People in it only for the quick hire

leslie :-D · Jul 21, 2007

spyral, i do understand your frustration.

i too, have wondered about certain nurses.

you need to focus on yourself and the nurses you do appreciate.

best of everything to you.

leslie

dorselm · Jul 21, 2007

I'm in nursing school and work as a CNA and I used to constantly question the nurses where I work about the reason they chose nursing. Not to be smart or anything but just to hear some of the reasons that people choose to go into nursing. One of the nurses who has been there for about 1 1/2 yrs told me that honestly she looked in the paper for a job and saw truck driving and nursing and decided to become a nurse. She said she's in it for the flexibility and because she was able to get a job quickly. She is about to enter school to become a dental assistant because she says they don't do much but get paid big bucks and get to make their own hours and things.

She doesn't have a bad attitude toward the patients but her heart was never in it and she let it be known from the door!

I do like earle said and try to focus on being a better nurse than that and I aspire to emulate the good nurses who are compassionate and caring.

GilaRRT · Jul 21, 2007

Interesting discussion. Allow me to play devil’s advocate? Do we really need to be compassionate and empathetic to provide good nursing care. If I go to work, take good care of my patients, pay attention to all of their needs, and provide top notch nursing care, does this not make me a good nurse? Let’s say for the sake of discussion, I really hate people and could care less about compassion and empathy, but I fake at work and still provide good care in spite of my personal feelings because my motivation is the money. You could argue that this make me an unscrupulous human being; however, as long as I continue to provide good nursing care, does this make me a bad nurse?

Now, before you all start forming the lynching line, I simply want to have good discussion. Yes, I cannot deny that I like a good paycheck; however, I would refuse to do something that makes me miserable. In addition, once you start providing poor care, you are a poor nurse regardless of the reason.

leslie :-D · Jul 21, 2007

yes, i think you can be a good nurse w/o compassion and empathy.

but i don't think you can provide "top notch nursing care" w/o empathy.

that's my personal take on it.

we all have different visions of what constitutes a superior nurse.

leslie

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 21, 2007

Interesting discussion. Allow me to play devil's advocate? Do we really need to be compassionate and empathetic to provide good nursing care. If I go to work, take good care of my patients, pay attention to all of their needs, and provide top notch nursing care, does this not make me a good nurse? Let's say for the sake of discussion, I really hate people and could care less about compassion and empathy, but I fake at work and still provide good care in spite of my personal feelings because my motivation is the money. You could argue that this make me an unscrupulous human being; however, as long as I continue to provide good nursing care, does this make me a bad nurse?

Now, before you all start forming the lynching line, I simply want to have good discussion. Yes, I cannot deny that I like a good paycheck; however, I would refuse to do something that makes me miserable. In addition, once you start providing poor care, you are a poor nurse regardless of the reason.

I can agree with this; I had a professor that said there is nothing wrong with getting into nursing for the money. But, she said, "Do the RIGHT thing by your patient and give them what they are due as well as retain their dignity".

I interact with a few patients who I really dislike with a passion DAILY. Some days, I dislike 90% of them depending on the population. But, funny enough, they never sense it; in fact, those same patients will actually come looking for me in my clinic because they say that I explain things so well for them and provide them with what they need. Even had a few letters sent to administration about their appreciativeness of my services.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 21, 2007

P. S. Oh, and to add, I guess that what makes me give the best that I can, whether I like the patient or not is the empathy...what if it were my family or myself?

EmmaG, RN · Jul 21, 2007

I had just left an abusive relationship and had 2 small children. Damn straight I wanted to get into a career where I'd always be able to find work, and had enough money coming in to support us without ever again being dependent on another to do so.

I love nursing. It's in my blood, I can't imagine doing anything else. But to deny that job security and the pay and "a quick hire" wasn't a part of my decision to go into nursing would be dishonest. I'm not THAT altruistic.

