No I wouldn't recommend nursing

Nurses Career Support

Published

It surprises me how many students are going into nursing. I had my BSN since 1992 and have worked in the hospitals since then. Nursing is back-breaking labor with the reoccurring role of cleaning poop. There is no way my back can last another 20 years until retirement. Pick something else to go into.

Manuel

Specializes in ER, Peds, Charge RN.

I figure it's just like the whole Howard Stern argument. If you don't like what you're hearing on the station, turn it.

If you don't like the profession, leave. You only live one life. Don't spend it doing something you don't enjoy.

I also figure if you don't like it so much, and you're scared to leave, then do something about it. Change something. There was a quote I heard somewhere.... One candle can light an entire room.

I get so tired of hearing my coworkers complain all the time. It gets old. Gripe....moan...whine, whine, whine. And then they come back another day and do it again.

I guess I'm probably just really lucky. I feel like it was a calling, and I love every second of my job. I would do it for free (though I do fight for fair staffing and pay). I have fun with my fellow nurses and physicians. I have a good time with most of my patients. I have challenges, but I learn from them. I'm figuring that those of you who don't like your job probably either didn't have a calling, or chose to ignore it.

Most of all, I find it incredibly sad that so many people hate their job. Then again, I figure most people hate their jobs, because it's just that: a job.

Too bad, it seems like a waste of a whole lot of time.

Edited to add:

I just re-read the post, and it sounds sort of hoity-toity. I have days that it sucks, and I cry. There is a lot wrong with the profession. I guess I'm just speaking overall.... maybe just venting about all the whining I've heard lately.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

Extremely old thread alert ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If not nursing what would you recommend as a career choice if you had to do it all over again? Are you still in the Nursing Field? I would like some advice from you. I'm a mother of eight children I have started my pre-nursing classes for nursing. I currently attend a local University. I have always loved the idea of going into Nursing. I have never worked in the field. What would you recommend for me. I have maded many mistakes in my life and I don't want to make anymore bigggggg mistakes. I want a better life for my kids and i want to be in a job where I can get one. i was also looking into health education and academic couseling. Help

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I've been completing courses towards a Networking Administration degree when I had a realization that maybe it wasn't for me. My husband does it but he's also spent money towards getting a Masters. If you really want to make money in Network Administration you have to work your ass of, 80+ hours a week doing consulting. I just didn't like the fact that the need for Network Administrators dropped significantly after 2001, pay dropped and you've still got kids coming out of college ready to be paid 8 bucks an hour to do the same job you're getting paid to do 10 for. Theres no demand for em basically, whether you've got elite skills or not.

I switched to Nursing and I'm starting to do some pre-reqs for it in the Spring.

Most of the issues here I've experienced (save a few of the regular nursing-specific ones) in administrative support environments. Being a secretary you get crapped on by everyone. It does make you a stronger person since you do have to learn how and when to say "No" to people.

All of the comments in this thread haven't discouraged me from continuing with my education towards my R.N., but they have made me consider the fact that people will become bitter in any environment no matter what job they're doing if they don't learn to make it better for themselves. Circumstances may dictate that I have a "crappy day" but it all depends on my attitude towards it and how I deal with stress/workload etc.

I'm in nursing for various reasons, not just to help people. Some people don't want to be helped. Its a learning experience like the rest of life. I don't think theres a perfect job out there unless you are born into money. Thankfully life gives us a choice on what we want to do with our time here.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I live in canada, we have next to no nurses here and although I don't really understand the American Health System. I am pretty sure that canadian nurses put up with the same stuff that all other nurses do, however like someone said SAY NO! I have no problem telling someone to go stuff it if I feel that they are not treating me with due respect. I will respect them first and if it is not reciprocated the welll............ya know I tell them I really don't appreciate it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home care, assisted living.

When I was a teenager, I thought I wanted to go into nursing. To me, nursing was a field in which I could make a difference, use my intelligence, and continually grow as a person and professional.

Now my feelings have changed. As a nurse's aide, I have watched nurse after nurse burn out and quit at my job. My last boss had to resign due to stress--she had to be hospitalized because her heart was acting up. She's not even middle-aged.

Mom asked me recently why I don't just become an LPN and work at the local hospital. Umm, she's thrilled that I'm not working night shift anymore because of the personality changes and health risks I endured over the years, and yet she's encouraging me to go into a field guaranteed to land me BACK on night shift for a few MORE years? I don't think so. :no: I DID my time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I only recommend nursing to people I would want to work with, people that I would want taking care of me. That excludes nurses who have nothing good to say about their jobs or their patients. In my experience, it is people like that who make my shifts miserable.

I am grateful for my job, and for the opportunity to care for people at some of the worst times in their lives. I was the first in my family to go to college. My parents struggled with factory and food service jobs, never having a savings account and always having to neglect one need in order to fulfill another. I could have gotten some high paying, high powered job and worn pantyhose and heels everyday, but I "settled" for scrubs and ugly shoes.

I can pay my bills. I live in a decent neighborhood and drive a safe car. I can save for a few months and go on a vacation if I want to. And I can go to work, and know that I did something worthwhile. I don't care if the doctors or administrators make more than me, and if the majority of my patients are rude and take their frustrations out on me, I get over it.

The bottom line is that I am doing something that matters to me, and that does make a difference in people's lives, never mind what some of my coworkers might think.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I agree with one of the posters saying, "If you aren't happy, change it."

