Is this what nursing is really like?

[meadow71]

So, I hope to start nursing school next spring. I have worked as a cna and I know I will enjoy the technical aspects and practical skills involved with nursing (giving meds, dressing wounds, injections, IV's, tube feedings etc.)

Anyhow, I ran into a friend that has been a RN for 7 years now and she tells me the majority of her day is like being a "administrative assistant to 6 people at once". She goes on to tell me how she needs to be responsible for everything and coordinate care for all the departments involved with her patients care.

Do guys agree with her opinion. Does nursing really feel like being a administrative assistant to 6 people at once?

If so.....I'm not so sure I would like that.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Your friend's perception is her reality. However, I'd have to agree with her to a certain extent, depending on the type of nursing one practices.

I spend a considerable amount of time tied up in traditionally clerical tasks such as making xerox copies, sending emails, faxing, stapling, answering phones, greeting visitors, reprinting face sheets, giving directions to patients' rooms, and so forth.

[KatieRN.Aus]

Look…..we have our good days and we have a bad days. There are some days where it feels like your patients are buzzing you for the most trivial things and when you have other sick patients, it is frustrating and you think "Damnit, this feels like a bloody Hotel"…….and then you have days where you know the work you are doing is needed and is making a difference….sometimes you need to be firm but kind with your patients and say "Look I am actually a bit busy at the moment, and part of your rehabilitation is being able to do things yourself (i.e go and get your own towel, go and get your own bottle of water from the patients fridge)….".

Especially if you have long term patients who become a bit too comfortable with the routine of the ward and having things done for them……but then for the most part, you will have sick patients who need all the technical practical aspects of nursing (IVs, meds, etc)…but remember too…these only make up a small part of what nursing actually is….a lot of nursing is just being there for your patients….

But then again, it depends on what sort of work your friend is doing - if she is in more of an administrative role…which it sounds like she is…then she probably does feel like a P.A to 6 different people haha. And not to mention that being a nurse means a hell of a lot of paperwork…which kind of feels like you work in an office as well…despite having ward clerks to do that for you too

I feel like i m not making much sense (off work sick today…catching up on Netflix )

Regards,

Katie from Australia

[Libby1987]

Lots of technical care in home health in addition to paperwork and coordination of care.

[BlueDawnRN, BSN]

There are so many different types of nursing. If you don't like one type, you can look into transitioning. There is much more documentation to do as an RN than a CNA but I think most areas of nursing are pretty hands on. Your CNA experience will definitely help you be a better nurse.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

Yes :)

[suanna]

In a word- yep.

If I could do my job without being the one responsible for ensuring the resident medical staff wrote appropriate orders, the pharmacy sent and timed the right meds, housekeeping properly cleaned the isolation room before the next patient is admitted. I am sick of entering orders for the attending docs since they are "too busy"' to learn and use electronic order entry (but assumedly I am not too busy to enter thier orders for them), holding the hands of every "senior" resident medical staff aho haven't taken the time to learn thier ACLS but are in charge of the code blues. All these things are OK, if I have time after doing my direct patient care, but more often than not, my patients get less-and-less nursing care as I'm forced to take over other tasks. Nursing is the "patient care coordinator" and "patient advocate"- which means we are stuck with making sure everyones job is done before we can get to ours.

[RNperdiem, RN]

We are secretary, patient care coordinator and still have to do the nursing work. Like most nurses, we make it work.

Charting these days has a lot to do with justifying what we do so the hospital gets paid. Charting gets cumbersome when we have to note that the foley care was done once a shift, that all the preventative measures to prevent falls were done, oral care done Q4 etc. This is not unique to nursing; doctors tell me they face a mountain of charting and writing notes every day.

If you are lucky, you have a charting system that is user friendly and make the best of your time.