I hear alot of people wanting to get into Nursing not because they want to "help" people, but because they want a decent salary, job flexibility and opportunities for advancement, most wanting to become Nurses because they want to continue onto grad school to become CRNAs.
I admit. I am somewhat of guilty of this. One thing that did attract me to Nursing IS that it isn't a typical 9-5 job desk job with only 2 week vacations and that there are many fields of Nursing to get into. And I did look into CRNA, but decided that knocking people out isn't that fun or exciting.
So, nurses: do you think it is wrong to get into Nursing for the reasons discussed above? And if not, are you guilty of this as well?
I am spit at, hit at, degraded by family to the point that it is beyond verbally abusive, sometimes we call security.
I risk my license many night, short, having to mentor a staff complement of new nurses, asking me thousands of questions while I have both the sickest patients, no secretary, the phone ringing off the hook and no one answering it but me, along with all the questions.
I am told allow family to camp out in an ICU and give them recliners and serve them beverages, while my meds are well over an hour late,,,,, and my critical drips are beeping dry while a family demands I reposition their "loved one" for the hundreth time... and I have patient satisfaction scores to balance with my patient that will die that has no family to complain about them....
I've had crap slung at me, patients face painting in their own crap... usually the same ones as I'm given 30 minutes to move someone out to get a crashing one in, and have to leave the crap slinger/painter "as is" to admit a 100 yr old DNR placed on vasopressors with a living will that specifically states not to do this... ALL because the patient can no longer speak for themselves and a weak spinned doc allows it.
Now, put that all in, triple that assignment put me in charge with two new nurses who I'm trying to save from killing thier patients.....
ANYONE, anyone.... think that is worth the $$$$$$$... have my job and bring it on!!!!!!!!
I work this hell because I am an expert at what I do and I love it... because I won't leave... I will either loose my sanity or my nursing license... I'm a betting woman and the sanity is going. So any noobs out there out for the $$$... I say bring them on.... they don't last 6 months in my world and they leave.
This is critical care today... it's not about skill or knowledge, give drinks, smile... put your tray in the up right position before we land... we're high in the sky.
Management is nuts, these scores WILL kill people as the need to please will come before critical thinking... and I promise this... we are going to turn into a third world country with statistics of people dying as we are trying to get NUMBERS up... as this is what the government will reimburse!!!!!!!
Years from now, you'll all believe me, and it will be too late. These last medicaid/medicare changes will lead to patient demise. for now, everyone will just think I'm nuts.
So newbies want to enter this profession for the $$$... LMAO... bring them on in droves... I'll just smile and wave... it's not what they think it is.... and I'm OK with that... 16 years in, been there done that ... burned the T-shirt anyone in for the $$ will be out.
Just don't worry about them, those people, they will all be gone. No amount of money keeps people like me here. No hospital can pay that amount I'm owed for what I do. The money grabbers always leave... trust me:rolleyes:
I wish we had a triple kudos button! Awesome, awesome post!!!!!
I do believe that nursing is very hard work (even from my perspective as a student nurse). I don't think poorly of anyone that is in it soley for money and stability but that doesn't mean that some people aren't in it to primiarily help people. FYI there are some nurses that do work for free I was in a year long volunteer program and had a fellow housemate (BSN prepared) RN who worked for free and she wasn't the only one involved in the nation wide program. Everyone does need a paycheck but people can also be sincerely invested in helping people too.
i'm working on my BSN as a second degree. every time i tell someone that they say, is it because you couldn't get a job? well, yes, that's partly the reason. if i could've gotten a job with my other degree, i probably wouldn't have gone into nursing (at least not so soon). HOWEVER, that doesn't mean that it's not something i will enjoy or be good at. i would never go back to school after already knowing what it's like to get myself into something i didn't have a passion for. humans can do well AND be passionate about more than ONE thing (or profession). i think the cheesiest answer in the world to, "why do you want to be a (fill in the blank)?" is "because i want to help people." of course you have to fluff up the response a little, but "helping people" is not the primary reason people go into ANY profession.
I agree with most of these comments and I appreciate the honesty of my fellow nurses. I started out as a CNA because I needed a job, plain and simple. Realized once I started that I was good at what I do. Went back to school for my nursing license because I figured that if I was gonna stay in healthcare I may as well earn more money. The wonderful thing is that although I fell into nursing for the job and the security, I'm a nurse because I LOVE WHAT I DO and loving what I do is part of what makes me a great nurse. If I hit the lottery big tomorrow, I'd still be a nurse and yes, I'd do it for free...just not full time, lol, and in an area where people couldn't afford basic healthcare. Don't wanna sound preachy, but we all have God given gifts and talents and mine just happens to be taking care of people. So I know I'm blessed to be able to earn a living doing something I love although it ain't always easy!
