I hope this doesn't get too many people fired up but is nursing REALLY THAT bad!? I, like a lot of people, are considering the NP or MD route (I already have my bachelors) so I just found this website. It's a little unsettling to read all of the negative information concerning being a nurse. I thought nurses were paid well? Are the avg salaries you find online incorrect? 50K-70K seems like a decent salary for the amount of time you have to spend in school to get a nursing degree. What's the difference in salary between a RN and NP?
Anyway, my main thought is, "If nursing is soooooooo bad, why don't you quit and find/start a new career??" I'm a career-changer and I don't have a problem working my butt off to start a new career but I don't want to enter a field KNOWING it's going to be hell. I know a lot of medical students (and MD's) would rather leave the field of medicine ( I guess everyone has their complaints) but they've invested years and years of school and are in waaaayyyy too much debt due to student loans; nursing school is different (it's only 2 yrs) so why don't you just quit?
I'm just trying to figure out if it would be stupid of me to go into the field of nursing or if the people complaining about the field would complain about any job.
Who works in a children's hospital? Are things just as horrible in a pediatric setting? I know sick adults are difficult to deal with; is it any easier dealing with children?
It is not really that bad, but when you have paper work to fill out that is the width of a stephen king novel, people in all departments pulling you in every direction, not enough help or equipment to do your job effectively and darned if that ain't enough the pt in the far end bed is confused, pulling out lines (very important invasive lines at that) and the doc doesn't want "sedation" it can get a little frustrating. And if you don't absolutely love nursing and are getting into it for the money that is where many people are disappointed. 70k is very unrealistic, unless you are doing travel jobs or you are in an area with a higher cost of living.
as a fairly new nurse with previous hospital experience i would have to say that yes, at times it is 'that bad' and the whole 'find another job' thing makes me think maybe the OP is considering this profession for the money. flame me if you like, but the reason that it may be difficult for nurses to just 'find another job' has to do with the fact that most nurses go into nursing for care of patients, so that is to say 'find another job' working at a bank or a retail outlet wouldn't be the easiest of transitions believe it or not. anyhow, educate yourself on what nursing entails--situations that would sound mind boggling the layperson. at times i am doing total patient care with seven to eight mixed acuity patients and by that i mean maybe one that isn't that sickly. i work nights and do not sit down most nights. yes sure i am a newbie and the only way i could tweek my time management would be to spend less time with patients. it has its rewards, but sometimes the conditions and demands on nurses in hospital seem close to inhumane imo. there are times i go 13 hours w/o eating or stopping for bathroom breaks and i am not a martyr. i believe in the importance nutrition hydration and elimination. but sometimes when you get a direct admit w/CP at 1130 pm and a transfr from the ICU two hrs later and after your done there? an ER pt at 3am the hours just go by. shadow a nurse in an area you are interested in would be my advice. and become a nurse. we need you.:pumpiron:
I've been reading about all of the negativity for quite some time and i have to admit I *WAS* scared to death. I finally contacted a local hospital (i'm in Atlanta right now) and asked if I could shadow a nurse. I did and it was much better than expected. The nurse had 5 patients in acute care. she worked nonstop for 4 hrs straight while i followed her, and she was handling herself just fine. Some good patients, some were a pain in the butt, some family members annoying, pharmacy tech forgot to drop off the meds on time, but nothing that threw her for a spin. I mean, if stuff like that will get you all worked up then you have no business being a nurse. I got a good feel for what nurses do day in & day out, plus i got to ask alot of questions. I'm so glad that i had the opportunity to do so and I would recommend that anybody else considering nursing to give it a try.
And on that note, i wish i had a dollar for every post that i've read saying how their nursing school is the worse one or the most disorganized. Read all the posts. Check out different states. Same old tune, and yet, most go on to become successful nurses. People tend to be overly dramatic when it comes to the negative stuff.
I am curious, did you shadow this nurse for 4 hours, or the whole day? Saying that someone has no business being a nurse is a very harsh statement when there is so much more behind the scenes that causes burnout, stress, health problems, and vacancies. While shadowing a nurse is great it does not give you an all-inclusive view of what nursing is like, what the good days are like vs the bad, and how many of each you can expect, and if the hospital you are shadowing at is a good environment or bad. Nurses don't want to quit because pharmacy doesn't send up meds quickly, its so much more than that. There are serious problems with nursing at many hospitals which put not only the patients but the nurses in danger. There is nothing wrong with recognizing the problems and working to fix them. It does not mean that nurses who talk with their feet are not up to snuff.
No job is perfect--almost all of them have times when you want to do serious harm to your boss, the suits that run the place, insurance CEOs, your co-workers, or the families making things difficult.
THAT SAID: I've been doing this a really long time, and I DO like it. I'm glad I do what I do--I have made a difference in a lot of lives, which is a very good thing.
It's not for everyone, no doubt, it's a challenge on manylevels, you will earn your money doing things it would seem there's no amount of money to pay for someone to do. You'll have days when you think, I can't possibly, and days you think, YESS! I did it.
