I hate my current job and want to work in a hospital

Nurses Career Support

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my current job is a teacher assistant in preschool. I am currently doing prerequisites for bmcc nursing program.

I hate my job I hate working with kids changing diapers and being exhausted all week. the bad thing that my job pays 16.39 an hour so I need to know what entry hospital job can I get that starts at 16 an hour so i don't lose financially.

also please inform me of any hospitals that do tuition reimbursement!!!

Specializes in Pedi.
I change the diapers of disabled kids

Ok, so children 3-5 years old for presumably 6ish hours/day. If you work as a CNA, you'll be doing that for a dozen patients (maybe more) for 12 hours. And you could have patients who, depending on their medical condition, need to be changed q 1-2 hr.

I change the diapers of disabled kids

Ok. It's still not an adult shooting liquid, GI bleed stool at your head.

People have these assumptions that nurses make sooo much money and they would be willing to put up with whatever for this enormous salary

We really don't make a lot for what we do. And it's extremely exhausting.

I'm going to suggest you shadow a nurse for a day or two.

Specializes in CVICU, MICU, Burn ICU.

I think the OP is not getting a fair shake here. Yes -- you will change diapers as a nurse, but any of us would be loathe to describe our entire profession as "diaper changing professionals". What I hear you saying is, you are burnt out on your current job. Working with kiddos - disabled or not - is exhausting. Lots of professions are exhausting -- nursing doesn't own that. But yeah, we do more than change diapers -- but get ready for unpleasant realities as nursing is truly a mixed bag of hands on care and critical thinking/problem solving.

OP says she wants to know what pays best in the hospital. Frankly, I don't know. I'm guessing CNAs make the most as far as ancillary staff is concerned. But that will involve LOTS of unpleasantries.

So, OP, what exactly about "changing diapers" bothers you? I think what others are asking about is -- is "changing diapers" representative of your unwillingness to do hands on care -- real, nitty, gritty hands on care of very ill people of all ages? If that is the case I, also, would urge you to think about another profession. If you are grossed out or feel that the work of nitty, gritty hands on care is beneath you -- that is a sign nursing is not for you. Which is fine. It's not for everyone.

If on the other hand, you are burnt out at your current job for reasons you did not articulate -- well that is understandable. That happens and happens for lots of reasons.

The best way to find out if hospitals pay for tuition is to get on their websites. If you cannot find the answer there, call their HR department.

Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

I get that you're burnt out at your current job, but here's another thing to consider: you probably get weekends and holidays off. Hospital work will change that. When the rest of the world is having Christmas dinner on Christmas day, maybe you won't mind missing out. Maybe you won't mind missing family gatherings, weddings, etc. But it does get old at some point and just something to keep in mind.

I think the OP is not getting a fair shake here. Yes -- you will change diapers as a nurse, but any of us would be loathe to describe our entire profession as "diaper changing professionals". What I hear you saying is, you are burnt out on your current job. Working with kiddos - disabled or not - is exhausting. Lots of professions are exhausting -- nursing doesn't own that. But yeah, we do more than change diapers -- but get ready for unpleasant realities as nursing is truly a mixed bag of hands on care and critical thinking/problem solving.

OP says she wants to know what pays best in the hospital. Frankly, I don't know. I'm guessing CNAs make the most as far as ancillary staff is concerned. But that will involve LOTS of unpleasantries.

So, OP, what exactly about "changing diapers" bothers you? I think what others are asking about is -- is "changing diapers" representative of your unwillingness to do hands on care -- real, nitty, gritty hands on care of very ill people of all ages? If that is the case I, also, would urge you to think about another profession. If you are grossed out or feel that the work of nitty, gritty hands on care is beneath you -- that is a sign nursing is not for you. Which is fine. It's not for everyone.

If on the other hand, you are burnt out at your current job for reasons you did not articulate -- well that is understandable. That happens and happens for lots of reasons.

The best way to find out if hospitals pay for tuition is to get on their websites. If you cannot find the answer there, call their HR department.

I never said nursing owns being exhausted as a profession. But the OP states she hates her job because she's exhausted all the time and hates changing diapers. But yet wants to be a nurse. The OP further states that somehow making a nurse's salary makes that easier?

I am just going off that absurdity. So yeah, I rolled my eyes a little.

Meow.

Specializes in ICU and Dialysis.

If you want a well paying job, with no diaper changing, that doesn't leave you exhausted, you should do your schooling in a STEM field.

I am in northern New England. Our major medical center here pays secretaries more than LNAs/CNAs

I see you're in NY. You'll have to look what jobs are paying and see about tuitition reimbursement rates too. If it were me I'd find a hospital I'd eventually want to work in as a nurse if possible.

Where I live, when I went from a nursing home nursing assistant job to a hospital nursing assistant job, I went from about $12/hr to about $16 an hour with about half as much work at the hospital. It was magical and very easy to stand out as a good assistant. And that $12/hr was the same rate I'd started at three and a half years before since we were on a wage freeze. The hospital was on a hiring freeze and I'd been trying to get a job there for a very long time.

As mentioned- hospital schedules are 24/7/365. You'll likely be on an every-other-weekend schedule at the hospital and could also be working nights. And remember the equation:

y ∝ x

where y, the size of poop is directly proportional to x, the size of the human.

Cleaning up a wee person is way less taxing than cleaning up a confused giant human person. Just wait until a confused adult puts their hands in it before you understand what I'm saying.

Specializes in ICU.

Nurse's pay deeply depends on the region of the country you work in. Our LPN's here make 15 bucks an hour, and new grad RN's make about 22 per hour, so really, your 16+ per hour is pretty darn good.

Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.

Maybe you can shadow. Nursing is a tough job, especially in a hospital. Make your decisions carefully because nursing school is expensive. Law and business are good choices if you want to make money.

If you want a well paying job, with no diaper changing, that doesn't leave you exhausted, you should do your schooling in a STEM field.

Knowing what I know now, I sortof wish I'd have gone that way.

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