Need Honest Opinion -- Would You Recommend Nursing?

Nurses General Nursing

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I've had an alarming amount of working RNs trying to persuade me from becoming a nurse. At first I just brushed it off as a fluke - thinking they were either new, burnt out, etc. But they seem to be from all walks of life. They all say that I'm "too smart" for nursing and that if I can do it, do something else. They say the lack of support, respect, from the public, administration isn't worth any monetary rewards and that it quickly gets old and the understaffed hours are long. They also said that while the pay is nice in the beginning compared to some college majors, the salary cap is reached quite quickly and that if I pursued a MBA ( my other option), the opportunites and potential salary rewards after working a while are higher. If someone came to you and asked your honest opinion, would you recommend a person to go into nursing?

Specializes in Author/Business Coach.

Nope. I wouldn't advise it to anyone. I've been in nursing for 10 years...2 as a CNA and 8 as a nurse.

My biggest problem is the disrespect I recieve from people. I'm tired of the disrespect I encounter by families and patients on a continuing basis. This type of treatment wears on a person mentally...I went to college for my degree and I want to get the respect I deserve.

There's sooo much more, but I don't have the time to list it all.

Specializes in Author/Business Coach.

Nope. I'm tired of the disrespect I recieve from the patients and families.

Specializes in Med Surg/Ortho.

This thread is a little discouraging. That being said, I still want to be a nurse, and I will tell you why. Right now I am a vet tech. I work at an emergency/specialty hospital doing ER and ICU. I love it, most of the time it is great. But there is little room for advancement, or specializing. And in 8 years, I am only making $2 more an hour than when I started. I am used to working long hours, with little or no breaks. Working weekends, nights and holidays are common for me. I do physical work every day. It is stressful, and challenging. I do everything from triage, to ICU treatments, radiology, lab work and assisting with (and performing anesthesia on) minor surgical procedures.

As a nurse, I will make double what I make, possibly 3 times as much. My mother is a nurse and makes over $65,000 a year...full time I barely make $20,000. I do well under pressure, and don't mind hard work. I find medicine and science challenging and exciting, and look forward to learning about the human body...the similarities and differences. I like the idea of being able to specialize, and change that specialty if it doesn't fit me. Plus, I would love to get my master's, or apply to CRNA school. Maybe even teach. The possibilities are endless.

I know it won't be an easy journey, but for me, I think I will like it. And that it will be worth the struggle and hard work.

I have to echo the sentiments of those here about the disrespect issue. I've been a nurse now for about 18 months and I'm just shocked by it. Not to mention the disrespect and quick to judge mentality of nurses against each other - I mean -- I just don't get it. Nurses definitely do not coddle each other, and very few will provide you any type of emotional support if you need it.

I think you have to decide for yourself if you have the personality type that can withstand all of this. PLEASE go work as a CNA for a while and see for yourself what it's like. Do it for a year or so and ask the nurses themselves how it is. Maybe you are the type that could withstand it, and maybe you are not. Many seem to stick with it and love it -- so maybe things don't bother them as much.

Don't get yourself into it without exploring it first. I have spent five years now messing with it, and although I'm working now and earning the paycheck, I am wishing SO badly that I'd spent the time perhaps studying and entering a different field -- even work as a secretary would have been better and I would have perhaps been earning even more. Now, at least until I repay my obligation to the hospital, I feel very stuck. I also feel like everyday there is the possibility I will either a. be abused by a pt or family, to the point of literally losing my life

or b. making a huge error that will result in someone else losing their life and/or me losing ALL of my livelihood and life savings. I mean - WHAT career is worth this?

I am venting today because my last day at work I was very much abused by one of those little old demented ladies. She was grabbing at me, yanking at my nametag, trying to rip off my stethescope, and scratching me with her long nails -- she was HORRIDLY wicked and verbally abusive to me and anyone who came near her, all the while we were just trying to provide the care to her she NEEDED. The family members were absent, the doc didn't even seem to care -- just left her to US to deal with -- and she's no doubt STILL there on our floor, just being a total demented demon to everyone.

And by caring for her, I was so flustered I made a med error on someone else. It was 4 a.m. and I think I just was at my total wits end. As for my co-workers, they were too busy w/ their own issues to care. Some helped, but most just didn't have the time. I ended up staying 2 hrs past my shift dealing with my med error, entering it on an "incident' report."

Personally, I am just biding my time, clutching my policy, and waiting until I can move to something else. But that's just me . . . other folks are made for it, perhaps. I don't know.

Sorry to vent, but I do feel I'm doing folks a favor by being honest about it, and not trying to sugar coat it. It is what it is -- and you have to decide for yourself if you're calling outweighs all of the negatives. For me it doesn't and I want out of bedside nursing as soon as possible, or, at the very least, I defintely want out of this med surg adult care world. I feel I've given my time to it, paid my dues, and now someone else can fill my shoes and do it -- I feel as if I've been in a war of sorts, and it's time to come "home" to peace and tranquility. :cry:

I have to agree with the majority of posts on here. The only saving grace to nursing is that even despite the economic situation we are in, you will always be able to get a job as a nurse. Thats it, sums it up. I went back to school after getting my bachelors and I dont regret it but I hate the job. Really, its only been 2 years as an RN and I would tell anyone considering it to really research like you are b/c the pay in relation to the work load is not that great like everyone seems to think. Hate to be so negative but you asked:) Good luck!

Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.

document.png Re: Need Honest Opinion -- Would You Recommend Nursing?

I have to echo the sentiments of those here about the disrespect issue. I've been a nurse now for about 18 months and I'm just shocked by it. Not to mention the disrespect and quick to judge mentality of nurses against each other - I mean -- I just don't get it. Nurses definitely do not coddle each other, and very few will provide you any type of emotional support if you need it.

I've touched on that before, it seems in nursing, when people get stressed, the first thing they do is start pointing out everything they can find wrong with their co-workers. Its like that famous painting of a two-headed snake fighting and eating itself.

People will never learn. They dont get it that in the short term, this behavior might give you a sense of rightousness and relief, but in the long term it is very damaging to the profession. Take a look at the thread "Fired For No Reason" and you'll get a good picture of how popular nurse bashing is among nurses.

Now we find ourselves in a recession, and hospitals are returning to the good old days of abusing nurses to make an extra buck or two. Outrageous ratios, call in days, cancellations with no reimbursement, a hiring freeze despite being short nurses, a freeze on wage increases and in some cases, wage deductions. I'm sure the hospital feels just fine with itself doing these things. Heck, nurses are worthless and stupid, just ask any other nurse and they will tell you. Too many people just can not resist the urge to take their frustrations out on each other. It is impossible for them to pass up an opportunity to point out how inferior their co-workers are because somehow, in their minds, that equates to being superior. Thats been nursing's problem from the gate, and decades later, not a thing has changed.

Its like a friend of mine used to say:

"Ever hear the phrase give them enough rope and they will hang themselves? With nursing the phrase is........give them five minutes to talk and they will hang themselves."

Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

It is so nice to know so many of you are so depressed about nursing. I would suggest all of you should look into something else than nursing. I like the fact I make $50/hr for something I find interesting an challenging even after all these years. Sure, you all want your MBA or a CEO of something, but you would be in the same boat fighting with all of the other out of work MBAs in these financial days. The problem with a lot of you is location and timing. There are a lot of areas around the country that has an over abundance of nurses and this should be addressed. There are quite a number of states that allow too many foreign nurses in that are taking away jobs of US grads. Let's face it, until this issue is taken care of, all you are going to read about is, "I can't find a job !" Then we can start to weed out those who really don't want to be nurses anymore and can go out and struggle with the rest of corporate America.

It is so nice to know so many of you are so depressed about nursing. I would suggest all of you should look into something else than nursing. I like the fact I make $50/hr for something I find interesting an challenging even after all these years. Sure, you all want your MBA or a CEO of something, but you would be in the same boat fighting with all of the other out of work MBAs in these financial days. The problem with a lot of you is location and timing. There are a lot of areas around the country that has an over abundance of nurses and this should be addressed. There are quite a number of states that allow too many foreign nurses in that are taking away jobs of US grads. Let's face it, until this issue is taken care of, all you are going to read about is, "I can't find a job !" Then we can start to weed out those who really don't want to be nurses anymore and can go out and struggle with the rest of corporate America.

Yo, shodobe, I'm fine. But would I recomend this to someone? I didn't say, did I.

Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

I just have no patience with these individuals that spout so much negative opinions. They should just move on and make room for those who want the work. Not sure if I directed anything directly towards you, sorry if it appeared that way. I went back and re-read your post and found it to be to the point and nothing like some of the others. I still hold the opinion that if you don't like something, don't do it and found something you like.doing.

I still hold the opinion that if you don't like something, don't do it and found something you like.doing.

Well, that is exactly what I plan to do -- find something else. It might take a while, but I will.

And nursing will be left as it is -- in constant flux having to continuously spend more money to train my replacement. Hopefully whoever comes behind me will be able to withstand it better than I could. :o

Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

No I wouldn't recommend nursing. I've done it a many years and based on my experiences, I'd urge prospective students to run to another career. It's the bad attitudes, insensitive (and poor) management, abusive patients, abusive coworkers, long hours, ever-present threat of being mandated for an extra shift due to constant sick calls that form this opinion of mine.

Specializes in A myriad of specialties.
i just have no patience with these individuals that spout so much negative opinions. they should just move on and make room for those who want the work..... i still hold the opinion that if you don't like something, don't do it and found something you like.doing.

unfortunately i do not make the $50/hr that you make. i cannot afford to leave nursing because 1) i'm a bit too old to start something new, 2) i have too many financial responsibilities and 3) a husband who likes to spend money faster than i make it! just counting the years till retirement, about 5-7 years now i think!

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