Is it true that nurses really like their careers?

[USAMedTech]

Hello everyone,

I am so confused.

First, some information about me:

I was in the army for 5 years as a medical laboratory specialist and really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun. While I was in the military I came across one of the many programs the army has for soldiers to complete nursing school on their dime while you keep all benefits. Having a hypothetical (which annoys me because I over analyze everything) mind I started questioning nurses (both military and civilian) about their careers and all said they hated their jobs. I questioned about 10 before I closed that door.

At that point, a moment from lab school came to mind: we had this drill sergeant that was nurse (LPN) previously and he always tormented us. Finally, he came over to our platoon and proclaimed, "I don't like any of y'all. Y'all think that y'all are better than me? Always calling for recollects and demanding certain forms which make my life hell. Get in the FRONT LEANING POSITION (push-up position)." He would make me write papers on the importance of securing our guidon when he knew I had to study. It was an unprofessional situation on his part and it happened quite often.

Well, back to the story... I left the army and moved to Texas where I have been working as a MLT for about 4 years. I've feel like I've hit the glass ceiling of my field seeing that I can only be a manager and mostly work in a hospital somewhere. I considered PA school until I discovered NPs. I would rather be an NP any day over a PA because I think they have a brighter future and autonomy.

I love aviation and flying so flight nursing appeals to me, too. Maybe I could become an ACNP with a flight nursing subspecialty.

There it is... There are so many options and possibilities with nursing.

After researching those two paths, I started polling nurses again. When they come to get blood products I ask them:

Do you like nursing?

-Most say they love it.

How long have you been a nurse?

-Ranges from 1-30 years. The new nurses are the quickest to say, "I love

it." The veterans are more prone to hesitate on the following questions.

Would you recommend nursing?

-A quick, "Yes, I would," for most and then some say no. The "NO" nurses

are the ones I consider the

money nurses (in it for the money and all the wrong reasons).

Would you recommend nursing to your children?

-This is my critical decision question. I've probably asked 25 nurses about

their careers and this is where they hesitate. It boggles me that they

would recommend it to me enthusiastically and then have to think

hard about the answer. But, believe it or not, they all say they would

recommend it to their children.

Would you do it again if you had it to do over?

-Majority say they would and a small few say, "It's just a job." There is a

little hesitation from some, though. As with any career field, I know there

are pros and cons.

When I see nurses on the floors they usually seem stressed and I could only imagine why. About 70% are cordial when I have to call them and the rest are snippy. I don't take it personally, I just understand they need to get stuff done and they probably have to deal with rude family members. I've become so fast at giving criticals (with readback) that I sound like a rapper or an auctioneer.

While in my career, I have to rush and be really accurate in the work that I verify to ensure the best results. I never seem stressed even though I am. My face never shows it. Maybe that's a good thing or a bad. I'm really laid back as a person and a tech. Nothing ever bothers me. I've had some run-ins with doctors and nurses but for the most part everyone in the lab is nice to each other. I've come to the conclusion that doctors and nurses are this way because of the amount of stress that comes with direct-patient interaction. Whereas, I am in the all-enclosed lab doing my work.

To get straight to the point...

Please do not berate me for this... I always thought nursing was a think-less job. Physicians, NPs, or PAs write orders that nurses carry out with little to no thinking being done. I was shocked when I called an ICU nurse not to long ago and she said that she needed a Coagulation result to make a titration for a patient. I never thought nursing entailed that. I like being a tech because of the calculations, formulas and the see the pathology of diseases.

Would I get that from being a nurse? Do staff nurses make decisions with the input of physician? I always hear nurses speaking of autonomy when they move to another field like NP that I believed in my ignorant assumption.

Every nurse I know personally encourages me to cross the fence into nursing and they always say that I would be an awesome nurse. Why? I used to think they had an ulterior motive of recruiting enough people into the field then maybe the workplace environment might become better and they won't be stressed from being stretched between too many patients.

Also, I read that the average tenure of an RN is five years. They either leave the field or move up the ladder.

-Can someone clarify this? Is it really tough to continue as a staff nurse or are the numbers skewed because

of the money nurses?

Do people go into nursing as outgoing and come out irritable and standoff-ish? Do you take stress home and take it out on innocent friends and family members?

And, lastly, I'd like your answers to these two questions:

Would you recommend nursing to your children?

Would you do it again if you had it to do over?

Like I wrote before, I have a hypothetical mind and I think I have utilized every resource allocated me to research nursing as a career. I found this site and I believe that I will come to my conclusion from the opinions of you all.

I think I just need to do it and forget other peoples opinions. Then my hypothetical mind comes into play and reminds me -- 2-3 years of schooling and what if you don't like it.

I'll stop, now.

And thanks to all, in advance, for opinions and advice.

[chloecatrn]

would you recommend nursing?

