Possible future nurse-have a lot of questions!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Jan 12, 2007

Is the pay and benefits in nursing really as good as everyone says?

Depends on your perspective as well as what specialty and what type of facility you choose to work in. Huge swings in wages and benefits depending on employment situations. Look around the site, and you'll see more on this.

How did you become interested in nursing?

It was to be a second (or third?) career, one to "return to" after having had children and seeing them off to school. A friend who is an APN thought I'd be good at it and suggested I apply to school; I decided I thought I'd be good at it, too

If you have kids, does your job allow you to have enough time to spend with them?

Again, depends on the hours and where you work. One of the advantages of having an RN license is flexibility in scheduling; if you work in a facility that's a 24-hour operation, then all the better. I work nightshifts so there's no babysitters or daycare for school holidays, half days, snow days :)

How often do you have to work major holidays?

Ah, a touchy subject EVERY holiday season! See many threads on that in the General Discussion Board. But essentially, plan on working LOTS of them. Depending on the arrangement you have at your place of employment, you may get ones off based on lottery, an alternating (work one, get next one off) system, seniority, etc. But you can expect to work holidays, weekends, long hours if you're going into most fields of nursing. NOT working them means clinics or offices that are closed then, but the pay, as you can expect, can be quite a bit less.

What are the good/bad things about nursing?

Sorry, way too long to write any answer to this! I suggest you read the many many threads on these boards to find that out!

Do you get to pick your shift or if you work full or part time?

Another "depends" here. If the need in your area is great enough, if the facility has the flexibility you need, then you might well find that you work days if you want, or eves or nights if that's your preference. But you might not get such choices if there's alot of recent hires and you're a new nurse. I wouldn't expect to have the final say on any of that until you get a feel for where you'd be working, and what the nurses there do.

Thank you so much!!!

You're welcome, and good luck :)

catzy5 · Jan 12, 2007

Hi I am new to this site and for over a year I have been thinking of going into nursing. I have been doing a lot of research on it and talked to a lot of different nurses. My fiance has crohns disease and the hospital is particly our second home! We have spent many holidays and birthdays there. I think that seeing him in the hospital and watching the nurses, is what has fueled my interest in the field. I have been going to school on and off since I graduated high school for elementary ed and I have worked in daycare also for seven years. I have debated between teaching and nursing and I really can't seem to make up my mind! I am really confused! There are many pros and cons to both jobs. I like the aspect of doing the 3/12 shifts that many nurses have. Every time I think I have decided what I want to do I change my mind again. It usuaslly goes to me just sticking with teaching, but later nursing comes up again and I figure there has got to be a reason for it. I think part of me is scared and has a fear of failure at least as far as nursing school goes-I hear so many scary things like how hard it is and that you get yelled at. I have made a list of questions and I would apprecate any advice to help me make a decision. I should mention that at the end of the month I will be job shadowing a neo natal nurse and I am very excited about it! And my finace is also almost 100% sure he is going to enroll in nursing school very soon! :nuke:
Keep in mind you can always teach as a nurse ) I always wanted to be a teacher too and thats what my initial career choice is however life happened things changed and now I am trying to get into nursing school and can't wait to start.
I would suggest volunteering for a while at a hospital get a feel for what they do and have people there you can talk too. I worked as a unit clerk for 2 years when my kids were babies thats what sealed the deal for me.
Is the pay and benefits in nursing really as good as everyone says?
How did you become interested in nursing?
If you have kids, does your job allow you to have enough time to spend with them?
How often do you have to work major holidays?
What are the good/bad things about nursing?
Do you get to pick your shift or if you work full or part time?
Thank you so much!!!

As far as these questions go you might want to post them on the Nurse forums. This is a Pre nursing forum most of us are not even in Nursing school yet.

jov · Jan 12, 2007

to answer at least some of your questions:

"as far as nursing school goes-I hear so many scary things like how hard it is and that you get yelled at." I'm into my fourth semester and haven't been yelled at yet. Then again, I tend to present myself as a competent, reasonable person, plus I'm in my 40's so most of us in our 40's are done with the getting-yelled-at thing.

"Is the pay and benefits in nursing really as good as everyone says?"

If you are going to compare pay and benefits of nursing to teaching, I would have to say (at least in my area, Northern Illinois) teaching far outweighs nursing in terms of pay and benefits. A teacher would generally make the same as a nurse (around $50K) - except a teacher would have all those holidays off, three weeks at Christmas and ALL SUMMER LONG. The Teachers Union is very strong here and the retirement benefits for teachers are fantastic, includes pension, health insurance benefits for retirees, etc. So in that respect, teaching far outranks nursing. Plus teachers don't have to lift LOL

"How did you become interested in nursing?"

second career, first one got outsourced and replaced by technology, looking for stability and noble work

"If you have kids, does your job allow you to have enough time to spend with them?"

my kids are school aged, and I'm in nursing school too, so n/a at this point. Hope to work 3 12's on the weekend so will see them after school and do the homework/listening thing but The Man will have them all weekend long...

"How often do you have to work major holidays?" I remember being admitted through the ER one Thanksgiving, with a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. The poor Rad tech had to come in from a meal she was hosting for 27, but they found what was causing that horrible abdominal pain and frankly, I was glad the hopsital was open! So yes, plan on working major holidays. It's a hospital.

so hope this gives you some more information from a slightly different perspective. It's always possible to do both you know... teaching first, then nursing down the road...

LMRN10 · Jan 12, 2007

Currently in school, but I just wanted to say good luck to you!! I also went between teaching and nursing I think because both help others. Nursing is my calling I believe. I'd be happy either way.

Good luck with your decision and good luck with the schooling if that is what you decide to do!