Is there such a thing?

BrandonLPN, LPN · Aug 9, 2013

Nursing in general is a dead end job.

No, it's not.

Even as a LPN, I could move up the career ladder if I wanted to. One can always move beyond staff nurse if one has the motivation. LPNs can be MDS nurses, unit managers and ADON in LTC.

And futher education opens more doors. Law partnerships hire RNs as consultants. Ditto for insurance companies. BSN nurses can teach practical nursing classes. Masters prepared RNs can teach RN classes. And then there's CRNA, midwifery and NPs.

Nursing is not a dead end career.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Aug 9, 2013

I think nursing is what you make it. I think you can find reward, satisfaction, it you allow it.....you reap what you sow.

Once upon a time......there was a profession that was kinder to itself. All nurses were educated the same way.......one entry level and experience gave you your chops. You were promoted by experience, intelligence, integrity, honesty, great leader by example, and respected.....trusted by your peers. You had put your time in.....worked the trenches. People wanted to be on your shift...the physicians wanted you to care for their patients. You were promoted because you could be trusted....you were capable...you were a clinical expert and would lead by example. You could jump out of a meeting and start an IV or take an assignment in a heartbeat for a last minute sick call or a bad patient from the ED. Your IV skills are strong....you are the go to person.

Then something happened.....we stopped respecting each other.....in our quest for more education to "advance" the profession....or to "keep up" with other professions with higher education........we now argue that nursing isn't a profession......and who is better and smarter by the initials after our name and not the hard earned experience that can only be learned at the bedside.........we have forgotten who and what we are and what our job really is......we are nurses. We CARE for the people.....the average Joe....who is sick and frightened....frustrated...in pain...we nurture them, their families, their friends and give them comfort and safety and intervene when we can. We are the eyes and ears for the MD who can't be at one patients bedside 24/7.....THAT is our job. You will work 24/7 weekends and holidays...you will have to make sacrifices

If that is not what you want....don't be a nurse.

It never ceases to amaze me of the new grads who should be bright eyed and bushy tailed anxious to embark on an amazing journey.....is angry, entitled and sour upon graduation. They enter the interview with a list of demands....I don't do Sundays or alternating Thursdays.....I have bunco every third Wednesday. Every other Tuesday I have my spa day and on alternating Fridays my family has our family dinners. I can't work Christmas mornings I have small children and our time share is booked for 2weeks around July 4th.....I can't work nights....they make me tired and aggravate my hormonal headaches.... here is my doctors note....Oh and by the way for days is there any way I can not start at 7....that is too early/convenient/possible for my family.......I sit there with my mouth agape and I think "What the heck?"

BUT! ........They have "a BSN".......they say it with such aplomb like I should throw myself at their feet and be thankful they decided to grace my office and talk about their goals in 10 years NONE of which include bedside nursing.....I think really....why did you become a nurse.

Once upon a time you were respected for hard earned experience.......Then some thing changed......I began hearing comments in my interviews about "long term goals" and "not having ambition" because I didn't want a Masters. It no longer mattered what my experience was nor how good I was and that I had been a manager, director, supervisor, educator, critical care and ED nurse for my entire life.....I now have no ambition to further my career. Excuse me??? I have had an amazing career and I am an Expert in my field....whatever.

I love being at the bedside....I stopped management because the focus was too far from what I loved the most....the patients. I see no dead ends....I see an unlimited opportunity to help my fellow man. Dead end? only if you choose to look at it this way.

Today experience barely gets you a raise and it certainly will not get you promoted....in most areas of the US. You now have those in charge who are book smart telling others how to do things with evidenced practice that they have never practiced. To tell you how to do more with less and that it is safe....when they have never practiced nursing themselves. I had a boss...the director of inpatient care and policies who was cover the house.....from home....as they cut supervision to only after 7pm.....call me on my way in to tell me about a patient on psych with a"triple lumen, PICCline, port a cath....whatever they are all the same right?" that was hemorrhaging and to go there first....WHAT?????

