Is Nursing a way too time consuming/regretful career?

KatieBell · May 14, 2005

Well,

You probably will not see every Christmas Present being opened unless you are creative, and you might even have to work nights- making a good night kiss out of the question. But there are 9 zillion ways to be a nurse. Some work 9-5 type office jobs, where the office is closed on the weekends. Also remember that in most hospitals Full time is considered 36 hours. so its three dasy of work compared to five. I found I had a lot more time to get stuff done than my friends who were in business. (Now, I manage, a whole different game.) Some hospitals even have on site day care. one great thing about being a bedside nurse is that when you leave, and give report, you are done. You don't take work home with you, like a teacher does (paper grading).

I think many nurses like to overdramatize how difficult the job is, or how underappreciated they are. Yes, it's a difficult job, and yes you will work some weekends and some nights and some holidays. but you will not work all weekends, all holidays or all nights (unless you choose to). Actually it's been a great career so far for me. My best friend has 4 children 2 of which she had in Nursing school- she doesn't feel she's missed too much. In fact, sometimes she signs up for OT just so she can miss some of the drama of the 4 children.

Mijourney · May 14, 2005

You don't have a family yet, so you can make those sacrifices necessary to start you on a successful journey. One of the things about nursing is that it is so flexible as far as jobs are concerned. Many nurses work part time. Also, nurses work in many different areas of traditional and non-traditional nursing. With a family and working full time as a nurse you do have to be very organized and plan well. I will write that I've worked in the hospital, home health, and the office during my nursing career. I haven't felt that I was spending anymore time than the adults in my family in my work. When I thought things were getting out of line, I changed jobs. I wish you the best in pursuit of your BSN.

alaskagirl · May 14, 2005

I am planning to start a BSN program this fall. I have heard from a neighbor and some others about how time-consuming Nursing is. I think my neighbor may just be burned out, but how about the others?
For those of you are are already Nurses, especially those that are married and/or with children, what's it like with your family? Are you always at work? Do you have decent time to spend with your husbands and wives? Are you there for the "little" moments that are a great part of being a parent, like seeing them open their presents at Christmastime, the goodnight kiss or bedtime story, being there for their birthdays, bathtime, seeing them in plays at school? Do many of you miss a lot of time with your spouse or your child? Is this a regretful career to have if you plan on having a family someday?
Maybe I am worrying about this a little too early and I am in over my head right now--I'm young. I am going to have fun and not try to start a family too early or anything. However, one of the things I am looking forward to most in my future is having a family. I think Nursing seems like a great career to have, but I don't want to have that great career at the expense of missing out on my family. I have a four-year-old sister and I love watching her grow up and being there for her during those moments. I don't want to be robbed of that when I have children of my own someday. (I think ahead too much, huh? ) I know I will have to make some sacrifices for Nursing while in school and after I graduate. However, I don't want sacrifice to mean being robbed of many aspects of having a family someday. I've heard so many negative things about Nursing and I want to make sure I know what I'm getting myself into.
Thank you for your replies.

I have been a nurse for almost 4 years and i love it. i do not have any kids but am married and we have plently of time to do things together. I do not work full time any more because my husband is in the Air Force and I can work PRN because I do not need the insurance. But even when I was working full time it was not that bad if you only work 3 12's. You get more days off to me than other professions do!

Good Luck!

Dixielee, BSN, RN · May 15, 2005

I think the flexibility of nursing is one of the strong points. I cannot remember working a Christmas day, but I have worked every New Years eve and Day for 30 years! It is a matter of priorities. I have always been able to swap to get what I needed. You may have to work all the Thanksgiving Days or July 4th or whatever to get Christmas off, but it depends on your priorities.

You can work part time, just week ends, nights, etc. or find a mostly day shift job like PACU, home health, Dialysis, etc. I don't think nursing requires any more time than any other job, but it may be more physically and emotionally demanding. You have to learn to leave it at work. Turn off your phones, get an answering machine, learn to say NO, etc. and make it work for you.

If you don't need benefits, you can always work agency or per diem to meet your financial needs and give you more freedom. The options and possiblilities are endless. You will, for the most part, need the obligatory one year of med surg before you branch into something else if you like, but then the rest is up to you.

You will know in advance when special occasions like birthdays, soccer games, etc are coming, so you request those days off. I have found most employers pretty good about giving you what you want as long as you are willing to give a little back. You can't expect every week end off or every saturday off, unless you are willing to bend as well. So look at the benefits and not just the liabilities of nursing.

Go for it if that is what you want. You will never be bored and most likely never unemployed, but you might be tired!:chuckle

Ruby Vee, BSN · May 15, 2005

nursing is one of the most flexible careers there is in terms of flexible scheduling, part time work, and a myriad of different career opportunities.

that said, i think far too many people make far too big of a deal of missing christmas morning. there's nothing that says you can't open your gifts on december 24 or 23 or 27 or 31 instead of december 25 -- and it's just as exciting for the kids on any one of those days! there are christmas eve services at most churches, and i've been to midnight mass between two day shifts! you'll know a year in advance when your kid's first birthday is going to be, so you can schedule yourself off for the party. mother's day is great -- we celebrated on may 7 this year and it was just as nice to get that card and that hug as it would have been on may 8.

how many office jobs let you take the day off to walk your child to his first day of school? how many office jobs let you be off every morning because your child is in afternoon kindergarten? if, like me, you're married to a nurse you can work days and he can work nights and childcare costs are minimal.

if you choose hospital nursing, you'll work some weekends, too. sometimes that sucks, but there's nothing like a 3pm matinee on a monday following a leisurely lunch and the waterside restaurant of your choice . . . all without standing in any lines! when we lived in the northwest, we camped all summer long on our four days off during the week . . . never needed a campground reservation. we could pick up and drive to the coast for the "weekend" (tuesday - thursday) on a whim and without a reservation.

it's all in the attitude!

Tweety, BSN, RN · May 15, 2005

I think many nurses like to overdramatize how difficult the job is, or how underappreciated they are. Yes, it's a difficult job, and yes you will work some weekends and some nights and some holidays. but you will not work all weekends, all holidays or all nights (unless you choose to).

Yes and no. Yes, there are a some whiney nursies who will complain no matter what, thinking nursing is the worst profession there is. But take a close look at this board and some of our concerns and vents, and you'll it's it's just not all drama. It's real.

I have to work every other weekend and many of the holidays. But you're right it's not all.

The upside is right now I'm choosing to work only 3 12-hour shifts a week without overtime, so I can finish up my BSN and having four days off a week is real sweet. So no, I'm not always at work. I choose not be. :)

But some days I come home tired, exhuasted, overworked and unappreciated. Some days I give and give and give and give and it's never good enough for the patients, their families and management. And that's not just drama, it's real. But it's not unique to nursing, there are other fields that do the same, and the pay is relatively decent for me right now since I've been at the same hospital for a while.

I hate when people say things like "you're not a nurse, so you just don't know". But you're not a nurse and you just don't know. :rotfl:

Good luck. Nursing is not all that bad. But go in with a healthy respect.