Missouri RN Survey

RJ---RN · Apr 15, 2007

Glad to help out a student.

Okay here goes:

1. I entered because I thought I could make a difference. Also, my son was critically ill, and I watched the nurses quietly going about their jobs. I was impressed with their professionalism.

2. What I liek about being a nurse is helping. My favorite patient is the critically ill ones - or dying ones. They need us the most.

3. What I don't like is the total lack of respect some professions give us. Some people still believe we are only good for emptying bedpans.

4. NO WAY do I get paid for what I do.

5. I think some docs respect us, but some certainly don't, and I think some are threatened by us.

6. I think I was very prepared when I graduated.

7. Worst situation. 18 year old trauma - carotid out of anatomical position (midline). Carotid artery ruptured X2. Patched once. next time didn't hold

I was standing at the bedside - he threw his hands up and mouthed the words HELP ME, and blew the artery. I pulled his trach, reached down to hold the artery. Called for a surgeon stat. Surgeon came withing seconds, opened his chest right there in the unit.............All over in less than a minute. We were literally covered in blood head to toe. A handsom young man who never had a chance to experience life. This was 30+ years ago, I still think about him when he looked into my eyes.

8. Most rewarding..............seeing my critical patients to home, come back and see us in the unit.

9. New grad should not start in ER. I recommend a year of regular med surg...gets you organized, and introduces you to many things.

10. Leaving nursing????????????????Well, retiring, maybe, but I will NEVER LEAVE. I will ALWAYS BE A NURSE.

I am Female, age 60, Work as epidemiologist for health department. Background as critical care nurse, nursing instructor,

I am a hardway warrior..........LPN to ADN to BSN to Masters.

GOOD LUCK AND CONGRATS ON YOUR UPCOMING GRADUATION!@!!

Welcome to the profession!:welcome:

mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP · Apr 16, 2007

1. I entered because in my previous life, my career was at a standstill and I would never move up in pay or position. I had always pondered the idea of nursing since I was 17. My previous jobs were all similar in aspect to nursing so I decided to just take the plunge and do it.

2. The hours, the patient contact, the teaching aspect. I love to spend time with the kids that are really scared and make them not so scared. I love spending time with our AMI patients and teaching them what we are doing next, what will happen when we ship them out, etc.....

3. The long shifts, the difficult patients and family.

4. No, my pay is one of the lowest in the country.

5. In my 1st real nursing job, no, we were not respected. Where I work now, we have to work so closely with the docs that yes, we are respected.

6. There is nothing to prepare for the real world. Ideally an externship your final semester with some serious 1:1 time with another RN might help transition better but moving from the role of student to RN is challenging.

7. As an ER tech, a 22 week mom with pre-term labor and LOTS AND LOTS of bleeding and the doctor screaming, yelling and throwing stuff at us staff trying to help him. The family was freaking out, the patient was crying. It was horrible. EMS was on scene to transport and they were in shock. The RN was trying her best but the doctor was screaming at her....she freaked out. The 2nd RN had her head almost taken off by a chart that was being thrown. Again...the family was NUTS by this point. Mom then passed out (either from the pain or the chaos). Mom ended up loosing the baby but we did get her transported to another facility to care for her. Doctor got written up, suspended and had to take anger management classes. He is a great doctor though...just doesn't deal well with OB cases.

8. Helping sick people get better. When a family tells me thank you. We we get cards from the family (or flowers...or better yet food). When the EMS staff tells us thank you.

9. I am a new grad in ER. I think with the proper orientation, skill and common sense and new grad can work anywhere. I tried that 1 year of experience before ER and it wasn't for me. My love is working in ER and I can't function in any other capacity well. I thrive on the chaos and need the chaos in order to function. M/S and Tele to me was beyond chaos of any fashion and you just ran around like crazy people all day (night). Not for me.

10. Nope, just started

I am a 33 year old female, I work in a 6-8 bed ED, I've been an RN less than a year (but worked for this facility for 2 years now) and I have an ADN.

KenyaNurse · Apr 17, 2007

1. Why did you enter the nursing profession? Job security,hoping for better pay.

2. What do you like about being a nurse? That you can never be bored. There are so many areas you can work in. You can always try something different.

3. What do you not like about being a nurse? The pay

4. Do you think you get paid what you deserve? No actually I dont think I will ever get paid enough.

5. Do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with? The young docs are fun to work with.They are real respectful.But some of the older docs are yet to change. Thet think I should be kissing their *** if you know what i mean.

6. What do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world?How to cope with nurse aides, doctors and patient's family.They can be a pain sometimes.

7. What is the worst situation you have ever been in?Nothing so bad yet

8. What is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse? Even after the long hours, alot of of hardwork. I always feel so proud when I see a patient that came in so sick has recovered and gone home. The fact that I was part of their care makes my day.

9. Do you think new-grads should start in the ER? I think all new nurses can work anywhere If they belive it and have support.

10. Are you thinking about leaving nursing? I am not sure. I just started you know. One thing for sure is that I am not planning on doing floor nursing for so long.

I am a 23yrs old female with an ASN.I work in critical care and have been an RN for a month.

