Nursing is pathetic...

nursedude · Sep 18, 1999

Hello,

That about sums it up for me... I am a 34 year old guy and live in Pittsburgh Pa. Have been an RN for 10years. I have done the following in nursing: Cardiotharacic ICU, ER,UR, Case Management...

THe problems with nursing I have found:

1) Poor compensation- I have friends that are Registered Plumbers and registered electricians, Certified computer specialists etc. All of them make twice as much $$$ as I do- none of them have a college degree. None of them are exposed to HIV, TB, Hepatitis on a daily basis.

2) You can't really practice nursing on your own even though you are licensed- See above- The plumber, the electrician and the computer guy all work full time jobs and also do business on the side from home and make money... Did you ever practice nursing on the side? its called illegal...

3) Nurses are on the bottom of the food chain...Doctors, PA's, CRNP's, Administrators all look down on nurses- at least here in Pittsburgh they do. Nurses here are just another load on the revenue generated by hospitals...

nurse lala, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 1999

I do not think it is bad to be able to indentify the short-comings of being a nurse.

I agree that other professions that require less education have less risk involved and more income.

As a psych nurse, I have a potentially dangerous, albeit exciting vocation. My husband has a great job, so I can afford low pay in order to enjoy my chosen (low pay ) profession.

I am working with a special sub-set of our society: veterans. For the most part, they are homeless, drug addicted and poorly motivated. I get burned out too. Then I will encounter a patient that I can really help-make a long term difference in his life. That's why I became a Nurse. To make a difference.

It's okay to be burned out. We need the lows to appreciate the highs.

mirn · Sep 18, 1999

I agree with both of the previous posts. I think its ok to identify the drawbacks of nursing, but almost every job has those. For me, the satisfaction comes from the knowledge that I make a difference in people's lives, even if they are small ones, or short-term ones. This is worth more than gold to me...what keeps me going. As frustrating as these times are for nurses, I truly cannot imagine doing anything else.

3651bht · Sep 18, 1999

Dear Nursedude,

Sounds like your plumber and electrician friends are working alot of hours. Ever heared of part time work as a nurse in a nursing home, as a consultant. Nurses can work independently you just have to find the right area. If you find the perfect job would you please e-mail me so I can go with you?

katz rn · Sep 19, 1999

Dear Nursedude,

Sorry you feel that way. Maybe it is time that you look away from nursing for awhile. I too have been an RN for a long period of time (11 yrs). I've also done a variety of jobs that have kept me challenged. I am at a crossroads in my career right now, that I need yet another change. They are right, there are areas where nurses can work independently, check them out. Your attitiude towards nursing now will only reflect on the patients that you interact with. Don't let that happen, the patients after all are what we are all about.

suellen e. · Sep 21, 1999

Dear ND,

I too am one of those dedicated nurses - was a nurse's aid at age 18, a RN by age 21. Now I am 45 and will be graduating as a FNP with a master's degree in May. Over the years, I certainly have gotten burned out and the best thing I ever did was take breaks from nursing. You owe it to yourself. It's demands are as rigorous as it's rewards are outrageous. Go be a fisherman on a tuna boat for awhile...travel. Play an instrument. I have done all over the years, and find that my heart is still in nursing. There is nothing I would rather be. I wish you the satisfaction, joy and commitment I have found in being a nurse.

nursedude · Sep 28, 1999

You all make me laugh...

The question was: would you recommend nursing as a career?

Not, are you burned out?

I meerly replied with my opinions and that is:Nursing is a pathetic career.

I did not say anything about: Would you recomend nursing as a vocation?

My best guess: Nursing as a profession/career will not exist much longer. Instead, RNs will be replaced (as they already are) by less skilled/cheaper EMT'S PARAMEDICS AND NURSE AIDES...

mirn · Sep 28, 1999

If we are "pathetic" , "ignorant" and "make you laugh" , perhaps it is time you find others with whom to share your opinions and let us continue with our camaraderie...

