Is clinic nursing a dirty job?

Yerani27 · Oct 9, 2015

You're sweet. Some people do regret their decision or would have made different choices along the way (there's a thread titled something like "Would you still choose nursing?" or whatever.)
I don't blame you for asking the question. It's clear you want and perhaps need some guidance. If you can manage to wade through our crunchy/crusty exterior and see that we aren't so bad, yay!
I appreciate your eagerness and your understanding. You have been completely respectful, IIRC. So, that's nice. A lot of newbies get offended when we tell 'em like it is, so, thanks for hanging in there and being receptive.
Keep it up! :)

Thanks! :):) It's a good personality to have to not get offended easily. You definitely have to learn that if you want to be a successful nurse from what I hear. It seems like nurses get blamed for everything even when it's not their fault.

Yerani27 · Oct 9, 2015

Didn't I read here in a few threads that California has something like a >40% unemployment rate for new nurses? Scary.
Seems wrong since it's also the only state with mandated ratios.

Yeah, I heard that new grads in California for nursing are having a hard time finding work too. I think the future for nurses will look brighter once some nurses retire. I heard how there is a significant number of nurses that are over 50. All it takes is patience.

Yerani27 · Oct 9, 2015

That is interesting. How does THAT happen?
Oh, mandated ratios. Nice.
But on a serious note, how is there such a high unemployment rate?

Maybe there's a high unemployment rate because hospitals have to spend so much money to train a new nurse. Plus, hospitals want to have a good ratio of new grads and senior nurses to protect the safety of patients. Lots of new grads could potentially lead to lots of law suits. This is according to what a nurse told me.

Oedgar · Oct 9, 2015

OH my I only encountered this one time in the two years I worked there. It was an indescribable smell. Gag-worthy.

enuf_already · Oct 9, 2015

Yeah, I heard that new grads in California for nursing are having a hard time finding work too. I think the future for nurses will look brighter once some nurses retire. I heard how there is a significant number of nurses that are over 50. All it takes is patience.

I hate to break the news to you but those of us rounding the corner to retirement age aren't retiring!

The stock market crashed, employers cut pensions, 401K plans, and any individual retirement savings got wiped out or took a good hit. The fact that employers aren't giving raises, bonuses, or cost of living increases hasn't allowed anyone to catch up.

The uncertainty of the economy will leave many of us in our jobs well past normal retirement age or until we die.

Sorry to say, my job won't be vacant for a long time.

Farawyn · Oct 9, 2015

I hate to break the news to you but those of us rounding the corner to retirement age aren't retiring!
The stock market crashed, employers cut pensions, 401K plans, and any individual retirement savings got wiped out or took a good hit. The fact that employers aren't giving raises, bonuses, or cost of living increases hasn't allowed anyone to catch up.
The uncertainty of the economy will leave many of us in our jobs well past normal retirement age or until we die.
Sorry to say, my job won't be vacant for a long time.

Hahhahahahahaha!

I don't know why I'm laughing because neither will mine.

2 of my 3 preceptors in my new HH job- my second job- are over 70. And they rock it.

Yerani27 · Oct 9, 2015

I hate to break the news to you but those of us rounding the corner to retirement age aren't retiring!
The stock market crashed, employers cut pensions, 401K plans, and any individual retirement savings got wiped out or took a good hit. The fact that employers aren't giving raises, bonuses, or cost of living increases hasn't allowed anyone to catch up.
The uncertainty of the economy will leave many of us in our jobs well past normal retirement age or until we die.
Sorry to say, my job won't be vacant for a long time.

You're right but I just feel like there HAS to be a job somewhere in nursing. I don't know. Maybe I'm overly optimistic. Lol.

nurseactivist · Oct 9, 2015

So far, cosmetic nursing is something I would want to learn more of. California is a good place to become a cosmetic nurse. There's plenty of medical spas. Everyone here is obsessed with beauty. The average salary for a cosmetic nurse is $77 000 from the research that I've done. That's a comfortable living. There's nothing wrong with finance and accounting. It's just not my cup of tea. I'm shocked that you mentioned that an engineering grad couldn't find work. I truly thought anything in STEM would lead to a job (except for petroleum engineering :S)

$77,000 in California is not a good RN salary. After 15 years, I was over $130,000.00. Look at salaries for cities and county RNs. The state of CA is at 30% less than the county or city. Keep in mind, cost of living in CA is also very high particularly in urban areas.

Yerani27 · Oct 9, 2015

$77,000 in California is not a good RN salary. After 15 years, I was over $130,000.00. Look at salaries for cities and county RNs. The state of CA is at 30% less than the county or city. Keep in mind, cost of living in CA is also very high particularly in urban areas.

I'm guessing you live in the northern California area. Vallejo, San Francisco, San Jose,Oakland, etc. are all high paying cities for RNs. By the way, if you don't mind sharing, how was your ICU experience? I know there's a lot of "getting your hands dirty" kind of work. Did you find the experience worth it?

nurseactivist · Oct 9, 2015

I hate to break the news to you but those of us rounding the corner to retirement age aren't retiring!
The stock market crashed, employers cut pensions, 401K plans, and any individual retirement savings got wiped out or took a good hit. The fact that employers aren't giving raises, bonuses, or cost of living increases hasn't allowed anyone to catch up.
The uncertainty of the economy will leave many of us in our jobs well past normal retirement age or until we die.
Sorry to say, my job won't be vacant for a long time.

I have done my part and joyfully retired! Those of us with union jobs and pensions are leaving big time!

nurseactivist · Oct 9, 2015

I'm guessing you live in the northern California area. Vallejo, San Francisco, San Jose,Oakland, etc. are all high paying cities for RNs. By the way, if you don't mind sharing, how was your ICU experience? I know there's a lot of "getting your hands dirty" kind of work. Did you find the experience worth it?

I had about 9 years of med-surg, post-partum experience when I went to ICU. I learned an incredible amount in ICU, however I would go home second guessing myself. "If had increased this gtt would they have lived?" Finally one night I was doing that, and realized my patient was 90 years old and it was her time. That was when I decided to leave ICU. When I went back to being a night float (including ICU, post-partum/WBN) I felt the ICU experience was invaluable. Occassionaly I would go to L&D and take a patient with central lines and when I would float to ICU, I was happy to take the rare OB patient in ICU. Some of the ICU nurses didn't care for taking FHTs. Over 40 years, I learned new things in every job I had.

Yes, it can get messy. I think nurses often have one thing they don't like, stool, blood, sputum, emesis. Over time, most seem to adjust. To this day, sputum is my least favorite body fluid.

Postpartum RN · Oct 9, 2015

OP, there is also advice nurse jobs