Has Nursing hardened you?

Nurses General Nursing

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Simple question: Has nursing hardened you?

I'm currently a student, and I have noticed that some of the older clinical instructors are very cold, harsh and indecent towards some of the nursing students, myself included. I know some PCAs. One certain PCA, a 31 year old nursing student w/military experience, referred to some of the nurses on her unit as " cold *******" and said she was afraid after many years of working in the field (after graduating and passing the NCLEX, of course), she will end up just like them. Many of the other nursing students have voiced similar experiences, saying that many of the nurses on their unit were just rude or plain cold.

This is NOT to attack nurses, but after I had a dentist appointment, I noticed a stark contrast between the happier, less stressed out RDHs from the overly stressed and very cold nurses that I have come across. This is NOT to say that all nurses are like this, I have met some really nice ones (and a couple of really lovely clinical instructors), but in general, the longer one has been in the field of nursing ,the colder and less compassionate one becomes...from my observation. Statistically, 1 out of every 7 nurses will end up with a drug/substance problem (according to my lecture notes)...could it be d/t the stress of nursing?

So, I was wondering, to all the nurses out there who have been in the field for a long time, how has nursing changed you as an individual? Have you found yourself becoming colder and more detached or more warm and compassionate? Has nursing made you depressed? And finally (and most importantly) do you regret nursing?

I have found that I have lost apart of my confidence and self-esteem, and nursing seems to have an ugly side to it that really is disappointing. Quoting someone I love, "Upon visiting your nursing school, I have never met a more hostile, unwelcoming, cold environment and I can only imagine what you go through when I'm not around." And this person is fifty.

Again, this is NOT an attack, but just an observation and things I've experienced first hand and have been told, and I'm wondering about this!

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

Resurrecting a seven year old, very controversial thread — interesting choice. But I am very glad to have re-read it for the chance to see, once again, friends who are not forgotten. GrnTea, Esme, OCNRN63 were favorite posters of mine. I miss you ladies.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
1 hour ago, Ruby Vee said:

Resurrecting a seven year old, very controversial thread — interesting choice. But I am very glad to have re-read it for the chance to see, once again, friends who are not forgotten. GrnTea, Esme, OCNRN63 were favorite posters of mine. I miss you ladies.

I think about their wise, and humorous, responses often, and like you, I miss them...in fact, I reread this thread, found me under one of my old names and smiled at how different I am now. I saw many on here that I haven't seen any posts in a long time, I wish they' come back if able

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