Members are discussing the stress levels and compensation in various nursing specialties. Some members mention that nursing is a practical means to earn a living, while others share their experiences in different nursing roles such as hospice nursing, med/surg, and occupational health nursing. There is also mention of the importance of clinical experience, finding one's niche in nursing, and managing stress through coping mechanisms and self-care.
This is my first post here so bear with me. I am a current RN student and while my main focus right now is finishing the program I am nevertheless interested in finding out more about different specialties from nurses who have been there.
I have yet to decide on a nursing specialty for sure. To be honest money is a big motivator for me..but a post I read from forum member THE COMMUTER really struck me as exaclty how I feel. It stated id rather love my personal life and tolerate my job than tolerate my life and love my job. By this I mean im never going to enjoy work, I mostly enjoy traveling, exploring , cars..etc..(hence money motivated).
So begs the question...what nursing specialty out of the seemingly hundreds...would be very low stress on a daily basis and very good pay ( even if masters level as I have considered the NP route after RN school).
Any suggestions? ( I know im kinda asking for the best of both worlds here but im looking for things closest to what I seek). Thanks in advance everyone.
First step: define what you mean by 'stressful'. Be as specific as possible and write down everything that would make a nursing job 'stressful' to you.
Step two: talk to lots of different nurses (who work in different settings) and ask them what they like/don't like about their jobs. If you can, find people that value the same things you do and find the same types of things 'stressful'.
Step three: write down a description of the kind of work that you would enjoy (NOT the name of a particular job, but a description!) and find interesting and fulfilling based on what you've learned so far. Be specific about things like hours/schedules, responsibilities, patient population, setting, opportunities for growth, demand, etc.
At this point you will probably notice some themes and preferences that will point you in the right direction. Or at the very least, you should be able to eliminate many jobs from consideration that would definitely not suit you.
Just a thought: if you are going on the NP route you could do Family P and work in an urgent care center or clinic. I have a friend who did that, and says she has minimal stress and gets paid very well.
WOW. Still a student and asking for the highest paid, lowest stress job. Perhaps you should obtain your licensure and work in a few areas while you figure that out.
Maybe try being a flu clinic. Yes, we should all strive for a great work-life balance. I do NOT believe that nursing is a calling, but you have to be committed to going above and beyond protocol. If I listened to what is misinterpreted as a "calling", I would actually not be a nurse, particularly because I am a heterosexual male. That's an old school mentality because nursing was historically an extension of a religious origin, which founded many of the hospitals across the country and were run by nuns(which is a calling all within itself).
I am NOT a fan of "in it for the pay"(it is your life, so please keep the mentality.) types because it typically reflects in their work and interaction with colleagues and more importantly, patient care. This creates a less than optimal working atmosphere for all stakeholders. I believe that this is part of the problem with the field and it is not limited to nursing.
Get a job and approach it objectively - you may end up loving it more than you ever imagined...
Specializes in Tele, home care, med surg, dialysis, OB.
First of all, there are no low stress nursing jobs and I've had quite a variety. The position I've settled into and can see myself doing forvever is mother/ baby/nursery. As with all things, to each there own and it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea, however I LOVE, my job, my hours and my pay. My job affords me the perfect home/work balance and consider myself very lucky.
Specializes in Med Surg, Perinatal, Endoscopy, IVF Lab.
FWIW, I do NICU and love it. It's not always low stress but a lot of the time it is. Also, don't pay attention to the student-haters here. Cue the "NETY" threads.
As some have said, it depends on you. Some love OB/PEDS, and I personally detest OB/PEDS. I happen to love hematology/oncology, but many can't stand it. It's a bit stressful, but it is my niche. You have to find what works for you. For me, too easy is BORING and I hate to be bored. For me the perfect shift is a steady pace, but some people love to run the whole time (we call them ER nurses.) YMMV
Specializes in M/S, Pulmonary, Travel, Homecare, Psych..
divobari said:
Maybe try being a flu clinic. Yes, we should all strive for a great work-life balance. I do NOT believe that nursing is a calling, but you have to be committed to going above and beyond protocol. If I listened to what is misinterpreted as a "calling", I would actually not be a nurse, particularly because I am a heterosexual male. That's an old school mentality because nursing was historically an extension of a religious origin, which founded many of the hospitals across the country and were run by nuns(which is a calling all within itself).
I am NOT a fan of "in it for the pay"(it is your life, so please keep the mentality.) types because it typically reflects in their work and interaction with colleagues and more importantly, patient care. This creates a less than optimal working atmosphere for all stakeholders. I believe that this is part of the problem with the field and it is not limited to nursing.
Get a job and approach it objectively - you may end up loving it more than you ever imagined...
Are you aware that historically nursing was a male role? Women who tried to do anything with patients were punished.
It being female dominated, something done by nuns in churches, came much later.
Thanks I rlly appreciate so many perspectives and everything.
I guess one reason for me specifically that low stress is important is that I have some health issues. I am a 30 year old guy but Ive been in the ER 3 times in the last year. Still not sure what the issue is. I think most of it is anxiety ( according to ER doctor) mixed with irregular heart beat and PVCs ( benign according to my cardiologist who told me its absolutely ok to max out my heart even with these issues).
Low stress is important personally for my own health. Thanks again for the replies.
You need to build your nursing skills, critical thinking before you decide on a specialty. Every job has some stress. If you're doing nursing for high pay and low stress, you need to have some experience under your belt. However, I hope that you keep one thing as your priority-your patients!
Yes, we should all strive for a great work-life balance. I do NOT believe that nursing is a calling, but you have to be committed to going above and beyond protocol. If I listened to what is misinterpreted as a "calling", I would actually not be a nurse, particularly because I am a heterosexual male. That's an old school mentality because nursing was historically an extension of a religious origin, which founded many of the hospitals across the country and were run by nuns(which is a calling all within itself).
PVKS
1 Post
First step: define what you mean by 'stressful'. Be as specific as possible and write down everything that would make a nursing job 'stressful' to you.
Step two: talk to lots of different nurses (who work in different settings) and ask them what they like/don't like about their jobs. If you can, find people that value the same things you do and find the same types of things 'stressful'.
Step three: write down a description of the kind of work that you would enjoy (NOT the name of a particular job, but a description!) and find interesting and fulfilling based on what you've learned so far. Be specific about things like hours/schedules, responsibilities, patient population, setting, opportunities for growth, demand, etc.
At this point you will probably notice some themes and preferences that will point you in the right direction. Or at the very least, you should be able to eliminate many jobs from consideration that would definitely not suit you.
Good luck!