I agree with most of these comments and I appreciate the honesty of my fellow nurses. I started out as a CNA because I needed a job, plain and simple. Realized once I started that I was good at what I do. Went back to school for my nursing license because I figured that if I was gonna stay in healthcare I may as well earn more money. The wonderful thing is that although I fell into nursing for the job and the security, I'm a nurse because I LOVE WHAT I DO and loving what I do is part of what makes me a great nurse. If I hit the lottery big tomorrow, I'd still be a nurse and yes, I'd do it for free...just not full time, lol, and in an area where people couldn't afford basic healthcare. Don't wanna sound preachy, but we all have God given gifts and talents and mine just happens to be taking care of people. So I know I'm blessed to be able to earn a living doing something I love although it ain't always easy!
i'm taking a CNA class now (my BSN program starts in may) partly because i need a job as you said, and partly because i want to get out on the floor and see if it's something i truly want to do. there's a RN who helps teach the course who became a CNA after she'd graduated and had been working in finance for a few years. she said she became a CNA because she simply needed a job and it was the best thing that ever happened to her. i can tell she really LOVES being a nurse and if it hadn't been for "just needing a job" even though it was a CNA job, we'd have one less great nurse. like i said, people aren't limited to only being good at one thing in life. even if money is the motivator, you can still end up loving the job and being good at it.
I remember speaking to a former co-worker about wanting to become an RN. She said that there were three reasons she wanted to become one: 1) The prestigious "title" 2) Money 3) The more money she made, the more she can gamble. Nowhere did she say that she was in it because she wanted to help people. She dropped out after two weeks in the first semester.
As far as for me, I became an RN because I liked to help people, was interested in the medical terminology and I loved doing procedures. Also, it is an honorable profession and people admire you when they find out that you are a nurse. Even I can't help, but feel admiration whenever I find out that others are nurses as well and I feel proud to be in such company. My long term goal is to go on Missionary trips or join the Peace Corps and use my nursing knowledge and skills to help others. As far as the money, I have to say that I can't imagine going back to half of what I am making now except only if I desperately need it. When I compare nursing with another profession, I see that in nursing you wear a lot of hats and requires constant learning, a lot of patience and dedication and is a very stressing job. Just my .
Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.
i'm working on my BSN as a second degree. every time i tell someone that they say, is it because you couldn't get a job? well, yes, that's partly the reason. if i could've gotten a job with my other degree, i probably wouldn't have gone into nursing (at least not so soon). HOWEVER, that doesn't mean that it's not something i will enjoy or be good at. i would never go back to school after already knowing what it's like to get myself into something i didn't have a passion for. humans can do well AND be passionate about more than ONE thing (or profession). i think the cheesiest answer in the world to, "why do you want to be a (fill in the blank)?" is "because i want to help people." of course you have to fluff up the response a little, but "helping people" is not the primary reason people go into ANY profession.
While you are entitled to your opinion about the "cheesiest answer in the world to, "why do you want to be a (fill in the blank)? is "because i want to help people", but "helping people" is not the primary reason people go into ANY profession." You are wrong. That is EXACTLY why I went into nursing, and I actually know personally others who did for the same reason. I have worked for free more than once, and will do so again. While the paycheck that went along with the paid positions I worked paid bills, NOTHING compared with the payment I received when I was able to help those in need, who could not pay.
I agree it's ok to get into nursing for financial reasons. However, I think that those who go into it because they feel it's some sort of calling will have a higher chance of sticking to nursing and possibly suffer burn out less. People who go into nursing just for the money may decide later down the road that it's just not worth it.
Specializes in Public Health/Disaster Nursing/Community.
I agree with most of these comments and I appreciate the honesty of my fellow nurses. I started out as a CNA because I needed a job, plain and simple. Realized once I started that I was good at what I do. Went back to school for my nursing license because I figured that if I was gonna stay in healthcare I may as well earn more money. The wonderful thing is that although I fell into nursing for the job and the security, I'm a nurse because I LOVE WHAT I DO and loving what I do is part of what makes me a great nurse. If I hit the lottery big tomorrow, I'd still be a nurse and yes, I'd do it for free...just not full time, lol, and in an area where people couldn't afford basic healthcare. Don't wanna sound preachy, but we all have God given gifts and talents and mine just happens to be taking care of people. So I know I'm blessed to be able to earn a living doing something I love although it ain't always easy!
Exactly how I fee;). I do it for free part time, also in an area with little to no healthcare or education and in poverty.
Two main reasons I became a nurse and why I do it for free are because for one, I grew up as daughter of a uneducated and poor single mother in very bad areas. I saw many sad and unessesary things happen to people, especially kids and the elderly due to poor or no heathcare, little to no education, and lack of funds. Even if they might have access to healthcare, there was not enough education to know when to go about seeking it. Unfortunately there were not enough people to provide this care, they were the neighborhoods nobody gave a #### about. People with so much potential and no support. I was once there, my mother was once there. The other reason is because I was always facinated with medicine. Even as a little girl I remember watching medical documentaries and always wanted to know more and more.
It's a career, not a voluntary ministry. However I will say this, those who have no ppl skills or compassion need to steer clear. Some degree of emotional comforting will always be required in this field to be outstanding.
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General E. Speaking, RN, RN
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I wish we had a triple kudos button! Awesome, awesome post!!!!!