Now I am really questioning nursing

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After reading tons of negative posts about the nursing profession, I have really thought twice about going into the field. I am currently a ADN student, and having read post after post of how nurses are taken advantage of, horrible wages concerning nurses, lawsuits, people running for the doors after thier first month, and other various posts. These situations make me REALLLLY question this profession! Can someone give me some positive outlooks to look forward to in the nursing field? It seems like a large portion of nurses are pissed off, due to poor workplace conditions, or on the other hand nurses that have 30+ years experience expecting new grads to already know everything! I think a big thing that really scares me is starting on the floor, and having to work with all of the pissed of cranky RNs that really hate what they do. I realize not everyone or every situation is negative, but after seeing what a lot of you guys post, its just simply a let down.

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You need to learn to be thick skinned if that is possible. I graduated from high school in 1982 and wouldn't think of going into nursing then. I worked part-time in high school at a hospital and saw how mean the doctors were to the nurses and wasn't about to put myself into that situation. After a few family health problems and learning doctors were treating nurses better, I went back to school at age 30 and became an RN! Yes, all-in-all doctors are much better to the nurses. It's the co-workers who have the problems. It's quite sad. Being new is tough at anything, but I'm told it will be six months to a year before I start feeling more confident. If I knew what I know now, I may not have gotten into nursing. Who is crazy enough to sign up for a job where you are dealing with people's lives, inject meds that often if not done correctly could cause major problems or death, you aren't treated very well at times, have patients yelling you and aren't paid all that well??? We are doing that!! BUT, there will be enough experiences when you end up with a patient who does care about what you've done for them and tells you what a great nurse you are!! You will meet enough co-workers who are supportive and those are the ones you lean on and they will lean on you. You need to go into this knowing you have the ability to help others and change their lives in a positive way. It's important you know what you're getting into and thus it won't be a big surprise. Too many of us get into this thinking how nice it will be to just help others, but then realize there's a lot of garbage to go through while you're helping out those patients. It's great you're reading through these threads and learning what nursing is like, but let's be honest, no profession is perfect!! Regardless what field you are in, there are the nasty co-workers, the nice co-workers, etc.....Good luck to you!!

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1. Gentleman said to me "Thanks for helping me wash", I responded "That is my job", gentleman stated "Don't give me 'that's just my job', you put a little more into it than that", this guy was so enjoyable to be around.

2. "Thank you for taking such good care of my mother/father/ friend/etc", always inspires me as a nurse.

The sick, warped sense of humour only nurses share, because no one else would understand. Also crying on anothers shoulder after a bad shift because they understand. :D

3. MOST of the people/patients & their families that you meet are wonderful, despite not meeting them under the best of circumstances.

4. Turning an attitude around:

Patient said, "You don't know what its like, or understand what I'm going through, you don't care!"

Response, "You're right I don't know what it's like for you and I don't understand what your going through, I'm not saying that I do, nor am I telling you how to feel. However, if I didn't care I would be standing here now I would have walked away"

Patient, "You must care, it would have been easier for you to have walked away"

5. Learning something new everyday if you want to. Pt history of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Hmmm...wonder what that is.

6. When you run into your former grade school principle who is visiting a family member and introduce him to your co-horts, who then quip "Man, you should have kept her in detention alot more" and he responds that "Dusk was a good kid, and I always knew she'd turn into a lovely, intelligent young lady" :imbar I really was better behaved as a child.

7. Running into your 1st grade teacher in an outpatient setting who suggested to your mother that Dusk and her evil twin should practice their printing each night because it was so illegible. She asked "Did it work?", "Well it kicked in sometime after high-school for me." "I always had fun with you kids" Said 1st grade teacher went out of her way to let me & my siblings know she cared after my mother passed away the year after I had her. :saint:

8. Co-workers who threatened to beat the crap out of you each time you said "I want to quit" after you decided to go back to school to become an RN after working 10 years as an RPN/LPN :lol_hitti

9. Making up patients for your co-workers and assigning them to empty beds on April Fools. The usual suspect and I were banned from working April Fools together, we made up really good patients. :rotfl:

10. Showing the newbie the ropes, and having them show you a few new knots.

Based on personal experience. I have a few hundred more.

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Thank you DusktilDawn, I got a chuckle out of #9 :p

I always believe, regardless of the situation, that those few that make it worthwhile outnumber those who make you question it.

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I'm about to start nursing school and went through a pre-orientation program that completely changed the way I thought about nursing. During lecture, the professor defined a nurse as "a patient's first line of defense." I don't know about you, but that inspires me. I'm the kind of person who admires people who would charge through hell or high water to save someone. When you really think about it, that's exactly what nurses are!!! We are unquestionably willing to sacrifice ourselves in order to help/save others. Just another reason why I think moms make great nurses! Maternal instinct to make others feel better, I guess.

Anyway, I'm nervous about starting school too, but simply feel that I'm paying my dues in preparing myself to become one of the admirable, self-sacrificing kind of people who choose to seek out those in need of help.

Anytime I start to get discouraged, I tell myself that people are going to need me. It's my choice to either wade through the muck to save them or stay on the bank. I'm choosing to wade through the muck, keeping in mind that there's an unbelievable reward I'll be able to gain when I get to the other side... knowing that I've helped someone in the best way I knew how.

I realize that this may sound a bit cheesy, but it's difficult to explain when you feel so passionate about it. I hope it gives you and everyone else encouragement. Good luck in your career!

