Ok, try not to get too angry. I've been on this looking at posts on this site for a couple of months now and I hear "there are easier ways to make money than nursing/NP/CRNA." My question is: are there really?
Nurses start off at a higher salary than most other professions. Sure, that salary doesn't increase much unless you take on specialties, get certifications, go on and get an MSN, etc., but it's still good money. When I think of people that make a lot of money, I think of lawyers, doctors, and business executives. Lawyers go through an EXTREMELY competitive law school, then, if they're good enough, get scooped up by a big firm and may one day make partner and start making insane money...or they stay stuck in their same position for the rest of their career.Doctors don't really start making money until their mid-30s (assuming good money management/debt repayment). Business executives also need to be working a LOT. For example, the higher-ups in accounting firms need to be working most of the time; it's not uncommon for them to work 16 hour days.
Some of you might think that owning a business would bring in good money, and it would, if you're willing to put in A LOT of work. With your own business, you have to be "on-call" every hour of every day. Also, most small businesses fail, and if you're lucky to not fail, then you'll eventually have a Wal-Mart or McDonalds undercut you in price until you're forced out of business (which is ruthless, but great strategy).
Now, with nursing, you have good job security and relatively good money. Yes, lots of nurses are underpaid, but pretty much everyone who has a job feels the same way. Becoming an advanced practice nurse only highers your income and marketability. Sure, it's challenging becoming one, but the pros outweigh the cons here.
My point: I don't think there are really any EASIER ways to make money than going into healthcare; making money is difficult and time-consuming no matter how you want to go about it. Like the saying goes, if it were easy, everyone would do it.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
OY... so interest in people and/or medicine, getting satisfaction from being of use to someone else, interest in science and health- that was less important than get out of school and bring home a check???
Sad....very sad
I don't really care what motivates someone to go into nursing. As long as they do their job well and the patients get good care, what does it matter?
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
we've had several arguments about this very subject, over the years.
and there are many nurses who proclaim to be excellent nurses, despite their goal to make money.
believe it.:)
leslie
And they are probably very capable of doing so. I don't remember taking any vow to live in penury when I became a nurse. Of course it's realistic to expect to be compensated well for doing your job. Altruism won't pay your bills.
Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.
My point: I don't think there are really any EASIER ways to make money than going into healthcare; making money is difficult and time-consuming no matter how you want to go about it. Like the saying goes, if it were easy, everyone would do it.
Anyone agree?
Everything you wrote is true.
However nursing is one of the most physically demanding professions.
Why is it that "IMHO" is usually preceeded by one or several arrogant, chesty comments??!!!??! Humble oppinion my foot!!
Why are the comments "chesty" (would that be "cheesy"??? )- simply because you disagree? Why can't it be my opinion- you don't know what I'm thinking. :) The "humble" is simply polite- nothing more. Why is that hard to deal with? Going after my intent is the same as saying that you have absolutely no insight on any matter (my opinions, that's true- you don't know me)... and that would be ridiculous.... Let me guess- you have the ONLY correct opinion here
OY... so interest in people and/or medicine, getting satisfaction from being of use to someone else, interest in science and health- that was less important than get out of school and bring home a check???
Sad....very sad
Not sad at all, just practical. We all have bills to pay. I switched to nursing for the reasons you listed, plus the paycheck. I like being able to pay my mortgage each month without stressing about where the money's going to come from. Maybe that makes me a bad nurse in some nurses' eyes. I'm OK with that.
Not sad at all, just practical. We all have bills to pay. I switched to nursing for the reasons you listed, plus the paycheck. I like being able to pay my mortgage each month without stressing about where the money's going to come from. Maybe that makes me a bad nurse. I'm good with that.
Exactly !! You want to deal with people also-- not just a means to an end.... I see a big difference between that and just being there for a check. Of course people need to make a living :) I wasn't knocking making money- I'm knocking being a nurse ONLY because of the paycheck... the patients deserve more (but the money-only folks don't care, so not point in even trying to have a discussion- lol- it wasn't the best thing to try and make a point known with someone who doesn't have any regard for the human....
