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 L&D; GI; Fam Med; Home H; Case mgmt.
Johnnybravo:

Yes, I kind of roll my eyes too at that one. But at the same time, who is to blame them if they want more money and a better life ? I know CRNAs do seem to have more job satisfaction and autonomy. I just like to talk to my patients....so it wouldnt be the right fit for me. I do know of someone who makes 100 k as well working part time and she is a mom , so it works out great for her. I personally am going back to school for my NP to gain a little more autonomy, even though I wont enjoy the big salary of CRNAs.

This may sound Pollyanna-ish, but I truly think an NP is more of a calling than a CRNA. I'm sure there are some who did feel "called" to pursue CRNA but from where I stand, I think NP is more a true calling. I wish you the best with that! I've considered it myself.

Specializes in Geri-psych Nursing.
Tell me a little bit about the program? What caused them to drop out? Was it the homework you think? Overbearing instructors?

If you're only in nursing because of the money, you suddenly realize that nursing school is a lot of work. There are prerequisites, lots of science and math, and endless details, then clinicals and about 5 hours of studying for every hour in class. Not to mention that former straight A students, who have always been good at taking tests, suddenly find themselves getting B's and C's, because the critical thinking required to pass a med/surg exam is a far cry from the cram and regurgitate method some of us had gotten used to. You have to have a higher motivation than purely money to even want to make it.

That being said, I agree with the above writer who said that, if the job paid $10 an hour, she wouldn't do it; I feel the same. And there's nothing wrong with wanting to be paid a wage that reflects the value of your skill and knowledge. After all, you've worked for it. :nurse:

Well, to be honest, money has a factor into what any occupation a person may choose. I was in the school of business, and decided to take another route after finding out that I wasn't cut out for that line of work....

I remember one of my old friends from high school talked to me to becoming a RN. I thought about it for a minute, but decided to take the route like many other folks that I knew and went for a business. My cousin came over the following summer to visit me and my family, and then he had talked about the advantages of being a nurse, and being that I'm a male, that was also another advantage in it's self. I said to him, maybe I'll consider it. By the time my first semester started, I decided to bail out of the school of business, as I already mentioned, and decided to switch to the school of nursing.

Money was a factor to me, but that surely wasn't the only factor. I'd rather help people than sit behind a desk all day. And if a person is in nursing for only for the nursing, does it really matter if they're good at being a nurse? I know that if I were a patient, I wouldn't care about any of that. All I care is that I have people (doctors, nurses, etc.) that are great at their profession. I haven't started taking my classes in the school of nursing yet, but once I do, I plan to go into it aiming to be the best nurse possible.

Specializes in Psychiatric.

Personally I don't care why someone's going into nursing as long as they're good at it and do what they're supposed to be doing...I mean, I wouldn't be doing it for free and it certainly wasn't my "calling" in life. However, I do enjoy it and it pays the bills.

Personally I don't care why someone's going into nursing as long as they're good at it and do what they're supposed to be doing...I mean, I wouldn't be doing it for free and it certainly wasn't my "calling" in life. However, I do enjoy it and it pays the bills.

That sums it all up brilliantly.

Well, to be honest, money has a factor into what any occupation a person may choose. I was in the school of business, and decided to take another route after finding out that I wasn't cut out for that line of work....

I remember one of my old friends from high school talked to me to becoming a RN. I thought about it for a minute, but decided to take the route like many other folks that I knew and went for a business. My cousin came over the following summer to visit me and my family, and then he had talked about the advantages of being a nurse, and being that I'm a male, that was also another advantage in it's self. I said to him, maybe I'll consider it. By the time my first semester started, I decided to bail out of the school of business, as I already mentioned, and decided to switch to the school of nursing.

Money was a factor to me, but that surely wasn't the only factor. I'd rather help people than sit behind a desk all day. And if a person is in nursing for only for the nursing, does it really matter if they're good at being a nurse? I know that if I were a patient, I wouldn't care about any of that. All I care is that I have people (doctors, nurses, etc.) that are great at their profession. I haven't started taking my classes in the school of nursing yet, but once I do, I plan to go into it aiming to be the best nurse possible.

Let me get this straight.....You think there's an advantage to being a male nurse......in a woman's profession?!!!!That's like saying there's an advantage in being a woman on a construction crew.:lol2::lol2:I think you may want to relook at that. It's the complete opposite.:down:

Let me get this straight.....You think there's an advantage to being a male nurse......in a woman's profession?!!!!That's like saying there's an advantage in being a woman on a construction crew.:lol2::lol2:I think you may want to relook at that. It's the complete opposite.:down:

My 5 year old spent a lot of time in the pediatric OR when he was a baby and they had one male nurse in there. He said they were glad to have him in there because he was stronger than the other women which was handy when trying to calm down the bigger kids who were scared of having surgery. :uhoh3: He was excellent with all the kids in there.

I agree being male is a great advantage. For one, every place I have worked, male nurses get treated much different from female nurses . They seem to get more respect from doctors. I always say I picked a female dominated profession but I should have picked a male dominated profession. One of the worst things of working with women is the bickering, jealosy that goes on all the time. Male nurses, only in my experience, seem to be more about the job and less about the bickering. They are extremely professional.

That's where I was trying to get to. Thank you for using that as an example....

Specializes in L&D; GI; Fam Med; Home H; Case mgmt.

I, too, have witnessed the bullcr*p backbiting and politicking that goes on with women in nursing, but for every small-minded, gossiping, politic-playing female nurse, there are more nurses who see the big picture and do their best to do their jobs well, help others with their jobs, treat co-workers with kindness and rise above the ridiculous rumor-mongering and gossip that some nurses seem bent on. It always makes me wonder what sort of sad, boring, meaningless lives these people must live outside of their nursing job. I have also witnessed male nurses who are right in the thick of the gossip and politics, playing right along and contributing their share of it. I agree, though, that men in general tend less to that sort of behavior than women, but they are nowhere near immune.

Good character and integrity are not limited to those possessing a Y chromosome.

Let me get this straight.....You think there's an advantage to being a male nurse......in a woman's profession?!!!!That's like saying there's an advantage in being a woman on a construction crew.:lol2::lol2:I think you may want to relook at that. It's the complete opposite.:down:

Yes, there are advantages to being an male nurse. At this point I think it is silly to even debate that with someone, kind of like debating whether or not the earth is flat or round.

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