Irritated that everyone feels the need to mention they want to help people

fasnv · Dec 25, 2012

Yes nurses do help people, mostly with ADL problems, but so does the grocery stock boy. The stock boy doesn't stock to PRIMARY help people, it is just part of the job. What I am trying to say, at the end of the day it should'nt be that your upset because John or Mary died, but that John and Mary died because you were ineffective in your abilities to keep John or Marys life processes going because you lacked sufficient abilities to administer proper care in a field you love so much and were drawn to because you want "to help people", but because your love for medicine and chemistry and the human body. If you want to help people, there are many others things you can do that are superior to nursing, but oh wait..they don't pay near as much!

Not all nurses do the same job...And if everybody is superior, who works in the bottom? You need somebody to flip the burger.

x_factor · Dec 25, 2012

For this to be the very first post for someone on a student nursing forum, I assume I'm feeding a troll. With that said, I'll bite...

It appears to be a pattern that the majority of people here appear that they feel the need to mention they're main reason for wanting to practice nursing is because they want to help people. They also indirectly suggest those that do not will not succeed in nursing and therefore should chose another path. It is also these same people that state they're not in it for they money. Certainly I am not the only one who believes this to be ******** and possesses the ability to see through such transparent lies.

Lies? So those of us who state we have a passion and desire to help others are liars?

I've chosen to go into nursing because I want to help people, if saying so rubs you wrong, get over it. If I didn't like helping people, I wouldn't have been volunteering (long before beginning school) with the elderly, as well as with children in need. If I didn't like helping people, I wouldn't have spent time working for minimum wage as a CNA. If I didn't like helping people, I wouldn't be going into nursing with the ambition to one day work as a missions nurse in third world countries, where the workload is heavy and the pay is very little.

Those who say they are not interested in the money and just want to help people, are silly and are unrealistically trying to impress others.

The cold hard truth (whether you believe the 'lie' or not) is that nursing is not the path to riches. Nurses do not make that much money compared to many other higher paying careers. If someone goes into nursing strictly for the money, they will eventually burn out and hate their job if they have no desire to be a nurse and only want a paycheck. Nursing is physically and emotionally demanding, and the job revolves around, wait for it... helping people. If you have no desire to actually care about people and you are only there for a paycheck, I pray you are never my nurse. I've been under the care of nurses many times before, and have clearly seen the ones only there for the money and not the love of their job. They lack that burning desire and glowing passion that is clearly evident in compassionate nurses who are truly there for the love of helping others.

If one is truly good at somethin, do it for money, don't sell yourself short or underestimate your true value.

My value is not measured by how much money I make.

Anoetos, BSN, RN · Dec 25, 2012

It appears to be a pattern that the majority of people here appear that they feel the need to mention they're main reason for wanting to practice nursing is because they want to help people. They also indirectly suggest those that do not will not succeed in nursing and therefore should chose another path. It is also these same people that state they're not in it for they money. Certainly I am not the only one who believes this to be ******** and possesses the ability to see through such transparent lies.
My logic being based on the fact that treating family or having an emotional bond with a patient weakens important treatment, hence why treating family is frowned upon.
All a great nurse needs is to have an obsession with medicine and its functions. Also to understand its relative material. An understanding of human psychology and A&P and etc.as well.
As long as you have advanced communication and behavioral skills, it does not matter if you truly give a crap about a patient personally or not. As long as their needs are met and wheather chemistry is accurate, that's all that matters.
Those who say they are not interested in the money and just want to help people, are silly and are unrealistically trying to impress others.
If one is truly good at somethin, do it for money, don't sell yourself short or underestimate your true value.
Would you want a genius doctor with no compassion to treat you, and if he fails his family will go hungry? Or an intellectually average doctor with all the love in the world who is not getting any incentive to find a cure.
I am sure this will anger many, but the truth hurts.

Don't sweat it. Most of those in this thread who are telling you not to do nursing or that they don't want you taking care of them will change their tunes once they get into the profession.

I've noticed a difference between good nurses and nice ones. The nice ones will do fine because healthcare has become a service industry, but the nurses who really help people, and who make a difference in the patient are those who care most about the science. A lot of times they're just not very nice. They're about the job.

Frankly, nursing is really hard and thankless, it's populated with martinets and lazy people, many patients and their families will stab you in the back first chance they get. It's a lot of human waste and bodily fluids. About 60% of it just really sucks. Not kidding.

I am in it for the money, the security and the science (in that order). I like people, and love my coworkers, I do alright in the compassion department, but I too am turned off by all the smarmy nonsense and silliness nurses like to perpetuate about themselves.

Never let anyone tell you what nursing should be for you.

edimo · Dec 25, 2012

"My logic being based on the fact that treating family or having an emotional bond with a patient weakens important treatment, hence why treating family is frowned upon."

I would have to disagree with this and with about a lot of what you have said. As a bedside nurse working in oncology, you typically meet people during the worst time of their lives and everything they've come to know has completely changed. Nothing will ever be the same again and they're faced with a lot of tests and procedures and are usually in hospital for at least a month. That's a really long time considering how boring and mundane the hospital can become since you're pulled from your world and isolated from most of your family and friends. Creating a bond with patients is what helps them get through the difficult times. I'm not saying to take the baggage home with you; it's about finding a balance where you can check your emotions at the door when you leave to go home but when I am at work, I am there for my patients. Nurses are advocates; we are the voice for patients when they can't find their own when dealing with the rest of the medical team. Doctors come in, spend a little bit of time with them but nurses are the ones who are there for the rest of 12 hours/shift. You begin to learn more about them as time progresses and creating that bond becomes a natural thing. You want to root for them, you want them to do well; and it hurts when they don't since you've spent a lot of time with them and their families.

Nursing is really hard but I don't find it thankless. I don't find helping someone with ADL's demeaning in any way because I know that they physically are unable to do it themselves since they're so weak from treatment or they've suffered a setback. At one point or another, we are ALL going to need assistance. It's about treating people with compassion, dignity and respect.

Working in hematology oncology specifically, you need to know the science since chemotherapy can wreak havoc on your body (affecting multiple systems) and requires a lot of critical thinking since your patient can turn sour in a very short timespan. But it's about finding the balance between the science and compassion that makes for a great nurse and in my opinion, career longevity.

Trenbolone Acetate · Dec 25, 2012

Yes nurses do help people, mostly with ADL problems, but so does the grocery stock boy. The stock boy doesn't stock to PRIMARY help people, it is just part of the job. What I am trying to say, at the end of the day it should'nt be that your upset because John or Mary died, but that John and Mary died because you were ineffective in your abilities to keep John or Marys life processes going because you lacked sufficient abilities to administer proper care in a field you love so much and were drawn to because you want "to help people", but because your love for medicine and chemistry and the human body. If you want to help people, there are many others things you can do that are superior to nursing, but oh wait..they don't pay near as much!
Not all nurses do the same job...And if everybody is superior, who works in the bottom? You need somebody to flip the burger.

Your understanding of what was trying to be portrayed within the context is misunderstood. Obviously all nurses do not walk the same coordinates to be exact, but the the duties of a nurse are identical, but what does that have to do with anything? Who said anything about ANYONE being superior? Working at the bottom, wait what?

Let me simplify things even further, there are many other jobs that involve helping people to a greater extent than the path of a nurse. These jobs usually require very little pay, if not at all. Despite what you make belive there is not a shortage in nurses OVERALL, but there is a shortage of other jobs that invole helping people. For instance volunteer work.

If you do not care for money, and just want to help people, do volunteer work for example. Work at a shelter, where employees are IN DEMAND. You wont though, because these types of jobs that are in severe demand, do not pay very much. Money does matter.

There is a reason why education is much more demanding than telling your hiring nurse "I am very empathetic!!, so you should hire me!" Hospitals want those that are scientifically motivated and intelligent. It is priority number one when it comes to hiring a new nurse.

Anoetos, BSN, RN · Dec 25, 2012

tren, you're going to be a very good nurse. i would be glad to have you on my unit.

fasnv · Dec 25, 2012

The OP may assume that nurses do not understand the function of chemistry in biology. :cheeky:

allnurses Guide · Dec 25, 2012

Okay I typed my initial post on my touch pad and apparently a paragraph is missing. Anyways, WOW. There are some responses that made me think twice and made me question whether I still hold a firm belief in the original post. One of them for example was the comment that was made referring to a patient that may have no family and expects the nurse...etc.. That was a thoughtful post and it is respected. Again, I am not here to "troll" as Chelsea13 suggested because my screen name is that of an anabolic steroid. Using your logic Chelsea13 as you applied it to me, you must be a thirteen year old, so your not old enough to even dwell here. I do have a degree in Chemistry and was recently fortunate enough to be apart of research involving Trenbolone, which is not primarily used for bodybuilders. It has been my life these few months. Back on topic.
So therefore with that being said, my post was not to stir up trouble among the variety of personalities here, but to address something that should/needs to be said, as many other posters did in fact agree with what was said in part.

It has been said and discussed many times here. The rest of your comments are riddled with misconceptions, which would be expected when someone is on the outside looking in.

Trenbolone Acetate · Dec 25, 2012

You seem rather upset and emotional, if you are so quick to crack when your ideology of nursing is criticized for healthy debate, you will fail in the nursing world. It has affected you so much that you have failed to understand the message in a competent manner. It was not said that caring people are obsolete, or those that claim to be are liars, but those that claim it is THE MOST IMPORANT thing are frauds. But hey, maybe you did not fully read my previous post, or my post in entire and think logically about what was being said. Who knows. Ill give you the benefit of the doubt.

I also did not say, as you continue to put more words in my mouth, that one should go into nursing for the money. Again this false attribution is the lack of you reading my post with fully comprehension in conjunction with logic and reasoning, again another example of your emotional outrage overriding an important aspect of the nursing curriculum.

And yes sir, Nurses DO make a significant amount of money relative to the educational requirements. Of course nurses arent cruising around in Ferries, but again, I never said they were!

Like I said from the begging, in case you missed it, my original post is not to insult each member of that dwells within this specific corner of the web, but to those that, as you just did, feel the need to tell the world about all the people they have helped and what they have done, just like an advertisement does, like you have something you need to "prove".

I respect people that do indeed help people, but those that truly enjoy helping people and have a history of doing so, do not feel the need to let everyone know of the good things they have done, knowing you have done these things should make you feel good enough, but feeling the need to get credit for these things proves that helping people does not provide you with the comfort you so eagerly claim and demand recognition from others.

For this to be the very first post for someone on a student nursing forum, I assume I'm feeding a troll. With that said, I'll bite...
Lies? So those of us who state we have a passion and desire to help others are liars?
I've chosen to go into nursing because I want to help people, if saying so rubs you wrong, get over it. If I didn't like helping people, I wouldn't have been volunteering (long before beginning school) with the elderly, as well as with children in need. If I didn't like helping people, I wouldn't have spent time working for minimum wage as a CNA. If I didn't like helping people, I wouldn't be going into nursing with the ambition to one day work as a missions nurse in third world countries, where the workload is heavy and the pay is very little.
The cold hard truth (whether you believe the 'lie' or not) is that nursing is not the path to riches. Nurses do not make that much money compared to many other higher paying careers. If someone goes into nursing strictly for the money, they will eventually burn out and hate their job if they have no desire to be a nurse and only want a paycheck. Nursing is physically and emotionally demanding, and the job revolves around, wait for it... helping people. If you have no desire to actually care about people and you are only there for a paycheck, I pray you are never my nurse. I've been under the care of nurses many times before, and have clearly seen the ones only there for the money and not the love of their job. They lack that burning desire and glowing passion that is clearly evident in compassionate nurses who are truly there for the love of helping others.
My value is not measured by how much money I make.

cannolis · Dec 25, 2012

So far I have learned there are nurses who actually care about people, and nurses that I don't even know why they're nurses. I have no other way to put it.

Out of all the nurses I've come across (being the patient,) there has been only one that actually wasn't rude, impatient, and actually carried a casual conversation with me while she was doing her job. She was withdrawing blood from me (what I absolutely hate the most.) Needless to say that was my most pleasant experience ever when it comes to that. The worst, I experienced nurse negligence. I've learned one simple mistake can cost someone a whole lot. All could have been avoided if the nurse applied the more holistic side of nursing (the part where you actually care.)

But yeah, the ones who actually want to help people are few and far between.

PMFB-RN, RN · Dec 25, 2012

I do have a degree in Chemistry

*** Yes, of course you do. No suprise.

I think it is funny that people still say that the money has nothing to do with becoming a nurse,

*** Who says that? Please provide a quote to back up your claim. You are quite wrong about nurses pay. You say that nurses are well paid relitive to their education investment. That is a foolish way to look at it and only people from the outside looking in see it that way. The more accurate way to look at it is pay relitive to responsibiliety. When looked at it that way nurses pay is low. Nurses work hard. Nursing is hard physical work. I have seem many, many people come to nursing and be shocked at how much hard physical labor is involved. They also have no idea just how great the responsibiliety we have. Many new nurses find it overwhelming. Anyone who comes to nursing for the low pay offeered is a fool. Anyone who says that pay doesn't matter and they are only at work to care for people is also a fool. I have met many of the former kind of fools, they don't usually last very long, never in 19 years in nursing have I ever heard anyone say that their pay doesn't matter.

I like helping people. I wouldn't do nursing for free, or even for much less than I make now.

Trenbolone Acetate · Dec 25, 2012

I would love to go back and quote the initial postings of members and new members that claim to be interested in a career in nursing that begin their post with "I am not in it for the money, I just want to help people", but if you yourself are truly a RN or a nursing student you should have developed research skills long ago and be competent to utilize the the basics of the search function to clear any discrepancy or false information you are insinuating that I am making.

Nurses are well paid relative to their education requirements. That is what I said, you are brining in a fresh topic suggesting nurses are paid low relative to their job tasks, that is not what was discussed and is an entirely new subject. What other career provides job security and benefits that only requires a two year college education where even the majority of time a community college education is suffice and still start out around 55-60k with substantial pay increases as time goes by, as well as have the opportunity to progress intellectually at the expense of your place of employment, + SES status. Many nurses also profit more than physicians do too, insurance cost, school debt, liabilities, etc. If you cannot live on 60k a year, than you need to reevaluate your budgeting skills.

Nursing is not easy, but I never said it was. Stress is part of every job.