But what you said makes perfect sense.... JMHO (even if nobody believes it )
It's incredibly obvious that my point isn't understandable to most folks-
Exactly !! You want to deal with people also-- not just a means to an end.... I see a big difference between that and just being there for a check. Of course people need to make a living :) I wasn't knocking making money- I'm knocking being a nurse ONLY because of the paycheck... the patients deserve more (but the money-only folks don't care, so not point in even trying to have a discussion- lol- it wasn't the best thing to try and make a point known with someone who doesn't have any regard for the human....
But what you said makes perfect sense.... JMHO (even if nobody believes it )
It's incredibly obvious that my point isn't understandable to most folks-
I see what you're saying now. I did misunderstand you at first. I can't imagine doing anything ONLY because of the paycheck. That would make for a miserable life.
Really? Lighten up. You're assuming a lot about the OP from just a few sentences? Your post came across to me as really condescending. It's totally ludicrous to judge someone for their reasons to enter a profession. It's not like nursing is some holy religious Order that only the select few perfect saints can join.
It wasn't my intent to be condescending at all.. I apologize for that. :) And OK - if it sounded judgmental, fine- it's just very obvious when dealing with nurses who don't care about patients- they come across as cold and cruel... THAT does stir me up. I've met MANY. And thank God (no pun intended) that nursing isn't only for "saints"... we'd have none
Wow, long post. Very interesting, though. What you quoted from me is an opinion. It was worded poorly and sounds like I'm barking a command, but it was an opinion. I'm not telling anyone how to live their lives.
I don't think that people who don't make money are "inferior." I understand that people are dealt different hands in life, I consider myself very lucky to have been dealt a good one. I won't waste it.
Being content is different than being happy. Complacency is what prevents people from getting what they want. Being happy takes hard work. Being content is easier. Everyone has their own definitions of happiness, but I can't say I know many that are doing the work required to achieve it.
I'm not pursuing perfection, I'm pursuing excellence. Trying to be perfect is impossible, trying to be [your version of] excellent is incredibly hard, but entirely possible. Being happy is just as hard. Why? People ALWAYS want more. I find it hard to believe that you say "I didn't want more. What I had was enough." It's human nature to want what you can't have. It's not shallow. Say, for example, you had been able to spend more time with your parents, well it's a trade off: you wouldn't have had a nice house, or nice things. Had you grown up in that environment, you would have wanted more money growing up. It doesn't make you shallow, it makes you human. I don't mean any of that as offensive, I'm just trying to make a point.
Also, someone who works for money can be good at their job. I don't want to be a bad nurse, how would I advance my career? And no, I won't always be a staff nurse, but while I am, I'll be the best I can be.
Yes, I am young. I don't think I have some unattainable, shallow view of life, however.
OK- I think I understand what you're saying much better :) And yes- striving for excellence in any job is great ! (I have a great deal of appreciation for the folks who bag my groceries and don't smash the bread or put wet fresh meat/poultry packages on my produce- sounds kind of dumb- but I really do appreciate the ones who take the time to do it well).
I think my reasons for being able to be content (or happy) with what I have is that I was able to do many things when I was younger and my health wasn't so bad. I can be happy and content with what I have , because I know that my ability to have more is limited. And while that may sound unbelievable, it's also my reality :)
I can see where being happy can take hard work- but sometimes the work is mental, when the physical options are gone. Being content can be difficult....both are choices :) I don't always look for what else is out there to get... I don't have an iPod, didn't have a computer for 2 years - this was an incredible gift a couple of months ago (and I would have liked to have the computer but couldn't afford one- but I came to terms with that, and found other ways to stay busy- I have no other contact with people besides doctors appointments- and phooey on that !!). My car is a 1998 model. I have a pair of shoes that is 30 years old, and still very wearable (and not just to the dumpster!). For me, if I'm content with what I have, I'm never disappointed. There are times when I might get a steak or something else at the grocery store that is a luxury... and I appreciate it a lot.
And, true- being young doesn't make your views shallow or unattainable- not at all.... you're just very fortunate to not have had to alter your views and plans. It really stinks to have to quit doing what you love- and something you love for the satisfaction you get, not just for the check every 2 weeks. :)
I don't really care what motivates someone to go into nursing. As long as they do their job well and the patients get good care, what does it matter?
