Nurses Who Shouldn't be Nurses

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We had this huge discussion at work today, and i thought i'd get your opinions.

The statement was this: "We have to many people becoming nurses for the money. Its not like it used to be, where a nurse chose to be a nurse because they liked helping people. Its all about the money,."

We were talking about the increased patient complaints, and an older nurse stated the above and thats the reason for increased patient complaints.

So, what do you think.

It's funny that you mention this. At first my clinical instructor also suggested that I look into research. Why? Because when she first asked me why I wanted to be a nurse ... I was honest about the fact that I needed a steady job and the money.

It kinda freaked her out, I think. Then, she saw how I took care of patients. I had no problems changing colostomy bags, multiple incidents of diarrhea, vomit etc. I took a CNA course before I got into nursing school and currently work as a CNA. And, she ended up giving me excellent grades and recommendations in clinicals.

Still ... just the other day she said she still couldn't figure out why I worked so hard to take good care of the patients if I was only in it for the money. Apparently most students who are in it for the money aren't willing to get their hands dirty ...

The answer is: 1) I have a conscience 2) I can't stand doing a lousy job ... it just doesn't feel right and ... 3) I've actually come to love the patients.

Am I still in it for the money? Yes. Does that mean that any patient of mine going to be dirty or unattended or endangered on my watch? Hell no.

:coollook:

I totally understand. You went in for the money, but you have a heart also. I

think you are probably a better nurse than a lot of those nurses who bull **** themselves into thinking money doesnt matter. NURSES HAVE DREAMS AND WANT TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES ALSO.

I don't believe that the level of education determines how good of a nurse you are. I worked really hard to get into my asn program and all I have every wanted was to be a nurse. I believe that to make a good nurse it has to do with your drive and determination to be good at what you love. Because if you truely love what you do you work hard to be the best you can possibly be at it and if you do have and areas that needed improvement you would try your hardest to change and fix the problem.

I have had so many people tell me I believe you should have to attain a BSN but, I have experienced for my self when I was pregnant with my daugther bad BSN nurses AND ASN nurses. The education is not the problem it lies within the person. That person decides do I really love nursing or do I just want to take that job for other reasons than helping others and because this is something I really want to do. If you take any job for reasons that are superfical it will just back fire on you and the others in the profession that are working hard and love what they do everyday. NOT to metion the damage it does to people who want to get into nursing.

I agree

I was talking about this with my husband the other day. There are so many people out there who are without jobs and with the hospitals advertising for nurses the way they do, they enter nursing so that they will always have a job.

Many of these people shouldn't be anywhere near the field, don't have the people skills, would do better interacting with a computer than with a pt, don't have a grasp of basic grammar, etc. etc. I told him this is really a shame and that pts aren't getting the best care that they can get.

My husband responded: "But you can't fault them for wanting a job."

While I agree with a lot of people that some are in nursing for the wrong reasons, I do agree (somewhat ;)) with my husband in that you have to put food on the table. :(

Dear Baby Rn,

You bring up the issue of bad grammar. I'm reminded of the two gals whom I carpooled with to nrsg school. Their grammar was like nails on chalkboard to me, riddled with double negatives and occasional ain'ts. Having had an English teacher as a mother, I had been corrected constantly as a kid, and my family definately looked down on folks with poor grammar. I wondered how someone with lousy grammar could even be in college!

Since less than stellar grammar is something that people learn at their mother's knee, and is not neccessarily a reflection on one's innate intelligence, does it really matter the speech patterns of a nurse? Or does having nurses who use double negatives detract from the general image of nursing? How you speak does brand a person as to education level and socioecomic status. Should nurses get a course in proper grammar as a part of their training?

I know that in one of my antique nursing books, that cultured speech habits were encouraged and taught, so the nurse could be able to communicate better with their more educated clients.

Specializes in Critical Care.

There ain't anything not wrong with my grammar!

Interesting you bring up grammer of all things. I agree proper communication skills are important but hey I will be one to say that I suck at grammer and english classes, my abilities come in math/science and psychology/sociology.

Do I think poor english is a down play on nursing, I do...however I would much rather have a nurse taking care of me that had improper english than one who couldn't do math. LOL Just a thought...

Another aspect of this is the fact that I am sure most of you heard of Bush agreeing to opening citizenship up for oversea nurses. No problem there, however I really would like to be able to understand when a nurse/doctor is speaking to me. Maybe that is wrong to say and I am sorry if it offends anyone but I think capability of speaking english to be understood should be a pre-requisit. I know me personally, I don't have a doctor I can't understand and I will request a different nurse if that should be the case. Another aspect is I think citizenship to the US should include mandatory english classes, because I know if I wanted citizenship in another country better do something to learn that language.

