I'll answer first: No. Not because I don't love caring for others. Not because I don't love being a nurse. I do love it. But there are so many problems with the field in general, and I just don't see any solutions.
I have so many patients, I can not care for them all the way I want to. And I find the patients that take up most of my time are not the sickest...they are just the needest, or the harder to please. So I end up spending all day trying to pacify them and family, --Because we most have good patient sat scores-- while the patients that really need my attention suffer without complaint.
If I complian about the situation, I am written up for having a bad attitude as managment tries to smash any resistance. So, I guess I'll cont to come home at the end of 12 hours and eat my first meal of the day. Probably even pee first the first, maybe second time. And no, every shift isn't like that. But there are getting to be more and more frequent.
My hours are cut when the floor is slow, but I am made to feel guilty if I'm not eager for every hour of overtime offered when we are busy.
I thought as a nurse I would get to spend time with my patient, get to know them better. Really be able to help them. But endless paperwork gets in the way of that.
I just feel like nurses takes everything out of me, and in the long run I'm not making the difference that I wanted to.
Absolutely not- not the way the current philosophies are. We are being set up for failure. I wish I had known this before I wasted 3 yrs of my time for a useless degree.Now I am stuck, because I am still paying school loans, and frankly at 43 am too old to go back to school( for which I dont have the money to pay for tuition anyway.) I go to work hating my job everytime- i am truely disgusted with it- yet have no choice. So I live with it until it makes me so sick . I have talked a couple of techs out of pursuing nursing . If this is what the hospitals and administrators want, well they can just keep it up- eventually no one will put up with this crap.So yes , I would have definitly chosen something else.
Jrwest- I completely understand how you feel. However, you DO have a choice. You are only 43! Think about how much time you have left to work. As a nurse, retirement options aren't great, so you will likely be working well into your 60's and possibly 70's. Even if you had to take on some more debt to go back to school, wouldn't it be worth it? At the very least, I urge you to look for a position outside of the hospital.
I felt the same way for a long time. I kept telling myself that I couldn't go back to school because I had already spent so much time and money and I just didn't have any options. At some point, I realized that life is what you make it and I just had to do something. I hope that you find the strength to do the same.
This is a tricky one. I have a degree in journalism and PR. I left this field because to be successful in it, I would have had a huge commute to work in an office far from home and would have never made enough money in it to cover child care and expenses until 10-15 years in and I have proved myself. That said, I loved it and it was not "work" to me. THAT said, it didn't challenge me either like nursing has -- not even CLOSE.
If I had not become a nurse, I would not have such a perspective on the world that I do now -- I would not have gotten as tough or sharp minded as I have now. (and I'm due to become even tougher as I'm only 8 months into and it haven't even broken the ice in that respect). I would not have such a varied and long career ahead of me at 44 years -- in marketing/PR, I would have been considered "old." At 44 in nursing, I'm considered a kid -- just starting out. I can consider a masters degree at 50 and still have a good 20 years of career ahead of me ...that is just freaking COOL for someone at my stage in life.
Also, in my former career, image and appearance were everything. In nursing, it's a lot more about your performance. If you're smart and DO the job -- you get the rewards. Not so much in the corporate world where it's a LOT about politics and appearance so much more so. In nursing, you can't really hide your stupidity as much.
It's a love/hate thing with me, too. Many moments while I'm working, I hate it, hate all the challenges, yet when I'm home, I'm constantly thinking about it and how I will overcome those challenges on my next shift. I look at the crazy people in my family during my "off time" and they don't even phase me now.
I'm tougher, wiser, and can just handle things now. Nursing has toughened me up -- and I needed that. I think it's just made me a better person -- not that I've enjoyed the career all THAT much yet -- but I think I have many bad days and many GOOD days ahead.
And boy, have I gained flexibility with my job and personal life. I just went part time and am enjoying 7 whole days off until I go in again -- who could EVER do that in a regular career? No one.
I can really, really mix my personal life with my work. As a mom, I love that part of it.
Just a love/hate thing, I guess. And I dont' think anyone HAS to do it forever -- and it's a great stepping stone to another career if you want it to be.
So, would I do it again -- yes, I suppose. I think it's really working for me -- although I have every single negative feeling about it that everyone else has. At times it absolutely disgusts me.
HealthyRN
541 Posts
Jrwest- I completely understand how you feel. However, you DO have a choice. You are only 43! Think about how much time you have left to work. As a nurse, retirement options aren't great, so you will likely be working well into your 60's and possibly 70's. Even if you had to take on some more debt to go back to school, wouldn't it be worth it? At the very least, I urge you to look for a position outside of the hospital.
I felt the same way for a long time. I kept telling myself that I couldn't go back to school because I had already spent so much time and money and I just didn't have any options. At some point, I realized that life is what you make it and I just had to do something. I hope that you find the strength to do the same.