Need Honest Opinion -- Would You Recommend Nursing?

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 15, 2009

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!

i know people who were in nusing school just for this reason, spouses who were wreckless with the finances. they kept thinking once they started earning a paycheck, they'd be ok. most are divorced now despite the added income.

my wife and i have a system for taking care of the finances that makes it impossible to get carried away with spending. its hard to do, for me more than her cause i like to aquire things more so than her, but in the long run it keeps us from fighting about things other couples never seem to get past.

Nacki, MSN, NP · Feb 15, 2009

Shodobe,

There is nothing wrong with someone else having different opinions than you. This is a forum and the O.P. wanted opinions from other nurses. Good for you if you've been in this field for 32 years and still enjoy it. Not everyone feels that way. And it does take time to get out of the field, so until then I will keep working as a bedside nurse to pay my bills.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 15, 2009

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.

In a lot of ways this remark reminds me of..........me.........three weeks ago.

There were threads about travel nurses not finding work. Me on the other hand, I was working the best paying travel position I ever had, was going to be there until mid April and loved the unit I am on. I got on my soap box and proclaimed people were being too picky and would find work if they lowered their standards a little.

Some people argued the point with me, and one even convinced me I was being a little blunt about things. But I held me ground, insisted if you cant find work, its because you are picky and unwilling to admit we are in a recession hence should lower your standards a bit.

Later that week, my wife was pulled aside by the DON and told our contracts were being ended early March. The hospital wanted to focus its resources on finding staff nurses and could no longer afford to pay the traveler nurse bill. One hour later, staff was in a meeting, travelers not participating, and she announced travelers were being eliminated and staff nurses would be found. The staff were actually happy, two new GNs started the next week and they felt the revolving door of travel nurses in the hospital was not good for them. Cant say I disagree either.

Point is, you have it good right now. Your salary is much higher than mine, and I am a travel nurse. I sacrifice being with family and friends, live in unsafe neighborhoods and walk into the worst case scenerios to justify my pay. If I didnt like nursing on some degree, I wouldnt be able to do this. And, as a staff member, with staff benefits (vacation time, you pick where you live, security) you still made more than me. Nothing wrong with that, but dont let yourself get the impression that everyone has it so good.

Veteran nurses are being pushed out the door to make room for younger, less qualified or foreign nurses who dont even speak english properly, so the hospital can save $2 an hour. Young nurses are being told they have to sink or swim, the support is not longer there for them to really become aquanted with the intricacies of the profession. Being on the floor alone faster means less training costs, so like it or not, they are on the unit alone. Hospitals with terrible pt. ratios are implementing hiring freezes, telling their staff "If you dont like it, find something better." Nevermind how unsafe the staffing is for the pt. and that anything gained by running the units so short is going to be lost in lawsuits and poor PG scores. And to top it all off, despite now having more pt's to attend to, other deparments are being shorted even more than nursing. Housekeeping, dietary, CNAs and security are all bare bone minimaly staffed. More often than not, the duties they perform are handed to RNs.

See, its a very trying time indeed for nurses. I could not be any happier for you that your facility has not begun to show signs of the recession yet. Thank God someone is not wondering if they will lose their home or telling their kids assistance with the college bills is out of the question right now. But it would be foolish of you to assume it is that way for everyone. Putting the blame for poor moral on the nurses who are decideing these times are just aksing too much of them is not wise.

sunray12 · Feb 15, 2009

18 months out of nsg school a disoriented post-op pt unexpectedly tried to get OOB while I was setting up his IV. Luckily I was able avoid a fall by grabbing him and easing him to the floor. Unluckily for me the 'physical' nature of nursing that day caused a permanent back injury. The injury flares up and causes me extreme pain when I lift over 25 lbs. No class in proper lifting and "body mechanics" could have prepared for what to do when alone in a room with a disoriented belligerent obese male pt who very suddenly tried to get OOB and started to fall.
I firmly believe that people need to make their own career choices. Personally I'd be better off if I'd gone with the career choices the poster above mentioned, a CEO or MBA. To me one of the problems is that nsg is extremely hard work with a heavy amount of responsibility day in and day out. You really can't afford to have an 'off day' (when you're not at full capacity), like you can in other jobs. In my hospital when census is low and it looks like we might have an easy shift they send one of us home. I'm currently looking for a job or line of work that is a little less stressful.

It sounds like you need to look more closely into what being a CEO and a MBA involves. If you think you have heavy responsibilities now as a nurse then CEO or MBA or CEO who happens to have an MBA definitely is not for you. Nurses clock out at the end of their shifts. I see people here complaining that they often end up working past the end of their shifts but ultimately they do end up going home when they finish whatever it is they're supposed to be doing. There is no cut off like that when you're a CEO. I see people here who say they don't answer their phones on their days off in order to avoid being asked to come in to fill a shift. There are no shifts when you're a CEO - or rather every hour of the day everyday of the week is your shift and you don't get to ignore phone calls - ever. MBA's tend to work most hours of the day most days of the week. Nothing wrong with switching fields if that's what you want to do - but people should keep in mind that if they feel that nursing is too much then just about any other profession will be too much as well.

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Feb 15, 2009

Nope, I wouldn't recommend it.

RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN · Feb 15, 2009

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?

I'll say to you, do what you want. Don't let other's discourage from what you truly want.

This is one lesson I can share with you from personal experience.

I wanted to go to nursing school in my 20s and was discouraged just as you are.

I was hearing how awful the profession was, how rude doctors are, how rude pts can

be, etc. So, I went on to do several other various jobs here and ther and was only happy

with these jobs for a short time. Never made that much money either, at the most,

probably $15/hr. To this very day, I despise the RN acquaintance that discouraged

me from pursing nursing, I would have been a nurse much sooner, and possibly even

pursued higher education in the medical field.

