisses every day? If you do not like your job. Change!! I did!

I guess I must work in a place with decent ratios and if I don't want the overtime I say no. I have learned boundaries in life. These boundaries apply to demanding patients. I can only do what I can do. And I document what I do. If they want coffee I show them how to make it.

Specializes in CVICU.

Nursing is well above average job to have in so many different ways. Problem with complainers is that they are going to complain no matter how silver the platter is.

For the amount of education required, it is a highly paid profession. But what do I know, I was a high school drop whom was sand-blasting and painting water towers in my younger years.

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