Is nursing a good career?!

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Okay, so here's my story. I have B.S. in another field, and 3/4 of a masters degree. In my last year of college I worked as a home health aide, and I fell in love with healthcare and geriatrics. I was already so close to being done with my degree and already headed to grad school so I decided to suck it up and stick with my path. Well after a year of HATING grad school and still longing to be working with the elderly, I quit school and started taking pre-reqs for nursing school. Eventually, I want to be a geriatric NP (obviously once I get in clinicals my passion might shift, but this is the plan for now). I was so excited to finally be pursuing my passion, but then I logged on to allnurses.com...

No offense, but you all sound MISERABLE! Everyone just sounds so unhappy, not just with their workplace, but with the job in general. Aside from that those who don't hate their job are unemployed and can't find work. I KNOW I am supposed to be a nurse. I love people, and I truly want to help, but good grief is it worth it to put myself through nursing school, end up with a ton of debt, and be in a terrible career?

Please tell me you all just come here to vent, and it's not really as awful as it seems.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Nsg QA.

In a nutshell, yes, nursing is worth it. I have never regretted a moment of my time in nursing. Many find this website a great way to vent. If you feel nursing is for you, do it. You won't regret it.

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There's plenty of job options in nursing...but be prepared to be burnt out...well you might not. I personally wish I did something else. This job isn't for everyone.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

Alot of people come on here after a long stressful shift to vent. I have never regretted going into nursing. I have job flexibility, a great salary, and the ability for grad school.

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I am unemployed and looking at new career. After one half day of research I think I can find a job in nursing. It does not look good I will admit. I will probably end up in some inner city hospital working under hellish conditions. At least until I get some experience. From an economic stand point I would say no to nursing. If you really love it, then do it. Most people do not like what they are doing, that is why they are so miserable. Another option would be get a job to make money and nights and weekends do volunteer work. When I was seven years old I would go to the nursing home at the end of my street and play cards and checkers with the residents. It was pure joy I brought those people. I feel certain you could find a position like I had when I was seven. The place is still open, I could bring you there. It is not so much that nurses are over stressed and burn't out. It is the general state of this country. Everyone can, on some level feel that something is not right. I lost everything and then some overnight. Now I have to rebuild. Good luck.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.
I am unemployed and looking at new career. After one half day of research I think I can find a job in nursing. It does not look good I will admit. I will probably end up in some inner city hospital working under hellish conditions. At least until I get some experience. From an economic stand point I would say no to nursing. If you really love it, then do it. Most people do not like what they are doing, that is why they are so miserable. Another option would be get a job to make money and nights and weekends do volunteer work. When I was seven years old I would go to the nursing home at the end of my street and play cards and checkers with the residents. It was pure joy I brought those people. I feel certain you could find a position like I had when I was seven. The place is still open, I could bring you there. It is not so much that nurses are over stressed and burn't out. It is the general state of this country. Everyone can, on some level feel that something is not right. I lost everything and then some overnight. Now I have to rebuild. Good luck.

I bolded your statement I wanted to comment on. For most entry level careers that can be done with so little as a 2 year degree, the financial rewards from an RN are insurmountable. As a young person in my early 20's, I am bringing in more money than any of my friends with non-nursing related 4 year degrees. I am able to live comfortably, paying my bills, no debt, and still afford some luxuries.

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What you read on Allnurses is real.

If what you read here (as a nurse) isn't directly happening to you right now, it is likely to happen at some point, and it is definitely happening to someone where you work.

The idea of being a nurse is great. But unfortunately being employed as one totally sux. None of this is just silly frustration, it's big time dangerous stuff often.

I don't recommend nursing to anyone anymore. I simply wouldn't feel right.

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It depends on what kind of nursing job you get. I can tell you that the last 9 months I've never been so stressed, sore, overwhelmed, or tired in my life! I personally don't think the job is worth the personal price I am paying. I feel I've aged too (working nights, trying to sleep days and ending up looking haggard). I am just thankful that I have no student loan debt. I told my husband after a couple of months that I had made back the money we'd put out for my degree and that I'd had enough! I realize the first year is supposed to be a tough transition, and in some ways the job is better, easier; but the nature of the job is not going to change. Too many pts, too much responsibility and not enough support staff. Not to mention the exposure to diseases I would not otherwise encounter on a weekly basis. It isn't always possible to start off in an area of nursing that actually appeals to you, so getting your feet wet in the beginning can be rough.

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I have a BA in another field, and went into nursing because i fell in love with it while working as a health unit coordinator in the hospital. i haven't regretted going into the field at all; however, i was not ready for the burnout. i love the complexity of medicine, the interaction with my patients and their families, the teaching, and the collaboration with the physician team. i work in a teaching hospital that fosters learning and I also work with a great group of nurses who all believe in teamwork so all of that has made my work enjoyable. What school does not prepare you for are the emotionally draining situations as a bedside RN- people that die under your care, either suddenly or over time; , getting sucker punched by confused patients who are paranoid due to their dementia; turning 4-500+ patients every two hours to prevent skin breakdown-not to mention having to clean incontinence; being yelled at by patients and/or their families, and/or being spread so thin that the care you give is not the care you want to give. The great thing about nursing is that there are all kinds of options-clinic, acute care, hospice, home care, management, anesthesia, clinical research, education, the list goes on and on. The one thing I do think, as nurses, we forget to do self-care and laugh. Decompressing with fellow RNs, self care, and being able to laugh is especially important after a stressful day. If you want to be a nurse, and want it for the right reasons, then I say go for it. Good luck!

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While I think what you read on allnurses is certainly real, keep in mind that a majority of internet message boards (about ANY subject) are full of people that are talking it down or just being finicky about it. Do your own research, form your own opinion, and follow your own ideals.

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I've witnessed the lack of good care within geriatrics (worked in LTC as a high schooler and watched my grandmom decline in a nursing home), so I think it's wonderful that you have such high ambitions for the geriatric community. I'm planning on peds, but have also considered geriatrics because I think they're often overlooked and receive subpar care, which is really unfair. So I just want to congratulate you and wish you the best in your pursuit - I think with your determination and (it sounds like) a kind heart, that you'll do a good job serving this population!

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Specializes in pediatrics, public health.

I am a second career nurse, and my only regret about nursing is not going into it sooner.

I had a very good experience as a brand new nurse in a peds hospital. Worked there for 1.5 years, learned a lot. Was very hard at times, but never made me wish I had chosen another career.

Switched to public health about 8 months ago, mostly because as a single mom I find the M-F 8:30-5 work schedule much more family-friendly, at least for my family. Am also enjoying my current job.

Think about the reasons people post to Internet forums. I believe you're more likely to seek one out if you're having a problem that you'd like help with -- in my case, I knew pretty early on in my first job that I would want to move on to another job with better hours, so I came here to try to get ideas on other possibilities. So, as someone else said, on pretty much any Internet forum, you're likely to get a disproportionate number of people who are unhappy or have a problem with the topic of the forum. Doesn't mean their experiences aren't real -- of course they are -- but they may not be representative.

If you have a passion for working with geriatric patients, then go for it! I followed my heart and so far, I don't regret it!

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