Is it what you thought?

I went into nursing initially to be in the glitz and high paced trauma scenarios that you see on tv. Then I went to nursing school , and the introductory semester where you only change beds, urinalysis, and wipe bottoms.

Once I embraced the reality of being a nurse, it turned out to be everything id expected and wanted, just in a different way. I love helping patients, and it makes me feel good when they express their gratitude for the help. I don't need anything in return, I did it because I made the time to do it, and they were appreciative. That's the first reason I stayed.

My second reason is that I feel like an intellectual professional with the knowledge, critical thinking skills, and tools necessary to help save lives and help patients get better.

Of course I prefer to work in critical care because that's where my passion is, but it's not the ER scenes from greys anatomy by any means! :)

As a new grad 4 months in I would say nothing like what I dreamed about. My unit makes me depressed every time I step on the floor. I agree with others that the environment that you work in contributes alot to how well you will adjust to being a nurse. Having no support from management along with no resources makes for a harsh reality of nursing. My advice is to stick to what your heart wants in terms of a job because if not you will be miserable and questions why you even wanted to become a nurse at all. Sorry to sound so bitter but its because I totally was out of touch in nursing school and got a big shock when I stepped into the hospital as a RN no longer a student.