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About to start BSN but I am very scared. All I hear everyday is how this will drain me of all energy, I will be tired all the time and this is a bad proffesion.

is this true?

Do you regret becoming a BSN nurse?

NOADLs works in a fantasy unit where HE does not (and admittedly WILL NOT) clean up BM, ambulate patients to the restroom or do other ADL cares. The actual reality is that the majority of nurses (charge nurses included) all help patients with ADLs, to/from the restroom and clean up BMs when necessary. NOADLs will hide away somewhere and play candy crush, not my idea of a role model "charge nurse".

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About to start BSN but I am very scared. All I hear everyday is how this will drain me of all energy, I will be tired all the time and this is a bad proffesion.

is this true?

Do you regret becoming a BSN nurse?

I regret getting my BSN, because to-date, it has done ZERO for my income. I learned no-more in school about nursing than an ADN, and it has cost me 2 years of productive work-time and introduced me to more "class warfare" where the university tries to get you to look down on ADN's to help "sell" their BSN program. SO, yes, I DO regret my BSN.

That said, I have not felt drained of all energy, I am not tired all the time, nor do I feel that nursing is a bad profession. I feel that the way some hospitals treat their staff is bad. I think that a lot of healthcare legislature is stupid and damaging. But I do not think the profession itself is inherently bad. The key to avoiding emotional burn-out is to find a facility that values its employees.

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NOADLs works in a fantasy unit where HE does not (and admittedly WILL NOT) clean up BM, ambulate patients to the restroom or do other ADL cares. The actual reality is that the majority of nurses (charge nurses included) all help patients with ADLs, to/from the restroom and clean up BMs when necessary. NOADLs will hide away somewhere and play candy crush, not my idea of a role model "charge nurse".

He is being honest. I know of facilities who do fit his description. The flip side of the coin is that many of those facilities have real issues, and charge nurse positions are dirty political animals and career sabotage is the name of the game, and so on. It's not necessarily something I would personally want. YMMV, but I do believe he is being honest from his POV, based on what I've also seen.

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Specializes in Neuro, Ortho, Med/Sur.

First, it's a great profession for the right person. That applies to both being a nursing student as well as being a nurse. I finished my BSN in December and just finished my first year as a floor nurse at a large urban hospital. There are a lot of differences between being a student and being a hospital nurse that doesn't get covered in school. While you are a student, you are juggling the coursework, studying for tests and attending clinicals. I found it all-consuming time-wise but very rewarding. You make some good friends and you learn how to manage your time really well.

As for work - 12 hour shifts (day or night) are bone-weary but when you walk out the hospital door you are leaving your work behind. Your time home is spent as you want - family oriented, exercise oriented, hobby oriented. All these were sacrificed while I went to school.

If you really want to work with people, feel a great deal of satisfaction for your efforts and make a difference in other people's lives, can stand the physical abuse your body will take, love to be challenged - then continue on and become a nurse. Good luck!

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I have never regretted a minute of any of my education or my several careers in nursing.

Education is a companion which no misfortune can depress, no crime can destroy, no enemy can alienate,no despotism can enslave. At home, a friend, abroad, an introduction, in solitude a solace and in society an ornament.It chastens vice, it guides virtue, it gives at once grace and government to genius. Joseph Addison

English essayist, poet, & politician (1672 - 1719)

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
NOADLs works in a fantasy unit where HE does not (and admittedly WILL NOT) clean up BM, ambulate patients to the restroom or do other ADL cares. The actual reality is that the majority of nurses (charge nurses included) all help patients with ADLs, to/from the restroom and clean up BMs when necessary. NOADLs will hide away somewhere and play candy crush, not my idea of a role model "charge nurse".

I'm just being brutally honest here. A couple of years ago I was offered and eventually accepted a charge nurse position. I took the position to reduce the amount of face-time (and code browns) with patients and their unrealistic family members.

Two years later, the position is still delivering what I want: a sharp reduction in the amount of hands-on patient care.

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I'm just being brutally honest here. A couple of years ago I was offered and eventually accepted a charge nurse position. I took the position to reduce the amount of face-time (and code browns) with patients and their unrealistic family members.

Two years later, the position is still delivering what I want: a sharp reduction in the amount of hands-on patient care.

I wish I had this one as well. I am the one that has to listen to the endless complaints after the floor nurses / CNA's refer them to me.

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.
Two factors:

1) The person

2) The job

Took me a good year and a bit to find something easy. Hint: don't even think about working at a hospital if you want it easy. Charge nurse in LTC/SNF is the way to go.

Are you serious? Charge nurse in LTC/SNF is EASY? Granted your contact w/pt's at the ADL level is limted, but easy? HA!

I would rather wipe dirty butts all day long than be middle management.That kind of job would land me in a stratjacket.

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Specializes in ICU.

I do not regret my BSN or becoming a nurse. It is hard work, and being a charge is no cake walk at my facility. When I worked on med-surg I had 3-4 patients and had to do the charge nurse duties as well. In ICU it is different, we do have a free charge, but they do staffing and take any admissions that would put us up to 3 patients, plus they help turn, give baths and other things, since during nights we do have CNAs in the ICU.

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I do not think my BSN is a waste at all. I know that I have other options with it other than working in the hospital and I have been actively pursuing them. Education is always what you make of it, before, during, and most certainly after!

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I'm just being brutally honest here. A couple of years ago I was offered and eventually accepted a charge nurse position. I took the position to reduce the amount of face-time (and code browns) with patients and their unrealistic family members.

Two years later, the position is still delivering what I want: a sharp reduction in the amount of hands-on patient care.

I fully believe that you have less face time (and code browns) than you would in a different position. The problem that I have with NOADLs posts is that he refuses to do ADLs and will "pawn off" the job to other staff or just plain hide to keep from doing them. A good leader will step in to help their team when things are hard and is not afraid to show that they have (and will) do the "icky" jobs. I think that everyone needs to work together for the good of the patients, and if that means that the charge, nurse manager or DON need to get their hands dirty or take their own patients once in a while it is alright. It also shows the regular floor nurses that they don't see themselves as "better than" a general bedside nurse.

Just my .02

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