I hate to say this, but I think it's true.....

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I think alot of people are going into nursing these days because of the economy and the stories drilled in peoples heads about how nurses make alot of money for only a 2 yr degree. I can tell this by listening to students in my pre-req classes. Some whom I talk to don't have the slightest clue about nursing but they can spout off how much money they think they'll make when they first start out. I'm sure some of you on here will agree with me. I was talking to this one student and he told me, "Yeah, I'm going into nursing. I was a mechanical engineer and was laid off. I can't find work in that right now. Nursing is only two years. I made good money on my last job."

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
you can start out by changing the 3 twelves to 14 hr days because that's what it ends up being. as far as leaving your job and not bringing it home, that's not always true. the one's who believe that have obviously never worked all night just to have the day shift call your house to ask you a question they could have easily figured out on their own. it's really great when they call just as you are about to drift off and some even do it just to catch you in a mistake and put you on the spot-talk about "catty and back stabbing." i will also point out that a lot of people fool them selves into thinking, "i'd love to work just 3 twelves!!!!!":yeah::yeah: have i got a surprise for you!!!!! if you came from a job with lunch breaks and being able to pace yourself, you can forget about that now. i'm not trying to scare you, just wish someone would have prepared me better, then i would have chosen a better career.

three 12 hour shifts plus whatever your commute time is -- makes my days about 14 hours. but i don't have to commute five days a week. at least, not most weeks. and i can leave my job without bringing it home -- i just turn off the ringer on the bedroom phone and put my iphone in airplane mode. day shift (or night shift as the case may be) can't call me, and they're used to me never answering my phone so they pretty much don't bother anymore. as far as "catty and backstabbing" i know it exists, but not to a great extent and i've had no problems with that in decades.

as far as lunch breaks -- i rarely miss one. there isn't much that cannot wait a half hour while you eat your lunch. cpr i wouldn't postpone, but anything else is negotiable. if the resident wants to put in a line, we negotiate a time so we both get lunch, and if the patient wants more ice water or whatever it can wait. really.

it's all in your power to achieve. depends on where you work and how good you are at teamwork.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
three 12 hour shifts plus whatever your commute time is -- makes my days about 14 hours. but i don't have to commute five days a week. at least, not most weeks. and i can leave my job without bringing it home -- i just turn off the ringer on the bedroom phone and put my iphone in airplane mode. day shift (or night shift as the case may be) can't call me, and they're used to me never answering my phone so they pretty much don't bother anymore. as far as "catty and backstabbing" i know it exists, but not to a great extent and i've had no problems with that in decades.

in my place of employment, you are not a 'team player'. rather, you are quite unreliable if we can't call you @ home to ask questions despite your sleep. do you not know anything patient related comes first? if my boss was calling you and you had a consistent history of not being able to be easily reached, well..............:clown:

as far as lunch breaks -- i rarely miss one. there isn't much that cannot wait a half hour while you eat your lunch. cpr i wouldn't postpone, but anything else is negotiable. if the resident wants to put in a line, we negotiate a time so we both get lunch, and if the patient wants more ice water or whatever it can wait. really.

what a blessing, really. the places i have worked you don't have that 'luxury'. if a patient complains about their ice water not getting refilled pretty much stat because you are (gasp) at lunch, you are no longer a compassionate nurse. you are meeting your needs (god forbid) than that of the patient, and well, we all know that is not nice-nurse-like behavior. all it takes is that one moment in time. bad moments tend to be remindend and all the good ones forgotten. ;)

also, if you get that precious lunch break and one of your co worker(s) didn't, they will make sure the boss knows about how un-teamwork friendly you are. plus, he/she will label you as an uncaring nurse as opposed to their heartless-florence selves.

if the resident/physician wants to put a line or two stat, you better start setting up for him now (he doesn't care if you have eaten or not) because guess what? he probably did so himself/herself or is planning on going after this procedure.

trust me, not all places of work are peaches and cream. :lol2:

it's all in your power to achieve. depends on where you work and how good you are at teamwork.

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Yes, I'm in tx. Good guess!

Wow, some people really hate their job. Don't martyr yourself. Demand better!

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You must have worked in all the hospitals I have been in because I couldn't have said it better myself. Yea, if you failed to answer your phone consistently around here, they'd have your walking papers waiting on you when you came back to work, seriously!!!!!!!!!! It's unfortunate but true. As far as water for a patient or ice, we have such **** poor CNA's around here, a nurse ends up doing 90% CNA work and 10% nursing-It's so bad, you literally can't do your job because you're bogged down with so much CNA work-the one's I've worked around were useless(No offense to the good one's:eek:)-It doesn't give to time to breathe much less eat lunch. If a doctor wants something, they wanted it yesterday and will not wait-If you have a problem with that, they will write you up and management will back them up every step of the way!!!!!I used to work with a young doc who would carry a write up sheet in his pocket just in case he needed it and he would use about one/wk.-I'm not exaggerating!!!Hospitals in Ga. are big money hungry businesses and the only people who mean squat to them are the MD's who "Bring the patients to them." As far as salaries, Ga doesn't pay any difference between a ADN and a BSN(Why did I spend three extra yrs in school?!!!!) and they pay no extra for specialities or certifications. The hospitals just want to be able to advertise they have all BSN nurses with 100 certifications so they can rake in more patients and money-just a marketing scheme!!!!:mad::mad:The CEO puts it right in his pocket!!!:yeah::yeah:I have only worked in one hospital in my 16 yr career that I thought was a great hospital with respectful nurses and more respectful doctors and people seemed to be happy-An Med in S.C. They actually paid an extra $4/hr. and extra for each certification, you got lunch breaks, and the CNA's were actually helpful and I respected them. I don't get it:confused::confused:. I'd still be in nursing, probably if I'd started in that hospital and my attitude would be a lot different.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
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your place of work sounds miserable. i'm glad i don't work there.