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Jul 21, 2007

I agree with E.G.: Don't question a person's motives unless you've been dirt poor, a single parent, etc. And BTW- I am compassionate. Not to the point of co-dependency, but compassionate enough to empathize and to do a darn good job. I work extremely hard, and am probably more appreciative than some to be able to have a job that I can rely on.

oramar · Jul 21, 2007

Interesting discussion. Allow me to play devil’s advocate? Do we really need to be compassionate and empathetic to provide good nursing care. If I go to work, take good care of my patients, pay attention to all of their needs, and provide top notch nursing care, does this not make me a good nurse? Let’s say for the sake of discussion, I really hate people and could care less about compassion and empathy, but I fake at work and still provide good care in spite of my personal feelings because my motivation is the money. You could argue that this make me an unscrupulous human being; however, as long as I continue to provide good nursing care, does this make me a bad nurse?

Now, before you all start forming the lynching line, I simply want to have good discussion. Yes, I cannot deny that I like a good paycheck; however, I would refuse to do something that makes me miserable. In addition, once you start providing poor care, you are a poor nurse regardless of the reason.

No, I ain't going to lynch you. I have worked with people that have a calling and they are a true inspiration. The problem is that there ain't that many of them. The need for care givers is so intense and it is growing. If only people that have "true nurses hearts" need apply we are in trouble baby. Even bigger trouble than we are now as far as staffing shortages. There have been nights where I worked med surg extremely short. Two nurses and two aides for 24 sick people. Ever staff member had been called, every agency had been contacted. We were just on our own baby. At that point any competent nurse that would have shown up would have got her/his feet kissed. I could not afford to worry about their hearts. Guess what, I have said all this in previous post. My trouble has always been with managment. I have had many patients, families and fellow employee thank me for my empathy and compassion. To managment I have never been anything but a warm body.

reesern63, RN · Jul 21, 2007

I hate how I see nurses in my hospital who I KNOW from the bottom of their heart, only went to nursing school because they wanted to get hired quickly and have a guaranteed job. To be in this profession you have to have compassion and empathy. I work as a nurse extender in my hospital and I see nurses who are there that don't give a rats @$$ about anything. They point their fingers and give orders, they don't have that quality that most other nurses have. People should be on a very massive probation when they get hired because the NCC needs to be aware of these idiot nurses who don't care about human emotions. I am so sick of it.

You need to focus on yourself. You can't know what's in someone's heart, so to paint someone as an "idiot, " who doesn't give a "rat's @ss" could be interpreted as just as bad as the behavior you judge so harshly. The "angel nurse" stereotype has been very damaging to the profession, and it's about time we sacked it. As long as someone is competent and provides safe care, I couldn't care less what his/her motivation was for getting the job.

You're judging licensed nurses and you yourself are not a licensed nurse but a nurse extender. Could some of your frustration be jealousy tht you are not yet a licensed nurse? Understand that the two roles are very different, so you really aren't in a position to judge what a licensed nurse does until you yourself are one.

Keep your own house in order. If these nurses are that bad, their behavior will catch up with them.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 21, 2007

I have a feeling this thread wilil go the the direction of "nurses who are in it only for the money" threads because it's very similar.

My take on this is that nursing is a great career with job stablity, the ability to job hop if things are bad, and a nice middle income. These are excellent reasons to consider nursing. Some burned out stressed out days this is all I have to hang onto. If nursing was minimum wage and there were no jobs, not many people would be choosing it.

However, I will also agree with Leslie, the best nurses are those with empathy and compassion. The ability to put yourself in your patients place and care about them make a good nurse.

Can you be a good nurse faking that you care about patients. I suppose you can. Honestly when I'm with a trauma patient who is a drug dealer shot for the 3rd time and he's acting the fool, my compassionate edge runs out and I put on my fake smile all the while thinking what a scumbag burden to society and my tax dollars are being wasted getting him well only to have him go out and probably get shot again.

I doubt however, I'd be happy faking my way through a job.