Nursing as a CAREER

Nurses General Nursing

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My boyfriend feels that nursing is just a JOB and not a career. I have considered both clinical psychology and medical school- and also, nursing. I love the idea of being able to deliver babies or work in PICU, so I would probably pursue pediatrics or OB/GYN in medical school. I also have a passion for mental health, but I want to be able to do medical management, which a psychologist cannot do. If I did become a nurse, I would definitely plan on becoming an NP, maybe a DNP, and I would love to get my PhD and be able to do medical/nursing research.

The other day my bf told me that although nurses make a difference, its not really making a difference or leaving an impact on the world because "anyone could take your place" :angryfire This really pissed me off. I've always believed it takes a special kind of person to take care of people the way that nurses do. He wants to be a doctor and I think mainly that he wants me to go to medical school with him. But he also seems to think that anything less than a doctorate is an inadequate education and a waste of my life. :trout:

I love (the idea of) nursing for its flexibility and huge array of career options. I am incredibly nervous about the first year of nursing when I'm all green and don't know what the hell I am doing. I'm a sensitive person, and an anxious one, and part of me does worry that nursing will chew me up and spit me out. I've always wanted to pursue doctoral level education and to teach and write, and I don't know if I can pursue those goals in nursing. BUT there are tremendous opportunities in nursing. So I'm feeling stuck.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Plenty of nurses have academic careers in which they teach, do research, write, etc. It's a valid choice. If it is the right one for you, don't let some jerk of a boyfriend put you down because he doesn't understand that. It sounds to me as if you should reconsider the boyfriend while you are considering your career choices. He doesn't sound like a very supportive person as a life partner. Do you really want a boyfriend/husband who is going to put you down (and pull you down) every time he thinks (rightly or wrongly) that you are not living up to some standard he has set for himself?

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If he wants to be a doctor he'd better change his attitude, and QUICK! The first time he treats a nurse like that s/he will have him huddled in a corner licking his wounds.

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Specializes in Med Surg/Ortho.

I so agree with the above posters. This guy obviously has no idea what nurses do or how important they are. He needs to get off his high horse. I would not let anyone tell me a dream of mine was stupid (not in so many words, but that is what he is saying). It takes a wonderful person to be a nurse.

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Nursing can be both.

Some nurses are career oriented-they obtain years of full-time experience, obtain advanced degrees, and become stars in their workplace. Any nurse voted nurse of the year is usually experienced and career oriented.

Some nurses are job oriented. At best, this nurse is cutting down hours while raising kids or going to school, and provides good care. Nursing pays the bills. At worst, a job oriented nurse does not contribute more than the bare minimum-a factory worker mentality of "I do my twelve hours, and then I am outta here."

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

This guy obviously has no idea what nurses do or how important they are. He needs to get off his high horse. I would not let anyone tell me a dream of mine was stupid (not in so many words, but that is what he is saying).

I agree with this, absolutely. He is clueless. This statement of his is evidence: although nurses make a difference, its not really making a difference or leaving an impact on the world because "anyone could take your place"

No, they couldn't. Not just anyone can or should be a nurse.

I also agree that some nurses have jobs, and others careers. But, you know what? Even the nurses who see it as a "job" are very important in the care of patients! If they do the job, it doesn't really matter to the patient. No one gets less pain relief, is less clean, is less comforted, or doesn't get well, because the nurse is making a paycheck rather than making a career.

If you truly want to be a physician, then go for it! We need good doctors, too. However, if in your heart you really want to be a nurse, then that's what you should do.

I'll agree with llg: you might want to re-think this relationship while you're thinking about life choices.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
The other day my bf told me that although nurses make a difference, its not really making a difference or leaving an impact on the world because "anyone could take your place" :angryfire
My comment might irritate some people, but I cannot resist the temptation to make this statement. Without further ado, here it comes...

Your boyfriend is correct when he says that nurses are replaceable. At least, this is the manner in which we're viewed by healthcare facilities. If a nurse quits his/her job or is terminated, another nurse will be available to fill the empty staffing spot.

Additionally, doctors are replaceable. If my general practice doctor dies, closes his/her practice, retires, or moves to another state, there's usually another doctor to take his/her place. When my former gynecologist retired and moved away, he rapidly found another warm-bodied doctor to take over the practice.

