I've finally decided to become an RN

NightNerd, MSN, RN · Jun 2, 2017

Congrats on the big life choice! Glad to hear you will be shadowing someone.

My answers:

Favorite part of the job - I just really enjoy my patients and my coworkers. I work on a med-surg/tele unit that accepts a lot of psych patients, so between all of that, it is always interesting! I've also found that I like precepting a lot.

Least favorite - I don't love a ton of the really heavy medical stuff. I'm learning that I am more of a psych nurse than anything else. I can do the medical piece, obviously, because it's kind of important, but a rapid response does not do for me what a code green does. Also, I don't like running charge, but an getting used to it.

Hours - I work three 12-hour shifts per week, with some OT thrown in if I feel like it. Usually I don't.

Salary and experience - I'm going on three years of work experience and make $28.26 per hour. This is my second-ish job (long story).

Nights or days - Nights! I haven't worked days, but I feel like there is so much going on that I would have been overwhelmed just starting out; and now I just enjoy nights. It was rough at first, but I found a way to fit it into my life and can still see friends, do stuff, and generally feel like a real member of society. Just takes planning. Also, tack night shift differential onto your salary, then add weekends, charge, and preceptor pay, and it's rather solid money.

Nursing program - I did an accelerated RN and am getting my BSN now, since work is paying for it. I didn't mind the accelerated program. We still got breaks between classes, just not anything like the entire summer or anything. And it was much less expensive to do it this way, which was a big plus for me.

What kind of jobs are you interested in? What do you think you'll want to do eventually?

Zyprexa · Jun 2, 2017

What is your favorite thing about your job? I enjoy my psych patients, my coworkers, problem solving, keeping patients safe, educating patients about their medications, and the little things that make me feel like I'm making a difference.

Least favorite? When we find out that a former patient has committed suicide Knowing that for many of my patients, we're only helping them temporarily and despite our best efforts, they will stop taking their meds again, relapse on drugs/alcohol, etc.

How many days and hours a week do you work? 3 days/week - 12 hr shifts.

How long have you been a nurse and what is your salary? Almost 1.5 yrs, I make around $30/hr with differential (recently got a bonus!)

Do you like the night or day shift better? I like the routine of nights, but physically/mentally I prefer days.

Did you do an accelerated BSN program? If so how was it? No, I went the community college associates in nursing route, then I did an RN-BSN program while working full time as a nurse.

medapop, BSN, RN · Jun 2, 2017

I'm interested in becoming an ER or pediatric nurse. After working for a while I might go back to school to get my master's so I can become a nurse practitioner. One of the main reasons that I'm doing the accelerated program is because it's less expensive like you said.

Zyprexa · Jun 2, 2017

I'm interested in becoming an ER or pediatric nurse. After working for a while I might go back to school to get my master's so I can become a nurse practitioner. One of the main reasons that I'm doing the accelerated program is because it's less expensive like you said.

I don't know if it would work with your school schedule, but being a tech in the ED or pediatric unit might be a great way to get experience and get your foot in the door. There is also the pediatric ED, if you want the best of both worlds :)

Good luck to you!

Black Coffee, MSN, NP · Jun 3, 2017

Before I decided to become a nurse, I did volunteer in a step-down cardiothoracic unit in a medical center for two quarters during college. I was very impressed by the difference nurses make to patients. I saw what nurses do to patients, and I totally can imagine myself doing the same things with great satisfaction. That is the reason why I become a nurse.

What is your favorite thing about your job? Least favorite? I love that I am the one with patients 24/7 365 days a year. I am the one who takes care of them and the first to know if anything is wrong. Patient advocate is one of our job's responsibility. My least favorite thing so far is sometimes I have to work on weekend/holidays, and because of that I miss family/friends events.

How many days and hours a week do you work? I work 3 12-hours shifts every week in an ICU in my local area. I really enjoy my 4 days off. I can go on a mini vacation to Southern CA (I live in Northern CA) anytime I want.

How long have you been a nurse and what is your salary? I am a nurse for almost two years now. I make $70/hour because I live in Northern CA, one of the place that nurses' salary is very high.

Do you like the night or day shift better? I currently work pm shift, and I really like it because I have free time in the morning to run errands when needed, and the pm shift is usually not as busy as am shift. I don't like NOC shift because working night made me very tired even with sleeping a lot during the day.

Did you do an accelerated BSN program? If so how was it? I did do an accelerated BSN program. The program was super intense as it only had 5 semesters, and each semester had approximately 16-18 units. Every year there are gonna be some people falling out of either the 4th or 5th semester (some even fails in the 3rd semester) due to medical-surgical class 2 (5th semester) or pediatric/maternity (4th semester).

Good luck on your future endeavor.

Trauma Columnist · Jun 3, 2017

Moved to prenursing

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jun 3, 2017

I've finally decided that I am going to become an RN. If you look at my previous posts you will see that I've been debating what I should do for a long time now. I'm planning on graduating with my bachelor's degree in health sciences and then doing an accelerated BSN program. I would have changed my major to nursing, but I had just missed the application due date and I would have had to wait another year to apply. I was also only a year away from graduating. I was wondering if any nurses could answer a few questions for me below. It would help me out a lot since I haven't shadowed a nurse yet. I am however hoping to shadow a nurse by the end of the summer.
What is your favorite thing about your job? Least favorite?
How many days and hours a week do you work?
How long have you been a nurse and what is your salary?
Do you like the night or day shift better?
Did you do an accelerated BSN program? If so how was it?
Thanks to everyone that replies!

Twelve hours a day, 36 hours a week. But some folks work 20 shifts in a six week period, which averages out to 40 hours a week. I'm not sure why those extra two shifts make such a MAJOR difference in lifestyle, but they do!

I like rotating. Just when I'm really, really sick of the drama on day shift, I go to nights and it's so much more peaceful. Patients are still sick, but most of the families are gone, management is out of the building and the residents are tucked in somewhere telling war stories about their internships or the (female dog) of a nurse who just saved their bacon when they were about to shock artifact. When I'm sick of trying to sleep in the daytime, out of synch with the rest of the world it's time to go back to days. Best of both worlds. If I had to pick one or the other, I'd pick nights. As a new grad, there's so much more time to figure things out and look things up. As a preceptor, I appreciate that my new grads have so much more time to figure things out and look things up. It helps solidify the teaching I do. Besides, the night crews of most places have stronger teams, better teamwork and order out more often.

I've been a nurse since the late 70s. My salary is just great, thanks.

I haven't done an accelerated BSN -- there was no such animal in my day. I've had senior students and orientees from such programs, and usually they're just great. I've heard it's hard work, really intense and leaves no time for a job.

My favorite thing about the job -- it's interesting, challenging and has flexible scheduling. I've taken lots of trips without using vacation time. I've got a lot of great stories to tell. And I get to make a difference. Can't top that! My least favorite thing -- visitors. (But only in the last two decades -- visitors in my first few decades were more reasonable, respectful and grateful.)