So my long winded answer/vent is these days if you want to"advance" away from the bedside...you need to go back to school.....is this an improvement? I don't think so. I long for the good ole days and the respect a bedside nurse received. I miss the respect the profession gave to itself and to each other. I do miss the days that respected the experienced RN and it was the experienced RN who mentored the new and not the new grad with the direct entry masters who has never experienced true nursing yet is mentoring others.

I think over all....we were better then.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 9, 2013

Esme12 ... While I agree with much of what you wrote in post # 37, I think you make a mistake when you blame most of it on BSN grads. I hear a lot of the same "demands" for ideal work schedules, etc. and lack of respect for bedside nurses among ADN grads. I won't even call it a generational issue because I hear the same demands from older nurses (of all stripes) as well as younger ones.

The unwillingness to work hard, to make sacrifices, to tolerate inconvenience, to serve, etc. is a societal trend that is not limited to any one segment of the nursing population. Pointing fingers of blame at certain groups (BSN's, ADN's, Diploma grads, younger generation, older nurses, etc.) doesn't solve anything. It only pertuates the divisions among us and makes our problems harder to solve.

But I do agree that many of the attitude changes we have seen in recent years are NOT for the better.

NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN · Aug 9, 2013

Esme's posts always keep me going when the chips are down. Thank you.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Aug 9, 2013

Esme12 ... While I agree with much of what you wrote in post # 37, I think you make a mistake when you blame most of it on BSN grads. I hear a lot of the same "demands" for ideal work schedules, etc. and lack of respect for bedside nurses among ADN grads. I won't even call it a generational issue because I hear the same demands from older nurses (of all stripes) as well as younger ones.
The unwillingness to work hard, to make sacrifices, to tolerate inconvenience, to serve, etc. is a societal trend that is not limited to any one segment of the nursing population. Pointing fingers of blame at certain groups (BSN's, ADN's, Diploma grads, younger generation, older nurses, etc.) doesn't solve anything. It only pertuates the divisions among us and makes our problems harder to solve.
But I do agree that many of the attitude changes we have seen in recent years are NOT for the better.

^I second THIS :yes:

Nursing is not immune to people who don't have vested interests, realistic or the right type of expectation in their profession...I think of education, business, civil service and politics, even real estate.

There a far more people in our profession that value our profession...I believe 80-90% of nurses value out profession and have utilized and shaped a better profession for those who are at the bedside with them, regardless if they have NO ideas what a nurse does, to the as one and 3rd degree holders, or people, such as myself, who started out as a nurse assistant at 19...and in it because of who is in it that helped shaped ME-is nursing.

There are going to be FAR more individuals who know and respect our profession; if depends on how much the individual puts into shaping their profession, their individual feelings of power, and responsibility...and tons of maturity and integrity :yes: -that's what makes the difference; I find there are more exceptional individuals that respect the profession than not; I find those with certain "expectations" either move on or leave the profession altogether...the ones that say join the club after much growing pains :yes:

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Aug 11, 2013

Esme12 ... While I agree with much of what you wrote in post # 37, I think you make a mistake when you blame most of it on BSN grads. I hear a lot of the same "demands" for ideal work schedules, etc. and lack of respect for bedside nurses among ADN grads. I won't even call it a generational issue because I hear the same demands from older nurses (of all stripes) as well as younger ones.
The unwillingness to work hard, to make sacrifices, to tolerate inconvenience, to serve, etc. is a societal trend that is not limited to any one segment of the nursing population. Pointing fingers of blame at certain groups (BSN's, ADN's, Diploma grads, younger generation, older nurses, etc.) doesn't solve anything. It only pertuates the divisions among us and makes our problems harder to solve.
But I do agree that many of the attitude changes we have seen in recent years are NOT for the better.

You are right....it is ADN grads as well.

dansamy · Aug 11, 2013

I enjoy bedside care and have no intention of or interest in managing/supervising other nurses or educating students. My "semi-retirement" plan is to work in an area that generally doesn't require a lot of heavy lifting or move into a patient education type area. I went into nursing to take care of patients. When I don't feel as if I can physically keep up with the demands of floor nursing, I'll gravitate towards something that will let me teach PATIENTS about their chronic conditions.