Hindsight is 20/20

Can't really think of anything that I wish I knew before becoming an RN.

I just wish I had done it earlier in life. I didn't get my RN until I was 40!

The best thing about nursing? Being able to constantly change and grow. You can always take on new challenges. You can always find new jobs. I love being in demand and being treated well by employers because of it.

I love scrubs!!! I love the fun prints and colors. Where else can full grown adults wear some of the fun prints they have out, like cartoon characters. I love the comfort. It is such a relief not having to stress out over "career wardrobe" heels and hose, yuck!!

I like that when I am done with my shift, I am done. There is nothing to carry over to the next shift. It is complete in itself.

It is always interesting. There is always something amazing happening.

i wish i had known how disrespected the profession is as a whole.

i appreciate the satisfaction in aspiring to deliver my personal best.

my standards have remained high.

and i love wearing white scrub bottoms.

leslie

I wish I knew Apple would win the world over with Ipods, macs, and phones. Could have worked R&D back in the 90's. I would be rolling in the $$$ driving a new Jag instead of considering a used Kia....

• I will second Leslie with the amount of DISRESPECT that nurses face.

• I wish I had remembered the painful aspects of JR HIGH a bit better, some of your fellow nurses delight in 8th grade antics! I DO NOT and WILL NOT participate.

• Not sure if it is a female thing or not (I want to hope not, but...) but the amount of indirect attention seeking (backstabbing, backbitting, belittling) just drives me nuts! I spent YEARS working with mostly men (yep, when you were on their nerves they let you know and that was the END of it) however, some of the sisterhood of nurses just smile, offer to meet for lunch/shopping and then walk away and trash you! (NOW I kinda watch out for the knives)

Remember, it is easy to be critical at times. Careful. We have all done things (and will do things) wrong. We live and learn. Hindsight NEVER gets it wrong.

BEST THINGS:

• Sometimes EVERYTHING goes right - and then all ends WELL (including the patient!)

• Job flexibility, sometimes the $ is okay.

:)

I wish I had known that there were many good careers out there that would have better suited my personality and that I would have enjoyed much more than nursing.

The best thing about nursing is the flexibility and variety of opportunities. You can work a wide variety of specialties, change specialties pretty much whenever you desire, pursue advanced practice, work in or out of the hospital (there is SO MUCH more available to nurses than a med/surg floor in a hospital), work a variety of schedules - depending on what best suits your needs/desires.