2nd thoughts about being a nurse

RNKay31 · Nov 8, 2006

I do have second thought, especially when hard times comes around, but I just brush my self up, and continue, after all this is what I want to do, wishing you the best

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2006

I've been a nurse for 14 years. It's like this for most nurses. Read these boards and you will see what I mean. You can find a more tolerable situation if you look hard enough.

I was so excited that after 4 grueling years of school, I got my BSN. I really thought life would be better, but it stinks. I have been working about 4 months on med/tele. I am so sick of having too many patients, including some unstable ones. I am sick of catty coworkers, rude mDs, demanding families, no respect, overtime, the mone isnt worth the stress, anxiety, depression, grouchiness, no life, I hate this job. I am so mad.........I worked so hard. Nursing isnt what I thought it was, it isnt about caring for patients, its about how hard can u work one person, there is too much work to do, I feel like I am risking my license every day.......I dont want to go to work and when I am at work, I just wannna go home.

BoomerRN · Nov 15, 2006

I felt exactly the same way you did almost 30 years ago when I began my nursing career. I had worked hard to get my degree and had plans to continue my education, but after my first week working as a nurse in a hospital I decided hospital nursing was not for me and that maybe I had made a drastic mistake. It was like I was in a bad dream and couldn't wake up. After a year of hospital nursing I tried working in a doctor's office and found that to be too boring. Then, I tried long term care and after a few months I found that I loved it. You need to try and find your niche. I have a friend who has been working in a major teaching hospital here in town for about a year and she is ready to have a nervous breakdown. She works 3-12 hour and one 8-hour shift a week and often works up to 17 hours a day. Not because she wants to but because she has to (nurses calling in, etc.) She has applied for another job and will be returning to clinical research soon. Both of us have worked in clinical research in the past and have enjoyed these jobs tremendously mainly because of the Mon-Fri., 9-5 schedules, with no holidays or eves. and the independence in decision making, they also pay better than floor nursing. Now, I am in the process of 'researching' a business idea and hope to open up my own business in 2008.

I wish you good luck in your search.

masstudent · Nov 15, 2006

Wow! In reading all of these posts, it makes me wonder if I should be going into nursing. I knew there were a lot of issues and problems but listening to this thread scares me about life after nursing school. Why do nurses stay with their jobs? It sounds to me most stay because they love their patients.

Can someone tell me how much expereince you need to have before you can be a clinical research nurse? I would think you would need at least a year if not two to be a research nurse. Also, it is probably better to get that kind of experience under your belt so that if you decide to leave the clinical side of nursing you will have the experience.

I saw someone mentioned nursing "residencies" (not sure that is the right word). My local hospital offers these and I think they make a lot of sense. Do most teaching hospitals have nursing residencies?

BoomerRN · Nov 15, 2006

You would need to have at least a year of clinical experience before applying for a clinical research position and depending on what area of research you choose, the more experience you have the better. I kind of fell into research accidently. I had a friend who was the coordinator and she hired me even though I had no research experience. As far as 'residencies', I worked at a large teaching school in Ohio right out of nursing school and was enrolled in their "Nurse Internship" program. It was great for a new grad. I was never left entirely alone and I was able to ask questions and go at my own pace for three months. I don't know if this is the same as residency but sounds like it may be.