i'll probably get flamed to the moon and back for this but..

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

does anyone else get tired of hearing (from other SNAs/hopefuls/vets) what we nurses are "suppose" to be like ?

i read through thread after thread of how if you're not "compassionate to the core" and "really into nursing" and all this other stuff, you won't do well in the program or as a nurse in general.

is it really that big of a deal that some use the profession as a fallback option, or as a way to get by while trying to pursue something they'd really wanna be doing, without having to work something that provides just above minimum wage to make ends meet ?

i often hear people being scolded because their "heart" isn't in nursing, and for taking a seat away from others who "really" want to be there. Are any of us less deserving because we went through the same prereqs as everyone else but were competitive enough to actually secure a seat ? Is this something i should apologize for ? Should we be barred from applying simply because we have different prospects for the horizon ? Say med school ? or a field outside of healthcare altogether ?

Is it wrong to consider this profession a job ? one in which i will do my best to do well as i would with any other endeavor ? I go in with an attitude to make sure all of my duties are done, everyone is accounted for, and everything is the way it should be from the time i arrive until the time i clock out. Does it make me a bad nurse that i don't cry with a patient when they're going through a hard time ? Please dont take this as an implication as me directing negative or rude comments towards the patient. I'm attentive, and consoling, but i'd rather not have my emotions tie me up in knots to the point where i start to make clinical errors, which in the end is truly the most important thing to me.

Don't mind me, just my Tuesday morning rant for the day. I'm curious to see who else feels like this. I know im the minority but i can't be the only one

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

If I had to choose a "job" I wouldn't pick nursing. I would pick something easier, like respiratory therapy or dental hygiene. However, even though nursing is difficult at times, it gives me great satisfaction. Nursing is a tough job and if you love it to the extent that it's considered your career, it makes it easier for you and for the patient.

[iPink, BSN, RN]

I don't doubt there are plenty of people who feel they way you feel about nursing (or any other job for that matter). However, if you don't have the "heart" for any job/profession, isn't that your sign that it may be time to move on to something else? You may not have the finances now but eventually you'll research better options? School is expensive and now think long and hard if I want to stay in a job for 20+ years of my life that I don't have a heart for. When choosing a "job" that allows me to put food on the table, nursing would be the last choice since it is one of the toughest unless you were sold on the idea that you would be able to get a job anywhere.

On another note, who said you had to cry with your patients during difficult times? I have shadowed in the pediatric oncology unit and was there when a nurse and doctor had to deliver the news to the patient's parents that their child does have cancer. The emotions were high in the room, but I saw the nurse step out, cry her tears and then go back in there to be a shoulder to cry on for the parents. She never shed a tear in front of them and from that act alone, I thought she was amazing.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I went into nursing so I could have a reasonable income and do something reasonably interesting, to put food on the table and a roof over my family members' heads. I had another degree that led to no jobs and had all the pre-reqs finished for nursing school due to the other degree. I didn't have a calling. It was a totally practical decision. I knew I would do the job to the best of my ability, in all its facets.

It turns out I love the job and I've developed my own mission within nursing. Who knows...maybe the practical decision was what led to what I needed to find?

I don't believe one has to have a mission of caring to be a good nurse. That's not to say that mission should eliminate anyone either. Different people have different reasons for choosing any profession. As long as we do the best we can to get the work done, the reason we do it doesn't matter. Who knows what might happen down the road...

[ceccia]

i read through thread after thread of how if you're not "compassionate to the core" and "really into nursing" and all this other stuff, you won't do well in the program or as a nurse in general.

that is really annoying. i agree. who is anyone else to judge whether you're "compassionate enough" anyway?

is it really that big of a deal that some use the profession as a fallback option, or as a way to get by while trying to pursue something they'd really wanna be doing, without having to work something that provides just above minimum wage to make ends meet ?

no, but the problem (just speaking from my own personal experience, YMMV) is that nursing is EXHAUSTING and you're more susceptible to burnout if you're not actually interested in it or well suited to it. If I could go back and do things differently, I would have picked something much easier - even if it paid less - to keep me going while working on my true passions/interests. I had more artistic success when waiting tables was my 'day job', because i could go on autopilot and do the job and save my energy for my own projects. You def can't do nursing on autopilot.

I would never say that you can't do a good job at nursing even if your heart isn't in it. Of course you can. But you're giving everything you have to other people all day every day, and what's left for yourself at the end of the day? How much energy will you have to put toward achieving what you really want? When I warn people away from nursing as a 'day job' or 'backup plan', it's for those reasons -it's not coming from a pearl-clutching "think of the paaaaatients, omg those poor souls will have to suffer through having a nurse who doesn't have Nightengale blood coursing through their fiery veins!" mindset.

