New Student Nurse = Nervous

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN · Jun 23, 2021

If I were you, I wouldn't come to any judgments about, well, anything- based on social media.

That being said, there are many systemic problems in the field and a lot of nurses are dissatisfied. Did you have any other ideas besides nursing as a profession?

biancal257 · Jun 23, 2021

Ha! That's a very good point. Not sure why I give so much credence to it.

I've worked various different jobs and wanted a real career. Always wanted to be a nurse. As far as other ideas, unfortunately no...that's sort of my issue is that I don't have a back up plan that I can see myself happy with. I already have a bachelor's degree which is pretty much useless and now I'm back at school for this. Maybe I'd do something medically adjacent if nursing doesn't work out because I do really want to help people in a fulfilling way. Right now I'm just hoping I can somehow handle the bad parts/rigors of the system.

Thank you for your response by the way.

aok7, NP · Jun 23, 2021

The pandemic has left nurses in particular in a situation of carrying more than what is fair. It is always nurses who stay, look at and hear the things others turn away from, and see their patients and families through. It is helpful to look at our history, there are books ANA publishes for our nursing values and another on ethics. A time to remember our roots. There will always be groups of naysayers. Social media is a great way to complain without carrying the other end to the stick - in any field or interest - and probably no accident studies showing the more social media use the more likely depression, etc. It is good to complain here and there, appropriately, and this is a safe space, but I try to keep a 10 min or so limit and back up we stand! Stay the course only if you want to, as nursing is NOT easy and I find it requires effortful self-care to stay healthy. We need nurses so much who will do this, though, so I hope you find your way.

Jedrnurse, BSN, RN · Jun 23, 2021

6 minutes ago, biancal257 said:

Ha! That's a very good point. Not sure why I give so much credence to it.

I've worked various different jobs and wanted a real career. Always wanted to be a nurse. As far as other ideas, unfortunately no...that's sort of my issue is that I don't have a back up plan that I can see myself happy with. I already have a bachelor's degree which is pretty much useless and now I'm back at school for this. Maybe I'd do something medically adjacent if nursing doesn't work out because I do really want to help people in a fulfilling way. Right now I'm just hoping I can somehow handle the bad parts/rigors of the system.

Thank you for your response by the way.

Sometimes just having a BA/BS can open doors that wouldn't be there if you didn't have one. What was your major?

biancal257 · Jun 23, 2021

This is such a great response. This actually made me feel quite a bit better. It's so incredible what RNs and NPs do. I'm just hoping I can join in and really help like you all do. I think you're right, I may need to take a break/stay off social media apps for a while and definitely need to look into some of those ANA books.

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.

biancal257 · Jun 23, 2021

1 minute ago, Jedrnurse said:

Sometimes just having a BA/BS can open doors that wouldn't be there if you didn't have one. What was your major?

A BFA in Illustration ?‍♀️. It's a choice I made as a 17 year old and have regretted every since. I worked as an artist for years after but it was not so fulfilling and very difficult. Maybe I could continue on with this education and just get a BA/BS..

NightNerd, MSN, RN · Jun 23, 2021

It's a shame there isn't a more balanced perspective out there. This is absolutely not a perfect career and you do see and experience some very discouraging things - but there are certainly some good aspects to it as well. It's a stable, well-paid career with plenty of variety, and the teamwork can be very affirming and encouraging in otherwise difficult situations. There's always something new to learn, and options both at the bedside and away from it. I do feel like I help someone pretty much every shift, though I definitely don't get to do as much as I would like for my patients most days.

Starting out, I thought I was going to witness and participate in all these amazing miraculous lifesaving events, so for me, managing my expectations was key, LOL. You do help bring about some positive changes as a nurse; they might not be as grandiose as you once anticipated, though.