In the end, only you can decide what to do. And I wish you the best, whether it's nursing or something else.
:pumpiron:IS nursing really that bad? It will help you become of stronger character as you develop more compassion and caring than you ever thought you had inside. As my name indicates, after 32 years I am toast. DRGs, ICD9s, LOS, pressure from upper management when I advocate for one more day for a for pt who is simply NOT ready to go home. Curt emails from upper management demanding I justify the agency nurse expenses for that month. THEN...more petty emails demanding OT justification if staff work extra instead. Tried business sector...was second to CEO...all I made was money, and even in that arena I was chastised for encouraging patient advocacy in my case management and UR staff. DON'T ever get hurt and have the audacity to file a comp claim against your hospital...instant pariah...even if you have 4 herniated lumbar disks with fresh annular tears because they pulled your two male techs and a pt fell (prepare for a ***** fest on pt fall statistics). I LOVE my pts...ED, CCU, interventional cardiac, teaching pt and families...I am up past my eyeballs with the ignorant tyrannical heirarchy that pervades every hopsital I've worked at (Travel Nurse for last few years). I now want only to be a regular staff nurse, keep a low profile, and to give my pt, against all odds, the safest, most skilled and loving care that they deserve. Nursing is a noble combination of skill and compassion ...I never show the anger I feel at how our ability to give real care has eroded...LOL it would scare the pts. A lot more collaboration and a little more respect. I have been working behavioral health crisis stabilization for adolescents past few years...nice and quiet compared to Critical Care.:innerconf
You will have , and cherish, your bright moments in your career. Be strong, hang in, and smile...Good Luck in your growth, welcome to our world, we need you.
This was the only part of the post that made me a bit mad. For me (and many others) its not just 2 years...
You're right. I was looking at it from my point of view (career-changer who already has her B.S. in Bio and won't need to take anymore classes to slip into an entry level NP program); my bad...
as a fairly new nurse with previous hospital experience i would have to say that yes, at times it is 'that bad' and the whole 'find another job' thing makes me think maybe the OP is considering this profession for the money. flame me if you like, but the reason that it may be difficult for nurses to just 'find another job' has to do with the fact that most nurses go into nursing for care of patients, so that is to say 'find another job' working at a bank or a retail outlet wouldn't be the easiest of transitions believe it or not. anyhow, educate yourself on what nursing entails--situations that would sound mind boggling the layperson....
First of all, I would NEVER consider taking a job just for the money so you're completely wrong. I know I want to continue to work in the healthcare field so I was weighing the pros and cons for different healthcare careers; hence the thread title. Secondly, I'm an avid believer that if you're unhappy w/ your current circumstances you have 2 options: A) Deal with it B) Make a change. In my eyes, those are the only options; complaining gets you nowhere...it's a waste of energy. Also, I never said anything about working at a bank or retail; please...there are thousands of different jobs in the U.S. Also, change is hard so it's not going to be easy; you just have to weigh your options.
I agree, most nurses stay in the nursing field b/c they LOVE what they do but at the same time, I hear sooooooooooo many complaints. Like, if you know what your job entails day after day...why complain? You know what's coming but you choose to continue on your path b/c you LOVE what you do; it's just something you'll have to deal with (whether it be fair or unfair). As an "outsider", no amount of patient-love would make me want to endure that. BUT...like my some of my friends say, "I don't see you being a nurse!" Perhaps they are right haha.
Also, I've researched what nursing entails (and becoming a PA or MD; yes, I'm one of the "NP vs PA vs MD" crowd ) and I've come to the conclusion that nursing is not for me. So, I salute ALL of you guys!
IF you find the field of nursing that suits you, right down to the ground, then NO, it's not bad at all! Yes, you will have bad days, everyone has them, when nothing goes as you plan. But in nursing, we deal with human lives, so plans are always goin out the window!
I can say, hand on heart, that I love what I do for my job! I take care of tiny wee lives, nurse them to wherever the best place is for them. Thats a big part of WHO I am! If I didn't do this, I would miss it so.
So, no, when you find your special place, it won't be bad, it will be just what you were made to do. Good Luck!!
Now you are really only down to the two options---PA or MD. Obviously an NP wouldn't be a good fit if you've decided nursing isn't for you. I know you're wise enough to realize that an NP is still very much a nurse. So down to two! That's great....keep researching and follow your heart!
Lastly, I wanted to reiterate what I think someone else mentioned and I wanted to reframe what you refer to as complaining again and again. I think you said---why would you go in again knowing what to expect?"
One of the real ironies in nursing is that our main role, actually, is to be a patient advocate. Unfortunately, in hospitals and healthcare today, the majority of the complaining and whining you hear about is because we are making noise for the benefit of the patient. More Staff. More Equipment. Hell, even working equipment we'll take. More, well more everything so we have the ability to provide good care in a safe environment. Those are the constant complaints.
Would most of us continue to show up at our retail or restaurant jobs week in and week out if these same needs were consistently ignored? Probably not. But we are dealing with human beings and lives here. There's so much more at stake.