In fact, that is what I recently did. I changed my career. I was a Game Designer, in the computer gaming industry. I am now going to be a CNA on the Orthropedics floor and going to college for my ADN.

I just couldn't stand the gaming industry. Imagine working over time 12 hours a day for 7 days a week, with multiple weeks in a row and no days off. You'd think one would get a lot of overtime pay, right? NO. This is being a salary employee. No overtime pay for those long hours and months without getting a day off. It was absolutely ridiculous. I'm so glad I quit, you have no idea. Have time for family? Yeah right! Have time to do laundry even? Yeah right! And for what? Extra pay? Hell no! As a game designer, I made 35,000$ a year. And I was a high-paid employee! Can you believe this? The folks doing the job I used to have are making even less now.

The gaming industry figures that they can hire anyone. People are begging to get into the gaming industry. I am so glad I got out of it. And the abuse from the supervisors is absolutely ridiculous.

Of course, I'm not going into the nursing field with rose-tinted glasses and visions of fields of flowers and butterflies. I know it's going to be hard work, dealing with hard people and hard situations. I say bring it on.

Changing my career was scary as hell, but I'm so glad I did it. I can't wait to start as a CNA. It'll be a welcomed challenge!

I'll let you all know if I recommend nursing as a career in a couple of years when I am one. ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I never made it to become a nurse. Completed all the pre-reqs and even started one nursing class and dropped out. It took me awhile to realize I didn't want to be a nurse. I love the field of nursing, but I decided I didn't want to go through the schooling, and just putting up with all the stuff that nurses put up with. I worked for a short time as a Unit Secretary and my reason for obtaining that job was to "observe" and find out as much as I could. I learned that I didn't like the doctors and how they treated everyone, I didn't like the holiday work, I didn't want to work weekends, I didn't like listening to the nurses complain, and just the craziness of being there. One thing that also clinched it for me was one morning when I came in the horrible smell from a patient who had C-diff. So one day after a bad day on the way home I decided I was going to quit and when I got home I had a message on the machine with a job offer. That was my sign and I knew what I should do.

I now work for Social Security as a legal assistant making $6.00 more an hour than the hospital paid me and since I am on a career ladder position it increase over the next two years, I get 10 paid holidays a year, 1 sick day per month and 2 vacation days per month with a flextime schedule. I do get to work with people in this job when I monitor hearings so it's not totally away from people, but I do alot of paperwork and one day I heard a co-worker state that the cases we worked on "were people's lives" and I had a renewed feeling about working in an office than I had ever had before. Now as I am working on each case, I realize that my work is important because if I don't do my work it will affect someone who is sick or disabled and needs benefits.

I still believe I am meant to be in Human Services and will pursue my Social Work degree but will always stay in the government but realized that I wasn't meant to do the hands-on type of work. I do like my job and the people I work for and I truly believe that our attitude also affects how we do in our jobs.

I can't recommend nursing or not recommend nursing, but for me, it just wasn't to be. My niece is a new nurse and seems to like it, but she refuses to work full-time so that is a downfall if you really need to work full-time.

But I also think there are ups and downs in any field and we can only decide for ourselves what is right, but I do think there are alot of people pursuing nursing because they think they will make alot of money and hopefully they will be happy in the field.

Thanks for reading if you read this far.

Debi

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm so torn!! I really truly understand what you are saying. This is my first quarter at a university. I worked hard to get where I'm at, but like you have so many doubts right now. I'm 40 years old with eight children and six more to raise. I found myself losing interest in this field, because I know that I will have to give up some of my time with my kids. I know goals are important for people to have and I know that I can still obtain them. I haven't been really fortunate to have a really good job in my life. I was married for about 13 years and divorced for six. I never really work a job for longer then 1 year and I have a diffcult time getting a job. I couldn't even get a job working at Target for christmas. It's been hard being displaced. If I had really good job like you I would really try to stay for as long as I could. I have no training or anything. It's been so hard for my kids and I. I wanted to pursue nursing to help people and the wages are not to bad. But I'm still lost for words about pursing this career. I'm currently minoring in Sociology. So I will be taking some social science class this winter quarter. I really don't know what I'm met to do in this life. I hope someday I will find out!! Good luck to you!! You sound so happy. Carla

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi Carla,

I'm in the same boat you are.

After reading all of these rants, and talking to my sister who works in home health care and has decided NOT to become a nurse, I'm having some major second thoughts. Especially since a couple of my sons are having some problems right now.

My husband has an excellent job, but works 80 hours a week. I don't know if our relationship would last with two of us working mandatory overtime-he's cranky enough as it is, and I'm perimenopausal:)I think the only reason why he's doing okay now is because I'm here to hold everything together, so he can just zone on his very limited time off.

I am seriously considering going back into cleaning. It was the BEST job I ever had, even if I did get paid beans.

Stupid thing is, when I took the PSB, I scored in the 99th percentile for being suited to the nursing profession.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

WoW! what is the PSB? I don't know what to do. I have no one no supportive family. I'm a single mother who has nothing to show for her life. I can't even get a simple job at "TARGET". I did enroll in Winter quarter for an advance English. I also will be taking my science at the community college. My ex-husband said that I don't put any time in my kids he says that I need to quit school. I'm so happy to be divorced from this man. He has been nothing but problems. I have eight children, but two are grown 18 and 19. I have been so depressed lately. I don't need meds. I just need to figure somethings out. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! any advice? Well, if you enjoy cleaning maybe you should wait until you raise you children and then go into Nursing? Please write back

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment