If you could do it all over again.....

weetziebat · Apr 29, 2006

i was an l.p.n. for a dozen years before going back to school for my r.n., and i've been at this now for 20 years.

being a nurse has given me a world of opportunities that i may never have had in another field of work. i've lived overseas, traveled all over the world, shopped till i dropped, had enough cash to buy a car for cash, put a lovely down payment on a house, buy all new furniture for cash etc.

but, having said that, would i become a nurse if i had it to do all over again?

no way!

the state of nursing today is ridiculous. it is scary for the nurse, even scarier for the patients. we are treated like dog poop, despite the supposed shortage. actually i don't think there is a shortage of nurses so much as a severe shortage of nursing jobs that anyone would want.

all the negatives have been talked about forever. unfortunately, i think the major reason we aren't treated like royalty is because we simply can't manage to stick together and fight for what is right.

not sure what profession i would choose if i had it to do all over again, but it would not be one in which everywhere i turned at work i was viewed as a servant. doctors, patients, families, other staff, friends of patients, you name it. i'm there to serve them all. keep 'em happy. god forbid they say anything bad on the little survey card they get handed out. uh oh, guess whose fault it is? yes, indeed - the nurses fault. whatever the problem.

o.k. now that i've given my deep down, heartfelt opinion, all i can say is i hope the day comes soon when hospital administration wakes up and realizes that recruiting more folks into nursing, who will then burn out trying to put up with all the stress, is not the answer.

snowfreeze, BSN, RN · Apr 29, 2006

I would be a veterinarian instead. I am treated poorly as a nurse, patients think I am some type of slave. Family members are sure I am stupid, they looked at something on the internet and my 4 years of schooling are forgotten.

I have travelled as a nurse, really felt good about some unique saves. But if I had the chance I would not do it again.

nursedawn67, LPN · Apr 29, 2006

I wouldn't say I that I wouldn't still have become a nurse, but one I would have continued on for my RN. More opportunities for RN's. But I think I would have done more with computers too and some how incorporated that into nursing. That would be like my ideal job. :)

tryingtomakeit, RN · Apr 29, 2006

Amen. You have put my thoughts into words Weetziebat.

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Apr 29, 2006

Definitely still would. There are things that could be better, but there are jobs out there, at least where I live, in which nurses don't have to feel like second-class citizens.

Although I got into nursing with relatively little educational investment (a two-year degree), there is a great deal of opportunity for advancement, especially with more education. Often, employers will foot the bill for nurses who are pursuing higher degrees. So if you aren't happy, there are generally lots of options to make a change.

It's a service-oriented profession and a tough job. No doubt about that. But if you're looking for a position that has the ability to impact people's lives on a very direct level, I still think that nursing is it.

Gompers, BSN, RN · Apr 29, 2006

I would do it all over again, no problem.

Of course, nursing school and the boards wasn't that bad for me. Yes, there were tears here and there, but it was relatively pain-free. I applied to a 4-year universary as a high school senior, got accepted to their school of nursing, and finished my Bachelor's degree on time. Took the boards after only doing CD-rom questions for practice and passed the first time. I think I got really lucky. I loved college!!!

Now that I've been working as an RN (almost 8 years now) I still am very happy with my decision. Some days when I'm at work I am still in awe of the fact that they actually PAY me to do this. I love caring for my sick babies! And you know, I only work 3 days a week and it's full-time. I regularly get 8-day breaks off of work without using a speck of vacation time. Nursing is so flexible, it's ridiculous.

People are always going to complain about nursing. But you know what? People complain about ALL jobs. "Office Space" anyone?!?! There is always going to be something to whine about whatever you do with your career.

I could sit around and complain about hospital politics, unfair allocation of financial resources, scheduling drama, staffing issues, etc. But I'm not going to. Because it happens everywhere.

All I know is that the patients on my unit get very good care, and I'm proud of that. Not to sound too sappy, but to me, it's both an honor and a priviledge to be entrusted with the care of my tiny patients. I can't imagine wanting to do anything else with my life. I hope I never have to make that decision.

TazziRN, RN · Apr 29, 2006

Yes!! Never wanted to do anything else, from the time I was knee high.

fergus51 · Apr 29, 2006

I would do it all over again. I love my job. It has its stresses, but it is rewarding overall and the conditions aren't bad like some nurses deal with.

zenman · Apr 29, 2006

Medical anthropologist would be my next gig.

Trauma Columnist · Apr 29, 2006

Yes, I would become a nurse again if given the choice. The only thing I would change is that I would have done it earlier.

buildingmyfaith57 · Apr 29, 2006

if my repetion as a cna wasn't miss up so bad. what i know now i would do better,improve my skills better. and two as much as i like to i would like to own or run my own group home.