Is Nursing A Competitive Profession?

Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN · Jul 30, 2015

I don't feel like I'm competing. We all have different levels of skill and different strengths. For the most part, we're all willing to help and teach each other.

I would say there are occasionally incompetent and unteachable individuals who are frowned upon ...but it has nothing to do with competition.

SubSippi · Jul 30, 2015

There's a lot of lateral movement in nursing, but there aren't a whole lot of promotions. There's not really a whole lot to compete for.

Sure, there are some know-it-alls and people who like to show off, but they're really just doing it for themselves.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2015

Nursing is, in general, very independent. There's not much to compete about. I have my patients and you have yours. You don't see what I'm doing and I don't see what you're doing. We work together, but my patients are my responsibility and my coworker's patients are my coworker's responsibility. I don't look at other people's charting or MARs or anything like that to see how they are doing, so I really don't know.

There is no competition to "do exceedingly well" as you put it, because we are expected to put in 100% every time. Anything less than charting 100% of your assessments, passing meds on time 100% of the time, providing excellent customer service 100% of the time, and being 100% on time with clocking in and your mandatory education, is going to land you in the manager's office with at least a verbal warning if not something stronger. Even just one verbal warning in a year period means you are automatically not eligible for transfers, raises, or bonuses for an entire year at my facility. You literally have to be perfect all of the time or you will face repercussions. Not much room for competition with those sorts of expectations - how exactly do you get to be better than perfect?

SleeepyRN · Jul 30, 2015

In my experience I would say no. We all rely on eachother and work as a team. For example I started at a new place 2 months ago. When I asked questions, the other nurses happily helped me. Because if I'm not well trained on the job, then I won't be able to help THEM later when they are swamped and need help when I can offer it.

Now, that being said.... Workplaces have their own unique environments. This place is a positive place. One place I worked for, there WAS a lot of lateral violence (bullying) by some LPNs (I'm an RN) especially when it came to asking questions. This particular group of nurses did NOT like having to train a new grad RN who right off the bat makes more than they do when they had years of experience. So some of them pretty much refused to help. I could almost hear their thoughts...."You're the RN making the big bucks, figure it out on your own."

I want to make it clear that I am speaking of specific LPNs and NOT LPNs in general. LPNs taught me so much of what I know, and I am so greatful.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jul 30, 2015

I'm a non-confrontational, non-competitive person by nature, so I do not feel as if I'm competing with my coworkers for much of anything. In fact, I'd much rather fly under the radar and not be noticed so much.

fishball2017 · Aug 26, 2017

Do you think that nursing is a competitive profession? By that I mean, I often hear that getting into nursing is tough and passing the boards is tough. But after you become a nurse, do you feel as though there is a lot of competition in the workplace to perform and do exceedingly well? Lately, we've been talking a lot about bullying and nursing. Do you find yourself somehow competing with your coworkers and others in the healthcare profession on some level to prove your knowledge base or your competence?

* yup believe me, it is. and the returns are not worth the hard work, SACRIFICE and CANCER-inducing STRESS, anxiety and obsessive compulsive paranoia (nursing is a very detailed = person's life in your hands job) you have to put in.

* nursing school is very competitive...medical subjects are not easy. anatomy, pharmacology, med-surg and such...think : "i'm sorry you didn't make the cut." because students think they will always have a recession proof job that pays moderately well enough to support themselves and a family until retirement..kinda like doctors. so everybody tries their best to be the cream of the crop. best of the best. dog-eat-dog....this in itself is ultra-competitive and very very stress inducing (which will make you if not mentally ill, will give you cancer.) and these students are blissfully unaware of what difficulties there will be in the future. how "just enough the wages will be" and how hard it actually is and how TEMPORARY their jobs and careers will be.. opinion: not worth it.

* moderately good scenario is you earn enough just enough for rent, fairly healthy food, to save for a nice car and pay off massive student loans before the seasonal demand is over because old nurses haven't retired yet cause of the economy and the new graduates have started to enter the job market picking up scraps that the old and tired nurses don't want such as geriatric care where the pay is lower and the work is double back breaking.

* and don't buy into the hype that nursing is an always in demand job. why? that information is disseminated all over the world through the internet and poorer countries will take up nursing as a way to alleviate grinding poverty. you have to compete with them too. and there will not be enough jobs after a decade and the season cycles again. so you're unemployed with debts.

* nursing is not an easy sit on your ass job. its a mike-rowe dirty job with diseases, antibiotic resistant exposure, chemotherapy exposure, mucus, bowels, lifting obese patients job. and your pay stays the same no matter what the risks are. its usually hourly. unless you're really good and have connections to get into some kind of managerial role. but if you're an average joe...nah-ah..

* and the demand of any nursing board to be constantly abreast of any new medical studies...you have to shell out money for that too while you're trying to pay off debts

* there's just too much stress and work that you have to bring home. and if you have a family to bring it home to...unlucky you. you won't make mega bucks to start a family with a white picket fence and a dog in the suburbs

* at best you only make enough to survive and live a decent not too poor life while being forced to travel because the seasonal demand in a particular area of the world is over. you'll be forced to venture out of your comfort zone and spend extra in some expensive part of the world. all while being forced to be single. you can also live a decent life with a spouse but the job security isn't always there. so spouse will be forced to travel with you unless you want to break up because of long distance. goes with out saying that this lifestyle does not permit starting a family

* for a job that is meant to serve and clean and "mother" the sick people. you will be forced to live a selfish "my career come first" life ---> i doubt anybody wants that in a spouse

* AND the most irritating of all is that most employers and nursing boards will require RECENT experience better if acute hospital for you to even get into the nursing job market. length of experience will depend on the seasonal demand. no experience, harder to move forward with your "career."

* there's just TOO much to MAINTAIN for a career that doesn't even pay that well.

* don't forget that YOU hold a person's / if not a baby's life in your care. so LAWSUITS and LEGAL issues will eventually arise..those involve payments by YOU.

* sum it up = nursing is a moderately paid, sacrificial occupation. and if you're in the wards, ass wiping and bathing dirty patients.

* experience

cleback · Aug 26, 2017

Competitive...no. there is rarely any position or opportunity to compete for. Clique-ish and wanting their group to be known as "the best"... yes.

fishball2017 · Aug 26, 2017

what about the "superstar" operating room positions or the action packed emergency rooms? ICU's and cardiology? nurses always compete for those special areas. hell, they're even PAID MORE. its a competitive profession. undeniable. like doctors and medicine

LovingPeds, MSN, APRN, NP · Aug 26, 2017

what about the "superstar" operating room positions or the action packed emergency rooms? ICU's and cardiology? nurses always compete for those special areas.

I agree that nurses compete for 'coveted' positions. It begins even before NCLEX with competition for acceptance into schools of nursing. Though, I don't think of that as nurses being competitive so much as the normal ebb and flow of the professional job market/limited availability of positions/supply and demand. Every field competes for desirable positions. That's not specific to nursing. Within the nursing profession as far as professional relationships, I don't think most of us are competitive so much as collaborative. I know I constantly bounce ideas and concerns off coworkers. I don't compete with them. We're a healthcare team.

xuale01, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2017

Hi LovingPads,

What are the Coveted positions? would you mind to elaborated more? Thank you.

xuale01, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2017

I am continuously told by many experienced nurses that there is big big demand of nurse job market, especially there will be a large amount of nurses who will retired within the next few years. But I also heard from new grad students mentioning about the job finding difficulties. Probably few hospital want to hire new grad nurses....