-a quick, "yes, i would," for most and then some say no. the "no" nurses

are the ones i consider the money nurses (in it for the money and all the wrong reasons).

i think that's a little close minded. some people are doing what they do right now because they're good at it, or as a means to an end. for example, to be a nurse anesthetist, you have to do a year or two in an icu. perhaps some of the nurses that you're talking to aren't icu material, for lack of a better way of putting it. they may not enjoy the stress and the frustration that goes with critically ill patients and their families. however, they may do amazingly well in crna school because they have the temperament for that. there are days that i'd tell you not to be a nurse. those are the bad days. you may be catching these nurses on their bad days.

please do not berate me for this... i always thought nursing was a think-less job. physicians, nps, or pas write orders that nurses carry out with little to no thinking being done. i was shocked when i called an icu nurse not to long ago and she said that she needed a coagulation result to make a titration for a patient. i never thought nursing entailed that. i like being a tech because of the calculations, formulas and the see the pathology of diseases.

would i get that from being a nurse? do staff nurses make decisions with the input of physician? i always hear nurses speaking of autonomy when they move to another field like np that i believed in my ignorant assumption.

some nursing specialties have more autonomy than others. icu nurses, for example, frequently titrate drips to maintain parameters. flight nurses are fairly autonomous. regular floor nursing does involve some calculations and formulas, but the autonomy is a little less, usually. this can vary, depending on the type of hospital or other facility you work in, and the organizational structure. if you step outside the facility setting and into the home health setting, you are that patient's care provider. obviously, you can't write orders, but you are primarily responsible for ensuring that a care plan is carried out.

additionally, i have to think about every order i carry out. does giving the diabetic with a blood sugar of 140 10 units of humalog make sense? my oncology patient is vomiting and has half an hour until the next dose of zofran is due. better to let them retch and gag, or give the med half an hour early? doctors, nps, and pas write orders, but they are not infallible, and it's important to double check orders. nurses are the ones with patients throughout a whole shift. doctors pop in and out. nurses are the ones who analyze vital signs to realize that a high temp and a high heart rate and a low blood pressure could mean sepsis and impending septic shock. we're the ones who activate rapid response teams for poor patient conditions. we're the ones that ask the doctors for increased pain medications, different anti-emetics, pet therapy orders. there's nothing think-less about my job. when i get home, the last thing i want to do in a given day is think any more.

also, i read that the average tenure of an rn is five years. they either leave the field or move up the ladder.

-can someone clarify this? is it really tough to continue as a staff nurse or are the numbers skewed because

of the money nurses?

this may be true, partially because baby boomers are exiting the profession, and younger nurses are flooding the field. also, bear in mind that nursing is a female-dominated profession. people leave to have babies and take different positions in different places that are more conducive to family life. everything i'm finding has turnover rate in the 13-15% range. turnover is really what you're looking for; how many are leaving bedside nursing altogether, not how long has the average nurse been in her current position. floor nurses go to the icu. icu nurses go to the ed. ed and icu nurses go to flight nursing. floor nurses switch units. this all contributes to the average length of time a nurse spends in a position. most of the nurses that i know have been bedside nursing for over 20 years, with no intention of stopping.

do people go into nursing as outgoing and come out irritable and standoff-ish? do you take stress home and take it out on innocent friends and family members?

absolutely, but that's how i'm built. not everyone does that. if we've had a particularly bad day, co-workers and i will find something to do before going home to our significant others, to spare them the brunt of the misery. some people go in outgoing and come out irritable, but i'd say that's the exception rather than the rule. i'm irritable at the end of a long stretch of days, but that's a function of the decreased sleep and increased stress. if i was sleeping less than eight hours a day and doing something as stressful as nursing in my own home, i'd still be irritable. (and i usually am at spring cleaning time. )

and, lastly, i'd like your answers to these two questions:

would you recommend nursing to your children?

it would depend on the child. i wouldn't recommend it to my stepson, because he doesn't have the temperament for it. nursing is something that i would only suggest to people who are truly capable of carrying out the job description and doing it well. but if i had a child who was capable of doing that, absolutely. my mom recommended it to me, and i love what i do.

would you do it again if you had it to do over?

would i go to school to do what i do now again? in a heartbeat. i loved clinicals, i loved studying, i loved the tests and the practicals and all of that good stuff. and i love that it all brought me to this point in my life. i have another bachelor's degree that i have no interest in using, because i'm doing what i'm meant to do.

like i wrote before, i have a hypothetical mind and i think i have utilized every resource allocated me to research nursing as a career. i found this site and i believe that i will come to my conclusion from the opinions of you all.

i think i just need to do it and forget other peoples opinions. then my hypothetical mind comes into play and reminds me -- 2-3 years of schooling and what if you don't like it.

if you think you might be interested, shadow a nurse. shadow several nurses in several different departments. see what we do. there are a million opportunities open to you; you just have to seize the one you want. good luck to you.