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Specializes in Med Surg.
Heathers21

First, you need to understand that these days an associates degree doesn't cut it.

Most health care providers are requiring BSN.

According to figures from the US Census Bureau, there are nearly 7600 hospitals (over 400 in TX alone) and over 17000 "nursing homes" in the US. Are you speaking for all of them? I know that in many of the smaller county facilities in our corner of the world they make no distinction between a BSN and ADN except when it comes to management positions. And even then a really good ADN will get the nod over an "average" BSN. At the closest "big" hospital (500+ beds) they hire as many JUCO grads as they do from universities.

There are many new graduates unemployed at the moment. Many hospitals are refusing to train new grads; so many new grads have been out of school with their license for as long as 1 year. Jobs for new grads are not as available as it was two years ago so many new grads are accepting temporary or per diem assignments to get some experience; so a 3 day 12hr workday may not be an option. Lately new grads have been taking whatever comes along to get that experience and then transfer later on.:rolleyes:

I think the employment situation is largely regional. I haven't met many recent graduates in this area lately who haven't found a job IF THEY REALLY WANTED ONE. I know that in many parts of the country that this isn't the case but this IS a very large country so is it really a good idea to presume to speak for everywhere and everybody?

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I'm sorry- what money?

I hear this kind of thing all the time and I always wonder what someone did before nursing that they're deciding to go into nursing for money.

I have a degree in English lit, and worked as an administrative assistant. If I'd gone in to teaching, I'd have made only slightly more than I did as an admin and less than a starting level nurse in my city, and if I'd gone in to academia I'd have made much less than I did as an admin.Same if, instead of nursing, I'd decided to help people by going in to some advocacy or human service field. My mom teaches private school and has 30 years of experience and there's a great chance I'll be in spitting distance of her salary when I start working.

In my area, the nursing salary is above the median *household* income, so that's a ton of people who would look at a nursing salary as being better money than they're currently making.

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Yeah, some people are getting into it just because they lost their jobs, but like someone said, they won't last in the field if they are only truly in it for just the money.

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Specializes in psych, general, emerg, mash.

I love nursing, being a guy, I was seen as being able to talk without emotion about a patient! Even with family, I draw up a barrier to I will not get hurt emotionally. I am a fighter when it comes to what is best for a patient, I am not a high paid servant or babysitter for the doctors. Since I am with the patient more than the dr, I offer more indepth opinion based on what I see with the patient.

Some dr have a I AM GOD complex! But I approach my head nurse discuss with her/him before I nail the dr. A certain amount of politics or common sense goes a long way.

thats my story and I am sticking to it..NOW about that beer!

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Belgarion,

My bad! The states that may hold mostly true re: the BSN preference are the states with competitive

salaries. The state that you are from and other states like yours may very well have jobs for new grads with

RN and BSN positions because there are not a lot of nurses competing for a $24/hr job no matter how

passionate they are about nursing.

I am passionate about nursing but I think it is a crime to pay a nurse less than $25/hr in any American state.:crying2:

Nursing is a very challenging and important occupation. Sick people depend on me. Heck, everyone depends

on me to be an exceptional and safe nurse. I deserve to be paid a descent salary because I am entitled and I

have earned it.:yeah:

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I don't think a lot of people are seeing the big picture here with the nursing salary. For starters, $30/hr. is pretty much the top salary in nursing after about 10+ yrs experience and that's good money but it takes 10 yrs to get there-You don't start out there(I'm talking Ga.)It's not even about the actual number, it's about what you have to do to make that number-your job description never ends. In actuality, you should be getting paid the nurses salary, the CNA's, dietary's, OT, PT, secretary, the Doctor's salary, housekeeping, etc, etc. You know why you should get all these salaries? Because you're doing everyone's job-Their really quick to tell you where their job description ends which means you have to do it. You know what happens if you don't do it? The patient suffers!!!:down: If you're in charge, you can double that work load on top of the 6 patients you already have.

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Specializes in psych, general, emerg, mash.

we know all that..but tell the people that run the hospital! Lets not get emotional...this is a $ and cents game.

your feelings are the least of their worries. They have a business to run!

As george carlin once said during the hippy dippie weatherman...if you dont like the weather, leave!

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