Give me your insight...

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I am not a nurse.

I will be starting my program on the 19th. I keep seeing post about how nursing isn't what it used to be or that it isn't rewarding. This actually scares me.

Do you feel like nursing is a rewarding career? Does it seem to get repetitive?

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

The answer to that will vary depending on who you ask.I love my job and my coworkers.I do find it a rewarding.I look forward to going to work every day.

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Specializes in ICU.

Certainly there is repetition, that's how you get good at doing things. Everybody is going to have their own opinion and you need to form your own. You can't control the past, but the future is yours to hold and control. Good luck! :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

Part of nursing school is giving you the chance to try out different aspects of nursing to judge for yourself if you will be able to handle the job.

No matter what job you do there will be frustrating or boring days, the difference is how you handle it and which days you focus on: the good ones or the bad.

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I feel as if nursing is a double-edge sword. It is VERY rewarding but there are many days you will leave work feeling defeated, as if anything you do is wrong. Between the large patient loads and endless tasks, you get the sensation that you do not get to spend near enough time with your patient. Flying by the seat of your pants happens quite often. You deal with nurses who "eat their young", CNAs who look at you and say NO when you need help, and physicians who think they are god's gift to the medical profession.

Yes it is rough, but when a patient's family member gives you a hug at the end of the day and tells you "you were born to do this!", when you make a patient smile or laugh during a stressful time, when you truly do make a difference, it is ALL worth it! :nurse:

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I totally agree with HeatherGurl84. I have been a nurse for a year now and when a patient or family member thanks you and gives you a hug it makes it all worth it ;)

Leesha

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I agree with Heathergurl84 100%!! I absolutely love nursing, it is so rewarding yet there are days (though thankfully at my current job not often) that I feel like I can't possibly do enough and my patients got minimal care that day... But most days I go home knowing I have made a difference in people's lives. It's not the big things either, it's the little things. Like the family member that calls for an update because they know you will be working and then say they will not be in on Monday because its your day off but will be in Tuesday instead to see their loved one, (I work LTC/SNF), or a family member who says "the top dogs are on" when she's sees you working. It's walking in a residents room and getting a smile or hearing how much they miss you... All the drama and short staffing and all that can get to you if you let it, life is too short though. I am a charge nurse who has lots of extra responsibilities at my facility (over the regular staff nurses), so it would be easy to let the stress/drama that comes with everyday nursing bring me down but i dont. i cant, its just not me i guess... I love nursing, I love taking care of people and making th and their families happy. I didn't even want to do LTC but I've fallen in love with my residents & their families and I'm having a hard time leaving to go to med surg which is my dream... Yes many parts of nursing are repetitive, giving meds, inserting iv's, etc. The options for nurses are almost limitless so if you get bored, go to a new floor, specialty or field. I think if you want to become a nurse do it! Don't let other people turn you off from it! I can't imagine doing anything else.

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I have been a nurse for smumblemumble years, probably longer than half of AN has been alive :) I started in college for BSN right out of high school and got a master's about ten years later, beginning after working in critical care for 8 years. I have worked critical care, hospice, case management, transport, taught in nursing school, been staff development and a clinical specialist, and had many other interesting and challenging jobs, am still working (legal nursing, life care planning) and have no plans to retire anytime soon. I learn nifty new stuff every week.

I don't regret a minute of it and would do it again in a heartbeat. There's a really big world out here; find your niche and fill it, and you'll never regret it either.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I agree it is all about finding your niche! Keep in mind people come here to vent. I did not enjoy bedside nursing. I have found in my graduate clinicals though that I'm looking forward to being a FNP. Life is too short to be miserable. Find what you enjoy.

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You definitely get the crabby patients who, if you let them, can ruin your day. For me, (in my old job) I may have had a difficult day to say the least, but all it takes is ONE resident looking at you with a smile and a twinkle in her eye that says "thank you." Those moments are worth every sweat and tear I shed.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

IMO, every job can get repetitive at times. Yes, I find nursing rewarding, I do not regret doing it, and 5 years ago I would have recommended it to my children (and may in fact do so if the dismal outlook for new nurses improves).

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Specializes in ED.
I agree with Heathergurl84 100%!! I absolutely love nursing it is so rewarding yet there are days (though thankfully at my current job not often) that I feel like I can't possibly do enough and my patients got minimal care that day... But most days I go home knowing I have made a difference in people's lives. It's not the big things either, it's the little things. Like the family member that calls for an update because they know you will be working and then say they will not be in on Monday because its your day off but will be in Tuesday instead to see their loved one, (I work LTC/SNF), or a family member who says "the top dogs are on" when she's sees you working. It's walking in a residents room and getting a smile or hearing how much they miss you... All the drama and short staffing and all that can get to you if you let it, life is too short though. I am a charge nurse who has lots of extra responsibilities at my facility (over the regular staff nurses), so it would be easy to let the stress/drama that comes with everyday nursing bring me down but i dont. i cant, its just not me i guess... I love nursing, I love taking care of people and making th and their families happy. I didn't even want to do LTC but I've fallen in love with my residents & their families and I'm having a hard time leaving to go to med surg which is my dream... Yes many parts of nursing are repetitive, giving meds, inserting iv's, etc. The options for nurses are almost limitless so if you get bored, go to a new floor, specialty or field. I think if you want to become a nurse do it! Don't let other people turn you off from it! I can't imagine doing anything else.[/quote']

Agreed with everything in this post! I love ltc and my residents/staff.

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