If my child or a friend asked me if I'd recommend nursing, honestly, I don't know that I could wholeheartedly be like, "YES, it's amazing!" It's hard work and has required personal growth in me I wasn't sure I could ever do. But ultimately, this career has pushed me to accomplish a lot, and I am glad I did it, so I would never discourage anyone from becoming a nurse either. I just caution you to have realistic expectations and celebrate the small victories, even when the big ones seem far and few between.

Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN · Jun 23, 2021

4 hours ago, biancal257 said:

A BFA in Illustration ?‍♀️. It's a choice I made as a 17 year old and have regretted every since. I worked as an artist for years after but it was not so fulfilling and very difficult.

I have a friend who took a course on medical illustration with his BFA and has had a wonderful career making slides and book illustrations for physicians, anatomy professors, teaching materials, charities… he never lacks for work and loves the company of people it’s put him in with.

biancal257 · Jun 23, 2021

27 minutes ago, Hannahbanana said:

I have a friend who took a course on medical illustration with his BFA and has had a wonderful career making slides and book illustrations for physicians, anatomy professors, teaching materials, charities… he never lacks for work and loves the company of people it’s put him in with.

WOW I didn't even realize I could do that, I always thought it was a separate major. Oh man, thank you! I need to look into this. This could actually be my back up plan.

biancal257 · Jun 23, 2021

4 hours ago, NightNerd said:

It's a shame there isn't a more balanced perspective out there. This is absolutely not a perfect career and you do see and experience some very discouraging things - but there are certainly some good aspects to it as well. It's a stable, well-paid career with plenty of variety, and the teamwork can be very affirming and encouraging in otherwise difficult situations. There's always something new to learn, and options both at the bedside and away from it. I do feel like I help someone pretty much every shift, though I definitely don't get to do as much as I would like for my patients most days.

Starting out, I thought I was going to witness and participate in all these amazing miraculous lifesaving events, so for me, managing my expectations was key, LOL. You do help bring about some positive changes as a nurse; they might not be as grandiose as you once anticipated, though.

If my child or a friend asked me if I'd recommend nursing, honestly, I don't know that I could wholeheartedly be like, "YES, it's amazing!" It's hard work and has required personal growth in me I wasn't sure I could ever do. But ultimately, this career has pushed me to accomplish a lot, and I am glad I did it, so I would never discourage anyone from becoming a nurse either. I just caution you to have realistic expectations and celebrate the small victories, even when the big ones seem far and few between.

Thank you for this. I initially had such high expectations but in preparing myself and some of the stuff I've heard and seen, you're definitely right, I've had to really manage my expectations. It's so refreshing to hear someone put this so honestly but not negatively. I really appreciate this message. Definitely a needed perspective.

JKL33 · Jun 24, 2021

This is a difficult career. I love the work of nursing and the core values of nursing. I could be happy forever doing the work of a nurse and interacting with my patients according to nursing principles. But I'm not gonna lie, it has become less and less possible to perform and interact according to my own expectations as my career has progressed, due to the increasing influence of outside forces (bureaucracy, limitation of resources, business needs/greed, etc). I would caution anyone against believing that the stressors are due to Covid--they aren't.

I do think you should have a very clear picture of what you are getting into. You want to help others while doing fulfilling work. That's what many, many nurses want, self included. But have a picture of what that is going to look like. It isn't a lot of mopping brows and having prolonged therapeutic conversations that change someone's life. There are a lot of entities interested in making nurses' work just a series of never-ending tasks. We are very often treated less like professionals and more like tradespeople or even just plain old workers. There are ways to operate within all of this and do a decent job despite the obstacles. It is also possible to feel fulfilled with the work even though it is difficult. There's a better chance of feeling fulfilled if you have realistic expectations to begin with.

Personal opinion/advice: Start thinking now about whether you consider it necessary to work in a hospital; whether hospital nursing is the only thing that will make you feel like a real nurse. I advise against that mindset. There is a lot more to nursing and many more areas where nurses can find fulfilling work.

Work hard in school and good luck!