This is MY vent for the day. If you are a person who thinks that becoming a nurse is the quick-fix to your personal situation, please realize that being a nurse requires more than intelligence (it CERTAINLY DOES), and ability to get good grades.
You have to care.
And I mean A LOT.
I'm tired of reading threads about people with or without advanced degrees trying to "speed through" so that they can get to the "top" specialties without even THINKING about their impact on the lives of people.
I don't hear the "I want to be a good nurse."
All I hear is "HOW FAST CAN I BE A CRNA??????? or NP????"
I think that there are A FEW (not most - but a few) people out there who just think about nursing as $$$ or a way to climb up a ladder to quick power and respect. These FEW people do tend to not really care about the ideals and love behind nursing. But I also believe that these are the people who do not succeed for one reason or another. Honestly, if you dont have a heart for the patients - it wont matter how smart you are or how great your work ethics might be... Your days revolve around patients - there is no way to cut them out of the middle.
So what exactly does the OP hate? That 'those people" have jobs? That those people want to be nurses but cannot succeed? That companies need those people to provide care? Is this something that needs to be hated? Call me insensitive, but if I wanted to help people, I'd want more people to be interested in healthcare than less. I think that this person simply may need to determine if he/she is really in the right career, because as far as I can tell, there is a high demand for all types and that demand will be met.
From a second career nursing student perspective....
I changed career's to nursing because I want to be an FNP. I want to provide primary care in rural areas (sorry, this is a soap box issue for me....there's such a lack of affordable primary care in some of our rural areas, being a part of a solution is really what I want to do).
Now, what I don't want is to race through school and get my degree and FNP license in record time and then try and provide care by myself in the middle of nowhere. Truly, that idea scares the begezzus out of me!!
So, my plan is to get my BSN (with a minor in chemistry...this added a year on to my pre-reqs...but I needed upper level electives for my BSN anyway and figured that organic and biochem would be far more useful in my graduate pathophys and pharm classes than random humanities electives). Then work for at least three years as an RN before apply to a graduate program.
I'm leaning toward working in the ED if possible---it's one of my choices for my senior preceptorship --I enjoy the pace of that kind of work, & think I could be good at it (and--not to be melodramatic-- so maybe have the opportunity to help to folks on their worst day ever)
I also think it will give me the opportunity to do a gazillion assessments a day, so I can start to develop that sense an experienced nurse has....where they can look at a two patients and tell who's really sick, without even knowing why yet. I also think that if I do end up working as an FNP in the middle-of-nowhere....then some trauma experience might not be a bad idea. It's also one of the few areas where I can see all levels of acuity all age ranges and all demographics.
Since I'm focussed on becoming an FNP....really I'm looking as my time as an RN as a part of my education.....because the goal is to be prepared as I can to help my future patients manage their health.
Anyway, the point of all this is that while I've thought through to find a path that makes sense to me, I've also had several of my nursing prof's (smart & wise RN's who I really trust) counsel me to go into a grad program directly after graduation. So, it's tough on this end as well. It's tough to know the right steps to take to be the best prepared practitioner.
All I hear is "HOW FAST CAN I BE A CRNA??????? or NP????"
You know what else I hear????
ME, ME, ME, ME, ME.
Anyone care about the PATIENT?????????
Thank you.
My vent for the day.
I've met several of these same types, who are gung-ho about heading straight to Director of Nursing. Want to hear a good one? One of these guys told me he didn't plan to do any patient care . . . was planning to go from new grad to nurse manager, then after working as nurse manager for a year or so, become Director of Nursing!!
Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
So what exactly does the OP hate? That 'those people" have jobs? That those people want to be nurses but cannot succeed? That companies need those people to provide care? Is this something that needs to be hated? Call me insensitive, but if I wanted to help people, I'd want more people to be interested in healthcare than less. I think that this person simply may need to determine if he/she is really in the right career, because as far as I can tell, there is a high demand for all types and that demand will be met.
Stop the presses and let's get something straight.
1. I have over 17 years of experience in hardcore nursing that includes trauma and some very, very, very sick people.
2. NOT ONCE did I think I could just go forward (I am prepping for CRNA/NP) that patient care was never a priority. IT IS ALWAYS going to be and I note the difference between those who give a **** and those who just see numbers.
3. NOT ONCE did I even mention the word HATE in my OP.
"but if I wanted to help people, I'd want more people to be interested in healthcare than less"...
What the heck does that mean????? THAT ANY "BODY" is better than No "BODY"--we need good people. This nation already has an overabundance of nurses now who can't even find jobs. Trust me, when you talk to them, they are humbled. Perhaps you need that experience yourself.
