Only doing nursing for the money

chickpea7 · Oct 28, 2013

One of the great things about nursing is that there are so many different areas you can work in. Just because you may not like one unit/speciality, does not mean you wouldn't like another.

What are the two other careers that interest you?

edmia, BSN, RN · Oct 29, 2013

It's ok to do nursing because of the money! The only thing I would warn you about is that you may find yourself feeling burned out sooner than you think because the job of nursing is hard - emotionally and physically.

With this in mind, plan the next step now. Are you willing to work at the bedside for 5 years while you get an advanced degree? If not, what area of nursing might you enjoy?

You may not even have to get into hospital work at all if you don't want to. Hospitals are hierarchical and nurses are not respected for the most part. That's the reality. Other areas are great to work in and lucrative.

Don't give up because of 1 person's story, but do assess your goals and be realistic and pragmatic,

Good luck!

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brithoover · Oct 29, 2013

Don't form an opinion of nursing just from one person. You may hate many areas of nursing but you'd just have to find your specialty. The hospital I work at nurses are very well respected and I'm constantly asked my opinion from the docs

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Oct 29, 2013

Nursing is at the bottom of the clinical hierarchy despite the fact that there are far more nurses in the US than any other health profession. It has to do with the way that clinical services are paid for, so this is not likely to change. We do all the jobs that no one else wants to do. The work is risky. Nurses have very high rates of back injury & exposure to potentially deadly infections... not to mention the exposure to potentially violent patients & families. For many people, it turns out that the pay just isn't worth it.

I had to chuckle when I read OP's post... particularly the refreshingly honest, but "classic millennial" attitude toward working for a living. " I only want a job because society forces me to have one. I would just prefer having fun, doing new things, and being lazy when I want and just doing whatever I feel whenever." Without winning the lottery or being granted a financial windfall, working for a living is inevitable. I would encourage the OP to seek the services of a career counselor to determine where her true interests & talents lie. Life is waaay too short to condemn yourself to worklife misery.

ShelbyaStar · Oct 29, 2013

You can kind of put me in that category too. I started out doing what I loved. I got a degree in animal science and went on my merry way to become a famous horse trainer. I did train under some big names for a couple years but realized I was making so little I couldn't afford to do what I REALLY loved- show my own horse! And it was making riding stressful. And I learned I'm not really the type of person that is great at running their own business and promoting themselves! I just wanted to spend all day with my horses and magically have the money roll in but it doesn't work that way!

So I considered a career change. I thought about something financial, because I have some interest in it and I figured it was a "normal" 9-5 kind of job, but I figured there would probably still be quite a bit of self promoting I'd have to do. And I wouldn't really find a whole lot of meaning in my work. It would kinda be the same thing every day. It's great to help someone with their retirement funds, but meh.

I thought about teaching. I like kids and I'd be a great elementary school teacher. But tbh, if I'm going to bother reinventing myself I want to do it for something with some job security and good pay.

So then there's healthcare. I looked into RT and a couple other things but I figured nursing would make me happiest because there's so much variety. I can go into many different fields. I could do a 3 12 shift kind of thing and have 4 days of the week to do my own thing. If I get sick of being on the floor, I can go into research or admin or whatever. And I'd make enough money to pursue my equestrian goals MUCH more so than when I was actually trying to make it pay for itself.

So you can sort of say I'm getting in it for the money. But it's not like I arbitrarily picked a career off of some "highest paying jobs" list. Like I could become a lawyer and make more, but I have no interest in law and don't think it would be suited to my personality.

The whole do what you love thing is great and all but there is more to it than simply picking something you like and making a career of it. You have to look at your personality, your goals, and your talents. I LOVE training horses, but I hate running a business! No business running= no horses to train. With nursing I can afford my hobby and leave my work at work when I clock out, rather than worrying about emailing clients or packing for trips or what have you. I will have time for my future family and will be making enough money to not be super stressed all the time. So I think it's a good fit, even if I didn't dream of being a nurse since I was a little kid.

So I guess my point is, compromise. If you think you will really hate nursing then don't do it! Find something else. A counselor can assess your personality, delve into your interests and you can go from there. But for some people work is just a means to an end and that's okay too. I'm like you and just want my freedom, and nursing seems the best way to attain that, short of winning the lottery.

mz23 · Oct 30, 2013

You can marry a billionaire : ) I also volunteer at a hospital and most of the nurses ive talked to enjoy what they do. And though thry may not be at thr top of thehhierarchy, ive met plenty of snooty nurses so im sure they think highly of themselve lol.

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 30, 2013

If you really have doubts, then take a break from school after this semester and don't dig yourself into a big hole of debt while you try to "find yourself." Take a break from school and get a job. Continue to live with your parents to save up some money for whatever education you decide to get later. Look around, figure out the type of work you want to do when you grow up, perhaps seek some career counseling at a local community college, etc. Once you figure out what you want to do, you'll have the life experience and the money saved up to help you achieve your new goals.

Too many people spend too much money on educations they do not want. They financially cripple themselves with debt preparing themselves for careers they don't want and don't stick with. Take some time and do some homework BEFORE you spend more time and money.

