Has anyone grown to love nursing

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That didn't always dream of being a nurse. I'm considering going into nursing, but I have to admit I don't have a "passion" to be a nurse. I've always wanted to go into the healthcare field, but I know a lot of people say it's not worth it if you don't absolutely love being one. I do like helping people, and I definitely need the financial stability as a single parent. I'm just wondering if that's enough.

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Nursing was never a childhood dream of mine. It was never some 'higher calling' for me. I got into the field for the income and flexible hours.

I'm still in nursing seven years later. I'll probably never grow to love it, but I'll remain in the profession as long as the working conditions, pay and hours remain somewhat tolerable.

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Sometimes it can be a love/hate thing. Overall I have sure grown to love it.

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I love certain expects, but with all careers it has its setbacks. I'd make sure to job shadow first for anyone who isn't sure. Life is tough as a nurse. Overworked, underpaid, and the first to get blamed. The patients keep me in it.

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I always wanted to be a nurse and have no regrets. No two days are the same. There is also alot of humor. Never a dull moment.

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Specializes in ICU.

I have been a nurse for several decades now. If I could go back in time, I would choose a different career. Nurses get blamed for everything, have very little autonomy, are over-worked and under-paid. There are lots of other ways to make decent money and help people. I actually like being a nurse, but the crap that goes along with it is terrible. We don't get paid enough for what we have to know and what we have to do. Think about it carefully, and maybe try CNA or something first. Babies and kids are cute, but not when they are sick and the parents are there, and you are trying to place an IV on them.

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I think even the people who knew they loved nursing before going to nursing school, really wont know if they love nursing until they actually do it.

Its hard to KNOW if youre gonna love something before you try it for an extended period of time. I absolutely guarentee there are nurses today who are miserable and hate their jobs who "knew" they loved nursing way before ever going to school to become one.

That said before I went to nursing school, I really wasn't excited about the idea of being a nurse. I mean the fact that nursing was well rounded appealed to me, as well as i guess the job stability. But my the end of nursing school my opinion changed drastically. I really started to enjoy doing what I do (as a student) and became very excited to be a nurse.

I think theres a great chance that if you end up in a good nursing program, you could end up loving it. And if you dont, there are SO many areas in nursing that you could move around in to find something that better appeals to you

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Specializes in critical care.

Don't jump into anything. I was unsure about nursing school at one point. I even dropped out after my first day in an ADN program. But I kept thinking about it, kept reading the forums here, and eventually realized that nursing was everything I wanted in a career. Going to nursing school was the best decision I've ever made (tied with moving home to date the man who would become my husband!)

If there are certain aspects of nursing that you are unsure about, there are other healthcare jobs to consider. Occupational therapy is an excellent career, but requires a master's. If you are looking for less schooling, there is respiratory therapy, x-ray or ultrasound tech. These jobs might not be as stressful as nursing (from my perspective), but then again I find the most stressful aspects of nursing to also be the most rewarding! :)

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I started as a Finance major at my local community college. Had an opportunity to be a student aid for a young lady who was a brain cancer survivor and assisted her during her school day. Came to find out it was so much more rewarding to help her then to sit behind a desk shuffling papers and punching numbers. (Not that there's anything wrong with that) but she helped steer me in the direction of nursing and once I started nursing school and got to work with more and more patients it just made it even more rewarding. The patient's won't always remember your name but they'll remember how you made them feel and I'd rather be known for that then the girl with the desk job.

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Specializes in neuro/ortho med surge 4.
I have said that I wanted to be nurse when I grow up since I was about 5 years old. Here I am after 2 years of acute care experience wishing I went to school for something else! lol ...I hope I grow to love it.. it sure would make like life easier. One thing I do like is that I have other options I just wish it wasn't so hard to break into a new field.

If you are working as a med/surge nurse it is understandable why you hate it. I don't hate being a nurse but I hate trying to squeeze 10 hours of work into 8. That is why most people hate it.

There are other areas to work in though. I am currently trying to get away from the hell that is med/surge.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

I went into nursing for "all the wrong reasons", money and job security. Was sure I would hate it. Ten years later I love it and wish I had been doing it all my life. Love the science, love making people feel better, love knowing all about the human body, love the teamwork, love being friends with doctors from all over. There are a lot of problems, most have been mentioned by above posters, but I have been able to work through them all. Nursing has made me a better person.

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Specializes in neuro/ortho med surge 4.
I have been a nurse for several decades now. If I could go back in time, I would choose a different career. Nurses get blamed for everything, have very little autonomy, are over-worked and under-paid. There are lots of other ways to make decent money and help people. I actually like being a nurse, but the crap that goes along with it is terrible. We don't get paid enough for what we have to know and what we have to do. Think about it carefully, and maybe try CNA or something first. Babies and kids are cute, but not when they are sick and the parents are there, and you are trying to place an IV on them.

Applewhite- I swear I could have written this post myself. I have only been a nurse for 5 years but I feel the same way. I love being a nurse but it is too much responsibility. The crap that goes along with it you could not even tell the original poster about as it covers such a broad area of B.S. The buck stops with us. It doesn't matter if we can not get respiratory, x-ray, MDs, etc., to call us back after multiple calls. We had better find a way to get a hold of them. If labs, xrays or any kind of tests are not performed and there is an order for it the nurse had better find a way to make sure the other departments do their jobs. Even if the patient does not receive a dinner and they are too demented to know it and you have not had a chance to check because you are busy with other more important things than dinner it still falls back on the nurse somehow. The list goes on and on and on. I think med surge nursing is the problem. A nice office job sounds good right about now....

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

I originally went to nursing school because it was the fastest path to getting my certification in lactation consulting. I had no I tension of working as a bedside nurse, just lactation. I discovered while in nursing school that I really enjoyed nursing in its own right, and seven years later, I love my job as a nurse (and haven't done lactation consulting in over three years).

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