Nurses Who Don't Want to be Nurses

Published

What do you think of nurses who don't want to be nurses? Those who go to school for nursing just for the "nice checks" thinking that it's "easy money" or even those who are just going for nursing because they don't know what else to go for. Have you ever confronted anyone in that category?

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

Yes, my best friend, she got her RN-BSN. After 8 months of looking for a job & working for 2 months she is quitting nursing. I don't know why she decided to go into nursing in the first place, she isn't exactly a "people" person & has ortho issues & works on an ortho floor.

She even warned me not to become an RN. But I've been an LVN for 4 years & know what I got myself into. I actually can't wait to go back to work & school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in hospice.
Sure, I don't think anyone should go into a profession just for the paycheck.

You clearly haven't had to support a family. You do what you have to. The reason I became a CNA is because my husband wanted to get out of the National Guard after his deployment to Afghanistan, and needed my help to replace that paycheck. I felt I owed him that after his many sacrifices to support the family alone so I could be a SAHM. CNA training is quick, easy, and cheap, and healthcare always has jobs. Plus I could work at night so my kids would always have a parent taking care of them outside school.

My decision to enter the healthcare field was purely economic. My desire to move up and become a nurse comes from a feeling that if I'm going to sacrifice my nights and do this work anyway, I may as well get paid better for it.

That said, I'm an ethical and compassionate CNA, and I do my work well and earn praise from my nurses. That has to do with my personal character and values which I would take along to any job.

So yep, I'm only in nursing for the paycheck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU Stepdown.
I've probably been unduly harsh to you since I see you are very young and have limited work experience. But work is just that work and it is important to think about money when choosing a job! Without money one can't live a good life, instead there will be constant stress over not being able to afford the necessities like a good home/apt in a safe neighborhood, health insurance, child care, car payments etc, etc. There is nothing wrong with going into a job or profession for a paycheck! In fact it is essential and common sense to look for a good paying job to support yourself and your family! If money is no object, then you are either rich or it is just a hobby. Nursing is not a hobby! It is hard, stressful work that can be rewarding at times and yes you can make a difference, but it is not easy and definitely not a hobby! It is nothing to be ashamed of to choose nursing for the money as it is certainly honorable and necessary work that one can be proud of! Those who choose it for the money probably come from poor families that work low wage jobs and to them nursing seems like a way to get rich. To the nursing assistants that want to advance and become a nurse that is a smart and wise choice to look for a way how they can get paid decently, as we all know nursing assistants are among the most hardworking and underpaid workers in the country!

Since you are interesting in becoming a nurse you should ask all your nurse coworkers about nursing as an informal informational interview to learn. But do this in a nonjudgmental way you may find many different answers as to why each chose nursing, what they like and dislike about it. But you must lose the judgmental tone that you currently have wanting to get rid of nurses because you don't like them and they don't meet your high expectations to what you presume nurses to be. You have no idea what they are going thru either in their personal life or their work experiences over the years. If you did maybe you would feel more compassion and try to help them.

A good nursing assistant can make all the difference for a stressed, harried nurse. I'm fortunate to have good CNA's, but one is especially wonderful because she is hardworking, goes above and beyond, and has a wonderfully friendly positive attitude with everyone she meets. She is a real gem and one of the best coworkers I've ever had the pleasure to work with! I find her an inspiration and she makes everyone feel better, both the patients and the staff!

Maybe I'm wrong and I'll admit that I'm young and inexperienced but at this moment I clearly have an opinion that is unpopular! I'm sure once I'm in the same position as you I'll have a different outlook, but that's what growth is right? :) what was your opinion at my age? Maybe you were the same as you are now but 9 times out of 10, you were just as naive as you view me. I think my question was pretty legitimate and I'm fine with the "harshness" of everybody's responses. I don't know you or your position in this world just as you don't know me or mine. We are all just words on this website and maybe this is also an unpopular opinion but I honestly don't think that any question is a dumb question unless no thought at all was put into it. I've thought about the question I've posted for a while and even at my last job it was so irritating to me how blatantly this girl used to complain about the job. In my opinion It was a really good entry level position. Prior authorization representative at Express Scripts. It seems like it's just me but I hate negativity in any work environment.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU Stepdown.

