Is anyone happy they chose nursing?

rnurse2b · Aug 2, 2007

I love being a nurse! My only regret is not starting sooner. There are bad days, I feel the good days happen more often than the bad. Nursing is tough, but I love it.

buildingmyfaith57 · Aug 2, 2007

im not r.n. or a lpn. i was a cna until i messed up by doing what i want,and notgoing by the care plan. what i really enjoy about being a cna is coming to work with a smile on my face and let each day take its course. yea i experience good days and bad days. as a cna i don't care what race the patient or client is, i don't care about the pay all i care about is giving the care to the best i can. and for those who are new in nursing or going for you cna, get to know the routine of you patients or residents before going to any agency or etc etc. because to me its easy to lose your licence or cna if you mess up one time.

luvschoolnursing, LPN · Aug 2, 2007

Good career choice for me. I did med surg for many years, liked it at first and after a while began to hate it.Worked perfectly when my kids were little, though and I needed flexible hours. (I worked casual pool after kiddos were born) Pretty much switched careers to become a school nurse. Love, love, love it. That's the great thing about nursing, if you get tired or burned out in one area, you can go to another area with the same degree.

Jokerhill · Aug 2, 2007

I love going to work, I love my manager and co-workers, the administration not so much love there. We are understaffed almost everyday, due to managements unwillingness to pay what it takes to get more nurses, so everyone gets a phone call every shift that they can passably work asking them to come in. Otherwise no complaints about the job itself. I was told before that as nurses we have a license to touch people, at the time I thought she was talking about bodies, but now I know she was talking about their entire lives. At this point I for one will never totally retire from nursing, although I will cut back. Nursing gives as much to me as I give to it, I feel great about what I do. My wife is also a nurse at another facility and when we talk about our days we do so with pride in our accomplishments, and how we helped today, it's a great feeling. Go to work like this :madface: leave like this:o, or like this :angryfire. Go to work like this and leave like this , or this :lol2: . You will get back what you give, it make take a while but it will come back, Karma and all you know. Jeff

tntrn, ASN, RN · Aug 2, 2007

I love going to work, I love my manager and co-workers, the administration not so much love there. We are understaffed almost everyday, due to managements unwillingness to pay what it takes to get more nurses, so everyone gets a phone call every shift that they can passably work asking them to come in. Otherwise no complaints about the job itself. I was told before that as nurses we have a license to touch people, at the time I thought she was talking about bodies, but now I know she was talking about their entire lives. At this point I for one will never totally retire from nursing, although I will cut back. Nursing gives as much to me as I give to it, I feel great about what I do. My wife is also a nurse at another facility and when we talk about our days we do so with pride in our accomplishments, and how we helped today, it's a great feeling. Go to work like this leave like this:o, or like this :angryfire. Go to work like this and leave like this , or this . You will get back what you give, it make take a while but it will come back, Karma and all you know. Jeff

After nearly 31 years of nursing, most in L & D, I agree with much of what you say. I've never considered it a career; never had any plans to let it rule my life. It was more a way to feed my kids, and fortunately it did that and I've enjoyed it.

Now, however, we are being constantly bombarded with stuff that really has nothing to do with good nursing care, and IMHO, makes good nursing care even more difficult to provide. JCAHO comes to mind, the State comes to mind, Administrations who seem to want to make Stepford Wife-like nurses out of us comes to mind.

I love my WORK, I love my patients, I love my co-workers, but it's the additional BS which comes now on a daily basis that is getting me down and which causes that happy feeling to turn to a frown. I'm going to retire as soon as possible (which means as soon as our big house is sold, and we've downsized). I will be able to walk away with out a backward look. I've touched many lives, have the testimonies to make me feel good inside, but honestly, I won't miss it even for a second. If they'd just let us do our jobs, instead of constantly trying to mold us into little clones based on some study done by people who've never been at the bedside I'd do it longer.

dgrass · Aug 2, 2007

I spent several years attempting find my way to happiness with a job. I find Nursing to be very fullfilling and challenging. The best part Nursing is that there are so many different avenues to follow.

Jokerhill · Aug 2, 2007

After nearly 31 years of nursing, most in L & D, I agree with much of what you say. I've never considered it a career; never had any plans to let it rule my life. It was more a way to feed my kids, and fortunately it did that and I've enjoyed it.
Now, however, we are being constantly bombarded with stuff that really has nothing to do with good nursing care, and IMHO, makes good nursing care even more difficult to provide. JCAHO comes to mind, the State comes to mind, Administrations who seem to want to make Stepford Wife-like nurses out of us comes to mind.
I love my WORK, I love my patients, I love my co-workers, but it's the additional BS which comes now on a daily basis that is getting me down and which causes that happy feeling to turn to a frown. I'm going to retire as soon as possible (which means as soon as our big house is sold, and we've downsized). I will be able to walk away with out a backward look. I've touched many lives, have the testimonies to make me feel good inside, but honestly, I won't miss it even for a second. If they'd just let us do our jobs, instead of constantly trying to mold us into little clones based on some study done by people who've never been at the bedside I'd do it longer.

I must say that is more to the point on administration than I was going into, but every job has their down side. I go to the mall and see the girls working in Hot Dog on a Stick and just think that those uniforms are so sad. The job itself is great and by being semi-retired in a few years and not needing the pay I can just do the job and leave the other Meconium to someone else. Jeff

tntrn, ASN, RN · Aug 2, 2007

I must say that is more to the point on administration than I was going into, but every job has their down side. I go to the mall and see the girls working in Hot Dog on a Stick and just think that those uniforms are so sad. The job itself is great and by being semi-retired in a few years and not needing the pay I can just do the job and leave the other Meconium to someone else. Jeff

I agree and I currently work per diem, so have a lot of control over my work time vs my life time (which I hold very dear and protect carefully). The problem is that you are still beholden to whatever Meconium the Administration will throw at you. It's inescapable. Sometimes I wonder if the nurses who are there every day become desensitized to it, and because I'm not there as much, it hits me in the face in a much different way. I also heard a nurse from our corporate offices, just the other day, say that if she ever had to leave nursing, "it's all I know how to do". Now that is sad! I have plenty else I could do and am doing. Maybe it wouldn't all pay what I now get paid, but neither would there be the stress and Mec with which to contend. I am solidly one who works to live, not the other way around.

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Aug 2, 2007

I enjoy nursing

only thing I would rather be is a professional golfer

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Aug 2, 2007

I enjoy nursing

The only thing I would rather be is a professional golfer, or a golf course owner