Why are you REALLY going into nursing? Honest answers please.

tuppence · May 21, 2004

Well, a combination of factors. I mean, I have a family, so any career that won't give me a stable job with benefits and a certain amount of money is right out. But that's not my whole reason. I started to think about going into nursing when I had my son at 32 weeks gestation, 2 1/2 years ago. I was hospitalized for a week and he was hospitalized for almost four weeks. It was that experience that made me see what an important job nurses do, and made me want to help others in the same way. That might sound like a BS answer, but it's not.

Also, my first job out of college involved sitting at a desk all day, and I know I neeeeeeever want to do that again. And, I'm pretty good at science, and at working with people. And I don't get grossed out easily. It all just seems right.

Sheri257 · May 21, 2004

That might sound like a BS answer, but it's not.

Speaking of BS ... :chuckle

How do you feel when all of these nurses say we shouldn't pursue nursing just because we need a job.

I'm being totally honest here: Even when I've hated my previous jobs, I've always put forth my best effort.

If peoples' lives are on the line, I'm not going to blow that off just because things might not be going well on the job.

Just because you need the income, it doesn't mean you're going to be totally irresponsible. I do have a conscience, for crying out loud.

:eek:

EMTtoRN · May 21, 2004

Nursing was my first career choice in life but because I couldnt get to college after high school it was a distant dream. I love EMS BUT there isnt far to go in it and it is crappy pay for the stress you are put through. I worked in a hospital before and just always wanted to be in the position of a nurse, making people's lives just a little better.

lisamc1RN, LPN · May 21, 2004

It's a combination of things. I need to a job that has job security. I also have had several opportunities to be around good nurses and bad nurses. They both had an impact on me and made a difference in my life. Because of nurses (good and bad) I started doing a lot more research and found that I was very interested in certain areas of nursing. It seems like a natural choice to me now.

TopCat1234 · May 21, 2004

i hear you. ditto on that one.

i went into finance to make the big money - thought that was the ticket to success. i went into financial sales - sure great money, but i hated having to make quota all the time. went into sales management, but that was more headaches then it was worth. switched from sales to operations and found out that operations can be outsourced in a heartbeat - on dec 1, they announced that our it group was being terminated and outsourced as of jan 1, 2004. i quit dec 15, as i saw the writing on the wall. and yes, some of the other ops functions have since been terminated and outsourced, all in 5 mos.

and i don't know if it is a calling, but i've been around it all my life. my mother is a nurse, i've always been fascinated with nursing and health care; i'm an outgoing, caring person; the sciences were my favorite courses back in school - i loved a&p in high school and i was even a chemistry minor at one point.

so that's why!

topcat

GracefulRN · May 21, 2004

I know it sounds sappy, butI wanted a job that was not JUST A JOB, something that I could identifiy myself with. I want to be able to say at the end of the day that I touched someone's life and I made it a little better. We all have to have a way to make money, I am just thankful that I found one where I can give as much(if not quite a bit more) than I get. :chuckle

TopCat1234 · May 21, 2004

speaking of bs ... :chuckle
how do you feel when all of these nurses say we shouldn't pursue nursing just because we need a job.

then i shouldn't pursue finance or anything else for that matter. why do you pursue any type of higher education? to get a job, hello!

why do we tell our kids to get good grades and go to college? to get a job, hello!

that just doesn't make any sense to me... :confused:

topcat

Mithrah · May 21, 2004

Nursing was an easy degree for me because I love science.

I want to make above average money so I don't have to stress over finances.

I want to be proud of what I do, meaning I am not scared to tell people my profession (I hated telling people I was a bill collector).

I don't want to work 5 days a week.

I am not much of a people person, but nearly every job I can think of deals with people.

Nursing jobs are found in every city in the USA. I can up and move whenever I want and know there will be a job for me.

If I have kids I'll be astute with my assessment skills and know when to take them to a doctor.

My boyfriend loves to have his own personal nurse!

Sheri257 · May 21, 2004

Nursing was an easy degree for me because I love science.
I want to make above average money so I don't have to stress over finances.
I want to be proud of what I do, meaning I am not scared to tell people my profession (I hated telling people I was a bill collector).
I don't want to work 5 days a week.
I am not much of a people person, but nearly every job I can think of deals with people.
Nursing jobs are found in every city in the USA. I can up and move whenever I want and know there will be a job for me.
If I have kids I'll be astute with my assessment skills and know when to take them to a doctor.
My boyfriend loves to have his own personal nurse!

Well, that's an honest answer. (And the last part was funny too ... :chuckle )

Sheri257 · May 21, 2004

then i shouldn't pursue finance or anything else for that matter. why do you pursue any type of higher education? to get a job, hello!
why do we tell our kids to get good grades and go to college? to get a job, hello!
that just doesn't make any sense to me...
topcat

exactly.

klone, MSN, RN · May 21, 2004

Because I want to help women breastfeed. To me, it most definitely is a "calling." It's what I want to do for the rest of my life.

The money is just icing. I already have a steady, well-paying job. It's just BORING and doesn't let me utilize any of my skills or intelligence.

llg, PhD, RN · May 21, 2004

Then I shouldn't pursue finance or anything else for that matter. Why do you pursue any type of higher education? To get a job, hello!
]

That may be true for you, but it is not true for me. Most of my educational choices have been based on what I wanted to learn rather than what I thought would be most marketable. I had many opportunities to pursue education that would lead to higher paying, more prestigious jobs, but I chose nursing voluntarily -- not because I had no other options. I am not the kind of person who wants to spend my life working in a job "primarily for the money." If I don't believe in what I am doing, I tend to get very grouchy -- to the point where I do not perform. I could believe in nursing -- believe that it is a good use of my talents.

I got my PhD just because I wanted to, not with any specific job in mind. After 5 years in a PhD program, I ended up in a job that only required a Master's -- almost identical to the one I left to go back to school -- and I have never regreted it. I make the same amount of money today as I would had I not gone back to school again for that 3rd nursing degree.

For me, learning and growing as a person is just a way of life. I wouldn't want to live any other way. If I won the lottery, I would probably drop down to part time -- but only to give myself time to take some classes just for fun.

llg