Sanitation workers are replaceable. Schoolteachers are replaceable. Short order cooks are replaceable. Salespeople are replaceable. College presidents are replaceable. Nuclear physicists are replaceable.

Regardless of the level of education, all workers are replaceable and expendable to some degree. Heck, even the President of the United States was swiftly replaced when someone assassinated him.

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The idea that nurses are replaceable is a truth, and so are all professionals, as TheCommuter said. I think that what he is saying is that nurses are more replaceable, however, because they have less education than a doctor/psychologist. Still, I think that there may be many nurses, but they are not all good nurses, or experienced nurses, or compassionate nurses...and so it seems that people are replaceable, but only to an extent.

I will not be rethinking my decision to be with him, but I am disappointed in what he has expressed to me- his opinions about the nursing profession. I believe that when he begins work as a CNA he will learn much more about the profession, however, and it will change his attitude. I truly think he believes that for me, I deserve something more than nursing because I won't be satisfied. I might not be satisfied as a floor nurse, but I do think an NP or university prof would be a fufilling job.

After more conversation I found out that he was actually trying to belittle my nursing aspirations because he wants a partner to do this med school thing with. He is afraid of doing it and since I am generally supportive, well organized, there to help him out when he needs it...I think he just wants a med school companion. He was supportive about me being a psychologist, too, but I think once again that was because he is biased about me 1/ staying in school as long as he does and 2/getting a doctoral level degree.

*sigh* I dunno what to do. I really want to be a doctor, but I am afraid of the coursework. And that is the plain smelly truth. :trout:

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Specializes in ICU, CCU, Trauma, neuro, Geriatrics.

A mature person will respect what everyone offers to society. A cocky young person will still feel as though the universe revolves around them. Perspective is a result of what you have experienced and what your dreams or goals are in life. You are all correct as we all look at life from a different angle. I am actually impressed mslynzyanne in your and your friends aspirations in life, keep your dreams and hopefully live them too.

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Specializes in corrections, LTC, pre-op.
A mature person will respect what everyone offers to society. A cocky young person will still feel as though the universe revolves around them. Perspective is a result of what you have experienced and what your dreams or goals are in life. You are all correct as we all look at life from a different angle. I am actually impressed mslynzyanne in your and your friends aspirations in life, keep your dreams and hopefully live them too.
Hey!,

Ive been a soldier (7 years) a car dealer (20 years) , a stock broker (9 years) and a nurse for 12 years. Most money = car dealer and stock broker! most satisfaction by far medical field. BTW you might want to look closer at this dude, sounds like a lack of respect to women in general. I wonder what education he has?

Larry RN in Fla ( and happy as a pig in)

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Specializes in corrections, LTC, pre-op.
Hey!,

Ive been a soldier (7 years) a car dealer (20 years) , a stock broker (9 years) and a nurse for 12 years. Most money = car dealer and stock broker! most satisfaction by far medical field. BTW you might want to look closer at this dude, sounds like a lack of respect to women in general. I wonder what education he has? BTW anyone can be replaced . Larry RN in Fla ( and happy as a pig in)

You need to look closely at this dude!!
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I'll probably get flamed for this but .....

There is truth in all arguments. Your BF is unfortunately correct in much of what he says. Nurses are much more easily replaced than we like to think. Nurses salaries represent what is viewed by administration as a cost item. Doctors are revenue producers. In order to improve profitability, or in the non profit side, viability, costs are contained whenever possible. Consequently there is downward pressure on nursing salaries and staffing. Administration is always looking for opportunities to reduce the need for RNs.

Becoming an MD takes significantly longer, costs more and is more demanding than becoming a Nurse. Future docs spend more time in medical school, internship and residency than many nurses spend in nursing. They are two very different roles. Docs call the shots. Nurses give the shots. Docs focus on diagnosis and treatment decisions. Nurses implement docs orders. Nursing involves a great deal more pt contact and you have to be pretty strong emotionally.

My wife has been an RN for over 27 years. She is a great RN - currently a Nurse Manager. She has spent much of that time very frustrated. She regrets not having gone to medical school. She would have made a terrific doc - she's got incredible diagnosis skills. One of her best friends in high school is a doc and the difference in lifestyle is quite apparent.

Why not shadow a couple of docs and nurses and see what you think?

My 2 cents....

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