Also, maybe I'm weird because I actually enjoy working. Even when I worked at an answering service I just loved working. I can't imagine not working.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
Maybe I'm wrong and I'll admit that I'm young and inexperienced but at this moment I clearly have an opinion that is unpopular! I'm sure once I'm in the same position as you I'll have a different outlook, but that's what growth is right? :) what was your opinion at my age? Maybe you were the same as you are now but 9 times out of 10, you were just as naive as you view me. I think my question was pretty legitimate and I'm fine with the "harshness" of everybody's responses. I don't know you or your position in this world just as you don't know me or mine. We are all just words on this website and maybe this is also an unpopular opinion but I honestly don't think that any question is a dumb question unless no thought at all was put into it. I've thought about the question I've posted for a while and even at my last job it was so irritating to me how blatantly this girl used to complain about the job. In my opinion It was a really good entry level position. Prior authorization representative at Express Scripts. It seems like it's just me but I hate negativity in any work environment.

No question is a stupid question as long as you learn from the answer(s).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pedi.
It seems like it's just me but I hate negativity in any work environment.

Uhhh... well you might want to consider that before you become a nurse then. Because you're not going to find rainbows and unicorns in any nursing work environment...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care.
Maybe I'm wrong and I'll admit that I'm young and inexperienced but at this moment I clearly have an opinion that is unpopular! I'm sure once I'm in the same position as you I'll have a different outlook, but that's what growth is right? :) what was your opinion at my age? Maybe you were the same as you are now but 9 times out of 10, you were just as naive as you view me. I think my question was pretty legitimate and I'm fine with the "harshness" of everybody's responses. I don't know you or your position in this world just as you don't know me or mine. We are all just words on this website and maybe this is also an unpopular opinion but I honestly don't think that any question is a dumb question unless no thought at all was put into it. I've thought about the question I've posted for a while and even at my last job it was so irritating to me how blatantly this girl used to complain about the job. In my opinion It was a really good entry level position. Prior authorization representative at Express Scripts. It seems like it's just me but I hate negativity in any work environment.

I worked many different secretarial jobs at insurance companies and later in an emergency dept and saw all that the nurses did, it was very impressive. However I also saw there was stress and was warned by I friend who had already been a nurse for five years not to do it. She was already burned out and had suffered a back injury. She got out of bedside care soon after and moved into case management and has been happy with that.

As for the person that irritated you, while it may have been a good job for you just out of high school, obviously she didn't feel the same way. Even non bedside jobs have their own set of stresses, but I can't speak for her. Good luck finding a happy positive work environment because in this day and age of short staffing and overwork in all fields there are many unhappy workers, not just nurses, but nurses have a special set of stressors that is not the same as office workers.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

I would guess that we've all given OP lots to share with her classmates at her CNA Clinicals this week:cheeky:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
The fact that you have another degree & then went to nursing school doesn't mean you failed pursuing another career. I obtained a BA in political science before going to nursing school & was gainfully employed prior to starting my nursing pre-requisites. How odd that you would look down on someone for getting an education!

If you were gainfully employed then you clearly weren't one of the people I was talking about.

I was talking about people like me, who went to college, graduated during the recession, never got a good job, then decided to go back to nursing school. There are lots of us.

If I was looking down on people for having an education I would be looking down on myself...but I'm pretty satisfied with my choices, so that's not the case.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU Stepdown.

Ha! Okay I have an actual example you guys :) I'm doing CNA clinicals at a nursing home that I also plan on working at. They are very short staffed and a couple of people were complaining, this CNA who has been working here for 13 years said "if you don't want to work here then quit." And she ranted about them complaining. So I'm not crazy! It happens.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in geriatrics.

It happens because they're human....and stressed out due to chronic staffing issues. That's very common. We all vent.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OP, I think you brought up an interesting point and a common misconception. For a lot of us nursing isn't exactly the job or the deal we thought it would be. For others, it is! Not trying to bring you down, but it's different than what you would think. Some of these people are trying to dispel inaccuracies about what's really needed to be good at this job.Good luck with whatever you choose!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion