Is nursing still a satisfying profession?

EllaBella1, BSN · Oct 25, 2018

To me this is an opportunity to have a job that actually has an impact on people, gives flexibility on what you can do, provides financial and job stability, tests me intellectually and doesn't have my brain rotting behind a desk repeating corporate jargon and following made up metrics that many times have no reason to be at the operational level.

For me nursing is exactly this. Nursing is also my second career, and honestly I've never once looked back and regretted my decision. I think the biggest problem is that in order to have a satisfying career in nursing you have to be a little bit flexible. You have to be willing to adapt to different environments and experiences on a daily basis, and you have to be willing to push through tough times knowing that the end satisfaction of the career is there. I think that a lot of the people who go into nursing and end up hating it have very specific aspirations within the field, as well as very predetermined ideas of what it means to be a nurse and how their job will go. I find that it's mostly this group that job hops, basically looking for something that only exists in their mind, and they're never happy with what they are doing.

There are so many different things you can do in nursing and that's one of the biggest perks of the career, but you have to be willing to put in the time and effort to become proficient as a nurse before you can start making demands and expecting specific things from your career. Go into it with an open mind and you'll be fine. Yes, you will have bad days. You will put up with grumpy coworkers, doctors who are obnoxious, being short staffed, etc. But you will also have great days. And most importantly for me nursing has been a steady career which has afforded me a good amount of financial stability, for which I'm grateful.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Oct 25, 2018

Second career, 10+ years, no regrets, wish I had done it sooner. You will find people who love and hate every profession. Your experience is what YOU make of it. Best of luck!

Editorial Team / Admin · Oct 26, 2018

What you will find is that people are more vocal about the things that don't make them happy than about the things that do make the happy- that's simply human nature.

Many view AN as a place to vent anonymously to those who understand- their nursing peers. Many are not understood if they vent to loved ones (unless those loved ones are also in the nursing field). There's also the protection of the screen where there are some who will post things they wouldn't say out loud.

As Pixie said, your experience is what you make of it.

Davey Do · Oct 26, 2018

It's interesting that as I was reading your post, Christian2018, that in my reply I was going to quote the same words that EllaBella copied. And EllaBella pretty much said about the same thing that I was going to say!

As they say, "Great minds..."

Good posts from Pixie and Rose_Queen also.

The only thing that I can add is that sometimes you have to kiss a lot of Warhols before you find your Rembrandt.

Good luck and the best to you, Christian2018!

sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN · Oct 26, 2018

46+ years , I have no regrets some bumps , but mostly highs

Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP · Oct 26, 2018

Nursing is the best thing that ever happened to me. This year marks my 30th year as a nurse and my entire life has been an adventure because of nursing. I was a homeless teen, working crappy jobs in my 20s and then I had an accident on my motorcycle and while in hospital decided to become a nurse. I then used my licence to emigrate to the USA and since then my life has been amazing. I got to travel the world, meet some amazing people and live a comfortable life, all because of nursing. Yes, there have been crappy days and difficult times, but the lifestyle nursing has afforded me has allowed to be absorb those hits and keep moving forward. If you truly love the profession then you'll find a way to navigate it. If you work hard and position yourself at the top of the tree, you can have some amazing experiences. After a few years working a non-clinical office job I am now going back to the clinical area (my last day is today!) and I'll be back among the crazy next week and earning 6 figures for my trouble. My father always used to say that you can't say you don't like something if you've never tried it. If you try it and don't like it then fair enough...move on to something else. At least give it a shot. The best thing about nursing is you'll never be unemployed and you can make money when you need to if you work for it. Just go into it with a "can-do" attitude and don't look for the negative.

FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2018

Nursing is very hard and very satisfying.

I knew it would be hard, but I couldn't know exactly how hard it would be. Kind of like motherhood.

But satisfying? ... Hell yes.

And yes, you will have great flexibility in what you can do with your degree and license. You will have people asking you to work for them. You will have to turn jobs down.

It's a fantastic career and I don't regret making it my second career later in life.

But I will reiterate that it is very challenging for me personally. All in all, I like the fact that I grow and learn so much, but I can see how and why folks would burn out.

cleback · Oct 26, 2018

You'll still have to repeat corporate jargon and pay attention to metrics that don't make a difference to your patients. Some of the patients will treat you like garbage (call it stress or poor mental health management). Understaffing is a given.

Your frustrations may be compounded by the fact that it's healthcare... it's people's lives... and yet money is the bottom line.

But, you will have enjoyable patients and a few that you feel you've made a difference in their lives. You can find work wherever usually (with some experience). And if you're flexible with the type of job, you'll never be unemployed. Coming from financial instability, that was huge for me.

In short, there are pros and cons to it, but as long as you enter the profession with realistic expectations, you should be fine.

Orion81RN · Oct 26, 2018

What you will find is that people are more vocal about the things that don't make them happy than about the things that do make the happy- that's simply human nature.
Many view AN as a place to vent anonymously to those who understand- their nursing peers. Many are not understood if they vent to loved ones (unless those loved ones are also in the nursing field). There's also the protection of the screen where there are some who will post things they wouldn't say out loud.
As Pixie said, your experience is what you make of it.

THIS! People are more likely to post the negative than the good. That is in general, in any area of life. People complain about their marriage, their kids...but if you asked them specifically if they regret it, most would say no. That there is more good than bad.

I'm personally staying away from bedside nursing for a while for the reasons you have researched. Staffing etc...I have found a great area outside the hospital setting that is working well for me right now. Home care/private duty. I set my schedule, I have only one patient, I'm using many skills (wound care, central line, trach, vent, g-tube...) I set my own schedule, and I found a company that pays what I was making at a post acute rehab center. It will do for now.

I would not let the negative things you are hearing deter you from your goal. And you can start being a part of nursing activism for the negative things you are seeing. We should not be helpless. We all need to fight for our profession that is in a state of....I can't think of the word, but your research says it all.

You absolutely can have a happy career in nursing.

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 26, 2018

Some people love nursing. Some people hate it. Many people are "in between."

The same is true of every career path. Some people love being in business. Some people hate it. Many people are "in between."

If you choose to be a nurse and want to be happy in your career, then you have to commit to making the best of sometimes difficult, stressful situations. You have to focus on the positives even when there are some pretty big negatives. Any you have to be willing to work through those negatives, solve your problems, etc. so that you make the most of the positives.

Good careers are "out there" just waiting to be found. They are made.