If you don't look at this career as a PEOPLE thing you are IN TROUBLE--beyond books and theory.
Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
I've met several of these same types, who are gung-ho about heading straight to Director of Nursing. Want to hear a good one? One of these guys told me he didn't plan to do any patient care . . . was planning to go from new grad to nurse manager, then after working as nurse manager for a year or so, become Director of Nursing!!
I told him, sounds like a great plan! Go for it!
I agree.
Patients won't have to suffer--he can DON in his Ivory Tower and take pics with people taking H1N1 Vaxes.
Personally I don't think anyone should be in management/administration without spending some time down in the trenches. How the heck are you able to make good policies based on theory?
No problem with wanting to get ahead and further yourself. But take your time and get to know nursing at the basic level. :)
Those people are disillusioned. And coming from someone who cares deeply for her patients, isnt it okay for some people who know they arent up for the task to move on to something that is more suitable to their inclinations and personality?
I think those that really care and have passion for nursing are more successful because they apply themselves more and get better outcomes as a result.
People coming into nursing for "the money" or "the power" is just a sad consequence of news broadcasting nursing as the best bang for your buck.
I don't believe there is anything wrong with ambition. I'm very ambitious but I'm realistic enough to know that nursing involves a lot of hard work, you start at the bottom and work your way up, and yes you do have to demonstrate a caring attitude towards patients. Anyone who thinks otherwise has a lot to learn IMHO.
But I disagree that nurses have to care A LOT. Speaking from experience here if you care too much you'll become burned out, you'll take all your worries home with you and it will affect your mental and physical health. I believe it's absolutely necessary for boundaries otherwise you'll end up a crying heap. That said though, there are some patient's who'se diagnoses are so poor etc that you just can't help crying about.
And to be honest I think there should be a bit more ME ME ME in some aspects of nursing. If nurses were more selfish then maybe something will be done about understaffing, the horizontal violence and ridiculous heavy loads if we said no more often...
I knew from the minute I did my surgical clinical in nursing school, I wanted to be a CRNA. I just found it so fascinating and thought "this is where I want to go someday".
Now I am a very smart girl, all A's through school, catch on to things pretty quickly etc. etc.
Approximately 3/4 of my class wanted to become CRNA's. When it came time to job hunt, I accepted a med surg position on a surgical floor while the rest of my class waited for an offer from a level 1 (because only level 1 will do) trauma ICU. They were planning to do "the year" and then head off to grad school. They ridiculed me because I would be "an old lady" with the route I was taking before I would be a CRNA.
No offense to any new grad who started out in ICU, but I had ZERO previous patient care experience. I am as green as they come and knew there was no way I would be effective caring for the most critical patients before I had any experience outside of my clinicals. I absolutely knew I had beginner assessment skills and that for me (and my future patients) a life or death atmosphere was really no place to try to hone my skills.
Of course the floor I am on has a much higher acuity then I was led to initially believe and I do find myself feeling very inadequate during codes etc. I have had a difficult transition from student to practicioner and some days wish I would have just went for the ICU job. (2 patients instead of 7-9).
I am currently looking for a new unit that has a lower acuity because even though I have learned a ton in the few months I have been working I recognize that absolutely NOTHING beats experience. We learn from past experiences. I am starting to pick up that "nurses intuition" and am realizing my intuition is pretty darn good. I am not talking about VS changes, fever, dehisses, bleeding, etc. anyone can spot those, but those subtle changes you cant even really quantify that tell you something is not right. That intuition only comes from what I have previously seen and at the expense of my previous patients. That is how you learn in nursing, and there are days that I feel overwhelmed with the responsibility I have undertaken.
It is a very humbling thing to be standing over someone lying in bed, sick sick sick, and depending on YOU to pick up problems before they escalate and to keep them safe. There is absolutely nothing wrong with ambition, everyone needs goals to strive for, but we owe it to the people who trust us with their lives, to prepare ourselves as much as we can before we jump into "advanced practice".
I do not want to be a good nurse, I want to be an excellent nurse, and one day an excellent CRNA. For myself anyway, that means starting off slowly working with less acute patients and taking small steps in the direction I would like to go.
:lol_hitti
CandyGyrl1985
136 Posts
I think that there are A FEW (not most - but a few) people out there who just think about nursing as $$$ or a way to climb up a ladder to quick power and respect. These FEW people do tend to not really care about the ideals and love behind nursing. But I also believe that these are the people who do not succeed for one reason or another. Honestly, if you dont have a heart for the patients - it wont matter how smart you are or how great your work ethics might be... Your days revolve around patients - there is no way to cut them out of the middle.