In nursing I think our ability to help our patients to help themselves comes to us by being able to speak to them/communication. Someone with poor grammer/english def. isn't as crediable as the next person. We do need to build trust with our patients.

Please forgive me for my improper english/spelling...just give me some math and chemistry to do...LOL

I think that anyone who becomes a nurse for the money will be sorely disappointed in their decision. This is a career choice that comes from the heart, not the wallet. They would never cut it. You have to love this job, you have to love people, and you have to be strong and devoted to the profession to remain a nurse. They wouldn't last past their first pair of messed up new shoes! :rolleyes:

I am semi-new working icu and I can say with absolute confidence 99% of our dept is here because we love what we do. Also, while my nursing class was excited about wages, as was I, I think they mostly all would have made great caring nurses. there are tons of factors to be taken into account. Pt ratio. The place of employment. The way new grads are oriented by other nurses. I know nurses of all ages I think could use some work, but mostly I can find the good in lots of them. We are so quick to judge our teammates rather than team up to build them up not tear them down.

Interesting you bring up grammer of all things. I agree proper communication skills are important but hey I will be one to say that I suck at grammer and english classes, my abilities come in math/science and psychology/sociology.

Do I think poor english is a down play on nursing, I do...however I would much rather have a nurse taking care of me that had improper english than one who couldn't do math. LOL Just a thought...

Another aspect of this is the fact that I am sure most of you heard of Bush agreeing to opening citizenship up for oversea nurses. No problem there, however I really would like to be able to understand when a nurse/doctor is speaking to me. Maybe that is wrong to say and I am sorry if it offends anyone but I think capability of speaking english to be understood should be a pre-requisit. I know me personally, I don't have a doctor I can't understand and I will request a different nurse if that should be the case. Another aspect is I think citizenship to the US should include mandatory english classes, because I know if I wanted citizenship in another country better do something to learn that language.

In nursing I think our ability to help our patients to help themselves comes to us by being able to speak to them/communication. Someone with poor grammer/english def. isn't as crediable as the next person. We do need to build trust with our patients.

Please forgive me for my improper english/spelling...just give me some math and chemistry to do...LOL

I somewhat agree. I think that learning to speak well should be a part of the nursing program, but at the same time taking into consideration people accents. I also would like to add that many doctors dont speak good english.

As long as speaking correctly is used to elevate the nursing profession, (great)

but if it is used to make another nurse feel bad or belittle then its not a great idea.

Well said! When I hear people say they want to be a nurse because of the money it makes me cringe but then I think, they'll never make it. How I would love to see them a year out of school.

I think that anyone who becomes a nurse for the money will be sorely disappointed in their decision. This is a career choice that comes from the heart, not the wallet. They would never cut it. You have to love this job, you have to love people, and you have to be strong and devoted to the profession to remain a nurse. They wouldn't last past their first pair of messed up new shoes! :rolleyes:
Well said! When I hear people say they want to be a nurse because of the money it makes me cringe but then I think, they'll never make it. How I would love to see them a year out of school.

I strongly disagree. First most nurses who become nurses because it comes from the heart become burnt out faster because they give so much of themselves. I donot see anything wrong with nurses who come into nursing for the money. Nursing is a profession, and until people see it as such nurses will never get their share. I believe that most people have a caring heart, so if they chose nursing for the money, they would soon see what a huge difference they make in peoples lives.

Specializes in Telemetry, Med/Surg.
We had this huge discussion at work today, and i thought i'd get your opinions.

The statement was this: "We have to many people becoming nurses for the money. Its not like it used to be, where a nurse chose to be a nurse because they liked helping people. Its all about the money,."

We were talking about the increased patient complaints, and an older nurse stated the above and thats the reason for increased patient complaints.

So, what do you think.

If we relied on the Florences and Floyds(?) Nightingale to replenish the nursing ranks, we'd have no nurses. I'm still young enough to remember nursing school, and there were quite a few "adult students" who were returning so that they could feed families, or get off of welfare, or just make better money. I saw it as a way to move out of my parents house -- I was nearly through with a liberal arts degree with no job potential when I changed over.

Nursing school was tough as nails, but I scraped through. I was on the Dean's list before, and went to barely passing during a few of my nursing semesters. My first year on the job wasn't easy either -- but, after 10 years, I know my job, I love my patients, and I'm very perceptive of their clinical needs and changes.

People get into nursing for various reasons. People stay because they like it. Where I've seen decline in patient care was when we were understaffed, underfunded, inadequate equipment . . . and management didn't care.

I got into for economic reasons, and have stayed because I enjoy it and enjoy those I care for. With nursing turnover and burnout, at 10 years of experience, I am often the most senior nurse on my unit -- the one other nurses ask advice from.

I defy anyone to tell me I don't deserve to be a nurse.

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