No wonder we are getting nursing students who are only in it for $

lobo17 · Nov 9, 2010

Well, when you have 40k in debt from student loans, etc and are trying to make it in this over priced world, and you come from a family that is middle class with 4 kids, money surely is a motivator. When you want security for the rest of your life, I'd also say, seeing my mom struggle her whole life with finances, money is a motivator. It does help that I'm compassionate tho, I'm sure some in the field aren't suited for the job, but money is a definite motivator for me (and job security).

linearthinker, DNP, RN · Nov 9, 2010

Someone told me about a study that suggested that after a certain amount of money,additional money didn't make people any happier. Up to that point, increments made a big difference. I can see that if someone came from a tradition of struggle, the notion of eliminating that factor would be very appealing and I can't blame them a bit.

My motivation was primarily that med school would take too many years and hours in a day/week all the while. I have never wanted a FT job, and there is no way in he!! I'm putting in an 80 hour work week. I didn't, and still mostly don't, care about money b/c I am not the breadwinner. I mean, I'd love a porshe cayenne, but I'd have to either work FT or go to a higher paying hospital. I'm just not willing to do either, so I can't have one. But do I blame people who do want material things enough to actually work for them (as opposed to myself, who just wants my husband to buy me one, lol)? No. I say good for them. If they want to be nurse to feed their kids or buy an italian sport car , what do I care?

I just wanted an intellectually stimulating career with some flexibility. My mom suggested nursing, it fit my matriculation plan and that was that. I don't have altruistic or financial motives I guess. So what does this apathy say about me?

Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN · Nov 9, 2010

Okay here is the scenario......25 y/o single mother, 3 kids, No insurance, no benefits, sick of working in bars, waiting tables, cashiering, factory work. Wanting a nice reliable, job with sick leave and paid vacations. One of her favorite customers at a local neighborhood bar is the director of a local ICU. She is taught how to do BP's read monitors and run ekgs. and is given a job as an ICU tech. Learned what she could, really liked it. Went to nursing school on grants and different typs of scholarships and a little bit of daddy's money. Still the number one goal isn't the job itself but feeding 3 kids and paying bills because the deadbeat dad pays nothing! The second thing was it was a very interesting job. I would always have job security. I did it for 35 years. I am retired now and I love retirement The money wasn't that outstanding but it fed the kids and put clothes on their back, Kept them warm in the winter and cool in the summer. But still it was always a way to take care of my family first!

Spikey9001, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2010

Well when you're raised in the "hood" and see and experience the LOWEST that society has to offer you (seeing people getting shot, drug dealers right on your corner and selling drugs in front of your house, watching someone's dad take a hit a crack right in front you, watching the cops ride through hourly, not being able to sleep sometimes because their outside shooting all night, not being able to walk through your own neighborhood for fear of getting robbed or worse, getting asked daily to join gangs or sell drugs, seeing young children like under 15 carrying weapons... I could go on and on) then money is a HUGE motivating factor when deciding a career!

Sorry, but "love for the career" and passion aren't gonna pay your bills. And I'm not saying be heartless when entering this career but let's be logical. Some of us grew up not having all the necessities. Having to decide weather to cut the gas or cable off this month or whatever.

Either way, I don't define myself by my job or what I do. I identify with something higher than that. To me, a job is a means to an end. I want to be able to put a roof over my head and ENJOY life and not have to worry about budgeting the necessities per se.

mastover · Nov 9, 2010

it is frustrating, but i believe if your hearts not in it...your not going to make it!!! it takes a big heart to put up w/ the stress that nurses have to go thru, not to mention going thru the schooling!

JacknSweetpea · Nov 9, 2010

Oh, Jeez....here we go again. If you aren't getting into it "for the money" then go volunteer somewhere after you're done with school. Leave the rest of us with a living to make alone. I agree that it is very misleading that schools are advertising a "nursing shortage" and that one will "make great money" as a nurse. None of us are paid what we're worth.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Nov 9, 2010

I think in Callif they make that much. I remember when i left an LVN was making 21 something an hour. And the sign on bonus's were unreal like 10,000 that was in 01-02.Here in Missouri RN's are lucky to make 20 an hour. These are my thoughts use them as you wish

I wish. I am in No. Cal and just got bumped to 26.40 for day shift. No bonus. But I love my job. Would I do it for free? HECK NO!

diane227, LPN, RN · Nov 9, 2010

Your going to find people who do excellent in school, have a 4.0 GPA but they are unable to do perform at the bedside. They are simply unable to put what they have learned to good use. You then have those people who may not be so good academically but they are excellent at the bedside.

AtomicWoman · Nov 9, 2010

I don't expect all nurses to be angels in scrubs. I don't expect them to invest their "heart and soul". Compassion is great, but not always necessary. For me, it's all about the competence. I love what I do and I think of myself as compassionate, but as a new nurse, I don't fret whether I am compassionate enough. I worry whether I am competent enough, whether I can learn to recognize when my patient is going downhill, whether I can ever insert a Foley quickly and accurately and thus cause my patient the least discomfort. Things like that are important to me. Frankly, I'd like to lose the image of nurses as selfless, altruistic beings and replace it with an image of nurses as smart people who improve and save lives every day by applying their knowledge and skills. If some people want to get into nursing "for the money", so be it. As long as I can depend on them to do their job well when I work with them. If they are also compassionate, caring and all-around wonderful people, so much the better.

One2gofst · Nov 9, 2010

Your going to find people who do excellent in school, have a 4.0 GPA but they are unable to do perform at the bedside. They are simply unable to put what they have learned to good use. You then have those people who may not be so good academically but they are excellent at the bedside.

And you'll also get people who suck just as badly at bedside as they do with pen and paper, and those whose bedside skills are every bit s good as their 4.0.

What does all this prove? Not a darn thing besides there are all kinds of intelligence, or lack thereof.

mickey_RN · Nov 9, 2010

I have a friend who decided that she wanted to be a nurse because she wanted to make good money. Wanted to be an LPN because she didnt want to be a "real" nurse. Wanted out of her factory job because she didnt like to work the occasional weekend. All of this she shared with her college recruiter, and did he set her straight on any points? NOPE!!!! He didnt tell her that nursing school is hard work, or that so many nurses leave the profeswsion because at the very least, you have to be good under pressure, be able to make decisions and be responsible for your actions no matter what!!! Its not just a job where you can scrape by with the minimum amount of effort. He didnt tell her that MOST nurses are required to work some weekends and holidays, or that LPNs ARE real nurses and they have the same capacity to help and harm their patients as RNs do.

A lot of the misconceptions about this profession need to be addressed by the colleges, but they arent because the more nursing students a college has, the more $$$$$$ they make!!!! There is no nursing shortage where I live, but these places still throw these statistics at new applicants, encouraging them to go to nursing school.

I dont think that it has to be in your soul, but your expectations need to be realistic, this is hard schooling and a hard job, and so many dont see this!!! :mad:

copperkali · Nov 9, 2010

I wish I made 65k a year...