RHill9919 · Oct 30, 2013

join the military for a few years and have your school paid for. You get out of your parents house, have a secure job, and can take time to decide if nursing is what you really want to do...

RescueNinja123 · Oct 31, 2013

Engineering or software programming. A nurse on this same forum is the reason why I am considering this, she was an engineer previous to nursing.

VampyrSlayer, CNA · Nov 1, 2013

If you really have doubts, then take a break from school after this semester and don't dig yourself into a big hole of debt while you try to "find yourself." Take a break from school and get a job. Continue to live with your parents to save up some money for whatever education you decide to get later. Look around, figure out the type of work you want to do when you grow up, perhaps seek some career counseling at a local community college, etc. Once you figure out what you want to do, you'll have the life experience and the money saved up to help you achieve your new goals.
Too many people spend too much money on educations they do not want. They financially cripple themselves with debt preparing themselves for careers they don't want and don't stick with. Take some time and do some homework BEFORE you spend more time and money.

This!

Describes me perfectly. I am turning 25 this month and graduated HS when I was 17. I was your typical teenager though and didn't take school seriously. I failed out of my first community college (seriously, 2 semesters, no credits earned). I transferred to a college is Boston known for law convinced I was going to be a lawyer. I still wasn't mature enough for school. I took a year off and worked 50 hours a week. Then I moved to la for school and to become a "movie star". Well, by the end of my second semester (I did ok considering I got the flu, swine flu, stomach flu, ear infection and threw my back out all in the same semester) I had landed a recurring background acting gig for abc family. I decided to take the semester off to work and when the show was cancelled, I was so sick of la that I moved back east (so far were up to 3 colleges) I then went home and enrolled in a community college where I got an A in medical term but failed everything else when I finally met my birth mother and had a mental breakdown. I decided I wanted to become a pastor so I moved to Arkansas to attend Bible College (number 5). It was so isolated and I realized I didn't in fact want to be a pastor. I moved back home and enrolled in South University online math class (even though I sucked at online classes before). I kicked butt. I started wondering what I wanted to do with my life. I love animals but the only way to make decent money is as a vet which I was not interested in. I love children and the medical field so I started thinking about nursing or ultrasound tech. I started my prereqs at another college online in my area (#7) and did really well. Then I transferred to a local community college to do a&p1 and sociology on campus during the summer. I would have gone back to college # 4 but they weren't offering those classes at those times. So now I'm back at #4 and next semester is my last semester of prereqs and I'll either be attending college #6 or a new college #8. I didn't mean to hijack your thread what I wanted to say was, if I can do it you can do it. Nursing isn't for everyone, and it's not always a "calling". I'd suggest shadowing nurses in different areas to see if any appeal to you. Good luck!

DadStudentPerhaps · Nov 1, 2013

Hi, I'm a little older than you and may be able to offer a different POV. First, my wife has been a RN for almost 30 years. She has worked on the same floor and for the same hospital ever since Nursing School. She loves her job!!! She splits her time between new borns and their moms. With that said, she knows many RNs that always seem to be miserable. They don't like their floor , they don't like their co-workers, they don't like the Nurse Manager or Charge Nurse. They don't like their house, their spouse, their car... Can you see the theme yet? These RNs often quit after a year or two.

I've been doing Pre-Reqs while looking for an opportunity to get into an evening and weekends program. I've also been in my position (in a totally unrelated field) for 26 years. I don't dislike my job at all, in fact I make over 100K per year. That's about 30K more per year than my wife earns. Why would I waste my time to get into a less paying career field? I've pondered that myself many times; especially when I was staying up till 2 AM completing an A&P assignment. It always comes back to several key factors, a deep respect for what RNs do, stability in career field, the option to move around within the career field, and the portability that RNs have that allow them to work almost anyplace in the country.

As for the other part of your post. We've got an 11 year old and a 17 year old daughter. Yes, we have rules in our house. They have chores, they have to do their school work, and we monitor what they look at on the internet and who their friends are. We correct them when they say something inappropriate, and we teach them to respect other people. We may seem strict but we have been in the world almost 50 years now and understand the importance of a good education, good friends, and a good career choice. If we didn't care, we would just let them do whatever they liked and hope they were able scrape by as adults. Our parents thankfully did the same thing for us. Yes, at times, when I didn't get my way, I thought they were overbearing. I couldn't wait to get out on my own. I rolled my eyes at my dad when he lectured me about getting a good education. At the end of the day.... My parents were 100% right in everything they told me. Thank God they sent me off on the right foot because I know far too many people my age just barely scraping by. Some of them suffer depression, are addicted to booze, drugs, or cigarettes, and are are racing toward the cemetery at an accelerated speed. Basically, when a person says they have overbearing parents, in most cases they have parents that care enough to try and steer their kids to a successful and happy life. I don't know your circumstances, but most parents honestly want the best for their kids. Also, it is MUCH easier to complete your education now than it would be after you move out and have to work to pay rent or for a mortgage. Add to that groceries, utilities, insurance, gas, cable, internet, phone, clothes, forget entertainment.... my point, you'll be spending so much time trying to work to pay bills, you'll likely see your education suffer.

Good luck with your decision. If Nursing is not your ideal career, try to pick one that actually has job openings, stability, and will afford you the life style you desire.