Nurses, Would you go into nursing if you had to do it all over again?

Hellllo Nurse · Dec 18, 2003

No, I'm sorry to say.

I was a CNA for 3 years, and LPN for 7 years and have been an RN for 3 years. IMO, the higher up you go the harder and more stressful it gets.

Then, it is even harder to leave the field, because you have invested so many years, so much effort, and so much $$$ in your education.

I love what nursing is supposed to be, but the working conditions and the way nurses are treated make it not worth it.

jnette, ASN, EMT-I · Dec 18, 2003

Originally posted by fergus51
Well, I can say for certain that I would do it all over again. Nursing isn't perfect, but I love it ..........

There are definitely a lot of less stressful careers, but I still feel privileged to be a nurse and can't seriously picture myself doing anything else.

Ditto !

Absolutely. Without question or hesitation.

mattsmom81 · Dec 19, 2003

Hindsite is always 20-20...LOL!

I cannot say I regret becoming a nurse, but knowing what I do now about both myself and nursing , as well as the changes in 27 yrs in the medical fields, I do now wish I had gone a different path. I enjoy it less and less today, but actually DID enjoy nursing when I started out.

Possibly a lot of the negativism sensed in nurses today is partially due to this: some may wish that they HAD chosen that 'different path' only to feel they're too old or too tired, or have too many other responsibilities to pursue that 'right' path..

Follow your heart and good luck in your decision!

Chrislynn2003 · Dec 19, 2003

Ha. I just graduated in May and already I am reconsidering if I made the right choice to become a nurse. I did it for the reasoning of decent money and patient care. Why I may be getting decent money to start out, I am finding that people are not always in nursing for the caring part- it is getting to the point of legal issues all the time. Are we there to make someone feel better or there just to get the job done so that we can make a decent living? I am in the OR and while there is little contact with the patient while they are awake, we are there to make that person better in some way. But I feel that people there are just doing there job and not bringing in the caring aspect of nursing. Nursing is very stressful for what many of us have to put up with. Maybe it will get better or maybe I have not found "that special job" I want, but nursing is not what I expected it to be( I don't expect things to be perfect, just better than what it is)

Christine

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Dec 19, 2003

Yes, I would do it all over again. I've had my struggles in nursing, as everyone does, but I don't know of anything else I'd rather do, except perhaps for being a writer (well, I already am, but I mean one who can make a living from it). :)

jenac · Dec 19, 2003

After 11 yrs., I think you probably have a pretty good idea about how this indusrty works. The back-biting, the hard work, the caseload- it doesn't end with a nursing degree, just changes. In LTC- instead of having 10-12 residents to get dressed in the morning, you have 25 to give meds too. Some of them will need more time than others- some will need to chat for awhile... no difference there. But- you'll be focusing on the medical needs verses the personal stuff.

Being an aide beforehand is a huge advantage. You've seen so much- and helped your nurses do so many things. You already have the basic understanding...just build on that.

Becoming a nurse is the best thing I ever choose to do. And even on my worst days- I don't regret it for a second.

NursePerson · Dec 19, 2003

:) YES !!!!!! I love Nursing and would never want to do any thing else! Even with the politics, this is the greatest job in the world. I know that in some small way I make a difference in the lives of everyone i care for. What a wonderful life to live and what a great way to share life with others. No other job can give me the highs or lows of life that nursing does and I am so thankful to be a NURSE.:)

babyboomerRN, RN · Dec 19, 2003

yes,yes,most definitely.i can't imagine a better profession than nursing.my only regret is that i waited so long to get my RN.

zambezi, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2003

Yes, I would also do it all over again if I had to. I enjoy the patient care, the daily challenges, critical thinking, having the opportunity to work with others from all walks of life, the ability to advance my career as I choose to, etc. I enjoy my work environment and the people and docs that I work with. I feel that in any career that I may have chosen, there would be something to complain about; be it management, money, time, etc. All professions have those that are unhappy in them. I think we could be paid more as a profession, but there are so many issues that need to be dealt with right now. I say that you can be happy in any profession that you choose, you just have to make it work for you.

:kiss

roxannekkb · Dec 19, 2003

No, I definitely would not. And I am so glad that I no longer work as a nurse. After years of fighting the system, I quit.

live4today, RN · Dec 19, 2003

Roxanne........I see by your profile that you are a "medical health journalist". That sounds like it would be a really neat job to have. Would you mind sharing what the job entails, and how one gets to be a medical health journalist? Thanks. :)

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Dec 19, 2003

Zambezi-

Where do you work? Are you in a union?