Is nursing a good career?

Editorial Team / Admin · Jun 13, 2016

Have you had the opportunity to shadow a nurse? There are a lot of misconceptions out there about nursing, especially among those who haven't yet worked in any kind of a health care capacity. While certainly not going to give you an in-depth exposure to the role of a nurse, working as a CNA or other unlicensed staff role would give you insight into what health care truly is. I also strongly recommend shadowing a nurse for a full shift if you find a way to do that. My facility actually partners with the local high school and select students spend time alongside a nurse.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Jun 16, 2016

I personally love nursing and my job in particular. I get to help when someone needs it the most, I make good money, and most importantly allows me to work part time. (I have kids, and many careers require full time hours or more, or nothing.)

But it is hard work. Doing that hard work in a less supportive environment than mine is, and it wears on a person.

I HIGHLY second Rose Queen's suggestion to shadow an RN, and consider becoming a CNA. I took the CNA class while a Sr in HS -- I wasn't aspiring to nursehood at the time, but my school offered it as distance ed from a local tech school and was free. I didn't want to work at McDonald's while in college. :cheeky: It was a really good way to get my feet wet, and was actually what inspired me to become an RN!

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2016

I am a nurse and I am often tired and over worked. That is my reality. I am sorry if this offends you. You may be "passionate" about nursing, but when you work 12 hour night shifts you may also be tired and over worked. Last week I worked 64 hours. Yes. I am a bit tired. My question to you is why would me being tired and overworked frustrate you? If you want to be a nurse than go to school to be a nurse. I enjoy my job, but yes there are times we nurses get a bit exhausted. It doesn't mean we are not "passionate" about our jobs if we are tired.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jun 20, 2016

I'll just bet that - as time goes by, you'll notice that very few of your classmates who "choose to pursue nursing as a career when they can't decide what else to do" will make it to the finish line. Few people understand how how much effort & ability it takes to become a nurse. Wait and see.

nurse061 · Jun 27, 2016

I'm a recent RN grad from Nightingale College and I love being a nurse. It is challenging and often times long hours, but I feel like this is my calling in life. I have a great mentor at work that has really shown me the ropes and helped me get promoted and I have to say caring for other people is something awesome.

You see people at their most vulnerable moments in life, and these are life changing moments for everyone involved. I find that being a competent and compassionate nurse in those to your clients is a big deal. I recommend doing some shadowing in many different areas (long-term, acute, peds, and phys). See which one gives you energy and you wont spend a day thinking how long the hours are.

Good LUCK!

Elevense · Jul 3, 2016

One of the great things about nursing is if an environment doesn't work for you, there are many other settings where people need nurses. I had a friend who started as a new grad in an inpatient setting and realized very, very quickly that it didn't work for her. She quit and got another job instead, as a school nurse. It didn't pay her as much, but she didn't mind. She loved the shorter shifts, the weekends/holidays off, and summer work being optional. She said she regretted not doing an internship during school because then she might have realized before she took a job that the full time hospital 12 hour shift thing wasn't a good fit for her.

I did an internship in school and loved it btw, I would recommend it. Many facilities of different kinds offer summer internships for nursing students. I would say it doesn't necessarily give you a perfect view of the stress involved since you don't have the same level of responsibility, but you can get a feel for the hours/setting and see how other nurses cope and what they go through.

Working as a nursing assistant (which I also did and recommend) is also a great way to feel out an environment. Both were great experiences, my internship was fortunate to really let me get used to having the flow of being a nurse though.

Mia415 · Jul 10, 2016

Yes! It's awesome. I don't know why people stay In toxic environments where they feel burnt out or under appreciated. I feel very satisfied in my work and I love my boss and my team. I've come to accept that being exhausted is just part of being an adult lol.