Twenty years later, I decided nursing is something I wanted to accomplish.

I went back to school and obtained my degree. It's a wonderful accomplishment in my opinion.

I love nursing. It's very hard work and in my opinion, I don't believe our profession is paid

near enough. But it is something that I wanted, something that I wanted to learn for myself

without having other people tell me how bad it is or whatever they had to say about it.

I can tell you that nursing has it's moments. There are some days I ask myself why I ever

started this career. And then there are other days, I feel like I really made a difference in

somebody's life and I come home feeling very proud to be a nurse.

Don't make the same mistake I did by listening to someone elses opinion

of nursing. If you have a desire to go to nursing school, then go. Don't listen to what other's have to say.....form your own opinion! And Good luck!!

angel337, MSN, RN · Feb 15, 2009

It sounds like you need to look more closely into what being a CEO and a MBA involves. If you think you have heavy responsibilities now as a nurse then CEO or MBA or CEO who happens to have an MBA definitely is not for you. Nurses clock out at the end of their shifts. I see people here complaining that they often end up working past the end of their shifts but ultimately they do end up going home when they finish whatever it is they're supposed to be doing. There is no cut off like that when you're a CEO. I see people here who say they don't answer their phones on their days off in order to avoid being asked to come in to fill a shift. There are no shifts when you're a CEO - or rather every hour of the day everyday of the week is your shift and you don't get to ignore phone calls - ever. MBA's tend to work most hours of the day most days of the week. Nothing wrong with switching fields if that's what you want to do - but people should keep in mind that if they feel that nursing is too much then just about any other profession will be too much as well.

i agree with you. its funny when you hear people complain about how bad they have it because EVERYONE thinks they have it bad. my friends with business degrees envy my career because i am able to leave work at work and my living isn't dependent on if sell or don't sell something. or if i do or don't go to dinner with my boss. the bottom line is no job is perfect and when i do meet people (which is far and few apart) that enjoy their careers i am shocked. everyone complains, no one is satisfied and thinks the next guy has it better. working with sick people does not spell easy for me. i knew that it would be a challenging career and when people ask me about the nursing profession, especially bedside, i am brutally honest. i let them know yes, you will take care of people at their worst....cancer, AIDS, dying, the whole works. you need to know that isn't easy, families are stressed, demanding and under normal circumstance probably are nice people and they will take their frustrations out on the staff, and that doesn't make it right. bedside nursing for the most part is not m-f. you will be expected to work weekends and holidays. can you handle that?? are you prepared to get dirty?? can you respect people that are not respecting you just to make them happy?? people need to have their eyes wide open when considering this career. would i recommend it? for the most part, yes as long as you aware of what you are getting into.

djc1981 · Feb 16, 2009

Thanks for everyones replies! Certainly gives me things to think about.

NTPinky · Feb 16, 2009

I'd say "no" as well. More importance is placed on charting than actually caring for patients, and I'm sorry to say that there are many nurses out there with horrible attitudes who make life very unpleasant for everyone else, at least in my experience. And considering the many stresses of our work, we are DESPERATELY underpaid.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2009

I'd say "no" as well. More importance is placed on charting than actually caring for patients, and I'm sorry to say that there are many nurses out there with horrible attitudes who make life very unpleasant for everyone else, at least in my experience. And considering the many stresses of our work, we are DESPERATELY underpaid.

Oh my. I worked at a facility that was trying to aquire magnet status. Whoa......paperwork is THE ONLY THING that mattered. Dont worry about the guy who cant breathe down the hall, cross those T's and dot those I's on the form for this other pt. I was beside myself at the lack of prioritiseing skills at this place. Nurses would ignore a critical change in condition, but get stressed about a pair of socks left off the "pt. belongings" form.

Effie, RN · Feb 16, 2009

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?

i would absolutely recommend you go into nursing if you have experienced what it is about and know that it is something that will be rewarding to you for reasons other than just money. this has been a thread subject at other times and imo this is one big reason why people get out of nursing: if you are only in it for the $$, you will not put up with the bad days. i've been doing it full time for 32 years and yep, i've had bad days. yep, i've been hit, spit on, etc, etc, etc. but the mental challenge and rewards far outweigh all that stuff. there are so many directions you can go with a nursing degree and if you continue your education you just continue to grow. my cup of tea has never been management so i try to stay away from that but if you like that kind of stuff you can get a ms in healthcare managment and go in any number of directions. if you find you really like the or/anesthesia stuff, get your msn/crna. i could go on and on. but the poster who recommended that you shadow a nurse was right or you could work as a cna for a while. back in the dark ages when i did it, nas weren't certified. i did that in high school and all thru nursing school and always felt that i was better prepared than the students in my class who never set foot in a hospital except for clinicals.

good luck to you, whatever you choose. we need more nurses, but only if they want to be nurses! :up:

Effie, RN · Feb 16, 2009

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 malpractice insurance 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.

:igtsyt:imo, this is mostly speaking to a larger issue. if you look at any survey of "trusted professionals" including the latest, nurses are right up there at the top. yet it is only now becoming generally recognized around the world that violence (physical and verbal) against healthcare workers is a huge problem. to my knowledge, only two countries have addressed this issue legislatively: great britain and australia. we as nurses all need to join our professional organizations and work hard to get this problem addressed in this country too. it is a travesty that something which would be recognized as assault if it happened in the street is not even reported if it happens to a nurse in a healthcare facility. (stepping down off the soapbox now.)