You never see this silly debate about CPAs.
CPAs aren't expected to care about people- just the numbers
In oncology, don't you think that caring about what you do is critical to being able to keep doing it? The 6 weeks I spent as an inpatient on neutropenic precautions, and 10 weeks of M-F 4-hour tele monitoring for orificenic (AML- subtype 3) were much more "pleasant" because the nurses had the capacity to convey compassion....They made a really difficult and uncertain time as decent as they possibly could. I never felt like a trivial sideline to getting paid. :)
On the other hand, in an ED at a different hospital, the nurses were despicable. Their disdain and sometimes cruelty were unbelievable. And it wasn't just a few. Because of my insurance at the time, and having EMS called by my employer or someone else, I didn't have a say about going there- but if anybody asks, I'm glad to give them example after example of their total disinterest in patients (and I never asked for anything!! ) . They made assumptions and judgements with NO attempts to get the whole story. It was painfully (sometimes literally, physically) obvious that they could care less about the human side of nursing. And many of their callous choices were dangerous.
And they are probably very capable of doing so. I don't remember taking any vow to live in penury when I became a nurse. Of course it's realistic to expect to be compensated well for doing your job. Altruism won't pay your bills.
It's not about altruism.... Could you keep dealing with vomiting, dying, GI bleed, crazy families, etc on oncology if you cared ONLY about the money? Oncology is incredibly stressful- and from what I saw (and from watching my mom w/bilateral breast CA, lung and brain mets) you deal with something that can't be 'fixed' ...FEAR.... you get this a lot more than SOME other specialties (please no flames from NICU, high risk mother-baby, peds, etc). Is there a big enough paycheck for that?
Of course people should be paid for doing a good job (and not just annual increases for showing up).
BTW, the OP cleared up a lot w/a follow up to my reply- hopefully what we were both trying to say is more clear :) I don't want anybody to be a nurse for a crappy life !!
Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.
OP, I get what you are saying, but let me offer you a different POV:
My dad was an attorney. He worked WELL over 16 hours a day for several years in order to make partner. My 3 brothers and I rarely saw him. Yes, we lived in a nice house, and we had the finer things in life. What good is it if you have nice things and can't ever leave work to ENJOY these nice things? When he was home, he immediately went to his office to prepare for the next day. When we were on vacation, he was reviewing depositions. Dad became a stranger to us. We would rather have spent more time with him and done without the extra things that didn't really matter to us as kids.
Along with more money comes more problems. Believe it or not...it is true. Dad trusted his financial counselor in making sound investments. Turns out that our family lost almost everything in the stock market crash of 1987. One day, the hot water heater broke in our gorgeous, well appointed house. We had to take cold showers for almost 4 months because we couldn't afford to get behind in monthly bills, and since my older brother just went off to college, tuition HAD to be paid for. It was a difficult time.
Because of this experience, I get really paranoid when my emergency fund gets below the equivalent of 5 months of bills. It was a harsh lesson, but it taught me to be very vigilant about investments, emergency funds and budgeting.
Back to your point, OP...yes, the healthcare industry is a great place to work. There will always be a need to have health care providers as long as people exist. Nursing is a wonderful profession, because it serves so many purposes; you get a nice paycheck, you can add certifications/specializations, climb a clinical ladder, get more education (sometimes your employer will cover part of the cost, depending on the hospital), and continue to grow as a nursing professional. In addition, nursing provides a sense of industriousness and accomplishment in day to day life.
Being on both sides of rich/poor, I can definitely say that I would choose to have less money and more fulfilling experiences than to be wealthy and live in a gilded cage.
)- simply because you disagree? Why can't it be my opinion- you don't know what I'm thinking. :) The "humble" is simply polite- nothing more. Why is that hard to deal with? Going after my intent is the same as saying that you have absolutely no insight on any matter (my opinions, that's true- you don't know me)... and that would be ridiculous.... Let me guess- you have the ONLY correct opinion here 
OCNRN63, RN
5,979 Posts
I don't really care what motivates someone to go into nursing. As long as they do their job well and the patients get good care, what does it matter?
You never see this silly debate about CPAs.