Is it really that bad?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a dental hygienist, currently not licensed, as I moved to a state with no reciprocity. I do not like my profession, because it's a sales job and the focus is production. I have applied to a local nursing program and am awaiting acceptance (or not). You all are scaring me! I have read horror stories of this profession... stress, anxiety, burn-out. Geez! What am I getting myself into? So I ask you: is it as awful as it appears to be? The local nurses have, for the most part, expressed job satisfaction; so I was really taken aback at the general consensus that nursing is a terrible career. For what it's worth, I want to work in a clinic and establish relationships with patients... or work in an assisted living facility. I've pretty much gathered that bedside nursing is too much stress for the average person!

One of the up sides to nursing is there are a TON of options once you get your license and some experience. Work/life balance is possible. You have more options as a nurse than a dental hygienist..that is not meant derogatory it's just there are more options/areas to work as a nurse - it's one of the few professions I can think of where a degree can offer many avenues.

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Specializes in PCCN.
One of the up sides to nursing is there are a TON of options once you get your license and some experience. Work/life balance is possible. You have more options as a nurse than a dental hygienist..that is not meant derogatory it's just there are more options/areas to work as a nurse - it's one of the few professions I can think of where a degree can offer many avenues.

Yes , but you better be prepared to move to different areas of the US for this.Since no one wants to do bedside nursing ( you'll see why in a second)

Also, OP, not sure what you didn't like about the " sales" aspect of DH, but I hope you like customer service. Pt's want to have 5 star hotel service in addition to their mg IV dilaudid Q2 hours.And while you have 6 other pts who want you at the same time, they each could care less of the fact that you were with another patient, who, perhaps , was going hypoxic or had a b/p in the toilet. Me me me.

Management only encourages this behavior, as the only way they will get paid is by high scores on surveys.

If confused pts fall because no one is watching them and they break something, hospital doesnt get paid. If a pressure ulcer or uti occurs, they dont get paid. This is put back on the nurse.\

Good luck.

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It's rough. Nursing is very "production driven". You are expected to take care of a lot of people with no complaints, regardless of what else is going on in the department or if you are short staffed. I've been a nurse 8 years and when I first started I was idealistic, wanted to help people, make a change, etc. I've worked in L&D, post surgical, and currently the ER. Yes there are times that make it "all worth it" but those are few and far between. The hours are so long and chaotic, I miss a lot with my family. It can be rewarding at times, but there's a lot of stress, physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion involved.

and martymoose (above) is pretty spot on also.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

The trend is moving to corporate dentistry (left dentistry after 25 years to go back to nursing school!) and it is VERY sales driven!!

I'm curious about what you mean by dental hygienist being a "sales job." I've been going to dentists all my life, having my teeth cleaned by the hygienists, and they assisted with procedures the dentist did, but no dental hygienist I've encountered has ever tried to sell me anything. What kind of "selling" do you feel you're being pressure to do?
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I am not opposed to paying my dues to gain experience, but I hope to have a work/life balance. Money is not my primary motivator. I appreciate everyone's insight.

I just changed to part-time hours (two 12 hr shifts/wk) and I'm hoping it will relieve many of the nursey burnout factors that have been wearing me down. I'll still earn a living wage (albeit a much less comfy one - but I can always pick up extra hours at my discretion) and I'll be able to easily schedule a week at a stretch uninterrupted by work. I can do just about anything two days a week.

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I'm kinda worried that the OP's motivation is to get out of "sales" and have a better work life balance. Healthcare reimbursement is based partly on patient satisfaction scores, so there is a lot of pressure on nurses and others to provide better customer service. For example, my organization even came up with hourly scripting to say to our patients. every hour. all shift. (kind of like, "welcome to mcdonalds. ẃould you like fries with that?). As long as healthcare remains a money-maker, I don't see these gimmicks going away.

Secondly, as a new nurse, depending on the market in your area, ÿou will probably work odd hours, which can make balancing work and family life difficult. For example, if you work second shift five days a week, you won't see your school-aged kids very often, if you have them. Nights are also a beast in and of itself. Sadly, too, if you switch jobs/specialties, you may find yourself again at the bottom of the totem pole waiting for better shifts/hours.. I would really research the market in your area regarding this.

There are good things to say about the profession too. It's never boring. It's an active, people-driven career. You get a lot of responsibilities early in your career. I ẃould just think about your reasons for switching a bit more...

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Oncology.
So I ask you: is it as awful as it appears to be?

Here is from a relatively new nurse (1.5 years - acute care). My answer is YES and NO.

Yes, it is stressful, workload is heavy, patients are sick, patients and families are demanding and can be unreasonable. Hospitals are driven by bottom line which depends on patient satisfaction which puts more work and more pressure on us, etc etc etc.

And No, not every hospital has unsafe ratios and horrible working conditions. Not every team consists of angry, mean, backstabbing nurses. For all their neediness and sometimes unreasonable demands, patients are appreciative of care. They are just sick and, therefore, anxious.

I wouldn't rule out bedside until you try it. I just started my second nursing job, staying in my first per diem. Both in acute care on busy units. It is stressful, it is busy, it is physically, mentally and emotionally demanding, but I like it. I find it also very rewarding. Prior to this I was in corporate for 20+ years. Now that would suck your soul right out. Never looked back.

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Please don't misunderstand me. Sales does not equal customer service. By nature I am customer-oriented. My first hygiene position made me second-guess all I was taught in school, to care for my patient. It was, "how many crowns, periodontal patients are we going to find today?" Even the schedule is high versus low production. It is most definitely small business, profit-driven. I am not that type. Nursing (I hope) would afford me the opportunity to care for patients, always in their best interest. I'm going to pursue this, if accepted. My heart is in the right place and surely I'll find a niche.

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One of the up sides to nursing is there are a TON of options once you get your license and some experience. Work/life balance is possible. You have more options as a nurse than a dental hygienist..that is not meant derogatory it's just there are more options/areas to work as a nurse - it's one of the few professions I can think of where a degree can offer many avenues.

Thank you. People are funny. We seek validation for what we desire. :)

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.

If you are able, I would suggest that you try to shadow at least one nurse in a hospital during a typical work day to help you decide. Even if that isn't your ideal job that you would like to end up in, you very well might work there for a while, and you definitely will do clinicals there throughout school. Shadowing in more than one area would be even better, to see what different kinds of work that nurses do.

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If you are able, I would suggest that you try to shadow at least one nurse in a hospital during a typical work day to help you decide. Even if that isn't your ideal job that you would like to end up in, you very well might work there for a while, and you definitely will do clinicals there throughout school. Shadowing in more than one area would be even better, to see what different kinds of work that nurses do.

Good suggestion. My mom and my aunt were both nurses as well. Have heard the good, the bad and the ugly.

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Certainly agree that a hospital clinic position pays as much as a floor nurse position.

However, a new grad would rarely land one.

In my particular geographic location, clinics pay approx $10/hr less than hospital bedside nursing. Even procedural areas at the hospital (i.e. cath lab, endo, etc) pay $3-4 less per hour than bedside nursing. Maybe that is unique to this part of the Midwest.

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