Is nursing really THAT bad?

klone, MSN, RN · Jun 30, 2010

This is where nurses come to vent and let it all hang out. Would you prefer we do it at the nurses' station in earshot of pts and family? :)

Personally, I love my job. And yes, this is a second career for me - prior to nursing (and being an at-home mom to young children) I was an account/tax clerk for the government (exciting stuff, I tell ya).

carebearsRN · Jun 30, 2010

Oh no, don't get us wrong. This site is more of an informational/vent forums for nurses, students, pre-nursing people. You may be reading a lot of negative posts but behind all that venting are nurses who love their jobs

Personally, I love nursing. I love taking care of my patients, the advanced knowledge, the teamwork, the paycheck... etc.

heathert_kc · Jun 30, 2010

Well it's not so much that it's all bad, it is just that the up side and benefits are overrated and over reported in the media. The supposed "nursing shortage" has been blown out of proportion and the number of students choosing nursing has greatly increased and with the recent economic downturn the number of jobs have decreased and hiring freezes are happening even in hospitals and nursing facilities. It is a simple case of supply and demand, more graduates for fewer jobs, means fewer options, lower pay, and worse working conditions. I love nursing, but the reality is that not every nurse does. So many are getting into the field thinking that it has job security and good pay without a massive amount of education. Though nearly every job I ever had was nursing/health care related, I know several people with other degrees that have went back to pursuit nursing including my husband; Some of these people did it out of frustration with their previous jobs, others after realization of a passion. Those who are in it for solely for the wrong reasons give nurses a bad name because it shows... There's nothing wrong with wanting to have a couple of dollars left over after paying your bills, but if you lack compassion and choose to go to work 40 hours a week doing something you don't even like that requires that quality that's not okay.

pers · Jun 30, 2010

Like others said, you are likely seeing a lot of venting. That's not to say there aren't people who hate nursing despite staying in it but more often than not I'd say it's people who love nursing and are frustrated (hate may be too strong) because they aren't given the tools to really be able to do their job.

singingtothewheat · Jun 30, 2010

I'll be honest with you.

1. I can't imagine myself doing anything besides nursing

2. Yes at times, it's that bad.

Nursing is a wonderful profession. I love taking care of patients.

I really really dislike the politics and the money hungry industry that puts patients lives at risk, pays huge salaries to the carpet walkers, plays silly games with the language to make it look like things are A-Ok and gives us every indication that they really do not give a hoot about us or our patients behind all the bluster and bombast.

If you are the kind of person who can function independently, go very fast, for very long periods of time, improvise, smile when you feel like screaming, and most importantly, want to take care of really sick patients at some of the worst times in their lives, then nursing might be for you.

If you think it's anything like what you see on t.v. IT IS NOT.

Good luck and best wishes.

D85619 · Jun 30, 2010

You know whats funny the ones who make it sound so bad are the ones who didnt do a research at all. like one person i was talking to said she didnt make enough money and she hates her hrs (12 hr shifts) the way she was talking i was thinking she been a RN for years but noo she been working as an RN for less then a year and no she was not no CNA or LVN before that. oh and she was making like 26 bucks an hr. i could go on and on about the wrong people who gets into this filed. Its not for everybody i guess that's the best way i can say it.

CuriousCC · Jun 30, 2010

Thanks for the honesty, and helpful insight, all. I truly appreciate it. Keep it coming!

JessicRN · Jun 30, 2010

Been a nurse 32 years 20 in the ED, are there horrible days yes, Lots are there great days, lots,would I trade it for anything? nope. The hours are long and you miss alot of holidays ,on some days you want to kill your fellow nurses, doctors,interns,residents and students and on other days you want to kiss them. Nothing different in a family. Some patients may drive you crazy and really try your patience but the best thing about ED nursing, they are not there too long. If you get in it for the money you won't make it. (in MA the pay is great) . The best thing about nursing is there are so many fields to choose from. If you don't like one, try another. Getting into nursing schools is extremely difficult and the program is also very tough.

JustEnuff2BDangerous, BSN, RN · Jun 30, 2010

Unfortunately what you're seeing about nursing is a lot like what your friends would see about your relationship with your significant other, you usually don't gush over the good or "okay" times, you usually are ranting and raving about the arguments, and the annoying/inconsiderate/stupid things he/she did.

This place is a support system, and like most support systems, you only reach out when you need support! :)

Nursing is a wonderful career (but not for everyone!), but you have to remember that it's just like any other job where you deal with a large amount of people on a daily basis... There's going to be nice ones, and there's going to be insufferable ones. We deal with patients, patients' families, doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, administration, etc... That's a LOT of interaction with other personalities. And when you have that much interaction, it's not always, or even most of the time, gonna go smoothly. But that's life. And that's why there's so much venting on here. I think most of us would say we love, love, love our job - 90% of the time anyway. We vent so that we can keep loving it, rather than hang on to the hostility.

neatnurse30 · Jun 30, 2010

I think that the hardest and worst is the nursing school. Then 1st year is also pretty bad, you are learning and there is so much to learn in practice that you can't learn at school. I didn't like it at first, but with time and more experience you get comfortable with you experience and knowledge. That is power. I work in the hospital, and it usually is very stressful. Your work physically, and at the same time you have to think at all times. Patients and their families can be very emotional and that can drain you as well. I don't know if I would choose nursing if I knew how it really looks like. But right now, I work per diem, pick any day of the week I want and make 40$/hr. That's not bad, I can work one day of the week and make about 26000$ a year ( no benefits though). I like the idea, that I can work weekends and can do anything I want during the week- right now I'm finishing bachelor degree in nursing. I could also work a totally different job not related to nursing during the week and work still in the hospital. So all in all, again, there are good and negative aspects of nursing. I haven't worked in other professional fields, so I don't have any comparison. But I want you to remember, that nursing is overadvertised and the big propaganda of nursing shortage is a pure lie. Hospitals simply don't want to hire more nursing, because everything is about the money in healthcare business.

CNL2B · Jun 30, 2010

I have to say that:

Yes. At times, it is that bad. If you can stomach the job itself though, that part isn't bad. What is going to get you in the end is the hospital politics, the backbiting by your coworkers, the underqualified superiors that make horrible decisions, the lack of supplies/support to do you job, the incessant CYA charting, the prep work for the review boards, and on and on.

There is a burnout factor. As nurses, we have some bad experiences at work -- so does everybody -- but in the pressure cooker that is the hospital environment, we don't last forever without getting singed. The statistics you hear about the lifespan of bedside nurses is true. Not everyone can do it forever (self included, and I plan on getting out of the bedside within 1-2 years.)

Becky, RN, CCRN