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.
I wonder how many prospective students pretend they're a new grad and look for a job that would consider them? Does nobody do that anymore?
I haven't even started the Nursing Program yet and I always do this! Although I know that the job market will probably only get worse over the next three years before I graduate....
I disagree. Many professions require more educational attainment than nursing, yet offer significantly less attractive pay and limited job prospects. I can think of a few of these professions off the top of my head:
1. Librarianship: requires an MLS (master of library science) degree for entry. The average mid-career pay of librarians in the US is $57,000 annually.
2. Social work: requires a BSW (bachelor's in social work) degree, and many SWs have the MSW degree but still earn less than $60,000 annually on average.
3. Education: almost half of all primary and secondary schoolteachers in the US are educated at the MEd (master of education) degree level, yet earn less than $60,000 yearly.
4. Psychology: job prospects are dismal unless educated at the doctoral degree level, and many psychologists with PhDs still earn less money than the typical associate degree nurse.Physicians earn twice the money (and sometimes triple or quadruple the money), but I am not so sure they're achieving 10 times the satisfaction.
Female dominated fields. I bet you a million dollars if the first nurses were dudes, by this point nursing would be up there with physical therapists and pharmacists.
Female dominated fields. I bet you a million dollars if the first nurses were dudes, by this point nursing would be up there with physical therapists and pharmacists.
I believe so too. And competition would play a bigger part in the workforce, more like in finance or sales. There would be a higher occurance of high performers pushing others out. They would be more fit and less tired than the single moms or middle aged. Even just the culture of men being less responsible for managing childcare would have an impact.
I believe so too. And competition would play a bigger part in the workforce, more like in finance or sales. There would be a higher occurance of high performers pushing others out. They would be more fit and less tired than the single moms or middle aged. Even just the culture of men being less responsible for managing childcare would have an impact.
Male dominance would change everything.
Excellent points. Although as a middle aged person I might not fare as well I can't say I have benefited at all from the profession being friendly to Moms.
I've known a number of doctorally prepared engineers who earn very high salaries and are very satisfied with their careers.
There you said it Doctorally Prepared ! One can get into nursing with an ASN degree , can make good money and be satisfied in 2 years instead of having to wait around 10 years. ( 4 year degree plus 5 years doctoral degree in engineering)
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
AGREE! As a younger, "older" nurse--- ( I am at the end of the Gen X generation, not quite a baby boomer)------ I really take exception to the notion that we "oldesters" are slow to change or learn. I spent 10 years in the military probably before a lot of you were even born. I learned how to program and use computers in the 1980s when the "system" filled a whole room. I have owned my own computer at home since 1991. So, I am no computer-illiterate, nor do I shun continuing my education. Nor am I "slow" or lazy.
A lot of nurses older than myself can still run circles around the young ones complaining of body aches/pains/being tired, calling out sick 3 or 4 times a month, etc., and you know what? These "crusty old bats" just keep going. They rarely complain or call out. Just soldier on when the younger ones drop like flies during cold and flu season.
Ageism sucks. And it has no place in nursing. We "oldies" aren't going anywhere any time soon.
I am probably old enough to be your mother, and maybe your grandmother. I bought my first computer in 1985 (early adopter in my profession) and use my current one extensively to do research, writing, illustrated reports for court exhibits, and publishing. And I was the hospital tech teacher when my hospital bought their first computerized record system ... in 1989.
Don't be snotty about old people and computers. Some of us send more time actually working on them at a higher level than you do, and less time checking out cat videos and singing nursing students on YouTube.
Ageism sucks. And it has no place in nursing. We "oldies" aren't going anywhere any time soon.
Unfortunately I don't know that giving it a name actually does much to eradicate it. There is no doubt that as we get older unless we stay where our employers know us and our value that finding a job will be more difficult just as it is probably more difficult for the very young fresh face nurses also.
I accept this just as I have accepted that I can no longer grin, flip my hair and get out of a speeding ticket. It is a fact of life and to me there is something to be said for allowing the next wave of youngins take the reins. Plus now I can actually afford to pay the freaking speeding ticket anyway.
Like many have said there are good and bad employees of all ages but I will continue to remain in favor of those of us who are heading into our golden years preparing to leave while still on top of our game.
Ageism sucks. And it has no place in nursing. We "oldies" aren't going anywhere any time soon.
Hence, the so called "false" nursing shortage. Nurses that should be retiring just aren't retiring, which is one of the reasons why new nurses of all ages can't find a job (notice I said one of the reasons, not the ONLY or MAJOR reason).
I'm 50, fit and at very much at the top of my game. Still in the upward trend of growing my expertise. I'm almost the nurse that I wanted to grow up to be.
But I also don't spend 12+hrs on my feet tolerating poor treatment and understaffing. I will lower my lifestyle several notches before I'm run into the ground.
Anna S, RN
452 Posts
I've known a number of doctorally prepared engineers who earn very high salaries and are very satisfied with their careers.