[SL2014]

It is totally okay that you consider nursing "a job"... AS LONG AS: It doesn't negatively impact your patient care.

Nursing is a sensitive career, we deal with a lot of patient dignity issues and psychological issues, it's not all "medications and skills".

That being said... Nursing is NOT an easy job. I think that the high turnover rate is partially due to the massive influx of new nurses who got into it because it was a "job" and they peaced out pretty fast. Some stick around and provide great patient care (like one of my good friends) but she's VERY unhappy being a nurse.

SO.

I don't have a personal gripe with it but YOU might someday.

[RNperdiem, RN]

To make it in nursing, even if you don't always "like" it and have practical reasons for choosing nursing, you do have to respect nursing.

If you look down on nursing, and disrespect what nurses do and try to distance yourself from us (I am not a nurse, I am a future CRNA!), then others will pick up on that attitude and make your life difficult.

I read enough threads where there is a clear disdain for nurses, especially the ones who work at the bedside.

You don't always need the love for the job, but you do need the respect for nursing and pride in your work.

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

To make it in nursing, even if you don't always "like" it and have practical reasons for choosing nursing, you do have to respect nursing.

If you look down on nursing, and disrespect what nurses do and try to distance yourself from us (I am not a nurse, I am a future CRNA!), then others will pick up on that attitude and make your life difficult.

I read enough threads where there is a clear disdain for nurses, especially the ones who work at the bedside.

You don't always need the love for the job, but you do need the respect for nursing and pride in your work.

Was there something in particular that I said that was disrespectful towards nurses ?

If so I apologize. But the main point of my musing was to express my disdain for those who doubt the prowess and effectiveness of a nurse because they don't fit the "life long destined" goal that a lot of bright eyes and wet ears have when applying or looking back

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

that is really annoying. i agree. who is anyone else to judge whether you're "compassionate enough" anyway?

no, but the problem (just speaking from my own personal experience, YMMV) is that nursing is EXHAUSTING and you're more susceptible to burnout if you're not actually interested in it or well suited to it. If I could go back and do things differently, I would have picked something much easier - even if it paid less - to keep me going while working on my true passions/interests. I had more artistic success when waiting tables was my 'day job', because i could go on autopilot and do the job and save my energy for my own projects. You def can't do nursing on autopilot.

I would never say that you can't do a good job at nursing even if your heart isn't in it. Of course you can. But you're giving everything you have to other people all day every day, and what's left for yourself at the end of the day? How much energy will you have to put toward achieving what you really want? When I warn people away from nursing as a 'day job' or 'backup plan', it's for those reasons -it's not coming from a pearl-clutching "think of the paaaaatients, omg those poor souls will have to suffer through having a nurse who doesn't have Nightengale blood coursing through their fiery veins!" mindset.

I think I agree here the most. Definitely see where you're coming from

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

However, if you don't have the "heart" for any job/profession, isn't that your sign that it may be time to move on to something else?

Here's the issue: what if you are a person like me, who will never have the heart for any type of job in existence due to personality issues?

I am a creative, thoughtful, lazy person who does not enjoy working or following a schedule, whether it is my own timetable or an employer's time frame. I love unlimited, unstructured free time. Any type of work cuts into my unstructured free time, and for that reason, I will never have the 'heart' for any type of work.

I'd rather receive a multimillion dollar lottery payout and spend my free time traveling, attending school, learning how to play musical instruments, or partaking in leisurely pursuits. However, the chances of receiving a huge windfall are slim, so I work to stay afloat while pretending to have my 'heart' in it.

By the way, I became a nurse due to the easy mode of entry, steady middle income, flexibility in scheduling, and other practical reasons.

[elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

Here's the issue: what if you are a person like me, who will never have the heart for any type of job in existence due to personality issues?

I am a creative, thoughtful, lazy person who does not enjoy working or following a schedule, whether it is my own timetable or an employer's time frame. I love unlimited, unstructured free time. Any type of work cuts into my unstructured free time, and for that reason, I will never have the 'heart' for any type of work.

I'd rather receive a multimillion dollar lottery payout and spend my free time traveling, attending school, learning how to play musical instruments, or partaking in leisurely pursuits. However, the chances of receiving a huge windfall are slim, so I work to stay afloat while pretending to have my 'heart' in it.

Well this of course means you'll be a bad nurse with no respect for the profession and probably wont get through nursing school, or you'll burnout quickly ha

I feel the exact same way. I can't see myself truly happy under any structured work environment. 9-5s 5 days a week are completely out of the question. Kinda what brought me here to begin with

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Well this of course means you'll be a bad nurse with no respect for the profession and probably wont get through nursing school, or you'll burnout quickly ha

LOL...I've been a nurse approximately 8 years and have lasted longer than many of the righteous people who claim to have entered the profession for all the 'right' reasons.'