Guys what made you chooose nursing

Mourkoth · Feb 10, 2006

I worked in a machine shop back in the 80's when we were stilll realing from the Jimmy Carter years. I suffered a layoff and took the opportunity to go back to school. I saw in the classifieds there there were many, many nursing jobs and I needed a dependable job pretty bad. I went into an ADN program. It was really, really hard but, was the best career decision ever. After 20 years, I am still working.

2bnurseguy_2005 · Feb 10, 2006

So have you ever had to look for work since you became a nurse? What shifts have you had to work for example has nights been something you had to do

RN34TX · Feb 10, 2006

So have you ever had to look for work since you became a nurse? What shifts have you had to work for example has nights been something you had to do

The only nurses who EVER have to look for work and struggle for employment are the stubborn ones who refuse to leave an area that is saturated with nurses and has few jobs available (i.e. rural Minnesota.)

They always seem to have family reasons for not wanting to leave, but it would seem logical to me to take my kids somewhere I could provide a decent life for them rather than simply being closer to their grandparents.

But we all have different values I guess.

As far as nights goes, generally, you only actually have to do nights if you are a new grad and/or trying to break into a new specialty.

People trying to get into places like NICU or PACU with no experience in some markets may have to start on nights.

shodobe · Feb 10, 2006

Job security and very, very good pay. Been at it for 30 years and can't say I have ever regretted it for one(maybe one) minute.

2bnurseguy_2005 · Feb 10, 2006

Thank you guys for your responses...I am definitely toying with the fact of nursing. I majored in Information Systems and the job marKET is awful which led me to re evaluate my career goals. I dont want to be in a field thats saturated

My aunt told me that you dont have to work nights if you dont want to but she is an LPN though

She works for the state gov't

I work nights now but I hate it

Im glad to see that you guys like nursing

patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 10, 2006

I was a medic in the army and I had all the skills but no degree to back anything up, so I went to college and make 3 times as much at least from what I made in the army. I missed playing army so much though that I joined the Army Guard so I get the best of both worlds

Mourkoth · Feb 13, 2006

I have worked in many (nursing) jobs in the last 20 yrs. Clinic work Endoscopy, Rad clinic, surgery, Neuro-Trauma ICU, ER,to name a few. I'm now in the PACU on night shift. We're at a level I trauma ctr and have surgery 24/7.

Mourkoth · Feb 13, 2006

You said that you hate nights? I love it. Where I work, there's less politics and the back stabbing and grumbling then what you typically see on the day shift. No offense intended to the ladies but, Whenever you get a whole room full of female nurses together, they can be difficult (to put it nicely). As charge, I have an oppurtunity to take part in the interview process and staffing. With the exception of one female nurse, I have an all guy crew. Each shift five guys and one female! We work together and get it done. No wineing, bickering, grumbling and such. Oh yea, we have free parking on nights. Day people pay $10 per day, Its another reason I work nights.

joeld311 · Feb 13, 2006

Most job security! I could never work in business or sames (where you never know exactly how much you'll bring home).

Crocuta, RN · Feb 14, 2006

I majored in Information Systems and the job marKET is awful which led me to re evaluate my career goals.

First, if you have a BSN in IS already, do some google searches on Nursing Infomatics. It looks like it will just continue to grow with the JHACO driven conversion to electronic medical records and data portability issues. If you enjoy IS, it might be a good way to set yourself apart from the pack.

As for reasons to get into nursing, here's mine. I had been self employed for eight years selling computerized manufacturing equipment over a five state region. I *loved* sales, and I was actually really good at it. At our peak, we did over a quarter million in sales a year, but it was a huge amount of travelling and I had a five year old daughter that I wasn't seeing much of. I'll never forget my "moment of clarity". I was in the middle of a three day sales trip, standing in this factory 500 miles from home, with 10 people around me as I was showing off this demonstration model. As I was giving them the pitch, this thought passed through my mind - "None of this matters." As I was selling this machine, I started to realize that nothing I was doing made any real difference in the big scheme of things. The only thing on the line each day of my life was a sales commission. I cancelled the rest of my stops, cut my trip short, and started looking for something better. I chose nursing, and I haven't regretted it yet. Every single day (EVERY day) that I've worked, I've come home and said to myself, "I made a difference to someone today." It's a great feeling.

The Sphynx · Feb 19, 2006

In High School, considering being a male nurse was out of the question

because I found the field boring and their was the stigma of being gay.

I went in the air force and was made a medic. I liked it and was encouraged to go in the field by the male nurses that I worked under.

The stigma was broken as I realized that these were mostly battle medics

from vietnam. (Except for one nurse who went into the field to get out of the hot rubber factory so he could have air condition). They were hard to

work with but they made you learn your stuff. They were way ahead of the

other officers and understood the enlisted mindset.