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.
The hospital I worked in for 6 years claimed overstaffing, let a bunch of RN's go, then claimed they were short staffed and there were no RN's to be hired in the area. Bam! Philippino nurses! Underhanded at best, dirty at worst.
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.
Yes, they want to protect their profession and their wages. It's a principle called supply and demand.
News flash for you...it's not just nursing, its everywhere. Corporate America, where I come from has always been that way.
Another news flash for you...colleges are turning out thousands of people every year in many different majors, saturating the markets for all of the "in demand" fields. This not confined to just nursing. This is the American Way sweetheart.
I'm sorry that you are so dissatisfied with your job or rather the machine that you work for. But the grass is not greener anywhere else, unless you are one of the lucky ones to be doing what they love regardless of the benefits, or lack thereof.
I'm in nursing school because I would rather have the pleasure in knowing that I made a difference to someone's life that day and not just some multi-millionaire sitting on his money stacks. Of course, that's by default in any business but at least I can sleep better at night knowing that I have done some good for some one. Isn't that what we're all here for, afterall?
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
News flash for you...it's not just nursing, its everywhere. Corporate America, where I come from has always been that way.
Another news flash for you...colleges are turning out thousands of people every year in many different majors, saturating the markets for all of the "in demand" fields. This not confined to just nursing. This is the American Way sweetheart.
I'm sorry that you are so dissatisfied with your job or rather the machine that you work for. But the grass is not greener anywhere else, unless you are one of the lucky ones to be doing what they love regardless of the benefits, or lack thereof.
I'm in nursing school because I would rather have the pleasure in knowing that I made a difference to someone's life that day and not just some multi-millionaire sitting on his money stacks. Of course, that's by default in any business but at least I can sleep better at night knowing that I have done some good for some one. Isn't that what we're all here for, afterall?
Bolding mine: Am I the only one who finds the use of such endearments reserved for family members/significant others/close friends offensive?
And just because that's the "way" it's become, that doesn't mean we have to give up and take it. Seeing as you're a nursing student, I think you're going to have an eye-opening experience when you get that license and that first job. Might I suggest reading some of the new grad threads where they become very disillusioned with nursing because it's nowhere near what they expected?
My close friend had a 2.6 grade point average when applying to nursing schools several years ago. Although she's not the most academically gifted person by a long shot, she is now a director of nurses at a local healthcare facility.
Sometimes the GPA is not the tell-all of a person's ability or aptitude. We all have friends who are at or near 4.0 yet can't think their way out of a paper bag. But I suppose there has to be a way to thin the applicant ranks.
News flash for you...it's not just nursing, its everywhere. Corporate America, where I come from has always been that way.
Another news flash for you...colleges are turning out thousands of people every year in many different majors, saturating the markets for all of the "in demand" fields. This not confined to just nursing. This is the American Way sweetheart.
I'm sorry that you are so dissatisfied with your job or rather the machine that you work for. But the grass is not greener anywhere else, unless you are one of the lucky ones to be doing what they love regardless of the benefits, or lack thereof.
I'm in nursing school because I would rather have the pleasure in knowing that I made a difference to someone's life that day and not just some multi-millionaire sitting on his money stacks. Of course, that's by default in any business but at least I can sleep better at night knowing that I have done some good for some one. Isn't that what we're all here for, afterall?
PTs make a decent a wage. And they've seen a decline in student enrollment. The more education required the less competition it is. The more requirements the less applicants. Generally speaking..I'm sure they are some exceptions
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
One reason I love AN -- you never can predict what will happen. Person starts thread under assumed name to discuss firing of seasoned nurses due to fear of volatile argument and the whole thing is very civilized, but this one turned into an old vs young throwdown.
To those who say or imply that nursing is no different than other professions as far as entry-level job prospects. The difference is in the sales pitch. Anyone who willingly majors in something esoteric or wants to design video games for a living knows what they face competing for jobs.
There are a lot of us who chose nursing at least partially because the job security would allow us to pursue our avocations, and that offered the chance to move around and know we would find a job. In my case it turned out to be a great choice in that regard, and I feel that anyone considering nursing for similar reasons deserves to know the truth.
I'll take million dollars though..you can really make a difference with millions lol :)
the attack on the wealthy is so prevalent amongst us commoners.
As much as I truly love my jobs and feel there are have been times when I actually helped someone there is no way I'm doing this for purely altruistic reasons. I'm in it for the money and because I think I'm good at this however if there is ever an offer for me stop working and instead sit on stacks of millions please sign me up!
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.
Oooof. That. Right there. Don't they know that if they make us get all this education, we're going to notice things like this? That even high school English classes teach Orwell? Don't spit on me and tell me it's raining!
I really do my best to stay positive, to remind myself of the reasons why nursing is important to me, and to keep working hard to make a good life for my loved ones. Even so, it's things like this story (and the story about the "short-staffed" hospital that "had" to hire Filipino nurses at reduced cost) that make it hard to keep my head down and in my own business. Maybe some of the upside of being a part of this so-called "me me me" generation is a willingness to eventually stand up and say "This isn't right!" and doggedly pursue ways to make it so.
CKPM2RN, ASN, EMT-P
330 Posts
The hospital I worked in for 6 years claimed overstaffing, let a bunch of RN's go, then claimed they were short staffed and there were no RN's to be hired in the area. Bam! Philippino nurses! Underhanded at best, dirty at worst.