Good luck n your paper. Hope you join us soon

JaimeeG · Apr 28, 2007

1. I entered the nursing profession after working for 20 years in the medical field in other capacities. I went back and forth between nursing school and PA school but opted for nursing school due to time constraints, travel issues, etc.

2. I love to educate patients and families.

3. Working in Missouri, I don't like the backward ways that things are done, and I certainly don't like the pay!!

4. See #3. The pay in Missouri is insulting to nurses.

5. Where I work, most of our doctors are pretty respectful. As with anywhere, we have a few who are nasty, but we also have some nasty nurses! You get respect when you give respect.

6. I felt prepared to enter the real world of nursing. My preceptorship really allowed me time to adjust and see what it was like to work on the floor.

7. I spent some time working in neurotrauma ICU. The challenges were interesting, but the emotional toll was just more than I could stand.

8. To me, the most rewarding thing about being a nurse is that moment when you feel you have really made a difference in the life of your patient and/or their family.

9. I guess that would depend on the ER and the new grad. Generally, I would say that new grads could really benefit from some floor time. On the floor, you get to practice your skills and learn how to effectively prioritize and delegate. I was 100% against working on the floor right out of school, but I spent a year working neuro step-down, which was a wonderfully valuable experience!

10. I am starting an FNP program next month so I guess I am leaving bedside nursing for the time being. I will be working as a grad assistant, teaching clinical skills to new BSN students, so I won't be doing any hospital work during the next several months or years!

I am a 40-year-old female working in the surgery department now. I have been an RN for 2 years - completed an ADN program, immediately started a BSN program, now starting MSN program in May.

kiddo911crnahopeful · May 13, 2007

1. Why did you enter the nursing profession?

to help others and give myself an interesting job with a lot of different areas to work in

2. What do you like about being a nurse?

talking to people. being a part of the most vulnerable moments in others lives

3. What do you not like about being a nurse?

many patients and families don't understand what we do and how much thought goes into every decision we make. some think we just give shots and bandaids.

4. Do you think you get paid what you deserve?

I would always like to earn more. I took a $10/ hour pay cut when I moved to missouri

5. Do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with?

I think that doctors respect me after i earn that respect. Alot of nurses I have worked with cower and give up their chairs when a physician comes by, I don't think this is the way to earn respect. getting involved in patient care, learning as much as i can about a disease or a medication, advocating for my patient in ways the physician has not thought about, and asking questions when i don't know things are ways to gain respect.

6. What do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world?

How to pick winning lottery numbers

7. What is the worst situation you have ever been in?

there are too many to count. I try not to dwell on the bad ones. that carotid one sounds pretty terrible

8. What is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse?

genuine smiles from patients and families

9. Do you think new-grads should start in the ER?

I started in the ER. I think it was good and bad. There is a lot to learn in the ER. You have to know a little about everything. I learned quickly and got lots of experience with iv's, caths, etc. Working in an ER is hard. If you can survive there, you can do anything.

10. Are you thinking about leaving nursing?

Changing goals, I will soon start CRNA school. I hope to be a nurse for at-least 25 more years, unless I win the lotto.

I am 27 years old, have been a nurse for 5 years, have a bsn, have worked PICU, PEDI ER, Trauma ICU, and ICU FLOAT pool.

kellyskitties · May 15, 2007

1. Why did you enter the nursing profession? Family tradition - I bucked it a long time, then finally gave in and found it is the choice for me too. I just didn't want to admit it.

2. What do you like about being a nurse? When I really truly feel I helped a pt cope or get better. When I achieve something difficult like juggling several bad pts at once with good results or getting a mad mega med pass done efficiently. Or handle a vicous family member with good PR skills and without upsetting the coworkers involved.

3. What do you not like about being a nurse? The idea that I'm a Doctor's handmaiden. The idea that I "just pass meds." Any shift involving CDiff.

4. Do you think you get paid what you deserve? On an easy night, absolutely. When all He!! breaks lose - no amount is enough. Overall, maybe a little underpaid, but I am at one of the best paying facilities in my area.

5. Do you think that nurses are respected by the doctors you work with? Some doctors consistently disrespect the nurses. Others are great. Case by case.

6. What do you wish you would have learned in school to help you in the real world? People skills. It isn't all about medical and medication knowledge. Sometimes it's about saying the right thing to a man who's father is dying and he's mad at the world. Also, time management, should be a whole class on that.

7. What is the worst situation you have ever been in? Being left with a full code pt about to code by the previous shift. THought pt DNR, report was that pt was dying, but omitted that Pt full code! BIG PANIC. Bad outcome.

8. What is the most rewarding thing about being a nurse? When you get it right - really right. As in when you know you made a difference. Whether it's holding hand of dying pt whose family hasn't arrived or when you catch a bad problem early and save a life.

9. Do you think new-grads should start in the ER? NO, I believe in starting in med surg. I know, many don't. I did, I know the benefits. But I'm biased, I like med surg and chose to stay.

10. Are you thinking about leaving nursing? Never, in fact, I'm a glutton for punishment. I'm working on my BSN and plan to stay on med surg for awhile.

Please also include your sex, age, what department you work in, years of experience, and your type of degree (ASN or BSN)? 38, Female, Med surg, 3 yrs, ASN working on BSN.