Blessings,

ENP-wanna-be

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After reading tons of negative posts about the nursing profession, I have really thought twice about going into the field. I am currently a ADN student, and having read post after post of how nurses are taken advantage of, horrible wages concerning nurses, lawsuits, people running for the doors after thier first month, and other various posts. These situations make me REALLLLY question this profession! Can someone give me some positive outlooks to look forward to in the nursing field? It seems like a large portion of nurses are pissed off, due to poor workplace conditions, or on the other hand nurses that have 30+ years experience expecting new grads to already know everything! I think a big thing that really scares me is starting on the floor, and having to work with all of the pissed of cranky RNs that really hate what they do. I realize not everyone or every situation is negative, but after seeing what a lot of you guys post, its just simply a let down.

Hi there,

I'm a pre-nursing student and I could have written this myself. I find if I dwell on reading the negative posts it deflates me. Yet, I still find myself clicking on the ones that offer the biggest rant, human nature I guess. Last night I went to Barnes and Noble to contemplate the meaning of.........hmm nursing, and picked up "Chicken Soup for the Nurse's Soul" After 15 minutes of reading while crying in my coffee I came to a satisfying conclusion (you know the one about touching the patient's lives). So while I will continue to read the venting posts I will give, at the very least, equal time to the heartwarming ones. I truly hope you can find peace with your career choice. ~ Diane

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Keep in mind that a lot of the negative posts you read here are vents about specific situations. I'll bet every profession these days has a forum or two where people go to vent. That doesn't mean the profession as a whole is a bad one.

Yes, nursing does have it's problems, and they can be big ones. Seasoned nurses know this, and if you look, you'll see that many here are fighting to improve those problems.

Too many nurses go into it wearing rose-colored glasses. They see it as a special calling, or somehow extremely noble. To a point, it is. But don't think that it's not a LOT of hard work with long hours and little pay relative to your responsibility. You will be surprised at how little your patients and administration will seem to appreciate you.

Don't expect external validation for what you do. Your satisfaction will have to come from within.

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After reading tons of negative posts about the nursing profession, I have really thought twice about going into the field. I am currently a ADN student, and having read post after post of how nurses are taken advantage of, horrible wages concerning nurses, lawsuits, people running for the doors after thier first month, and other various posts. These situations make me REALLLLY question this profession! Can someone give me some positive outlooks to look forward to in the nursing field? It seems like a large portion of nurses are pissed off, due to poor workplace conditions, or on the other hand nurses that have 30+ years experience expecting new grads to already know everything! I think a big thing that really scares me is starting on the floor, and having to work with all of the pissed of cranky RNs that really hate what they do. I realize not everyone or every situation is negative, but after seeing what a lot of you guys post, its just simply a let down.

I love my patients and appreciate their pain, their need for help, education, meds and general health. That is what nursing is all about. The rest is crap. They don't want to pay me well, I'll find another place to go. Keep looking for that place. If you don't feel that way about patients or yourself don't go into nursing. You want a career which is satisfying, pays well and there is room for advancement, you can do that in nursing but it is a struggle. If you are not ready to struggle for your patient and you think you deserve better than struggle in your profession, nursing is not for you. Nursing is about others needs. Ours must be met but once we commit to another, theirs comes first. We are the one on one trench workers. That is what nursing is all about.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Everywhere you go, there will be employees b*tch*ng about their job.

Do not let it scare you off. I also thought this at one point from reading so many negative posts. However, you need to read all the wonderful, heart felt, inspiring, tear jerking, meaningful posts. That is what sets this profession apart from others.

Not every job can a person say, I made someone feel better, I saved someone's life, or a child walks past you and says, "Mommie, she's a nurse!" How special that is. (Ok, I got that as a medical assistant, but I know it makes you feel so good, and it will make me feel soooooooooo, soooooo good after I know I made it through the RN program!

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Hey Y'all

Man, you think Nurses have gripes, listen in to a bunch of teachers!!! Ran into a guy in a sportsbar a couple months ago. Knew he looked familiar. Turns out he was a loan officer in my bank until he got fed up and burned out and quit. His dad's a Doc. He was considering Nursing.

Grass is always greener in some imaginary pasture.

Also, think of the thousands upon thousands of people in the world who volunteer for local rescue squads, fire dep'ts, Civil Air Patrol, Coast Guard Auxillary. In the back of each their heads is the desire to be a helper to another person in a moment of need. I get to be that person ALL THE TIME. I can save your life, bud. I do it all the time.

How's that?

Papaw John

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As Diane has posted, I truly recommend that book Chicken Soup for the Nurse's Soul. As I am currently working my anxiety out in regards to my Nursing program, that book helps you. I sat in a snack bar and read it and after I cried and realized why I should push on...It's for the compassion of others, to make a difference in their lives.

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Specializes in Neuro Critical Care.

I love being a nurse, there isn't anything else I would want to do. That doesn't mean that I love every single minute of it or every single aspect of the job. Just when you think you can't go on one more minute you get that patient/family who says "thanks for taking such good care of me, you really made me feel safe", or the patient who wasn't supposed to make it through the night but did because of you. Sure the doctors are pricks, but not all of them. Sure there are cranky nurses, it is better just to laugh at them (not their face, trust me on that one). If the negative parts of nursing out weigh the positives I will quit, luckily that hasn't happened. Thick skin is definitely required, along with a sick sense of humor. Have fun!

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