I think you missed our point that we would recommend nursing as a career IF you are dedicated to patients and not dedicated to chasing the almighty big dollar.

I don't know where nursedude works (geographically), but where I come from, nurses are quite well-paid...upwards of $25-$30 per hr. in most areas, and we are experiencing a shortage, which means large sign on bonuses for many new employees.

Nursing Slug · Sep 28, 1999

What's this about "feeling good about helping people". The "boss" makes sure that's not about to happen! There is little 'on the job satisfaction'. The workload is tremendous, one nurse is pushed to the physical and mental limits just to perform the paperwork and basics, to maintain their liscense from being revoked. The days of sitting down and consoling a patient are over.... it's "Open wide, I'm shovin' the pills down the throat... without even breakin' my flyin' stride"~~~~> Gotta get back to the paperwork, sign off a few thousand treatments that I can't possibly perform due to ~~~> WORK OVERLOAD. PS: Do you think nurses get "Burned out" because they "enjoy" or have "fun" at their jobs?

nursedude · Sep 29, 1999

MIRN,

So you mean to tell me some hospital is paying you $25 or $30 bucks an hour? Boy, have you got them fooled. Congrats MIRN...

As far as where I live- I'm from western Pa. Allegheny General Hospital Just went bankrupt for 1.5 BILLION dollars, ten years ago, AGH was the top revenue producing hospital in the nation. Since filing for bankruptcy, ALL employees at AGH have taken substantial pay cuts, doctors have lost thier practices and also gone bankrupt. The University of Pittsburgh Health system- originally consisting of 6 hospitals has taken advantage of the market- They started thier own HMO and bought up most other area hospital- guess what? They looked at AGH's demise and many of thier employees have taken cuts too!!!

And guess what else? AGH went bankrupt because of a few greedy administrators, they were getting paid tons of money while the backs of the hospital's employees were breaking.(ie: RN's) Now they have all taken pay cuts to keep thier jobs. Theres also much scuttlebut about the start of a nursing union. (If nursing was so good, why would nurses need a union?)

Personally, 10 years ago I never would have imagined that this could have happened. I bet that we all will see this more and more. I bet MIRN that you'll see this happen sooner or later in your area too.

By the way mirn, I would say that the average base pay for an RN in the pittsburgh area is anywhere from $14 - $21 an hour- I don't see this going up here-in fact I'd say its going to go down.

No wonder why Hillary Clinton said back in 1992 "...Nurses are undereducated and overpaid ..." I'd bet that the hospital administrators were you work think that RN's are overpaid. Why aren't they paying you more? I mean for crying out loud, we as nurses sometimes hold our patients lives in our hands- administering blood, life threatening medications etc for a measly $25 dollars an hour, come on MIRN I think you are cutting the profession of nursing off at the knees.

Again, the purpose of this forum was for us to post our opinions. I posted my opinions,and by doing so I seem to have gotten a large response from nurses who say that" when they get burned out..." For crying out loud! If nursing were so good, why are all nurses burned out so frequently????

I believe that because I am part of this profession that the most important job I have as a nurse is that of patient advocate- the hospitals no longer allow us (nurses) to do that job and this is where I believe that the value of being a nurse really lies..

[This message has been edited by nursedude (edited September 29, 1999).]

nursedude · Sep 29, 1999

Oh, by the way mirn,

If nursing were "such a great career", why would there be a nursing shortage???

For instance, right now there is a shortage of help in the computer industry. Theres a shortage there because the computer industry is relatively new. Nursing on the other hand is ancient and there are millions of nurses. Yet, for some unknown reason(maybe that nursing is a pathetic career) there is a shortage...

I think mirn that your previous post about there being a shortage speaks volumes about what kind of career nursing really is- in otherwords- you have just proved my point...

So lets see, mirn...

1 Nurses get burned out frequently.

2 Theres a shortage of nurses.

3 They can't pay people enough to become nurses.

Sounds like a lovely career to me!