The sad part is, we all think/hope/pray we will make a difference and that something will indeed change. But then most of the smart ones realize that's not gonna happen and that's when you do see a lot of voting w/the feet.
These aren't folks in it for the $$$$. These are folks who can't be complict in what amounts to be a criminal enterprise.
Now you are really only down to the two options---PA or MD. Obviously an NP wouldn't be a good fit if you've decided nursing isn't for you. I know you're wise enough to realize that an NP is still very much a nurse. So down to two! That's great....keep researching and follow your heart!
Yes, I realize a NP is very much a nurse; I figured that would go w/o saying so maybe I should have said I was originally in the NP vs PA vs MD crowd. Obviously, now, it's PA vs MD. Anyway, I think I've made my decision concerning that also.
About being the patient advocate; I understand now. That's pretty crappy for admin to put patients at risk just for the sake of saving money; shameful. But, as we know, it happens all of the time and that's the sad part. Well, like I said in my previous post, I tip my hat to you guys...
SD, I'm happy that you have made your final decision. So, what is it?
As far as why those who are unhappy in nursing don't "just leave", it is a bit more complicated than that. I have significant amount of debt from my undergraduate education (which was a 4-year degree). On top of that, I have a mortgage, car payments, bills, and living expenses. When I first graduated from nursing school, I hated my first several nursing jobs. I desperately wanted to go back to school for something else, but it was impossible to do that while still working a full-time job with variable hours and a schedule that was never the same. I decided to go back to school for FNP instead and discovered that I didn't like that either. But I am glad that I didn't end up leaving nursing. I finally have a job that I enjoy and that pays well. It just took me awhile to realize (and admit) that I don't enjoy direct patient care. I'm now working on my master's with a specialization in health policy and I am happier than I've ever been with my decision to become a nurse. There are so many different avenues of nursing and one doesn't have to be a traditional hospital nurse or be involved in direct patient care. I find myself looking at my nursing degree in a broader sense with an appreciation for the understanding that it gives me of how the health care system works. I know that you made the decision not to go the nursing route, but I just wanted to put this out there for others who may be struggling with a similar decision.
Thanks healthyRN for your insight. I will graduate in May and working as an aide and seeing the hospital environment is already making me think of options outside of direct patient care. Do you mind sharing what it is you do? I'm glad you've found something you love and enjoy doing.
No it is not that bad. Nursing is the best choice for someone who is interested in healthcare, who likes working with people, who wants to work 3 shifts a week (typical hospital shifts), make around $50K as an RN (+/- depending on experience, shift, and location), and if you want to have a life outside of work.
We often romantciize the more 'elevated' jobs in healthcare such as a NP, PA or MD. But there are significant negatives to consider - you work ALOT more hours (at least 60/wk), spend very little time with your patients, have much higher liability, and basically have no life outside of work, because you are too tired. Plus you come away from school with huge debt.
Give nursing a try. Go for your RN not LVN/LPN. You will find it will pays better, offers tons of choices as far as location, shifts, types of nursing, and a flexible schedule. I wouldn't jump into a NP program without my RN. In fact, I believe that most schools will not accept you unless you have your RN and work experience.
I believe Hospital nursing is the best because of the flexibility. If you find that you don't like a particular unit or type of nursing you can change.
Don't listen to the negative folks. Some of these are the people who would be negative no matter what job they are in.
Or they maybe just using this website as a sounding board, because it is a safe place to complain and rant. So even though some sound really bad, it might be they are venting so they can go back another day and do a good job.
My advice is enroll in the local RN programs (you can always with drawl your application later - but most programs have waiting lists), then go find a job as a nursing assistant (depending on your state you might have to go through a short training program at a community college). Working at a NA will be the best test to see if nursing is for you, or not. Make sure it is in acute care job such as a clinic or hospital setting.
Nursing school is pretty tough, and not for the weak of heart or mind. You need to examine why you think you want to be a nurse. What motives you? Is it just the money? If so then do something else. Otherwise, you'll end up like some of the posters who are bitter and terribly unhappy but lack the will to change.
Let me know if you have other questions and good luck with your decision.
...I never show the anger I feel at how our ability to give real care has eroded...LOL it would scare the pts. A lot more collaboration and a little more respect. I have been working behavioral health crisis stabilization for adolescents past few years...nice and quiet compared to Critical Care.:innerconf
) and I've come to the conclusion that nursing is not for me. So, I salute ALL of you guys! 
caflrn
3 Posts
It is not really that bad, but when you have paper work to fill out that is the width of a stephen king novel, people in all departments pulling you in every direction, not enough help or equipment to do your job effectively and darned if that ain't enough the pt in the far end bed is confused, pulling out lines (very important invasive lines at that) and the doc doesn't want "sedation" it can get a little frustrating. And if you don't absolutely love nursing and are getting into it for the money that is where many people are disappointed. 70k is very unrealistic, unless you are doing travel jobs or you are in an area with a higher cost of living.