None of you will like what I have to say. But let me kick the hard truth to you. Honestly about 50% of people I talk to are in nursing school or are taking pre-reqs for nursing school. This is a major red flag for several reasons. If you have not noticed, nursing wages/benefits have been on the down trend.
Pension?? goodbye.
Crud 401k 403b plans hello. Raise? LOL "sorry hospital is working out financial issues, maybe next year".
Nevermind if you work for a community/SNF agency. Yet insurance companies, medicare derived/gov agencies, and anyone else from the top 1% will continue to blast the RN as "shortage" in order to drive drones of students into nursing schools pulling each others hair out on the way to land a seat. Proof of this is, let's see (ABSN ***** ADN, BSN, diploma, LPN/LVN bridge to RN programs, RN to BSN) Why do these different routes exist? To flood the RN market as fast as possible to drive the wage, need, and profession into the ground.
Let's look at our oh so loyal CNA's. If you can find one that isn't in nursing school to be a nurse, ask them how much they make?
Look at LPN's 20-30 years ago and look at them today??
Surely the ANA and other organizations treated them with respect. The RN is next, so make sure to support your local nursing agency so they can do nothing for you. So they can be paid off by organizations so powerful that no one can say no and "not have the power to stop a bill". So they can continue to cry nursing shortage when this is not true.
RNs today are treated like children and are required to demonstrate fundamental task and other skills in inservices which were designed for nothing else but cut throat. To place blame of UTI's and poor patient satisfaction on the nurse.
If you are an RN today, your only safety net is to become an APRN if you want to live comfortably but in several decades the APRN will be under attack just like the LPN had been an RNs currently are. "OH the aging population is going to need nurses" You really think so?
Nursing homes are shutting down and now elderly people live at home with "24 hour care takers" that get paid **** wages and do things only an RN should be doing. You don't think so? Wake up.
None of this is to say that I hate nursing. I love helping people who are mentally ill, suffering from dementia, sick, or on their death beds. It is when we do great things for them that my love for nursing shines. There aren't other people standing around to reward you for your great deeds.
When the family comes in the next day complaining about everything, they never had a chance to see how well their dying loved one was cared for. Your good deeds will never be rewarded, but in a safe place in your heart.
I am just here to open the eyes of people who are intelligent and looking for a new career. I think you may find better job security else where. Invest your time in classes and money else where. Nursing is honestly under great attack right now and the future is black.
Yes but although you were actually competent to perform as a nurse and safely care for patients you probably didn't receive all the crucial, fancy courses on how self-important APRNs are or the additional letters behind your name that no one can interpret, lol.
We did have an introductory course on nursing theory, and we were encouraged throughout our program to plan on continuing our education further -- that the diploma was an entry into practice, not a terminal degree, and the BSN was clearly the future of nursing, so we should plan on returning to school (at a time convenient for us) to complete at least a BSN. They also encouraged us to think about advanced practice. It was a v. progressive nursing program, that also provided a solid, comprehensive basic nursing education. I graduated well prepared to pass the NCLEX (without any fancy prep courses or books) and function as an RN without a lot of orientation.
Feeling a little annoyed by many of the posts on this thread. I have been a nurse for 3 years and love my job. I enjoy being at the beside.
People should stop becoming nurses because we are getting lower wages and losing benefits, really?! Wake up, that's every industry!
I have seen students who are forced to work with nurses that HATE helping them or flat out say, "I don't know ask your instructor". It's nurses like these that tick me off. The truth of the fact is that we go to work for a pay check! Last time I checked we all want to earn a descent wage. I have seen many of these young nurse who care and really want to make a difference. Come on, get off your high horse already! It's the world we live in. CEO's continue to get bonuses, while the worker bees keep getting the short end of the stick. Nursing was a second career for me, so I'm not 20 years old. I didn't expect a job to handed to me with special scheduling.
I have always thought if nursing school had shown us what it was really like to be RNs nobody would have finished school. What no school is explaining is how under-staffed everything is in health care system. This week is perfect example: the last week our hospital was actually staffed correctly (2 pts each for ICU RN, with 2 aids on floor and secretary). The reason for this is JCAHO is coming to town this week and hospital wants to present things in favorable light. This frustrates me to no end because it tells me the hospital is aware of shortages in staffing and makes conscientious decision to short-change the patients, rn and nursing aids with bare min. staffing once JCAHO leaves. It's not right.
Maybe it's time for your facility to get a SURPRISED visit from JCAHO?
Don't know where many of you are but here in NYC are schools *Have* tightened up entry requirements dramatically in the past several years.
Most all programs both ADN and BSN, private and those part of CUNY or SUNY require some sort of testing (SAT, TEAS, NLN) along with a rock solid minimum GPA of 3.0. from pre-nursing sequence. A few out there may still have the old 2.5 GPA requirement but in reality that is only on paper as few if anyone gets in with marks that low. Retention standards have been tightened up as well.
That being said education in this country (and access to same) is a hot button issue. The minute you try to tighten this or that program up you run the risk of running afoul of various civil rights laws regarding disparate impact. Though not said directly you hear whispers about this when programs consider or start requiring advanced sciences and math (organic chemistry, statistics, etc....) as part of not only BSN put ADN programs as well.
Schools part of NYC's CUNY system which by law must accept *all* those with a NYC high school diploma have worked long and hard to get their board passing rates up. City Tech used to be a joke but now has one of if not the highest passing rate of NYC schools. Granted only a handful of students graduate to take the exam but better a class of five out of 50 graduate and pass than all fifty and only five pass.
In any event the nursing profession and education of nurses are two different things in the United States. While related they often can and do part ways on certain issues. Unlike say Britain, France or other countries where the state effectively controls the production of nurses, no such thing exists in the United States. The education lobby, especially higher education is a powerful force in most states. You start talking about closing down programs and you are going to have a fight on your hands from the nurses and others who teach, administer and or otherwise involved with same.
In theory suppose everyone should be on the same page; but then again does Harvard law promise every graduate who passes the bar employment?
nobody yelled civil rights violation when PTs went from a 4yr program to a PHD program lol.
I was talking to a friend the other day about all these new "doctors". I'm holding out for the doctorate program in basket weaving so I can insist my peers call me Dr. Jules, lol. I shouldn't laugh I'm sure it will be the next online program available for a mere $100,000.
I was talking to a friend the other day about all these new "doctors". I'm holding out for the doctorate program in basket weaving so I can insist my peers call me Dr. Jules, lol. I shouldn't laugh I'm sure it will be the next online program available for a mere $100,000.
My sister who is 46 years old graduated from nursing school a couple of years ago realized the short coming on her unit and is already enrolled in a BSN to get off the floor. She did not whine or complain she simply decided more education and seek other options.
I believe that there is a distinct advantage to going into nursing at a later age; that being real work experience has shown you that a job isn't quite what the hype says, ever. Also you've dealt with a variety of co-workers, customers and other humans in general so you have a better idea of what may be expected and you know that no nursing job is like the dreamy portrayal on ER or the soaps. It could be said for a career change of any kind at a more "mature and experienced" age.
elkpark
14,633 Posts
We did have an introductory course on nursing theory, and we were encouraged throughout our program to plan on continuing our education further -- that the diploma was an entry into practice, not a terminal degree, and the BSN was clearly the future of nursing, so we should plan on returning to school (at a time convenient for us) to complete at least a BSN. They also encouraged us to think about advanced practice. It was a v. progressive nursing program, that also provided a solid, comprehensive basic nursing education. I graduated well prepared to pass the NCLEX (without any fancy prep courses or books) and function as an RN without a lot of orientation.